Acura RLX Concept video

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One of the best videos I have seen, for one of the most boring looking car ever.

This car will never be noticed like it is in this short film.
Only paid extras would turn their heads when it drives by.

There is absolutely nothing new, nothing that stands out, nothing that says “buy me instead of another car”.

Again, it is sad to see what the Legend has become after 25 years….

Conversation 32 comments

  1. I totally disagree with Vince. Look all the Audis, they have the most bland look of any other car out there. I just test drove a 2013 Mercedes E class the other day. The interior is full of plastic at 50k. Give this car a chance with real pictures and rims. Those times will not make production or that ugly color. The specs will blow you away, acuras SH AWD is one of the best all wheel drive system I have ever driven.

  2. I totally disagree with Vince. Look all the Audis, they have the most bland look of any other car out there. I just test drove a 2013 Mercedes E class the other day. The interior is full of plastic at 50k. Give this car a chance with real pictures and rims. Those times will not make production or that ugly color. The specs will blow you away, acura SH AWD is one of the best all wheel drive system I have ever driven.

  3. I never said it is a bad car.
    It's probably a great car.

    But there is no excuse in 2012 for a luxury car to look like this.
    Yes, Audis are boring. But at least they don't look like 20 people designed them.

    This is a mess.
    And only dark windows, fancy editing and lots of slow motion (with paid extras turning their heads) can make it look almost decent.

    What they needed is something that stands out. And they totally blew it.
    This will be one of these cars that is forgotten as soon as it comes out.

  4. Wake me up when the part with the exciting car shows up. And in the meantime give me earplugs to kill the drone of that crappy music.

    Really, I am not sure how anyone can say this car visually has "something" unless something you mean pure emptiness as in absolutely nothing at all.

  5. I need to see it in person to make that decision. I remember when the current generation MDX came out most people gave it no shot. I can not remember one positive post. Now all a sudden everyone is saying is such a great looking and performing SUV. Acura is slipping a little bit but they do put a great package together with a great price.I'm not even a Honda guy. I'm currently in the market for a luxury four door sedan and when I drove the 2012 TL SH AWD, I was very impressing, it blew a lot of it's competition away.

  6. Vince – Your comment:

    "Again, it is sad to see what the Legend has become after 25 years."

    I agree. But wouldn't it be more accurate to link the Legend to the TL?

    It's more comparable in terms of size; where it fits in the lineup (etc.)

  7. People in Manhattan would definitely not gawk at something this nondescript. Manhattanites would most likely honk so that it would move out of the way.

  8. Audi actually has a look that everyone recognizes You could put mazda/infiniti/buick label on this thing and no one would know the difference. Oh except of course for that god awful nose.

  9. It's solid looking, almost like an ingot of steel. It definitely is NOT unattractive. And in it's category of luxury automobiles – Audi, M-B, Lexus, Infiniti – I expect the fit, finish and performance will equal or exceed its competition.
    Many commentors on this website, including VB, are too quick to judge an automobile merely by looks, and that is just too superficial of an analysis when it comes to something so complicated and sophisticated as today's automobile. Busty blondes with long tan legs may turn heads, but they often can't hold a conversation….or cook!

  10. I wouldn't even test drive an Audi and I worked for Audi for 10 years. Put a Jetta next to A4 it looks identical just different headlights. The only reason people are going crazy about audi is about the LED lights. Most people how buy luxury cars only but it for the name not performance or value.

  11. I drive a 2008 RL and hate the 2009 to the 2013 models. nice AWD system is why I bought the car. But I'm buying a hybrid next year.

  12. Ok..so it is going to be very reliable, have great MPG and great driving dynamics, will be fast as shit, and have real rims. Besides the stupid looking beak, this car, as an upscale sedan, looks just fine and will probably sell to those that do not want to stick out like a sore thumbs.

    And..Vince, which car in its class looke that much better? can you expand?

  13. same unsuccesful front end. Other than that, I think that the all new 2013 Nissan Sentra, look up Sylphy on search, looks better than this.

  14. vince, the velocity of this car suggests its an ad for GEEZERS. the car is for geezers. lol. any bold and striking designs would make the ELDERLY feel freightened. haha.

  15. "But wouldn't it be more accurate to link the Legend to the TL?

    It's more comparable in terms of size; where it fits in the lineup (etc.)"

    Actually, no.. the TL stems from the original Honda/Acura Vigor, which shared the US Accord platform (and each TL has ever since). The Legend/RL has always been a step above on a different platform, but the current generation RL's wheelbase is now nearly identical to the Accord and TL, making it even harder to justify the shockingly higher price tag.

  16. I like the part where the guy was in the process of stealing that old Integra and was caught off guard by Honda's "edgy" generic styling.

  17. I think it's funny how people are slamming Audi, and the topic isn't even about Audi. Clearly everyone sees Audi as a design leader. Even if they don't understand why.

    The difference here is that Acura doesn't have a comparable S5 or A7 or R8. Like it or not, each one of these cars are considered the most stylish in the industry right now. All of Audis models reflect the general style direction of these models. In addition to being beautiful, they are luxurious and very good performers. Acura just doesn't come close. Not a single car is a design leader. In fact, the style of most Acuras are often slammed for being regressive and dowdy, with performance to match.

    Because this is a flagship vehicle, this RLX continues the sad story for Acura. A flagship is supposed to be a halo car. Which means that they are headed down a sad path with unattractive designs or brand direction for the next several years. I think that's whats so frustrating about seeing this car.

  18. hey weasel beak, there are no surveys required to go out on a limb a suggest that Acura products do not sell and are very ugly.

  19. This would have been better received around 2005 or 2006. I was more excited seeing that old Acura Integra than anything else. Reminds me of the old parody commercial that used a 1st gen Kia Optima with some slight revisions…showcasing it as the plain vanilla car.

  20. "hey weasel beak, there are no surveys required to go out on a limb a suggest that Acura products do not sell and are very ugly."

    The people spoke in the surveys and are clear. So…STFU. What part don't you get?

  21. "There is absolutely nothing new, nothing that stands out, nothing that says "buy me instead of another car".

    In the looks department, perhaps. But if almost 400hp with 30mpg in the city does not say something to the people "who would actually buy this car", than we might have a problem. Until then, your comment is worth a cup of ice in Alaska.

  22. " Yes, Audis are boring. But at least they don't look like 20 people designed them. This is a mess."….

    This IS a mess because Acura itself, as a company, is also a mess. I can point to 5 people in the organization that need to be canned immediately, in order for this great brand to recover. Its a good thing they changed the name again, cuz this car doesnt live up to its predecessor Legends.

  23. Great engineering….if you consider a 4000lb car the size of an Accord in 2013 to be a step forward.

    Acura is lost.

    solid like an ingot? same can be said of a sack of crap. What are you, a paid Honda blogger? Calling BS.

  24. Dear Anonymous:
    No Honda blogger here — but a Honda products owner for many years; solid, dependable cars over and over and over. And to tell the truth, I'm not sure the purpose of YOUR post. Care to elaborate using your vast knowledge of automobile engineering to explain why this new Acura is such an inferior car?

  25. Looks okay to me. Reminds me of the Volvo s80. Classic, simple, luxurious. Keeping a simple style works for flagship luxury cars. Volvo S80, Lexus LS, etc…

  26. "Care to elaborate using your vast knowledge of automobile engineering to explain why this new Acura is such an inferior car?"

    I'm a different "anonymous" than the one you're responding to. But the general thinking is that Acura sedans are just low performance, unattractive, non-luxury, tarted-up with plastic beak Hondas. That may be an overstatement, however all research into the luxury marketplace indicates that they are practically invisible when compared to other premium automotive brands. Two years ago, I was at a conference where they presented research showing Acura ranking lower among the affluent consumer than both Buick and Infiniti. I recall them being at the bottom along with Saab. Porsche, Audi, Cadillac, MB, BMW and Lexus always rank among the highest.

    Personally, I like the TL and the large Acura SUV. But I don't really consider them premium cars. This small Civic based sedan is not helping change that perception.

  27. "I'm a different "anonymous" than the one you're responding to. But the general thinking is that Acura sedans are just low performance, unattractive, non-luxury, tarted-up with plastic beak Hondas."

    Studies and focus groups have their place, I'm sure, but what I see everytime I've gone into an Acura dealer are people buying their cars at a brisk pace (especially the new RDX and Civic-based compact. And if you look at resale, Acuras have one of the higher values after the analyzed number of years. Moreover, Acura used cars are often a sought after vehicle for those who want to jump into the luxury/near-luxury category but don't have the $ for new. Personally, I like Acura products; they're nice without being to over the top.

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