The 2020 Acura RLX is often overlooked by luxury sedan shoppers, but its merits shine through for those who do some digging. For its potent hybrid option, great safety record, and relative value, we give it 6.3 out of 10 overall. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
For 2020, the RLX is unchanged from 2018’s updated looks. With its diamond-shaped grille, LED headlights, and big LED taillights, the 2020 RLX wears all the current Acura styling cues, but it still comes off as conventional and somewhat anonymous. The interior is a similar story, with a familiar design that’s at least fitted and trimmed out well.
A front-wheel-drive, V-6 model is the volume seller with 310 horsepower, but the RLX Sport Hybrid feels truly unique among luxury sedans, thanks to its all-wheel-drive, triple-motor setup and 377 hp. While the tech is borrowed from the NSX supercar to an extent, don’t expect the RLX to win any drag races against the Germans. This sedan is geared for comfort, as evidenced by its smooth ride and controlled handling.
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The front seats are comfortable and supportive, and there’s plenty of space for small item storage, but the rear seat and trunk could be more spacious, as they are on many other mid-size sedans. Material quality is good enough to warrant a luxury badge, but some smaller details and trim pieces are definitely showing their relative age.
Safety scores are strong, and Acura makes active features standard, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-jam assist. A surround-view camera system, cooled front seats, and a Krell audio system all come with the hybrid model, but we’d give up a handful of features to have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, something the RLX’s infotainment system conspicuously lacks.
Fuel economy is decent for a sedan of this size, but could be better on even the hybrid model, which manages 28 mpg combined. The base V-6 model earns EPA ratings of just 23 mpg combined.
