Posted in Milestones, RLX on January 10, 2013 by tysonhugie
The Acura RL (so-named for its “refined luxury”) was born in 1996 as the Acura brand’s top-line replacement for the Legend which ran from model years 1986 to 1995.
Since then, the RL has undergone a number of refinements and performance enhancements to showcase the brand’s capabilities. A sophisticated all-wheel-drive system called Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) debuted on the 2005 model. Navigation capability, active (swiveling) headlights, power folding mirrors, and an innovative wheel noise-quieting technology called a “Helmholtz resonator” were also adds to the long list of notable features over the years.
Despite its perceived value and reputation, the RL was never a high selling model, topping the list of worst-selling vehicles in 2011 at only about 1,000 units. It didn’t do any better in 2012 but was excluded from the contest since it was set to be discontinued after the 2012 model year. Few have appreciated what the RL has to offer.
Last month in Los Angeles, the RL’s successor, RLX was unveiled, set to go on sale as a 2014 model. My write-up about the experience at the auto show is found here in a prior Drive to Five post.
One of the many Acuras my family has owned was this 2000 3.5 RL, finished in beautiful Nighthawk Black Pearl with black leather interior and the Premium package. This picture was taken on May 2, 2005 when I picked up the car at just 22,000 miles on the odometer from its original owner named Terry in Concord, California.
That trip will forever live on as one of my favorite car memories. A delayed bank funds transfer for the purchase price of the car meant I needed to stay one night at the seller’s home. He was gracious enough to allow me. The 680-mile drive home to Utah was a rewarding experience – the first time I’d been in a vehicle so plush and refined. My mom went on to drive that RL to about the 50,000 mile mark, at which time it was sold to my uncle who’s still driving it today.
Elsewhere in the family, this beautiful Heather Mist Metallic 1997 3.5 RL resides in the garage of my grandma. She’s driven it since 2004 and it only has about 118,000 miles on the odometer. Mechanically it’s been a great ride, though one mishap does stand out in my memory. We were coming home from Beaver, Utah via I-15 southbound and the right rear window rolled down part-way but wouldn’t roll back up. It was raining, too. I’ll never forget my aunt Jodi’s flustered face as she shoved a pillow into the window’s gap in a vain attempt to keep the water out.
Keen Acura eyes will note that this car is equipped with 7-spoke OEM wheels from the 2002 model year instead of the 1997-issued ones which to me always shared a resemblance to a pie plate.
Why all the talk about RL’s today? I came across a contender on Autotrader this afternoon for the next Drive to Five celebration. This nice looking 2003 model in Ohio has racked up a whopping 472,000 miles. That means that whoever drove this thing has been putting more miles on it (per year) than even I drive. At 472,000 miles over 10 years, that’s 129 miles per day, 365 days a year, for 10 years. Has this car ever been parked longer than a few minutes?
Somebody needs to buy this thing and drive it another 27,648 miles so it, too, can achieve Legendary status.
Los Angeles is notorious for its love of cars. Perhaps that’s why the city is home to the worst traffic in the country. But along with that congestion, the city’s residents also embrace automotive technology and there is no place where “car culture” thrives more than in southern California. Day 2 at the press days of the LA Auto Show was every bit as exciting as the first. Here’s how it played out.
After a drizzly 18-mile commute to the Los Angeles Convention Center in the ILX, we paid our $15 and stashed the car away in a parking deck.
First stop was the Honda booth, as big things were to be announced there. Staked out in our second-row seats for the 10:05 a.m. press conference, we waited.
The big news? This car. Honda’s Civic has been around since 1973. By 2012, the car had been through 8 different generations. But just one year after the new 2012 bodystyle, the Civic was redone yet again. Meet the 2013 Civic Si Sedan. New front and rear fascia, revised interior finishes, additional technology and safety features are among the changes that were made.
As Honda Senior Vice President John Mendel announced during the press conference, this new Civic is appropriate as 2013 marks the 40th year of its existence. Jeff Conrad, Acura VP, stopped by and we visited for a few minutes.
I also reconnected with John Watts. John’s the Sr. Manager of Digital Marketing at Acura who presented me with the key to to my new 2013 Acura ILX back in June. John and I talked about his recent travels to the Grand Canyon in his new Crystal Black Pearl RDX. John also told me that he’d visited the Skywalk. I’m jealous – I’ll be heading out that way soon, too, I hope. Any excuse for a road trip!
Here’s a shot of the 2013 Civic EX Sedan.
A few other sights from around the Honda booth and beyond. This fun little roadster is called the EV-Ster. It’s all electric.
And this was a nicely modified Honda Accord coupe put together by Honda Racing Development.
The Accord Hybrid will have industry-leading fuel economy. We learned during the Honda press conference that this car is capable of 49 mpg city and 47 mpg combined. Impressive!
A spy encounter. This is none other than Brenda Priddy, of Brenda Priddy & Co, specializing in automotive spy photography. She gave me a BP&Co wristband which I wore proudly!
I’m really digging this new Lincoln MK-Z. But would you believe that a car this large is only powered by a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder?
Here’s a new innovation that’s going to make its way to Acura as well. Capless fueling!
I’m not a Ford guy but I have to admit, there’s something hot about the latest iteration of the Fusion.
What’s not to love about a Porsche 911 Carrera S? Yum.
Finally, the Acura booth. Since Acura held its press conference yesterday, there was no longer a reason to keep several rows’ worth of plastic chairs in the space any longer. The full model line-up was brought in.
The beloved TSX Special Edition. This car is powered by the same 2.4 liter, 201-horsepower 4 cylinder that my ILX 6-speed is.
RDX, ILX, TSX
ILX and RLX: Entry level and flagship sedan. Two different sedans, same Acura philosophy — luxury at any price.
I love that Acura chose to present its models in a uniform color — elegant black. Nothing says “luxury car” like a spotless, gleaming black paint job.
These are some handsome looking back ends.
This ILX 2.0 with Technology package had only 4 miles on the odometer. I played around for a bit with the navigation interface.
Finally, it was time to make our way eastward and return to Phoenix. This was taken as we ramped up to Interstate 10 which would be our only freeway from that point forward. The LA-to-Phoenix drive is a piece of cake if you’re directionally challenged.
$3.99 / gal for some 91 octane at the Chevron in Palm Desert again.
Yeah, I relinquished the driver’s seat for a couple of hours! I don’t mind zoning out and reclining once in awhile.
This was a pretty clever way to communicate a safety message. Check out the yellow signs on the back doors of this 18-wheeler.
The California desert, after rising in elevation from the Indio area.
Once I got back into the driver’s seat, we realized just how handy the ILX’s dual climate zones are. I like it chilly, Branson likes it hot. We were both happy.
I can never resist a nice sunset photoshoot. These were taken just west of Blythe, California on a deserted offramp.
It’s good to be home! Back to work I go tomorrow. It was awesome to see the latest & greatest from Acura and from other vehicle manufacturers at this year’s LA Auto Show. I’m excited about automotive trends and more than anything else, I loved the chance to meet & greet some of the great folks BEHIND the cars that I so love. For some of us, cars (and Acuras specifically) are a huge part of our lives. My good friend John Bazay is an example of that.
John has already photoshopped his ideal Acura RLX. Check out this beauty sitting on Vossen wheels. The car’s not even on sale and yet people like John are already planning what they’ll do with it. That, my friends, is how to recognize a true enthusiast!
“Flagship.” It’s a term referring to a vehicle that embodies the ultimate expression of an automaker’s capability. In Acura’s case, it was a position that was held by the Legend for 10 years, from 1986 to 1995. Then came the RL in 1996, running 17 years and retiring as a 2012 model. The successor is now here, and it’s dressed to impress. The 2014 Acura RLX was unveiled today, and I was there when the sheet was pulled off the production model. I’ve been to lots of auto shows this year! It all started with Detroit in January. I also saw SEMA and Phoenix. The latest destination was to Los Angeles, California for this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
Just two days after having returned from my Thanksgiving trip to Utah, I saddled up once again in the ILX for a long road trip. This time, though, I had a copilot. My Acura Legend-owning friend Branson joined for the ride. Branson’s 1995 Legend LS coupe 6-speed is Cayman White Pearl and has only 143,000 miles it:
The drive from Phoenix to LA was around 400 miles. Piece of cake for the ILX. Branson’s a fun road-trip partner. Though his OCD tendencies make things interesting sometimes (he absolutely refuses to let me set the volume at level 13 or the temperature at 73!), we have a great time laughing our way to our destinations.
Fueling up in Tonopah, Arizona just west of the Phoenix area on Interstate 10. Branson also picked up some Powerball tickets here. With $500M up for grabs, who wouldn’t want a shot at that?
Typical gorgeous Arizona sunset. For a change of pace, I took the passenger seat and had Branson pilot us westward.
Too much sugar in my system. Thanks Twizzlers Nibs.
And some rockin’ tunes to provide a soundtrack for our drive.
Fuel stop in Indio, California at Chevron.
Finally arriving in the LA area around 9:00 p.m. local time, we crossed underneath the LAX airport runway on Sepulveda Rd and got to our hotel called “Custom Hotel” on Lincoln Boulevard. The ILX got valet parked for its first time since I’ve had it! This is a valet-only hotel (and parking is $20 a night! Ouch!).
The rooms are cool, though – some 1960’s decor in here including a multi-colored strobe light in the windows. Flashy.
This morning – first things first! After a 30 minute drive to the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA on Figueroa Street, Branson and I got our media credentials.
The Acura booth was the first destination – of course. We were greeted with some impressive design in the booth itself, and the new tagline for the RLX flagship which we’d soon see unveiled: “Synergy of Man and Machine.”
Someone left the headlights on when they installed that car cover!
Some may recognize this car. The Acura NSX concept vehicle. I’ll take it!
Branson and I are soaking in all the shiny scenery.
Soon it was time for the big reveal. Here’s a video of the first few minutes of the (total 20-minute) presentation after the cover was pulled off the RLX and it spun around before our eyes on the giant turntable.
Having owned a Honda Prelude 4WS (Four-Wheel-Steering) in the past, one of the features I was most interested in learning about on the RLX is called PAWS (Precision All Wheel Steering).
Here’s a little excerpt from today’s press release discussing the innovative technology:
Precision All-Wheel Steer™ (P-AWS) is the world’s first technology to feature independent and continuous control of the left and right rear-wheel steering (toe) angles to achieve new levels of handling agility, high- and low-speed maneuverability, and confident handling control for a two-wheel-drive luxury sedan.
Sounds pretty sweet to me! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check out this long list of features!
Jewel-Eye LED headlights (an Acura first) LED lamps enhance the RLX’s modern and distinctive appearance while providing outstanding light distribution and improved down-the-road illumination.
Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™ offers a wide range of search options including local search functionality and AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic™ for both highways and surface streets.
Agile Handling Assist (an Acura first) uses active braking to help the driver smoothly and easily trace the desired line through a curve with smaller steering inputs.
Automatic Brake Hold (an Acura first) maintains the vehicle’s position when the driving or parking brake are released until the throttle is depressed.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (an Acura first), allows the RLX to independently maintain a set following distance in low-speed traffic situations, including stop and go traffic, and to initiate vehicle braking when necessary.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) uses a camera mounted in the upper portion of the windshield to detect vehicles ahead of the RLX and audibly and visually alert the driver when it determines a frontal collision with a detected vehicle is possible.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) uses the same windshield-mounted camera to detect lane markings on the road and alerts the driver if the vehicle is wandering from a detected lane.
Front seatbelt e-pretensioners use electronic control to reduce belt tension under normal driving conditions, while also enabling automatic belt tensioning in hard cornering maneuvers or in the event of a collision.
Multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines uses guidelines that reflect steering wheel inputs on the display to aid in backup maneuvers.
Capless fueling (an Acura first) eliminates the fuel cap and improves ease of fueling.
Some more pictures below captured the crowd’s excitement after Jeff Conrad’s remarks. He invited the press to come forward and join him in getting a closer look at the car.
The first of several (to me) “celebrity” encounters. This is Scott who is an integral part of Acura’s social media program.
Acura Vice President Jeff Conrad – someone who’s diligently followed my Legend / ILX adventures since we first met at the Drive to Five event a year ago.
And Sage Marie – Acura Sr. Manager of Public Relations – AND the lucky individual who will get to drive the race-tuned 2013 Acura ILXs at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race event soon. This guy’s got some driving skills!
Finally this guy – a true Acura pioneer. Kurt Antonius retired not long ago, but his history with the brand dates back to before it even existed. Kurt is one of the key individuals who built Acura into what it is today from its early beginnings in 1986. He told me about how Acura was originally code named “Channel 2” before it even had a real name. It was great to visit with him again.
Checking out the technology in the RLX interior. Even the glove compartment is electronic push-button activated!
Lunch at Rivera just a couple blocks away with some of my friends from the Social Media team.
And walking back to the Los Angeles Convention Center in overcast but comfortable weather.
As much as I would’ve loved to spend all day in the Acura booth (in fact, given the option I would’ve loved to put up a camping tent and live there), I did wander around the show. Here are a couple of other cars that caught my eye. This was the Infiniti “LE” concept vehicle. It’s 100% zero emissions.
This gorgeous ride is the Lexus LF-LC. That color is just stunning – the photo does it no justice!
This was the Audi booth. The big news there is that Audi is rolling out 3 “TDI” (diesel) models – including the A6, the A7, the A8 and the Q5. Clean diesel is becoming a huge piece of the market for Audi. The president of the company reported during the press conference that 33% of the A3’s sold currently are diesel powertrains.
Exhausted and ready to roll out for the night!
It was fitting that this song – “California Love” – by Tupac, came on the XM 90’s on 9 station. Love rocking out to this! By the way, I also figured out how to change the color of my display screen on the dash of the ILX. The “default” color was blue, but I felt like red fit better with the red gauges and sporty demeanor.
Acura was ranked #1 by ALG, an industry benchmark for vehicle values, in a study recently. Acuras are known for holding their value long-term. Great to see the brand getting the recognition it deserves! Makes me proud to drive an Acura.
Tomorrow we’ll see a bunch of booths in the show that we didn’t get a chance to see today — including the Honda press conference at around 10:00 a.m. I’m hoping to score a front row seat for that one like I did today for the Acura presentation. Plus, they’ll be clearing out the chairs in the Acura booth and bringing in some of the company’s other models for us to get up close and personal with. More pics to come — thanks for checking in!
In its day, my 1994 Legend was cream of the crop in the Acura lineup. After the Legend as we know it was dropped after the 1995 model year, it came the 3.5 RL, and then just the RL, and for 2013 Acura’s top model is going to be called the RLX. Naming conventions aside, this latest iteration promises to be the most advanced flagship model we’ve ever seen from Acura since the company’s 1986 birth.
A 3.5 liter V6 engine will produce over 370 horsepower mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission to get this big luxury sedan moving quickly. A revolutionary Precision All Wheel Steering system coupled with available Acura signature Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) means it will handle just as well as it looks. This may be the first time a Honda product has seen all-wheel-steering since the beloved Prelude that I talked about in a recent post. I love the look and I’m excited about this vehicle accompanying the upcoming NSX as Acura’s “halo” duo.
Handsome looking ride! This new RL looks to be a nice improvement over the outgoing model. Some of you may remember my friend Jeremy who proudly purchased an old Legend several months ago. He’s already upgraded! Last weekend he picked up a super clean 2005 Acura RL.
Meanwhile, my old Legend continues faithfully. In current maintenance news: I’ve been driving on my (full size) spare tire for about 6 weeks now. The front left tire had a slow leak and I got tired of refilling the air every week or so, and I threw on my spare. Secondly, on extended highway drives (several hours or more) I’m getting a “Code 12” check engine light. Performance is unaffected but apparently the repair is pretty involved and will require the system to be disassembled and cleaned. One of these days!
A friend in Houston forwarded a craigslist ad to me this week for a Type II 6-speed Legend that’s been subjected to some pretty heavy duty recreation! This one’s a Desert Mist Metallic coupe, same color as mine, but in L model trim:
Indeed the Legend owner’s manual does have a complete 4-page section on towing how-to! And a trailer weight of up to 2,000 pounds is A-okay. Who knew that people actually use these cars for that?
This also reminds me of the time I saw a post on the Legend forums about a guy who actually towed a Legend with another Legend! Philadelphia to Denver (1,850 miles) with a coupe being towed by a sedan. I had to see the picture to believe it.
Last I checked, these cars weigh about 3,500 pounds so he was pressing his luck for sure. But it also says a lot for the endurance of the drivetrain that the car withstood such a task. Maybe if I ever buy a jet ski I’ll paint it Desert Mist Metallic and tow it behind my car!
drivetofive 