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Hello 2016 RLX SH-AWD Advance
Name or Screen Name: wstr75
Country/State/City of purchase: Chicago/Greensboro
Last 5 digit of Vin: 00198
Option package SH-AWD Advance
Color Ext/Int: Graphite/Ebony
Month/Yr of purchase: 02/2017
Price paid before tax/lic: $49,700 Odometer: 761 miles
Car is recognized as used within the Acura system. This enabled our local Greensboro Acura dealer to do the transaction with a Chicago Acura dealer and not have to swap an equivalent new car. Interesting rules within the Acura system. Now waiting for the car carrier to arrive over the horizon . . . . .
Good deal on that one WSTR75! That's the best deal I've seen in a while. Almost exactly six large less than I paid for a similar new model six weeks ago. You get the extra CPO warranty?
Probably no pictures for a while. Deal done tonight. Car to be shipped from Chicago to NC. Skipped the extended warranty. Great deal because the car is a previously titled vehicle, i.e. used.
Be on the lookout for the men in black. Transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines is a Federal Offence!
That's the best and wisest purchase I have seen yet If it were not purchased from Acura corp - I would have assumed it was sold by a dealer who did not know the SH exists and thought it was a PAWS model.
Congrats and enjoy! And yes, another member we would appreciate your observations between the two model versions.
I moved posts from the New Owners' thread and duplicated wstr75's post here. I did this to keep the New Owners' thread uncluttered as it's there for info.
Congrats, wstr75! And WOW at that price. Nice job!
Drove it home from dealership tonight. Immediately noticed the following differences and/or improvements compared to my 2014 RLX PAWS:
• The lane keeping assist vibrated the steering wheel and was more aggressive with following the lane lines. The 2014 did not vibrate the steering wheel.
• The ACC was a bit smoother with less braking action when trailing a car.
• Requires more brake effort (foot effort)
• Damn fast acceleration
• The seat is a wee bit harder
• Could feel the transmission shifting when I was running 73 and going up and down inclines on the interstate.
Previous 756 miles average 9.4 mpg. Car obviously did not go anywhere or maybe it was driven only in hard sprints. I'm assuming the former!
The 25 mile trip home averaged 32.2 mpg.
Had a Acura message notice saying the brake fluid may be low. The service department was long gone, so I continued on my merry way. Will check it tomorrow in the day time.
Great car! Glad to have it and plan to keep it a long, long time.
Drove it home from dealership tonight. Immediately noticed the following differences and/or improvements compared to my 2014 RLX PAWS:
• The lane keeping assist vibrated the steering wheel and was more aggressive with following the lane lines. The 2014 did not vibrate the steering wheel.
• The ACC was a bit smoother with less braking action when trailing a car.
• Requires more brake effort (foot effort)
• Damn fast acceleration
• The seat is a wee bit harder
• Could feel the transmission shifting when I was running 73 and going up and down inclines on the interstate.
LOVE black - if YOU clean it!
1 - That vibrating alert is actually the LDW. It is sort of an extension of LKAS. LKAS keeps you centered, LDW warns you are crossing the lane markers (unless you signal). Your PAWS had AcuraWatch the new ADVANCE models have AcuraWatch Plus- which adds LDW, Cross Traffic Alert & RDM.
2 - That is due to the SH uses regen to 'brake' the car when friction braking is not needed. You only had friction brakes on the PAWS so it should behave differently
3 - Again, you now have regen braking blended with friction. The pedal may be firmer, but the SH regen braking is the smoothest I have experienced. I had no different acclimation than switching any other cars.
4 - Um yeah. What have we been telling you? And instant torque is not an attribute Honda drivers are expecting.
5 - Or your tushy is getting softer?
6 - You got more gears. But over time you will learn the subtle nuances of the power shifting, regen braking, tranny shifts. I am still learning which sensation is due to which dynamic change is taking place. Keep in mind the SH is about all that power with SHAWD, but without the efficiency penalty. As a result, the systems logic is looking for every opportunity to make the 'efficient' choice. Of course you can override that process but punching SPORT button or mashing the pedal. You got more than one car with the SH - it has multiple personalities which make me smile to outright giggle.
Last edited by TampaRLX-SH; 02-28-2017 at 08:55 PM.
Tampa, thanks for the kind words. It looks black in the photo, but is Graphite Luster as was my 2014 RLX. Am having mud guards, rear bumper protective decal, lug nut locks and spare tire kit installed soon. Tell me more about the Cross Traffic alert. I noticed how the rear camera has a setting that broadens the field of view sufficiently to see an approaching car when backing out of a parking space. Is the Cross Traffic Alert a sensor system at the front that alerts when traffic is approaching an intersection? I recently saw a video of a 2017 Audi Allroad alerting the driver when a car was approaching perpendicularly when starting across an intersection. Is that what the Acura Cross Traffic Alert system does?
Ah...gotcha. Welcome to the Graphite Luster A List! I too have been asked if mine was black. Some pics in low light can make it look so.
This explains Cross Traffic Alert. It is an extension of simple parking sensors combined with the reverse and forward cam wide angle views. Although this video only demos the rear sensors, it works the same with the front sensors & forward cam (i.e. you are backed into a parking space flanked by two vans, the sensors and wide camera give you the forward cross traffic alerts. Just pulling into one side of my garage, the front and rear sensors alert as they pass the door opening.
If you search AcuraWatch Plus on YouTube, there are demo videos of the features. There is an Acura channel you can subscribe to and view all the video tutorials. 20 months into my SH and I am still learning features!
Enjoy spending the next few days in the car setting up all the custom features, loading your media and address book and learning the features. You will then understand that 9.4 mpg initial tank!
Congrats again! It looks like CBP in that picture, but I believe you if you say it's GL. Dark colors are not just a choice.....they are a committment and a lifestyle.
Have put 600 miles on the 2016 and have additional observations:
• The switching from 3 cylinders back to 6 cylinders at interstate speed is more noticeable. I attribute this to the more directly coupled transmission in the hybrid. I watched the rpm gauge and it never varied during these activation/deactivation events. It is not overly harsh or distracting, just more noticeable with the dual clutch transmission interface than the torque converter interface.
• Slow speed maneuvering such as backing out of my garage while turning, then shifting to drive and driving up slope requires a heavier throttle application than my PAWS RLX. Not a problem so much with the car as it is a re-programming event for my brain. Driving the PAWS took a while to re-program my brain to get accustomed to the rear wheels accommodative steering at speed.
• There is a wee bit more hesitation with the car thinking over stuff like when shifting from forward to reverse.
• Getting great fuel mileage in the 29 - 32 mpg range with mostly highway driving. Most of the short trip driving is 2 - 3 miles driven events with the engine doing its warm-up activity so those mpg readings are not all that different than the PAWS version. After getting warm, city driving is appreciably better mpg, but have not driven enough already warmed, city driving only to make a mpg assessment.
• The ride and handling is more solid feeling than the PAWS model. How much more? Hard to define. Methinks it feels more planted on all four corners. I never thought of my PAWS as having any issues with feeling solid and planted on all four corners, yet the hybrid version feels more planted/solid and this is likely the effect of having the additional weight centered on the rear axle area.
• Going to sound like the old man that I am, but I miss the PAWS traditional shifter. My bride and I are getting used to the buttons, but the button set up is taking up brain time to literally check-list pushing park button while visually confirming it is the correct button, then pushing start/off button and then exiting the car. The shifter is the long-learned response to put foot on brake, row the shifter full forward, push start-stop button and begin rotating derriere to exit car. We humans want to let our System 1 subconscious minds do as much work as possible and my RLX hybrid at this point is asking my much slower running System 2 CPU to do more work with what were formerly arcane events. System 1 vs 2 Decision Making for Market Research | Upfront Analytics
So this extra 67hp in the rear wheels actually make you feel the difference from a PWS's RLX?
Only during hard acceleration is the extra power felt, otherwise it is a hybrid sensory set-feeling when dawdling along in city traffic or when driving in a slow speed situation like backing out of parking space and proceeding ahead in the parking lot. I like the car! It is just different in many small ways from my previous RLX PAWS.
Have put 600 miles on the 2016 and have additional observations:
• The switching from 3 cylinders back to 6 cylinders at interstate speed is more noticeable. I attribute this to the more directly coupled transmission in the hybrid. I watched the rpm gauge and it never varied during these activation/deactivation events. It is not overly harsh or distracting, just more noticeable with the dual clutch transmission interface than the torque converter interface.
Were you using CC or ACC? This may be the car 'coasting' and when it does regen braking is engaged. Check the power distribution monitor when you feel that sensation - if you sdee the reverse arrows on any wheel(s) - it is likely regen what you feel.
Originally Posted by wstr75
• Slow speed maneuvering such as backing out of my garage while turning, then shifting to drive and driving up slope requires a heavier throttle application than my PAWS RLX. Not a problem so much with the car as it is a re-programming event for my brain. Driving the PAWS took a while to re-program my brain to get accustomed to the rear wheels accommodative steering at speed.
Have your adjusted the throttle pedal resistance? It is designed to have a firmer setting to finess the throttle - keeping the car in EV mode as much and as long as possible. Try changing the resistance setting and see how that compares.
Originally Posted by wstr75
• There is a wee bit more hesitation with the car thinking over stuff like when shifting from forward to reverse.
Likely the logic is assessing how to apply power and from which source. If it can reverse in EV mode - the computer is directing the rear motors. Note: Sometimes I experience some lugging when reversing in EV mode.
Originally Posted by wstr75
• The ride and handling is more solid feeling than the PAWS model. How much more? Hard to define. Methinks it feels more planted on all four corners. I never thought of my PAWS as having any issues
with feeling solid and planted on all four corners, yet the hybrid version feels more planted/solid and this is likely the effect of having the additional weight centered on the rear axle area.
Agree. I felt the tail of the PAWS model had a bobbing motion that I do not notice with the SH.
Originally Posted by wstr75
• Going to sound like the old man that I am, but I miss the PAWS traditional shifter. My bride and I are getting used to the buttons, but the button set up is taking up brain time to literally check-list pushing park button while visually confirming it is the correct button, then pushing start/off button and then exiting the car. The shifter is the long-learned response to put foot on brake, row the shifter full forward, push start-stop button and begin rotating derriere to exit car. We humans want to let our System 1 subconscious minds do as much work as possible and my RLX hybrid at this point is asking my much slower running System 2 CPU to do more work with what were formerly arcane events. System 1 vs 2 Decision Making for Market Research Upfront Analytics
I too was looking where to rest my wrist or palm (typically the shifter). It did not take long to get used to it
Thanks for taking the time to post your comparisons.
Have put 600 miles on the 2016 and have additional observations:
• Going to sound like the old man that I am, but I miss the PAWS traditional shifter. My bride and I are getting used to the buttons, but the button set up is taking up brain time to literally check-list pushing park button while visually confirming it is the correct button, then pushing start/off button and then exiting the car. The shifter is the long-learned response to put foot on brake, row the shifter full forward, push start-stop button and begin rotating derriere to exit car.
I do not use the Park button any more, unless I want to sit in the car while running. If you press the Start/Stop button, it puts the car in Park automatically. My sequence is: Come to a stop, while keeping my foot on the brake pedal, pull up on the Parking brake, press the Start/Stop button, exit the car.
• The ride and handling is more solid feeling than the PAWS model. How much more? Hard to define. Methinks it feels more planted on all four corners. I never thought of my PAWS as having any issues with feeling solid and planted on all four corners, yet the hybrid version feels more planted/solid and this is likely the effect of having the additional weight centered on the rear axle area.
Now you understand some of what I was trying to say in all my complaints about the RLX PAWS suspension, except that and it didn't require me having to drive the SH to know the PAWS was completely off. All it took was comparing it to my wifes ILX (entry level Acura, cough cough) or any car quite frankly to further confirm the suspension and ride handling was shit. The car simply never felt confident in it's drive handling. It was like someone with an uncontrollable nervous tick.
I think some of you (actually most of you) just tolerated it more than I did. I just refused to tolerate it considering how much money I paid for that car month to month.
Hello everyone, new RLX SH AWD owner here. It looks like I got the same deal as wst75 in Chicago. Dealer indicated they received a few Acura program cars of some sort which allowed them to price them very attractively..... mine had 1k miles on it when I bought it... was on the website as used, however, sold as a New vehicle on the paperwork.
Anyway, I love the vehicle so far with the near instant torque provided by the electric powertrain to be very very satisfying; very quiet ride; build quality very high; lots of room inside; Krell sound system awesome; and stealthy. I typically find stop start systems very annoying but this one works very well with the electric start taking the "edge" off.
The front suspension had a slight clanking / vibration at the tail end of hitting a moderate bump. The local dealer changed out both front shocks under warranty and its better but not completely gone. (I didn't think the TSB included the 2016 MY) Perhaps it's just the vehicle characteristics and / or the tires which appear to be very hard compound. I'm tempted to change them out to the Cont or perhaps the PIrelli but the annoyance is not worth close to $1k to rectify immediately.
Disappointed that there is no apple or android carplay and the system is a touch slow to react but not so bad. I purchased the spare tire kit and rear bumper applique and installed a front clear bra. The remote is almost a perfect rectangle so it's hard to lock the car by touch with the key in the pocket.... gotta take it out and look at it, maybe that's just me.
Only thing I intensely dislike is the push button transmission selector. Why "fix" something that isn't broken? It doesn't seem like it saves any space and I gotta look down to make a selection, but perhaps that'll get more intuitive with time.
Purchased the Weathertech liners but the rear was too short as it appears the center hump is higher than the non hybrid. Boy was it a PITA and a half trying to get that returned to Weathertech with the CS Rep requesting two, yes 2, sets of pictures to prove that it didn't fit. I decided to send them a short video as definitive proof. Again, very surprising and honestly the most difficult return i've ever experienced especially given the product did not fit! I kept the front liners as these cover the left foot rest whereas the Acura all weather mats do not.
Anyway, thanks for all of the information on this board! Incredible community and I look forward to driving this car for many years to come.
Welcome and congrats on your new purchase mqs1! I hope you have many safe and happy miles with it! I was the same way in the beginning with the push buttons, but now its second nature and am ok with it.
The suspension should be quite without any noticeable clunking, at least nobody else on the board has complained about it. Maybe a trip back to the service department to check a little deeper (mounts, hats, etc)
You should go over to the RLX owner sign in and fill in your details also......
I second pgeorg. You will very soon get the feel of the pushbuttons and it will become 2nd nature and seem natural. Now I can't find the correct gear in my wife's '14 TL with its funny shifter-thing!
Enjoy your car. For me, it's the best car purchase I have ever made. After 2+ years, I still look forward to every road trip.
Thanks gentlement! Maybe my "old fart" hat is on a bit tight. I'm sure I'll get used to the buttons quick like.
Visited my sister last week and the rental had the rotary knob while her E class had the little nub gear selector on the steering column and then back home to the push button and normal gear selector on my cars (Acura/Lexus). I am sooooo confused, haha.
Hello everyone, new RLX SH AWD owner here. It looks like I got the same deal as wst75 in Chicago. Dealer indicated they received a few Acura program cars of some sort which allowed them to price them very attractively..... mine had 1k miles on it when I bought it... was on the website as used, however, sold as a New vehicle on the paperwork.
Anyway, I love the vehicle so far with the near instant torque provided by the electric powertrain to be very very satisfying; very quiet ride; build quality very high; lots of room inside; Krell sound system awesome; and stealthy. I typically find stop start systems very annoying but this one works very well with the electric start taking the "edge" off.
The front suspension had a slight clanking / vibration at the tail end of hitting a moderate bump. The local dealer changed out both front shocks under warranty and its better but not completely gone. (I didn't think the TSB included the 2016 MY) Perhaps it's just the vehicle characteristics and / or the tires which appear to be very hard compound. I'm tempted to change them out to the Cont or perhaps the PIrelli but the annoyance is not worth close to $1k to rectify immediately.
Disappointed that there is no apple or android carplay and the system is a touch slow to react but not so bad. I purchased the spare tire kit and rear bumper applique and installed a front clear bra. The remote is almost a perfect rectangle so it's hard to lock the car by touch with the key in the pocket.... gotta take it out and look at it, maybe that's just me.
Only thing I intensely dislike is the push button transmission selector. Why "fix" something that isn't broken? It doesn't seem like it saves any space and I gotta look down to make a selection, but perhaps that'll get more intuitive with time.
Purchased the Weathertech liners but the rear was too short as it appears the center hump is higher than the non hybrid. Boy was it a PITA and a half trying to get that returned to Weathertech with the CS Rep requesting two, yes 2, sets of pictures to prove that it didn't fit. I decided to send them a short video as definitive proof. Again, very surprising and honestly the most difficult return i've ever experienced especially given the product did not fit! I kept the front liners as these cover the left foot rest whereas the Acura all weather mats do not.
Anyway, thanks for all of the information on this board! Incredible community and I look forward to driving this car for many years to come.
Does your VIN end in 249? If so, then we got sister cars as I initially dealt with McGrath for 249. They told me these cars were taken back by Honda for use in testing "apexing" at MidAmerica and then sold back to Acura dealers, thus the used but not titled aspect. They told me: "Apexing is going at high speeds around corners to see how the vehicle handles the cornering angles". They also said there were 20 cars involved with this testing.
Hi, yes it is 249. I purchased mid January after dealing with them since Dec. Original dealer was in Michigan, can't remember which. Ya, they said the same thing to me but I just figured it was just some sales nonsense, but who knows? Regardless, given the low price, low mileage and full manu warranty, I was good with it. I flew in to see the car and if I didn't like it then just enjoy the city for a week with the wife, but after the first drive it I was hooked. Drive back to Colorado was effortless and gas mileage was 36 mpg (!).
Love the HUD and I am entertained endlessly by the Power Mgmt System display.
Welcome aboard. Your comments above mirror the feeling I had after I had the first few rides under my belt. The test drive made me a goner. I too love the HUD. I have become addicted to watching the power management in the HUD. I still look forward to sliding into the driver's seat after over 2yrs. One warning, Sport mode will subject you to the risk of many speeding tickets.
I, too can't figure out why manufacturers mess with the shifter for no reason. I prefer the Acura buttons to the shifter in my A4 or the BMWs I tested, though.
Boy was it a PITA and a half trying to get that returned to Weathertech with the CS Rep requesting two, yes 2, sets of pictures to prove that it didn't fit. I decided to send them a short video as definitive proof. Again, very surprising and honestly the most difficult return i've ever experienced especially given the product did not fit!
Congratulations on your new whip.
At the risk of hijacking the thread, glad you mentioned this about WeatherTech. They just blew me some shee-yot I didn't expect when the area under the driver's heel wore through in just four winters of part-time usage. They have a "lifetime limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship," yet I felt like they were trying to slut-shame me, demanding photos (which I provided), then saying "normal wear and tear" is not covered, but they'd be swell guys and replace my mat "as a one-time courtesy."
After my new mats arrived, I replied by specifically showing them where their own warranty language did NOT exclude "normal wear and tear" – much the opposite, it said abusive wear was not covered, which clearly implies that normal wear is. They did not reply.
Interestingly, the replacement mats arrived with signage that says the warranty is now reduced to 10 years (which, of course, my mats wouldn't have come close to meeting, either). The website still says lifetime.
Very disappointing from a company that charges premium prices and portrays itself as a principled organization. Will look harder into Lloyds brand next time.
TonyCD, sorry to hear about your experience. Ya, they kinda made me feel like I was an idiot and/or scamming them since their "product engineers test every vehicle for perfect fit" and she insisted "her product engineers verified it fit perfectly for your vehicle year and specific model (SH)." Once I proved it didn't fit...... crickets.
I buy Made-in-USA as my first choice always, even if it costs more, but if the product or service is poor then, no more.
I will look at Loyd's next and they are made in USA as well. I just wish they had a picture/rendering of the actual product for my specific car since I like the all weather floor liner that covers the left foot rest (which weathertech does and Acura OEM does not). I was hoping I got a bad CS rep, but perhaps its the company policy to initially push back hard on any return. That's too bad cause I do like their product.
02-09-2017, 09:40 PM
Transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines is a Federal Offence! 
If it were not purchased from Acura corp - I would have assumed it was sold by a dealer who did not know the SH exists and thought it was a PAWS model.
I too have been asked if mine was black. Some pics in low light can make it look so.
