CostcoFanAUS

Our community is organizing a test drive event for Tesla Model S this weekend in the club; so I signed up for that. The Tesla rep asked a few regular questions, such as your address (to confirm you're a resident), the car you're driving now, when you're planning to buy your next car, etc. They also asked what's the next cars on your shopping list. Being an Acura fan boy, I answered the RLX sport hybrid of course. She said never heard of it and asked if I've test driven it? Told her no because there is not a single one in the Houston dealerships and the closest one is in Dallas. She sounded surprised and told me that she will look into this competitor.

Question for those of you who have driven both of these cars: how do they compare?

LoneStar 16 RLX SprtHybrd

I've been a passenger in a Tesla...was not the driver. My wife wants a Tesla! My issue with the Tesla is the range...since when you batteries get low you have to plug in some where. The friends that have one recently drove to Kansas City and had to take a route that took them by 3 recharging stations...added about 2 hours to the total trip. Be anxious to hear what you think.

holografique

The Tesla and the RLX Sport-Hybrid are not true competitors because one is 100% electric and the other is not.

That said, I believe "RLX Sport-Hybrid" gave a Tesla a good test drive and shared his thoughts with the group compared to his 2014 SH. I recall it being wicked fast with crazy amounts of torque when pushed. But there was some concern over the quality of the materials used for the interior. Others have expressed a dislike to the large center dash touch-screen, while others (like myself) like the idea of this approach as it seems to give a far more engaging experience in terms of the variety and depth of information and data feedback provided to the driver regarding all aspects of situational awareness and vehicle stats/data/metrics, navigation, etc. A true techy's dream come true.

I would love the idea of getting a Tesla but it is above what I can afford once optioned out the way I would want it to be enjoyable.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...hybrid-928888/

https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...-today-931516/

Now there is that P90D version.....

George Knighton

Let me preface my remarks by saying that it has been a while. Correspondents who own recent Tesla say that the build quality has improved.

But, with that preface in mind:

I think the Legend's build quality and design is superior to that of Tesla. There's every sign that Tesla suffers from a lack of automotive and consumer experience.

The door handles visibly stutter, sometimes. Considering the recalls and complaints, that's worrying. You want to be able to get in the car when you want.

The interior materials including the leather are cheap compared to the Acura.

There isn't enough headroom for a 6'2" person to wear a helmet comfortably in the Tesla. The integral backrests are a bad idea, and they are precisely mispositioned for tall Americans.

At the time I drove my Tesla demo, it was top of the line. And there was not enough adjustability in the seats. No movable lumbar support, and not enough of a range with the adjustments you did have.

There's zero headroom in the back, compared to the Acura. There isn't as much legroom.

A giant iPad in the middle of the cabin is not a good everyday solution for control, and you absolutely should not be able to connect to the Internet with this giant iPad while the car is moving.

By the time you outfit a Tesla to be the equivalent of a Legend, you've spent something like 120,000 dollars, maybe even more. The design, fit and finish, and thoughtfulness of the Tesla do not under any circumstances warrant that kind of price.

At almost ½ the price, the Legend (Sport Hybrid) is just a much higher quality, more satisfactory design, the Tesla's startling performance notwithstanding.

If you're going to look at 120,000 for a car, you should look at a fully optioned LS460-L or something. Those cars are worth the money, although they're ecological abominations. :-)

While I admire the basic idea behind the Tesla Model S, I don't think they've made a 100% acceptable automobile for me. I look forward to the new models, and I look forward to other companies adopting all electric, long range designs.

But, for me, no Tesla Model S.

CostcoFanAUS

LoneStar, glad to know your wife is also an "enthusiast". That makes buying a fancier car that much easier. The tesla has an advertised 0 to 60 under 3 seconds. I wonder where they will let me try that if at all. The highest posted speed limit is 40 mph on University Blvd. I will report back my observations on Sunday. Sad thing is I've not driven a RLX sport hybrid so the tesla will be a benchmark for me.

How do you think the interior fit and finish, design, audio, etc. compare between these models. Thanks, CostcoFan.

CostcoFanAUS

Thanks for these links. I should've searched. After looking at the remarks in the links, I am looking forward to the seat time in a tesla. I am 5-8; so hopefully headroom won't be an issue.

My colleague reminded me that driving an all electric car to work may not be politically correct. A hybrid however might be tolerably acceptable, as it still needs gasoline. So I think I will choose sport hybrid over tesla eventually when the time comes...

CostcoFanAUS

Thanks George and Holografique for the detailed comments. $120k is truly a lot more than what I want to spend on a car. I can use the money for a better investment elsewhere. I took from your comments that the lower trims of the model s does not measure up to the sport hybrid. Will keep that in mind when test driving.

TacoBello

While I think Teslas are pretty cool cars, I think in such a scenario, I might be inclined to choose the RLX-SH, for a few reasons.

1. Reliability. Although the RLX isn't flawless, it is light years ahead of any Tesla.

2. As mentioned, you never have to worry about charging stations being close by.

3. You still get a form of electric assist for that instant torque feeling.

4. You can get almost get two RLX-SHs for the price of one Tesla.

5. If I had issues, there are two Acura dealers here in town, and another two about 2.5hrs away, if need be. Pretty sure there's no Tesla dealer anywhere near these parts.

The Tesla does have some strengths to it, though. It's exterior styling is much more attractive. I'm sure it is faster also. I'm not sure that's enough to justify me spending another 60k for it though.

The biggest issue with the RLX-SH would be trying to get my hands on one. I've seen more Teslas around here than even the base RLX.

LoneStar 16 RLX SprtHybrd

See if they will let you take it on that new stretch of the Fort Bend Tollway between Sienna Parkway and Highway 6...just don't be doing 100 passing under the toll gate! The interior seemed okay to me but to be honest I had a hard time getting past the oversized iPad on the dash! It is big...it's like turning a large monitor to a vertical position. I'm happy to let you drive my RLX Sport Hybrid if you want to meet sometime!!

anakin44011

I was considering the Tesla (despite the range anxiety) until my wife sat in the back seat of one at a dealership. She's only 5'8", and yet she said that it felt claustraphobic due to the lack of headroom. Given that I often have taller people in my back seat, that was a deal-killer.

I have little quibbles about my SH-AWD, but at half the price, I can't complain. And my wife loves driving it (which actually surprised me because it isn't really geared for her slow-and-easy style of driving).

CostcoFanAUS

Lone Star, that's very kind of you. The only thing I can offer in return is my TL SH-AWD for a spin and a few beers. Hope that's acceptable.

I just returned from the test drive in a Tesla Model S P90D. I couldn't put my thoughts together yet but it's exhilaratingly fast. The rep encouraged me to try the accelerating when I was first in line on a stop light at university and commonwealth and so I did (I believe the posted speed limit there is 50; so 55 - 60 is still borderline legal). I still have that big smile on my face sitting in my couch writing the comments now. The as tested price is 150k according to the rep (nearly a 2017 NSX). I know I couldn't afford it yet...hopefully in 10 years.

I will come back for a more detailed review after I regain my consciousness, with a few photos perhaps if I can figure out how to post photos.

Moving on to college football now...Cheers, CostcoFan.

George Knighton

That's ridiculous.

I applaud the technological basic idea, but cannot possibly fathom that price for that quality and design.

They really need to join up with somebody like Lexus/Toyota, or maybe Apple, so that they can build things that make sense.

CostcoFanAUS

Indeed, 150k is too much money for any car....maybe just not the NSX (speaking as a fan boy).

Not sure if the cost of electric cars will reduce as the technology advances. Hopefully in 10 years time, the car can be more affordable than it is today.

George Knighton

I'm just saying it's too much for THAT car.

neuronbob

This will follow a form of Moore's Law, too.

CostcoFanAUS

Got you. 150k too much for any car is just my opinion. I think that if money is not an issue (obviously it is), I'd be willing to pay 100k for that car. A sub 3 second car should be worth 100k in my humble opinion.

CostcoFanAUS

So here is a summary of my observations of the Tesla Model S P90D after spending 30 minutes with the car including an 8 or 10 mile test drive route.

1. Exterior is handsome in my eyes. Front end is reasonably aggressive and the best angle of the car. There are plenty of photos on the internet so I won't further my own opinions here.

2. Interior quality is on par with other luxury cars I sat in before in the local car show, including Lexus, BMW, Audi, Caddy, Mercedes, etc. It is better than my TL with advance package. Sound system is also better than my 440 watts ELS, without using the DVD audio. There are only 2 cup holders though and a solid center console without storage space. In the regular place of a shifter and hand break is a large and deep open space for storage without any cover. And there is that giant iPad right in your face (not saying it's good or bad). I am 5-8 and my wife is 5-2. We fit comfortably in the driver seat and rear seat. The rear seats are not claustrophobic because of the large sunroof, which can open according the percentage of roof area you want it to open (e.g., 37%). Back seat holds my wife comfortably in place in the 3 second 0-60 sprint. She told me that it was lightening fast but she felt more comfortable than in my TL SH-AWD during hard acceleration.

3. Performance is exqusite. 0-60 is 2.8s as advertised with whatever the name of that special performance package they have on my tester. There are 3 (?) modes of regenerative breaking. I found the comfort mode similar to the engine breaking of a typical car. Normal mode can take some getting used to. I do miss the engine notes during the test drive.

4. Handling is superb. Center of gravity is very low due to the battery across the base of the car. I presume it's near 50-50 weight distribution but not sure about this one.

5. Range of a full charge is 240 to 270 miles depending on the trims. Time to recharge from empty is 45 minutes using their super charger with 440 volts. Overnight recharge is feasible using 240 volts at home. If you use 120 volts, the car stays in your garage the whole weekend. They have supercharger stations in major cities and along major interstate routes, free of charge for use (punt intended). But apparently, repetitive use of supercharger will shorten the life of the battery. It's recommended to use 240 volts at home for overnight recharge.

6. I didn't try the autonomous driving feature but the rep explained how it works. Seems very advanced. You set up the distance from the car ahead of you and how many mph you'd be willing to go above speed limit and the car would drive for you on highways. If you want to change lane, just put on the blinker and it will watch out for the surrounding cars and do it for you.

Let me know if there is anything else you'd like to know. Remember though I only spent 30 minutes with the car, not an expert by any means.

George Knighton

They must've made considerable improvements over the last couple of years, that's all I can say.

CostcoFanAUS

Or could be that I've grown weary about the TL just a little bit. And the feeling is really subjective. You might feel differently when you sit in this car.

wstr75

Came across this while reading the Wikipedia page on auto hybrids:
"While the adoption rate for hybrids in the US is small today (2.2% of new car sales in 2011),[85] this compares with a 17.1% share of new car sales in Japan in 2011 . . . . . ."

Close to one in five new cars sold in Japan has some form of hybrid propulsion.

neuronbob

Isn't fuel much more expensive in Japan than in North America? If so, hybrid cars would make much more sense there.