Pitbull11

What should I be able to get off MSRP?

Nari

You could try truecar.com - sometimes its pricing is dubious but acura is heavily discounting them

2011TL

USAA is showing $42,716 (including destination fee) for the Base model in Northern Virginia.

And Advance is going for $49,380. Lowest price I've seen to date.

miner

For $6K more Adv is a no brainer.

getakey

no kidding

so if rumor of 66K for hybrid is correct and expect no discounting on hybrid due to limited availability, would you pay 16K more for the hybrid?

victorber

As much as I am intrigued with the SHAWD version, I am having a great time with my gasser version. Maybe when I get bored with my "Advance" I may look at a new one....Somehow I just can't get it into my head that when I accelerate I should hear a Varooom and not a Ssssss..


Probably an "Age " thing...

neuronbob

Wait, why am I waiting for the Sport Hybrid again?

Edit: Truecar says $49723 for the Advance here in the land of Cleve. The dealer offering is not my usual dealer. What to do, what to do?

Now I am REALLY tempted not just to lease, but to BUY at that price. I still think the likelihood is that eventually (in a year), the hybrid will not be at such a large price premium to the PAWS and it will become a good deal.

The question is, will I hold out that long?

holografique

^
I'd have to agree with you Neuron...had the Advanced been at that price when I leased mine, I would have likely opted to buy as well.

Tough call there my friend...

Pitbull11

I've driven both the RLX and a new ES350. Got to say for less money the Lexus is way better looking and feels like a real quality luxury car. The RLX is within a inch or so size wise but is disturbingly noisier on the road. To get a quiter ride, I would have to go with the top of the line RLX and then the cost is about $7k more then a similar ES350. I would love some input from current RLX owners that can point out what I'm missing? I'm going to the Acura dealer again on Friday for another look at the RLX, advise is welcome. Thanks

Oswald Vater

I'd have to agree with you. At the Ft. Lauderdale Auto Show last week the Acura and Lexus displays were side-by-side. I went from the ES to the RLX and for the money the ES is the better buy. At least that's my pre-test drive opinion. If the TLX is a "no-go" for me I plan on test-driving the ES and will go from there. I've already driven the RLX and as you said the ride was rougher than I either expected or liked.

holografique

Very interesting...a new in-law I met in Florida last weekend that got to test drive my RLX said exactly the opposite about my RLX and his wife's ES350. Long story short he didn't have the heart to tell his wife that the RLX put his wife's ES350 to shame.

Aside from the obvious 310HP versus 268HP engine...there are lots of differences between the two cars. All you have to do is goto the websites and pull up the specs on both vehicles and you'll see the difference.

The key here is you really need to be looking at the Advanced model. And as noted above already, assuming you can get it for the crazy prices that they are going for now, it's a real no brainer between the RLX Advanced and a supped up ES350.

If you're heart is set on Lexus and you really want to compare vehicles, then I'd say the GS350/450 is more in line with what you're looking at with an RLX Advanced. But an ES350? No way...

Regarding the comments on the "ride quality"...it is a known fact that the suspension on the RLX is very sensitive to the tire size and pressure. Make ABSOLUTELY SURE that if you are going to test drive an RLX at a dealer, that you make sure the TPS is set correctly on the demo vehicle. If you enjoy a smoother "softer" ride, then we've found that 32psi (cold) on all tires makes for the best experience on the 19' wheels. This usually equals out to about 35/36psi once the tires are warmed up from driving. I'm not sure about the 18' wheels. But again, you want to go for the Advanced model which comes standard with the 19' wheels.

Pitbull11

Thanks for your reply. Never driven the advanced model. But at the low purchase price of $49k it's about $12k more then the ES350 that has the options I want. If I want to invest $49k I am looking at other vehicles, like the GS with the rear wheel drive and more of a sporty feel versus luxury car feel. I leased a ILX for the mpg and I hate the road noise, which I was also hearing in the base RLX . ES no road noise feels like a big luxury car. The last sporty 4 door I had was a new 2008 CLS63 AMG, it was fun, fast and had a tight sporty ride but no road noise. The GS feels more like the MB but just not as fast

holografique

yea, you definitely don't get road noise with the Advanced RLX.

whichever route you take, good luck on your purchase!

CFoote

Actually, having driven both the Base w/Nav and a Tech package RLX, the 18" wheels on the lower model make the ride better than the 19s. Tires become rubber bands once you hit 19"+ wheel sizes.

Chris

CFoote

I'm right there with ya. I am holding out to see what the Hybrid does....and I'm curious what Acura will do for 2015 to the RLX, if anything.

Chris

holografique

That's what I've heard from others here on the forum, although the OP is complaining that the RLX based with 18's has too much noise...? Hard to understand considering the RLX is the quietest car I have ever been in...ever.

I never tried the base models, but something tells me it's probably much closer to how my 3G TL felt. All I know is the ride is very nice on my RLX and only under certain road conditions can it get a bit excessive in noise/feel. Obviously this is one of those things that's going to be subjective to individual taste/tolerance.

hondamore

"Good things come to those who wait"

I'm clinging to the hope that in a year or so, there will be deals to be had on the SHAWD RLX as well. I live in a climate that all but demands AWD vehicles, so the FWD RLX isn't an option for me. Also, I am in love with the SHAWD technology from years of driving my RL and thus I'm just giddy with excitement over this latest hybrid incarnation. So, as soon as the AWD version arrives up here in Canada, I'll begin my search for a deal with the full expectation that it may take a year to find one. Oh well, maybe the 2016 version will offer up some even better goodies.
Just my two cents on whether the wait is worth it - keep in mind that I'm an old school guy who pays cash for his cars and keeps them for a decade or so. Those who lease vehicles short term will have a completely different take on the subject.

CFoote

I agree, the RLX's I have driven are VERY quiet. Much quieter then my RL.

Chris

scv76

I originally thought I was going to get a Lexus, but I could not get past the.. what I call the "alien pincher look of the front end" I know, looks are subjective.
The interior did nothing for me either...just didn't even come close to luxury for me..again subjective.

Road noise...my tech RLX is way quieter than my other cars I have owned, so for me it fit the bill perfectly. Is it the quietest auto available?, most likely not, but I would not call it noisy by any stretch

In the end, check out the cars you are interested in and choose the one you like the most.

Oswald Vater

Didn't mean to sound like I was bashing the RLX in my previous post - it is a great car and it is still on my list of possibilities especially with the aggressive pricing. As a RLX/Tech and ES350 the way I want it optioned are pretty close to in price (with the RLX heavy discounts) I will test drive both thoroughly before deciding. The RLX I drove was the "Nav" version. I'm also looking at Hyundai Genesis R-Spec (those are being discounted heavily as well) and the new TLX when it arrives.

miner

The new TLX, optioned with V6 SH-AWD, will be close in price to a discounted RLX Adv. When they are introduced don't expect much discounting intially. The interior of the ES350 was just so-so to me - I looked at it as an upscaled Camry.

holografique

That's where Lexus dies off for me. I am a fan of their exterior design styles, but I just can't get into their interior on the higher end sedans. Honestly if it wasn't for the interior, there was a pretty good chance I would have gone with the GS450 when I was looking to get out of my 3G TL. But it just didn't do it for me.

The IS interior is nice, but once you get into the ES and higher, they move into this really bad attempt of blending sleek "futurism" with old world "elegance" and for me it just comes off really bad. The overall "flat" straight dashboard design, and the horrible analog clock are just some of the nuances that throw me off with Lexus interior design styling.

Whereas I love how the RLX dashboard has really nice curves and flows with the navigation/entertainment system coming outward some to break up the design flow and make it more accessible to the driver. the RLX interior for me is where they excelled most in the car with it's great balance between sleek modern and minimal sophistication with very high quality workmanship. It carries this essence of modern efficiency with the added luxury that I believe is a big part of how Acura wants to continue branding and imaging itself. I look forward to seeing how this carries over into the TLX.

Pitbull11

I also need to drive the Genesis R-Spec 5.0. Pricing with discounts are less then the base RLX. Anyone drive one when you were looking at the RLX?

scv76

I did..I thought the car drove great..The power was way more than adequate.

But in my opinion, parts of the interior suffered from a lack of quality.
The buttons felt cheap and the plastic bezel around the center stack reminded me of the gray plastic used in a 1980's boom-box.

Most everything else about the car was acceptable for the price point, but I just felt the cheapness I perceived would bother me every time I got in the car.

Pitbull11

Thanks guess the Gs350 might be better choice.

Oswald Vater

It certainly would be if you want to spend the extra money. However I've bought my Acura's mostly on the "bang for the buck" factor i.e...lots of features for a decent price. While Acura still beats most of the competition, the Koreans are now the value-leaders. That being said, the Genesis comes in around 10k lower than the similarly equipped GS. Coupled with a 5-year warranty and all the bells and whistles, it still deserves a look and test-drive. I plan on doing both.

Pitbull11

Thanks, I'll do the same. My wife thinks I would not be happy with anything but the high end badge

CFoote

Oswald, if you don't mind please post your test drive thoughts on the Genesis. You are talking about the new 2015 model, right?

miner

Oswald,
I believe the Hyundei's with the longer warranty and 100K engine protection duely require the owner to vigoriously follow the maintenance schedule which reuire TB/WP replacment at 60K and thereafter. A coworkers 2011 Genesis was denied claim (engine over heating) due to not having required proof of scheduled maintenance. Looking fwd to your thoughts onve you test drive.

JTRADAR61

Does Acura build many base rlx's? I have yet to see any on any dealers inventory around me.

Oswald Vater

I would be happy to as soon as I have the chance. I am actually looking at the 2014 because they are running at almost 10k off sticker with incentives. However I did see the 2015 at the Ft. Lauderdale Auto Show and will give that a look as well once it is released (I've heard sometime in May). In any event I hope to be able to drive and compare both generations.

Oswald Vater

Miner, I'm sure you are right. There always seems to be a catch to warranty coverage. A local dealer actually will double the warranty to 10 years/100k as long as you bring it to him for scheduled service. As mentioned in another post I hope to test-drive both 14 and 15 models for comparison. Also looking at Lexus EX and Toyota Avalon. I would like to stay with Acura but it will depend on deals offered on either TLX or RLX models.

George Knighton

They don't build many RLX's, period, and they're still sitting around. I am still puzzled, because at the discounted prices, and for all our bitching, this is an extraordinary car.

Every time I have to pass somebody on a secondary road, I am startled at how quickly the car moves out. I'll start at 45 mph and intend to get up to 55-60 mph, but discover that I am very often at 90 mph before I know it.

They've done a lot right with this car, and it's too bad that they've done little things or left little things that potential purchasers can focus on when compared to other makes.

For my locality, the Consumer Reports buying service is saying 49.5 for the RLX Advance.

0_0

Pitbull11

While replacing the rear struts on my ILX, Friday Acura gave me a new RLX to drive until the work is done Monday afternoon. I will tell you all my thoughts after the extended test drive.

holografique

george/neuronbob, I think it woukd be great for us to create a sticky post that we can use to capture a comprehensive list of all the things we think would really help excel the RLX to the next step in an MMC or future updates. If anyone from Acura with the power to do anything is here lurking, it would help provide a concise list of gripes, recommendations, etc.

Ive posted a list on here before, but its buried away at this point.

neuronbob

^^^^^^
I can assure you that Acura reps are lurking based on personal past experience. They rarely make themselves known, though. Might be worth a sticky if we can get enough responses. What say others?

Back on topic....
Urrrrrrrrgh......must.....wait.....for......hybrid .....urrrrrrgh......

CFoote

I would be 'game' for a suggestions post. I think we should also post pro's of the car as well, because the RLX does have a lot of nice features and engineering

I hear you on the hybrid... so frustrating.