Anybody know what car this is?

Its a Acura RXL. Cant tell you the year though

http://www.acura.com/ExteriorColor.aspx?model=RLX&modelYear=2015

Thanks!

Definitely an Acura. Probably the RLX - either 2014 or 2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acura_RLX#mediaviewer/File:2014_Acura_RLX _in_black.jpg

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Fox "News": We lie, you panic!

Thanks. It's a nice looking car. Any idea which cars it's competing with? It's on a higher level than the Toyota Camry or the Mazda6 or the Nissan Altima, so it can't be those.

Acura doesn't sell many of their cars compared to the competition. One of the reasons is that they are in a weird sort of niche with this vehicle.

It is Acura's "flagship luxury sedan". Which would mean that in theory it competes with the Infiniti Q70, Lexus LS, Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-series, Audi A8, Maserati Ghibli, Jaguar XJ and Chrysler 300. In practice, however, it cannot compete with those cars because it hasn't got a rear-wheel drive chassis. It is a front-wheel drive design with an option to send some power to the rear wheels if the front-wheels slip (similar to VW's 4Motion system). People who buy those sorts of cars expect the dynamics of a rear-drive chassis (with an option for AWD) - whether they say so or not. That is a major aspect of what most people mean when they talk about the "feel" of a luxury car.

In the real world, it competes with the Toyota Avalon/Lexus ES, the Cadillac XTS, the Hyundai Azera and other such vehicles but it is significantly more expensive than most of its competition.

So, Acura's customers are relatively limited... basically they fall into two basic categories:

1. People who used to drive a Honda and now make enough money that they are willing and able to pay for something with a little more exclusivity but want the comfort of sticking with the brand - like when people "graduate" from Toyota to Lexus or Volkswagen to Audi or Audi to Bentley.

2. People who like how it looks - the extreme "Japaneseness" of it.

The Acura RLX isn't a bad car. If you can afford one and if you like the quirky styling, you will get a reliable and well-made car that will probably be inexpensive to service on the infrequent occasions when something does go wrong.

It depends on what you value in a car. If you like a car for the way it looks (and there's nothing wrong with that) then go for it. If you want something that is exciting to drive and will make your heart beat faster when hustling you down a twisty country road on a sunny weekend afternoon... you should probably look somewhere else.

I haven't driven the second-generation Hyundai Genesis yet but if I was looking for a vehicle in this segment, that's probably where I'd start. It has AWD if you want it (though, if AWD is a big thing for you, I'd recommend looking at a Subaru Legacy) and Hyundai asked the British engineering firm Lotus to improve the car's handling and ride over the first generation. If you're a car-geek, there is nobody in the world better at this sort of thing than Lotus - they are the masters of handling.



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Fox "News": We lie, you panic!

Thanks a lot for all that info. Appreciate it.

By the way, you mentioned these cars: Infiniti Q70, Lexus LS, Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-series, Audi A8, Maserati Ghibli, Jaguar XJ and Chrysler 300. I'm curious--if you had to choose one from the list, which would it be, and why? Also, how would you rank them?

They each have their pros and cons. I'll list them each briefly in the order you gave.


1. Q70. If you are a techie, this is probably your best bet. Infiniti tends to push the envelope when it comes to technology more than the rest of the Japanese manufacturers. More of a "driver's car" than the typical Japanese offering. On the downside, the styling isn't for everyone and they are definitely an "outside the box" choice. That is, if you want to blend in with the crowd, you will likely want something else.

2. Lexus LS. The exact opposite of the Q70. More conservative when it comes to technology and more geared for comfort than driving excitement. If your idea of bliss is driving a sensory-deprivation tank down the road... The LS might be just the ticket. On the downside, if you're the kind of person who wants to stand out from the crowd, you won't do it in this car.

3. S-Class. The gold standard for European luxury. A sensible balance between cutting-edge and "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" conservatism. Not a "drivers car" but also not a numb limo. Reliable but when something does break, you'd better be prepared to pay big bucks for replacement parts.

4. BMW 7-Series. Less of a driver's car than the rest of BMW's offerings but more than anything offered by Mercedes. Never been a big fan of the big Beemer... but not for any reason I can really name. There isn't anything actually wrong with it in my view... but neither is there anything especially right with it.

5. Audi A8. My personal favorite of the Germans. More of a driver's car than the other two and with a better AWD system (if that matters to you). They're also top-notch when it comes to electronic gizmos (the night-vision system option in the A8 is a nerd's dream). The downside? You might weary of being asked why you bought an Audi instead of a BMW or a Mercedes - especially if you live somewhere that doesn't get a lot of snow.

6. Maserati Ghibli. The Italians are trying to move downmarket and upmarket at the same time. Maserati was traditionally part of the "supercar" market - they sold cars that cost as much as many people's homes and they were handmade by artisans (i.e. they cost a fortune to fix when they went wrong). Essentially, the Italian answer to British companies like Aston Martin or Bentley. Then they were bought by FIAT. FIAT realized that they did well in the mass market with the FIAT and Alfa-Romeo brands and with the Maserati and Ferrari brands, they had the top-end all to themselves... but there was nothing in the middle. So some bright-spark in marketing decided to offer an "affordable" Maserati. The Ghibli is basically a Chrysler 300 chassis with Maserati body panels, interior and drive-train. So if you fancy driving around in something with an exotic badge, body and interior but don't want to spend a fortune on service, then the Ghibli might be just the ticket. The downside? Good luck finding a dealership.

7. Jaguar XJ. I'll state my bias up-front. This is my personal favorite of the bunch and I've always had a soft-spot for the folks from Coventry. Jaguar has arguably done the best job of anyone here (even better than Audi) of balancing sport and comfort. If what you want is a whisper-quiet limo to carry you and three friends somewhere in unspeakable comfort... the XJ is for you. If you want something that you can fling around corners on country roads on the weekend and feel like a hooligan? The XJ will do that too. If you go for the supercharged versions, you will find yourself in a car that is not only supremely comfortable but will embarrass a Porsche 911 when called upon to do so. The downside? You'll get tired of people asking you if it is reliable. Jaguars are very reliable but they haven't done a good job of shedding their past reputation. I've owned three and none of them have disappointed me. Plus, I'm a big fan of wood trim and nobody does wood trim like the Brits.

8. Chrysler 300. I've had several as rentals and I've liked all of them. They drive wonderfully and there's really nothing wrong with them apart from the faint whiff of "old man's car" about them. If you're on a tight budget, you'll probably get more bang for your buck here than with anything else on the list. On the other hand, if you want to be different... you won't be in this one. This is probably the best-selling car Chrysler has ever made (though for good reason).



The only thing I would add to your list is the Hyundai Genesis. People laugh at the idea of a $50k Hyundai (they start in the low 40s... but you'd have to be mental to buy a base model - there are way too many cool options) until they drive one. Then they realize that even though $50k might be a lot for a Hyundai, you'd have to spend at least $10k more (more likely $20k or $30k) to get a comparable car from anyone else. And for those who are badge-snobs, the dealer will take the Hyundai badge off and replace it with a "Genesis" badge that looks a little like the Bentley logo.




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Fox "News": We lie, you panic!

Nice! Thanks again. A friend of mine is looking to buy a new Mercedes and has had the CLS in mind for a while. But he saw the Audi A7 recently and loved it, and now is having trouble deciding. He loves the Mercedes brand and all that, but he really like the look of the A7. I was showing him the BMW 6 Series the other day and he liked its look too. If I were him, though, I'd choose the BMW out of the three. I've always been a beemer fan. Which would you choose?

Also, do you agree with the saying that the Range Rover is the king of SUVs?



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