nore03

So my buddy works for an Acura dealer here in CT and we went on a test drive in the RLX and I must say it is a really really nice car! Wow..... But back to the RLX SH-SH-AWD... My buddy says that a fully loaded RLX with the SH-SW-AWD will run up to $74k..... He didn't tell me exactly what would be included with that package but he did say that they will have the packages based on the regular RLX. So you could get a Tech pack RLX with the awd system or a base model with the awd system. He says they are getting a lot of interest on the RLX but they haven't sold any yet. He says quite a few other stores have sold quite a few though.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^i heard the same thing about pricing for the AWD version. my dealer already has 4 RLX's sold before they have even arrived to the lot.

nanos

wow 70k+ for an rlx...not sure if people are ready for that

Ken1997TL

They haven't sold any because according to two different dealerships, they're not supposed to sell them until the 15th of March.

TSX69

Thanks for the info! Altho I like the idea of having the SH-SH-AWD added to any of the trim levels, 10 versions sounds like a bit much. Especially since I doubt that each dealership is even going to get 1 of each thus making it challenge to find your perfect RLX.

I would have thought, that like other luxury brands, the base model would be relatively non-existent, but my local dealer has a bunch of the cloth base ILXs so who knows.

I have an oil change scheduled for tomorrow so I am excited to see this thing in the metal. However, still not wild about having to pay $60k for the ventilated seats & more for the hybrid. May have to switch focus to the MDX this summer but I really do not need a big CUV. TLX may be too far away.

Looks like I am going to have pay more attention to other brands if I want a new car this year but not that wild about the new GS350 & the Infiinti dealer is 45 minutes away. Germans, perhaps?

Type-S RPh

So it sounds like a 9k premium for the SH-SH-AWD. Sounds about right. I was hoping for more like 5k but 9k sounds more like it. So I would be looking at 64-65k for a SH-SH-AWD Tech. Did your friend mention anything about when we may see a production SH-SH-AWD?

Type-S RPh

Wait, my math was off, sounds more like 12-13k premium for the SH-SH-AWD. Wow!

nore03

Only thing he told me was that it would be out by the end of the year. When he told me 74k for the SH-SH-AWD model I almost shit my pants. I told him at that price people are going to be looking at BMW 7 series... I told him I would start considering an 11 or 12 750.

nore03

Well I meant they had several on order, he said they arent officially allowed to sell them until March 9th.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

That's a pretty steep premium to add AWD. That premium had better add some additional things that have not yet been mentioned or else I suspect it will likely create a serious problem for RLX SH-AWD sales.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

It's not just for AWD, it's more POWERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, increased MPG and better handling. Think of it as a 335i (45,100) vs M3(60,100) except you also get better MPG and an upgraded drivetrain.

nore03

I guess you are right in that aspect. I do sometimes forget about the increased power and better gas mileage. Lets just hope Acura does a good job emphasising all that when it becomes available. A few more toys would be nice though. Maybe like an HUD or a heated steering wheel.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

The only other things I think that might be upgraded behind the scenes or not is brakes (BBK ) and suspenion?

Colin

Let me add. First off, the official 'on sale' date is March 15th. Second, there is no official word on the release timetable or pricing for the AWD version. Also, they haven't addressed the trim levels planned. However, I could speculate that some of the figures suggested sound like they're in the ballpark. The delta between a loaded Accord Touring and Accord Plug-in is ~$6000. Assuming that the (combined) 70 hp electric motors require a similarly sized battery as the Accord Plug-in, I would expect the difference to be in a similar range. We have 4 on order for March and 4 for April, all have deposits on them.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

This would be the equivalent of moving from a 535i (which has a base MSRP of $53,400) to the 550i xDrive (which has a base MSRP of $65,000) so I suppose you are right that it might not be that outrageous when compared against similar cars in the class.

I guess the difference is that BMW at least offers additional steps in between (535i xDrive and 550i) whereas Acura has made a leap from the very bottom rung up several steps at a time.

Also for comparison:

Audi A6 2.0T FrontTrak CVT $42,200
Audi A6 3.0T Quattro 8AT $50,400

Infiniti M37 RWD $48,700
Infiniti M37h RWD $54,750

Lexus GS350 RWD $47,250
Lexus GS450h AWD $59,450

MB E350 RWD $51,000
MB E550 4MATIC $60,400

I feel like the number that Acura is asking is still definitely on the high side.

Ant$

RLX vs 550i xDrive? for the same price?


yeah...I think I'd sell out and get the bimmer...

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Most comparable figures would be the M and GS. But wow, while Infiniti charges a $6k premium, Lexus is charging $12k extra.

KeithL

First, until they release pricing these are all rumors. That being said if the loaded AWD RLX goes up to $74K I think we will see very few out there because people looking to drop that much coin will want a badge that tells everyone they spent that much money, not a car that people will ask "what is that?" Maybe they think they are competing with Lexus 600h

dwboston

Acura is smoking crack if it puts a $74k price tag on anything but an NSX. You can get a loaded A6 Prestige with every tech option available, with a sticker just under $67k. We'll see where the pricing ends up but I'm not very optimistic.

CeEl

I wonder if there are any tax or other incentives available for getting the hybrid (AWD)? Maybe that's how they can get away with the higher price?

Blazing GT

$70,000 RL

hondamore

$75,000 for the SH-SH AWD RLX??? That suggests that the Canadian version would be pushing $80K???? I've said it before...Acura has to grow demand with super performance and technology at a "wow, what a great deal" pricing and then they can start to increase to these price levels. How can it be worth the cost of tooling/engineering to produce all 100 of each trim level of the RLX that they are going to sell?? They tried this tactic with the '93 - 95 Legend Coupe and the 2G RL and it didn't work out all that well for them in the sales column. I owned (and loved) both cars but paid $10,000 below MSRP for each - maybe something to be learned from that. Or maybe it is a clever ploy to offer a $75,000 flagship sedan knowing very well that they are going to move them for $65,000.

Colin

I saw someone ask this before but forgot to reply. I know that Honda used up their allotment of hybrid credits a long time ago. Since we're not talking about credits for the ILX hybrid, I'm guessing that the allocation applies to Honda corporate and thus Acura. It's going to be expensive for sure, but the actual price has not been announced.

Edward'TLS

Wait. Is this $74K the starting price tag for the base SH-SH-AWD RLX, or is it the fully loaded price tag for the top-line with-all-bells-and-whistles SH-SH-AWD RLX ?

If that $74K price tag is confirmed, this will boldly move the AWD RLX towards the S6, 550ix, E550-4matic, and LS460 territories. Very bold move indeed.

SSFTSX

Accord plug in is grade above Accord touring.

KeithL

And the Accord plug-in is missing some features of the Touring, no leather, no premium sound system. I think they assume everyone that wants to save on gas costs is a tree hugger and is looking to save the planet. Don't get me wrong I believe in the cause, but give me options, why does me saving fuel and carbon output mean I have to give up leather and a decent sounding audio system? Only thing I can think of is there are rumours a hybrid TLX is coming maybe they want to create enough of a gap between a TLX hybrid and a Accord Hybrid since the Accord plug-in will likely be right in TLX territory.

JonFo

When talking about pricing, remember this is a High-Performance hybrid, not some prius with leather.

I'm OK with a $74K sticker. There is a ton of content in the AWD version. basically, you get the drivetrain and much of the performance of the new NSX in a sedan body.

Now, I'm OK with that price if it's an Advance trim-level.

I believe the number of trim levels will be limited for the hybrid. Maybe just the Tech and Advance trims.
Who would buy a base RLX + Hybrid option for >$64K?

dwboston

I finally had the chance to stop by the dealer and check out the RLX. They had two Tech Package cars, one black with grey interior and one metallic grey with black interior. The car really does look better in person than in photos. I didn't want to drive the car because I really need AWD living in the Northeast, so P-AWS doesn't matter to me. I was able to sit in the car outside and check out all the electronics. My thoughts:

• The car feels more spacious both up front and in the rear. The leather is nice and seats seem comparable to my 06 RL.
• The 3D Nav is cool and seems like a nice upgrade from the 06. The nav screen itself could be higher res but it's not a big deal.
• The touch screen would take a little getting used to. The haptic feedback is good, but it seemed slightly hesitant to respond. The UI is completely different and would take some getting used to. I understand where the reviewers who have commented on that are coming from. There's something going on with the car companies and the touchscreens they are using. People used to smartphones and tablets have an expectation of responsiveness of capacitive screens. I'm not sure if the auto manufacturers are sacrificing some responsiveness for durability, but it could lead to some frustration. Cadillac is having the same issue with the CUE system.
• The steering wheel controls are good. The jog wheels work well.
• The MID hasn't really changed too much, except for its position and adding some color. The compass in the MID is a nice touch.
• The ELS system sounded great, but then I've loved it in every Acura in which I've heard it.
• I talked pricing with the sales guy. He said they expect to sell more of the Tech package cars than any other trim level, and he expects the SH-AWD Tech Package sticker to be in the low 60's. The sticker on the P-AWS car was just under $56k including destination charge.
• I hope there's a wood steering option at some point.

Overall the car seems like a nice upgrade to the RL, except for the price tag. I like it just enough to wait for the SH-AWD version before making a decision.

Shotgun

My sentiments echo yours to a tee dwboston! Pictures of the interior dash do it absolutely NO justice - Real life viewing, where the three dimensional aspect comes into play, places the interior on a different plane. Everything pops, feels and looks serenely luxurious and is superior to the content my 05 RL.

Acura paid much attention to detail like the multi-opening center console whose entire top not only flips up from either the driver or passenger side but also has an automatic soft touch back and forth slide mechanism which is smooth as silk...

My short driving experience was equally impressive! Tight, focused, and light are the adjectives that come to mind. Very responsive with excellent road feedback, rail like tracking and brake sensitivity that is unreal...

All that said, like you, will not make a buy decision until I can get behind the wheel of the upcoming SH-SHAWD model

dwboston

Good points. I forgot to mention the soft close coin tray and center console. Very nice touches and definite upgrades from the RL. Acura has done a good job with this car. They're reaching with the price tag though.

Timmy18

Are those models comparably equipped? You gotta remember Acura loads their base models down pretty well, where as you gotta get all-a cart options that cost anywhere from 800 hundred to 2-6K more a piece.

I think the RLX would be a the better deal at the end of the day, assuming Acura puts a lot of heart into the Hybrid and gives it some hella brutal acceleration and gas mileage like we expect. That with the reliability and the RLX is slightly a better deal In My Honest and Personal Opinion.

Styling wise, it doesn't scream 74K or big status like BMW does. However, I like the feeling of being better than the snobs driving their BMW's when being able to out perform them in my underdog brand, RLX, which they thought was just another Accord. It would be fun, but it would be boring with out the styling attention and status as well.

This car is 50/50 with me. I'm 16 so its wayyy out of my price range and projected audience so i have little to no say for what I think of this car. But thats not to say if I were rich or lucky (which I most certainly am not) that I couldn't buy the car myself. I can still like the car or wish it had a chance to do better than its competition though, so I am.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I just priced out an A6 prestige and it's at $75k.

Base: $57k
Paint: $500
20" Wheel pkg: $2.3k
Innovation Pkg: $5.6k
Cold weather pkg: $450
LED Headlights: $1.4k
B&O System: $5.9k
Window shades: $550
Rear side airbags: $350
Destination: $900
Total: $74.9k


I think the Sh-shawd system is a $12k-$13k premium. If you add that to the $61k price tag of the RLX Advance, that gives you the $74k price tag. That should be the RLX Advance with AWD.

Perhaps a base RLX AWD is around $60k?

Jerzyboi

10k sounds about right especially if it's differentiated that much more.

SSFTSX

I am only referring to quality of product not equipment level. you can also get chrome door handles. RLX hybrid may get chrome.

weather

^^ That is a nice white rear end!!

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

eh...i dont' like the looks of the accord hybrid. that's just me. since when did chrome equate to luxury? personally it's a little too blingy for me.

acuralvr1

More power, better mpg and better handling- I look forward to seeing the AWD version in the Fall. Do you know what the Highway and City MPG is supposed to be?

GoHawks

I saw an Accord in person briefly recently and I will say that at first I thought it was an Acura. That is meant more as a compliment to the Accord. I thought it looked very upscale.

neuronbob

The rumor is 30/30/30.

North of $70k is a lot of coin for any Acura. If they market better than they did with the 2G RL , then anything could happen, I suppose. Remember, though, until then NSX appears, the SH-SH-AWD model is the halo car. Acura is likely not expecting to sell lots of these; the PAWS will be the volume leader.

The SH-SH-AWD RLX sounds like it will be the shiz, though. I can hardly wait until release.

acuralvr1

So, the Hybrid edition coming out this fall will have Super Handling All Wheel Drive- similar as my 2007 RL? Also PAWS steering? Whats the expected MPG for city/highway/combined? $75K MSRP- really? Do you think it's going to be a performance vehicle like a 5 Series with Dynamic Handling Package or the new Lexus GS-350 F-Sport?

RLX with Advanced package I just test drove was not a performance vehicle. It was luxurious and had tons of gadgets.