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Refreshed Acura RLX Goes On Sale, 2018 Model Year Starts At $54,900

Question: which is the most expensive Acura on sale in the United States, with the exception of the badge-engineered NSX? That would be the RLX, which at $54,900 from the get-go, is $10,700 more expensive than the three-row MDX.
2018 Acura RLX 11 photos
Photo: Acura
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That’s a lot of money for a swankier Honda Legend, and based on U.S. sales figures for the 2016 calendar year (1,478 examples), it’s increasingly hard for Acura to make a case for the RLX. But here we are, with the 2018 model year bringing forth well-deserved improvements to the well-appointed RLX sedan.

Now available at dealers nationwide, the refreshed luxo-barge is available in two flavors. $450 more expensive than the 2017 Acura RLX, the newcomer flaunts the automaker’s beak-less grille, Jewel Eye LED headlights and LED taillights, and two exterior paint options that were previously unavailable. The interior is furthered by high-quality materials such as Milano leather seats, contrasting piping and stitching, and premium bits such as the black headliner.

Standard features include AcuraWatch, which brings together driver-assistive and safety technologies. Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Low Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking System, and Forward Collision Warning sweeten the deal. The second and most expensive RLX variant is the Sport Hybrid, which ups the ante with a 14-speaker Krell Audio system, Surround View Camera, a head-up display, plus cooled and heated front seats.

At $61,900 not including the $965 destination charge, the RLX Sport Hybrid ups the ante with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission instead of the base RLX’s 10-speeder. As the name implies, the RLX Sport Hybrid also improves on the naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 (310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet) with three electric motors. Combined system output stands at 377 horsepower and 341 pound-feet of torque, and as expected, it’s also adequately frugal on fuel.

In comparison to the ICE-only RLX (23 mpg combined, 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway), the Sport Hybrid achieves and EPA-rated 28 mpg combined, 28 mpg city, and 29 mpg highway. If its best-in-class accolades you’re most interested in, Acura highlights the RLX tops the segment in terms of “space and comfort.”
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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