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2013 Acura ZDX

What Is, What Could Have Been, And What May Yet Be
History is largely unkind to losers. That's true in the world of politics and sports, and it follows on with a few caveats in the realm of automobiles.
In terms of cars, historic losers tend to be remembered in one of two broad ways. Every once in a while, unsuccessful or oddball models actually make reputational gains after some time away from the new-car marketplace. I consider the Saab 9-2X one of the recent poster children for this group; a car that moved like molasses on dealer lots in the mid-2000s but has morphed into a sort of hard-to-find, used gem in recent years. More often, though, that which was unloved when new remains unloved with tens or hundreds of thousands of miles on the odometer. Pontiac's seriously misunderstood Aztek has king status here (despite the wailings of oddball fan clubs across the nation), so much so that invoking "Aztek" as a pejorative stopped being pithy about a dozen years ago.

2014 Acura RLX

Earlier in the year, I reviewed a powder-blue Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, and I witnessed a group of high-school-aged girls ogling the car as it sat in my driveway. In my head, I found it to be a funny-yet-fitting scene that I didn't think of again until a 2014 Acura RLX showed up in my driveway. This time around, an elderly neighborhood couple stopped to give the big Acura sedan a closer look. The RLX is trying to shed past stereotypes of its predecessor, the Acura RL, just like the Beetle. Hoping to avoid becoming the de facto "grandpa car," Acura has completely reworked - and renamed - its flagship sedan.
As the bookend to the new entry-level ILX, the addition of the 2014 RLX might give Acura its strongest sedan lineup ever as the automaker looks to break the cycle of being a middle-of-the-road luxury brand. Stepping up to the big-boy table isn't going to be easy, though, as the competition keeps getting tougher. Forget cars like the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series, the Acura RLX is going to have its hands full with the likes of the Cadillac XTS, Lexus GS and Hyundai Genesis, not to mention a strong consortium of lower-priced, mid-luxury sedans like the Hyundai Azera, Toyota Avalon and Chevy Impala. The one thing all of these cars have in common is a reputation for being an old man cruiser.
I spent a week with the new RLX to see if it could shake the stigma of its outdated predecessor or if it would just leave me searching for the nearest early bird specials.

2013 Acura TL Special Edition rolls up carrying $37,405* price tag

Acura hasn't done a whole lot with its aging TL line in recent years, the sedan only getting a very mild refresh for the 2012 model year. And while we don't see that changing anytime soon (as we reported earlier, the car is likely going to be replaced with a new TLX sedan that will serve as the replacement for both it and the smaller TSX), Acura is offering this new 2013 Special Edition TL, priced from $37,405 *plus $895 in destination fees.
The new TL SE slots in just above the base model and below the TL with Technology Package in terms of pricing, but offers a bit more in the way of added content. Special Edition features include unique 10-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels, a body-colored decklid spoiler and the appropriate SE badging. Keyless entry with pushbutton start is also standard on the Special Edition model, and the whole package is available in four exterior colors - Bellanova White, Crystal Black, Graphite Luster and Silver Moon - all with a dark leather interior.
Acura will offer the Special Edition with the TL's base engine, a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 good for 280 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The Special Edition is on sale now, and you can peruse all the other official details in Acura's press blast below.