Powered by an all-new 3.5-litre V6 SOHC i-VTEC motor producing 310 hp with 272 lb-ft, the RLX acceleration is decent but the fuel economy is excellent. This high-compression motor (11.5:1) can move quick although we would like to see a more instant linear response from this naturally aspirated mill. First tune up is scheduled for 160,000 kilometres.
Fuel economy is stated as 10.5 city/6.4 highway/8.6 combined L/100km, not bad for a vehicle that is larger than it's predecessor. The RLX has lots of weight savings though, as they stated in the presentation "we haven't used this much aluminum in a car since the NSX."
The Sequential SportShift with paddles is a decent system although at 6-speeds seems to be behind the curve with 8-speeds everywhere. The upshifts are fairly snappy and the downshifts utilize engine braking as you head into those turns, or more likely off ramps.
The P-AWS all wheel steering is an interesting technology, has great low-speed maneuverability and a tight turning radius. Although we're not sure how much it was contributing at high speeds. We also thought these systems were largely abandoned in the 1990's due to alignment and tire wear issues, hopefully technology has advanced here.
We tested the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) with Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) activates over 72 km/h and it did hold the line when there was paint on the road. When the painted lines were missing or scrubbed off, the system doesn't operate and it certainly won't corner for you in the twisties.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system worked well and brought the vehicle to a full stop when traffic comes to a halt. The system keeps up momentum for traffic flow so it creeps as traffic is undulating along.
The base RLX will start at around $49,990, while this Elite trim begins at $62,190 and Acura expects to move 300 units here in the first year. We thought the numbers were certainly conservative and trust the RLX will have the support to compete out there. As one of the more costly FWDs in the market, the RLX certainly has a challenging road ahead of it.

See less See more

Save

1 - 4 of 4 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month