2014 Acura RLX review

1. Spacious, well-endowed cabin 

For a supposedly ‘midsize’ sedan, there’s nothing midsize about the roomy cabin — as you’ll discover as soon as you step inside. There’s seating for five passengers inside, and everyone will have plenty of room to stretch out with 42.3 inches of front seat legroom and 38.8 inches of rear seat legroom. You’ll also have an abundance of tech and creature comforts to keep you occupied and relaxed on the journey, with features like tri-zone automatic climate control, leatherette upholstery, a sunroof, and a ten-speaker ELS^® sound system, and a USB interface all included as standard.  

2. Standard engine is ideal for daily driving 

The 2014 Acura RLX can be found with one of two engine options, and both are great choices in their own right. The base model RLX comes with a 3.5L V6 engine, good for a power output of 310 horsepower, and teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. That combination is ideal for both launching away from the lights in town and for long-distance cruising on the highway. And while you eat up the miles, you'll appreciate the EPA-estimated 30 mpg the standard V6 gets on the highway.

3. Rich feature list with lots of standard equipment 

Take a look at the feature list, and you’ll find a lot of desirable comfort and luxury equipment on offer. What you won’t find, though, are trim levels. The 2014 Acura RLX just has two different models based on the choice of drivetrain, with numerous packages available to supplement those two models. And the best part about all this? A lot of that comfort and luxury equipment you were looking at on the feature list is included as standard. You'll love the heated power-adjustable front seats with four-way power lumbar support, as well as Bluetooth^® connectivity. 

4. Sport Hybrid model adds horsepower and all-wheel-drive 

The other choice of engine for the 2014 Acura RLX is a 3.5L V6 hybrid. You get three electric motors to supplement the gasoline engine, with one integrated into the seven-speed manual transmission unique to the Sport Hybrid, while the other two power the rear wheels. Not only is overall power output boosted to 377 horsepower, but this powertrain combination can also achieve an EPA-estimated 30 mpg combined and 31 mpg on the highway.

5. Numerous tech features on offer 

If you enjoy technology and gadgets, there’s a lot for you to like about the 2014 Acura RLX’s aforementioned lengthy feature list, with an abundance of tech equipment on offer. For example, included as standard is SMS text-to-speech compatibility for MAP-enabled phones. On the Navigation package (standard on Sport Hybrid models) you also get a special climate control system which uses GPS to control the cabin temperature based on the angle of the sun. Both models can also be had with several other tech-forward feature packages, like the Technology package with rain-sensing wipers and a blind-spot monitoring system, and the Advance package with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and front and rear parking sensors.