6eD

Hello and thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

I've been looking for a new car for the past month or so and have found what seems to be a good deal on a 2014 Acura RLX Advance (P-AWS). The car is priced at ~19.9k with 80k miles. It has Krell, rear heated seats, front heated/cooled seats, and ACC/LKS/CMBS so I believe this is an Advance model, correct? Anyway - I've test driven the car three times in the past couple months. The first time I test drove the battery was dead. The second time, it started right up. The third time, the battery was dead again. Under the hood there is a good deal of some sort of goopy yellow-ish grease on the battery and on some of the surrounding parts (looks like it might originate from the battery itself). The battery terminals and all of the terminal connections have all been coated in a red substance that I think is dielectric grease but it almost looks more like some sort of paint.

I've replaced batteries before and it's generally no big deal but I'm a little concerned why the Ford dealership that is selling this car hasn't replaced the battery. It makes me wonder if there is something more serious wrong with the car such as a parasitic drain or other electrical issue. When jumped, the car starts right up and starts up again just fine after a test drive. Has anyone else here noticed problems of this sort with their RLX's?

The only other issues I see with the car are some light wear on the exterior, some substantial curb rash on the outer-rim of the driver side wheels, and very worn tires (probably the factory tires judging by the wear). Obviously the high mileage is a little concerning but mostly only because I'll have to do the timing belt service in the next year or two - I'm not too concerned about the drivetrain reliability given its made by Honda/Acura.. unless you guys would be (?)

Otherwise, I love driving this car. The technology is great.. way better than the Lexus GS 350 that I'm also considering. It's also a bit roomier for a guy of my size (6'8"). Sure, it doesn't look as cool as the GS IMO.. but the interior is way nicer. The ride quality is very similar but not as 'planted' as the AWD GS.

From my research I know that you guys recommend the Hybrid SH-AWD version of this car but it's out of my price range and also there aren't any anywhere near my area. What do you guys think? Is this a great buy or is it a potential nightmare of problems?

getakey

lot of miles
for reference, just traded my 2014 PAWS with 53K miles
Suspension harsh
NAVI not very responsive
Have brakes been replaced?
Battery is a non-issue - just replace it
But, 80K seems like a lot to me. I'd pass

6eD

Did you buy your RLX new originally? What did you get for your trade and what are you driving now if you don't mind me asking?

I've definitely read the complaints about the suspension but in my experience the ride was very soft -- especially for a car with such large rims. It seemed on par with the GS 350's we've been test driving and with softer seats. I'm coming from a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe though which did little to soften the ride. The Accord was also loud, allowing lots of exterior noise into the cabin and adding to the noise

Should I just buy another Honda Accord? I don't really want to spend more than 20-25k, I've been hoarding my nest egg for a house purchase. I guess I figured my Honda's have all remained very reliable way beyond 100k miles and that an Acura would as well. I've never seen a factory navigation system that rivaled Google Maps or Waze on my phone and liked the ride.. so is there something else you didn't like about the RLX or that would worry you with more miles? Or maybe you just think it's too much money? I'm not trying to convince you it's a good idea, I just want to better understand your recommendation. Most of my brain is telling me it's a stupid idea to buy a car with such high miles just to get a better driving experience without paying more. I could afford to buy a warranty on this particular car through my credit union (~1400) but even so.. I could get a barely used Honda for this approximate price. The other thing that worries me is that this car's value has dropped so much relative to MSRP. The '13 Lexus is cheaper new IIRC but is valued considerably higher by NADA today even without all of the fancy options like the luxury package or mark levinson audio. I suck at shopping.. I'll probably just get my 6th Accord in a row.. just so bored with that car and it's a bit small for a tall guy like me.

getakey

I bought it new and just traded in for a new MDX Sport Hybrid. I'd say 19K is a decent price for those miles. They do eat batteries. 2-3 years and have to replace, but that would not stop me from buying the car.
Don' get me wrong, I generally liked the RLX, but the one you are looking at has high miles. They are probably mostly highway miles, but still miles.

I really liked the Krell stereo. Really disliked the slow NAVI

holografique

Having leased a 2014 RLX PAWS Advanced for 3 years and put over 60k+ miles on it, here's my advice:

* check the VIN number on the car. the last 4 digits represent the build number. If its 4000 or less, I'd stay away from it like the plague. the early builds were HORRIBLE. At least mine was.

* check the service records to see if and how many of the 40+ TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) were applied to the car. There are some issues that some consider minor, a handful of them that are substantial, and a few of them being pretty serious.

* unless you live (and drive) in an area with pristine roads, I would make sure you test drive it on less than perfect road conditions and then reasses your opinion of its suspension. For me the RLX was hands down the worst suspension Ive experienced in my 37 years of driving cars, short of my daughter's old used beater Mitsubishi 2006 Lancer or the UHUAL truck I drove across the US when I moved to California. As long as my RLX was on smooth newly paved roads, it was a dream to drive. Anything less was a complete gamble and literally robbed me of the driving enjoyment of that vehicle.

* The NAVI was infuriatingly slow. There are times where you would hit a button (physical or virtual) and it could take up to 3-4 seconds to respond. In some cases not even responding at all. Simply unacceptable for any car, regardless of class, brand or price. I've been cheap rental cars with faster responding electronics.

Personally I wouldn't touch a 2014 if someone gave it to me. 2015 or higher seemed to resolves some of the missteps that Acura had on the initial release of the RLX. But the suspension wasnt properly addressed until the 2016 model. And as others have posted here, the Sport-Hybrid is literally a different car all together, the quality control on that car is what should have occured across the board on the RLX, regardless of PAWS or SH.

Your mileage may vary and ultimately its down to your decision and what you feel is the best choice for you.

Good luck on your decision, whichever way it goes.

quartzinterior

I bought a rlx sh and like others I agree it is completely different than the paws driving wise. For 20-25k you have alot of options. Battery replacement isnt a big deal but as you mentioned soon you will gave to replace timing belt and warer pump. Thats 1k right there. Tires about 1k. So 2k right there.
You asked the right questions. Is the battery old and needs replacement or is there a drain? Has the car been painted? Lots of ifs on the car.
You are very tall and if you love the car and features and you are willing to gamble on the question marks then go for it. I am conservative and would rather wait as you can have more peace of mind with a newer lower mileage car. 20-25k for 4 yr old cars gives you lots of options. If you are willing to gamble have a friend take you to an auction and you can get better prices on questionable cars. If you want more peace of mind wait.
Accord or accord hybrid are the smarter decisions but you gotta live a little and enjoy your car more. A happy medium may be a v6 tlx for you.
Good luck with your new ride.

wilspainar

There are a lot of PWS models with have the mileage for around the same price. I would move along, that is a lot of mileage compared to what other RLX's are going for now.

6eD

In spite everyone's advice to stay away.. I decided I did want to buy this car and took it into an Acura dealership for a PPI. The technician found a variety of issues.. from dirty/unmaintained fluids (transmission, brakes) to what appears to be structural damage resulting in a larger gap in the passenger door than the driver. I decided not to buy and am glad I spent the money on the inspection. The dealership was nice and charged me half price for the inspection ($75).

hondamore

Well done 6eD. When that little voice in the back of your head was telling you that something didn't seem right and to proceed cautiously, you listened and got things checked out BEFORE you got yourself into a bad situation. You've also learned that sometimes when a deal seems to good to be true, it's for a reason and that reason is often pretty bad. Keep looking and I'm sure you'll find an RLX that fits your needs.

Good luck in your search, the RLX is a great car.

neuronbob

A PPI is always, always worth the money. Good move, 6eD.

Fabvsix

I would NEVER buy an Acura on a FORD lot.....got to brings lots of magnets too! El Paso......