I test drove a SH-AWD Tech today. The dealer had just gotten it in today, and I was the first customer to drive it. It had 33 miles on it when I took the wheel, and I drove it about 15 miles.
tl;dr: Freaking awesome.
I had a chance to drive for about 30 minutes tonight. I drove both suburban streets, a nice stretch of freeway, and steeply curved on/off ramps. I was able to use both Sport mode and the regular mode during my test drive. A few scattered points:
Takeoff. In regular mode, the engine is off once the car is stopped. When you press the accelerator, the car is eerily quiet as you feel yourself accelerate, briskly. At about 20 mph, the engine turns on. You can just barely feel/hear the engine engage. It is so smooth.
In Sport mode, the engine is on and the acceleration is much brisker. With assertive acceleration, one can hear that classic J-series growl we all like.
In either mode, one can see which wheels are active on the HUD. Mostly on takeoff, it's the rear wheels. :thumbsup:
Braking. I had no difficulty with braking, whatsoever, either in Sport or regular mode. The brake pedal is a bit firmer in the Sport mode but really doesn't feel any different from any other brake pedal I've used. I did not find any jerking when using the brake pedal. Maybe I was too nice in pressing it? Whatever issues were described in the pre-production cars, I can confirm have been resolved.
Handling In decreasing radius on/off ramps, I was able to keep my foot in the gas, and it was as if the car knew where I wanted it to go. Very neutral in feel. Nicely controlled body roll in the turns, though it is obvious in the turns that this is not my CTS-V or S2000 (i.e. sports cars). The torque vectoring is amazing! It was just like in my RL, but easier to use and because of the HUD, easier for me to see which wheels are active.
Suspension. Nice and smooth. Well-controlled on bumps. Then again, I drive a CTS-V and a S2000, so I am used to a sporty ride. I would LOVE to see something like the Magnetic Ride shocks I have on my CTS-V so the suspension can be changed for a more sporty ride.
Push button transmission. Have no fear, it is super-easy to use. It is so intuitive that I was expert at it by the end of the test drive. Push Park to park, pull back for reverse, round button for Drive. The Sport mode and Brake Hold buttons are immediately behind the other buttons and are in easy reach for me.
Tech. The Tech model comes with Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot monitoring. Both are useful for those days when I'm tired. I wanted to try the ACC/CMBS and Lane Keep Assist, but those are only on the Advance. I'd love these latter features for road trips. The Brake Hold feature is freaking amazing. This should be activated when the car is turned on IMHO (with an option remaining to turn it off whenever, as is status quo).
The interior is pretty darned good. I know people think it's not up to Audi or Mercedes snuff, but it sure as hell is miles better than my Cadi, and people here know I love my V. Seats are comfy. I have long legs but had no difficulty with the seat cushion at least in my brief test drive. A longer test drive would be helpful.
I think the Sport Hybrid lives up to what little hype given it in the automotive media. The drive is simply fantastic.
It took every shred of self-control not to just settle and take a Tech which, having driven it, I could probably live with. However, I'd rather an Advance to get some of the other creature comforts (heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, ACC/CMBS/LKA, rear shade).
I now have a deposit in, I am talking numbers with the dealer (they are wanting MSRP "because the Advance is so rare", but lease and financing incentives are available), and the dealer is finding an Advance for me at another dealer.
In the meantime, there's a black Tech at Motorcars Acura in the Cleveland area that's available for anyone who wants it!
tl;dr: Freaking awesome.
I had a chance to drive for about 30 minutes tonight. I drove both suburban streets, a nice stretch of freeway, and steeply curved on/off ramps. I was able to use both Sport mode and the regular mode during my test drive. A few scattered points:
Takeoff. In regular mode, the engine is off once the car is stopped. When you press the accelerator, the car is eerily quiet as you feel yourself accelerate, briskly. At about 20 mph, the engine turns on. You can just barely feel/hear the engine engage. It is so smooth.
In Sport mode, the engine is on and the acceleration is much brisker. With assertive acceleration, one can hear that classic J-series growl we all like.
In either mode, one can see which wheels are active on the HUD. Mostly on takeoff, it's the rear wheels. :thumbsup:
Braking. I had no difficulty with braking, whatsoever, either in Sport or regular mode. The brake pedal is a bit firmer in the Sport mode but really doesn't feel any different from any other brake pedal I've used. I did not find any jerking when using the brake pedal. Maybe I was too nice in pressing it? Whatever issues were described in the pre-production cars, I can confirm have been resolved.
Handling In decreasing radius on/off ramps, I was able to keep my foot in the gas, and it was as if the car knew where I wanted it to go. Very neutral in feel. Nicely controlled body roll in the turns, though it is obvious in the turns that this is not my CTS-V or S2000 (i.e. sports cars). The torque vectoring is amazing! It was just like in my RL, but easier to use and because of the HUD, easier for me to see which wheels are active.
Suspension. Nice and smooth. Well-controlled on bumps. Then again, I drive a CTS-V and a S2000, so I am used to a sporty ride. I would LOVE to see something like the Magnetic Ride shocks I have on my CTS-V so the suspension can be changed for a more sporty ride.
Push button transmission. Have no fear, it is super-easy to use. It is so intuitive that I was expert at it by the end of the test drive. Push Park to park, pull back for reverse, round button for Drive. The Sport mode and Brake Hold buttons are immediately behind the other buttons and are in easy reach for me.
Tech. The Tech model comes with Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot monitoring. Both are useful for those days when I'm tired. I wanted to try the ACC/CMBS and Lane Keep Assist, but those are only on the Advance. I'd love these latter features for road trips. The Brake Hold feature is freaking amazing. This should be activated when the car is turned on IMHO (with an option remaining to turn it off whenever, as is status quo).
The interior is pretty darned good. I know people think it's not up to Audi or Mercedes snuff, but it sure as hell is miles better than my Cadi, and people here know I love my V. Seats are comfy. I have long legs but had no difficulty with the seat cushion at least in my brief test drive. A longer test drive would be helpful.
I think the Sport Hybrid lives up to what little hype given it in the automotive media. The drive is simply fantastic.
It took every shred of self-control not to just settle and take a Tech which, having driven it, I could probably live with. However, I'd rather an Advance to get some of the other creature comforts (heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, ACC/CMBS/LKA, rear shade).
I now have a deposit in, I am talking numbers with the dealer (they are wanting MSRP "because the Advance is so rare", but lease and financing incentives are available), and the dealer is finding an Advance for me at another dealer.
In the meantime, there's a black Tech at Motorcars Acura in the Cleveland area that's available for anyone who wants it!