Depends what you need. we don't have interior specs on the TLX but if you need space to haul around your family, the RLX is it. If you just love Acura sedans and have no real need for all that space.... TLX AWD over a FWD RLX is something to consider.
Looking at it now it seems like the front of the TLX and the RLX are almost identical. IT certainly doesn't show much innovation on Acura's part. I am interested to see what the interior ends up looking like though.
Same grille, same bumper, same headlights. Slightly pointier nose, that is about the only difference I see between the front of the two cars.
that's a statement i agree with. people say the rear ends of both the TLX and ILX look alike, i beg to differ. If anything the RLX and TLX have front ends that have a lot in common.
Even looking at the production model, it's easy to tell these two apart. Anyone that confuses them just based off of design is just unfamiliar with the new Acura's.
When you first see the two next to each other, you'll realize that the RLX is much bigger than the TLX and aimed at a different customer. There's going to be a bigger difference RLX v. TLX than there was between the RL and TL of the last generation, which blatantly copied each other's chassis.
The TLX is a North American McPherson car, based on the NA Accord.
The RLX is a double wishbone Legend and it's not based on anything but itself, having no Honda equivalent in North America.
The one thing that helped to set the TLX apart from the RLX was the bottom of the front bumper, but they changed it to be so similar with the production version of the TLX.
A dilema I'm having and that wont be solved till I drive both. Im not in the market for FWD thus its a moot point since the TL an RL that I would buy will not be close in price. Personally I would not buy a FWD RLX, period. Overpriced and underperforming. The Sport hybrid RLX is actually a completely different car altogether, IMO the FWD RLX was a marketing mistake. I dont even think of the sport hybrid as a "hybrid" at all! Personaly I like to think about it as a new idea in powertrain design that enhances performance significantly without a consumption penalty. IMO, its the most sophisticated powertrain ever put into a passenger vehicle. If a european manufacturer had come up with it it would cost at least 50K more and be trumpeted as an automotive landmark. Given that this a taste of the NSX, I'm sure that car will catch Ferraris and folks with their pants down again.
There are complaints about the 9AT in 3.5L TLX and the TLX 8DCT only comes with the 2.4L engine. I haven't heard the same levels of complaints with the 6AT, 10AT, or 7DCT in the RLX.
I was deciding between new 2.4L TLX A-spec or +18 Sport Hybrid for the wife (both very close to same $$$). Drove both back-to-back (TLX first) and my wife instantly fell in love with the RLX. Both were close to the same price; but, the RLX is on another level up.