2020 Acura RLX

History/Overview

The Acura RLX is the Japanese brand's flagship sedan, one of two mid-size cars (the other is the TLX) that's set apart by a standard gas-electric hybrid powertrain. Acura introduced the RLX in 2014 as the replacement for the RL. The 2020 RLX is carried over unchanged from 2019.

Available Trims

A single Elite trim comes with a 3.5L V6 engine, three electric motors (two of which power the rear wheels for all-wheel drive) and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Standard Features

RLX Elite's safety kit comprises adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, a surround-view camera system, and tire pressure monitoring.

Among the RLX's exterior features are 19-inch wheels, auto-dimming side mirrors, headlight washers, power-folding and heated side mirrors, LED headlights, fog lights and taillights, sunroof and rain-sensing wipers.

Interior comfort and convenience items include navigation, AcuraLink, ambient interior lighting, automatic climate control, capless fuel filling, electric parking brake, head-up display, heated steering wheel, passive keyless entry, power rear window and rear side window sunshades, wood trim and power tilt-and-telescopic steering column adjustments.

The RLX's front seats are 12-way power adjustable with four-way lumbar. Front and rear seats are heated, and the fronts are ventilated, too.

The stereo is a 14-speaker setup with hard drive media storage and Bluetooth streaming audio.

Fuel Economy

Acura's fuel consumption estimates for the RLX are 8.4/8.2 L/100 km (city/highway).

Competition

There are many very good mid-size luxury sedans out there, including the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Volvo S90, Cadillac CTS and CT6, Lincoln MKZ, Chrysler 300, Genesis G80, Jaguar XF, Buick LaCrosse, Lexus ES, Infiniti Q70 and Volkswagen Arteon.