Acura RLX: New From the Ground Up

2014 Acura RLX (Courtesy of NetCarShow.com)

The newly introduced flagship Acura is the RLX model. It replaces the RL which was introduced in 1996 and was due for retirement. The RLX is classed as a luxury midsize sedan competing with E Class Mercedes, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac XLS and Lexus GS. Its cabin however is noticeably more spacious than its competitors.

Starting at around $48,000, the RLX is totally new from the ground up. In keeping with the Acura tradition of form-follows-function, it is a wonderfully useful appliance that is also very satisfying to drive and elegant to spend time in.

The exterior is dignified looking and exudes a substantial presence. The lines are not flashy or garish but rather bespeak a certain confidence and heft. The most radical design element is the Jewel Eye LED headlamp system which has 16 lenses that are on all the time. At night they illuminate the road marvelously and in the daylight serve as the unmistakable identifier of an oncoming RLX.

The interior is instantly inviting and comfortable. The luxury grade materials and controls are very well done. The seating comfort and driver’s position are just about perfect.

The vehicle is full of technology that is bundled in packages; Navigation, Technology, Krell Audio and Advanced. That works well, usually except that each package is a prerequisite to the next one.

Let’s say you wanted the Advanced Package because it contains the latest safety items like Collision Mitigation System, Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. In order to get them you have to buy the Krell Audio package first whether you wanted to spend an extra $2,500 on an advanced audio system or not. In fairness, Acura isn’t the only manufacturer to take this approach but it still doesn’t make a lot of sense to the buyers. My fully loaded test RLX had an MSRP of $60,450.

Suspension refinements also grace the new RLX. The ride is very comfortable, yet controlled. You can feel in a muted way what the car is doing, and what’s going on in the world outside the passenger compartment, but it’s not annoying or intrusive. The side benefit is that the vehicle has extremely capable handling and you feel in control of the vehicle. The car’s Precision All-Wheel Steering both pulls and pushes the car around corners. The RLX is a hefty 4,000 pound sedan but it is extremely nimble and sure footed in spirited driving.

A refined 3.5 liter V6 engine lives under the hood. It produces 310 horsepower and is mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission. Though many automakers build 3.5 liter engines they are not all created equal. Acura’s 3.5 has the rare combination of delivering both large quantities of useful power and excellent fuel economy. The engine has loads of torque right from idle and can sprint to 60 miles an hour in 5.9 seconds! Additionally, during highway cruises, its Variable Cylinder Management system will allow the car to run on just 3 cylinders and the transition is totally indiscernible to the passengers.

The EPA fuel economy rating is 20 city and 31 highway with a combined 24 mpg number. My week of testing averaged 24.9 and I was not light on the gas pedal. During steady 65 mile an hour freeway cruising the onboard computer was indicating 35-37 mpg all the time.

This is a car that owners can easily fall in love with. It does everything so well. And with Acura’s reputation for reliability and high resale value it will likely be an attractive lease vehicle.