Seems to be a popular comparison (and a suggestion)
Which styling or car do you prefer?

RL







M45







RL Hands down IMO.

 

Those are the first pictures I've seen of the new RL. WOW!!!! Talk about improving on a car, that is like 1000% better than the old one

 

RL:
Very classy exterior and with a modern enough edge that it looks eye-catching without being a standout. I think it could use some details like that "groove" that runs down the side of the new TL to bring the whole package together. Without it, the car almost seems a little bland. And the tail could use some work... the lack of definition almost reminds me of the first CL's. But the interior is a very nice, well balanced design. Just a thought... does the navi screen look a bit too far away from the driver (especially for a touch screen)?

M45:
Interesting exterior, the front lines are nice but I have no idea what they were thinking with those tail lights. And I have never liked Infiniti's interiors, they look like some experiment that should not have made it to the factory. Why is the clock so low and central? Why are the navi buttons at that high angle (point to the ceiling)? Just a lot of questionable decisions in my view.

RL wins my vote.

 

It appears that both cars use that humungous knob (like an i-drive??) to control the navi.

I still think the front end of the RL is not distinct or aggressive enough. The sketches made the car have a much more aggressive stance and sporty appearance. The actual concept is a bit bland. The 3/4 front view looks better.

The interior of the RL looks nice, as does the M45. I would like to see more interior pics for the M45 to make a better comparison

Both cars should compete well with the GS300/430, E320/500, and BMW 530/545.

 

This is the first "real" pic of the RL I've seen too. I notice the "RL" emblem does not appear at the rear. Is the car in the pic the final production spec, or is it still sort of a "concept"? I thought we weren't supposed to see it 'till the NY Auto Show! Oh Well. A fine automobile. The M45 is fine too....but my vote goes to the RL. Cheers.

 

Two different approaches to design, obviously...

The RL is the typical Honda design, never too aggresive, always conservative in the total package. Nothing is offending to the eye, but nothing is a standout either. Traditional Honda customers love this bit about their brand, but staying so conservative, especially in such a high-end product, might not draw in new customers from other brands.

The M45 is in line with the current transformation of Nissan after it's French owners started to lead the design direction. Strange angular cues and non-functional design executions for the sake of being different... sometimes it's good in terms of standing out from the crowd... sometimes it's bad because functionality is out the door. I do like the fact that this car is a pretty powerful package when you look just at the stats. I really like the two-tone setup in the interior.

My vote has to go to the M45. More power, costs less (at least from the initial reports), and looks different than others on the road.

Junkster, who was kinda disappointed with the RL in terms of styling.

 

It's no longer touch screen, that's why the two cars have that big knob in the dash. My guess is that they are sharing the same manufacturer of the dashboard, because the navi location is also the same in both cars.

 

Acura is officially calling it the Concept RL, so no, it's not the final production. I also notice that the trunk is either open in that pic or there's a huge panel gap where the trunk meets the rear end.

 

Ok....more stuff to say.....Does anyone else notice similarities between the two interiors? Like the recessed NAVI screen at the top of the dash? They seems quite similar to me....but I guess there isn't much room for originality when it comes to interiors anymore. I agree the M45 rear end isn't that nice...the tail lights need reworking. The RL tail isn't too bad...although the ridge surrounding the trunk reminds me of the (ugh) new 5/7 series. The front end of the RL I find too similar to the old 3.2TL...I would have liked to see something along the lines of the new TL/TSX. It's mainly the headlight arrangment that bothers me. I really love the mean looking setup on the new TL/TSX. That's it. Cheers.

 

The new RL definitely continues the Honda/Acura trend of classy, understated designs. The M45 has a lot of power, but I don't find the exterior design all that appealing. Interior design-wise, Acura always has my vote. No matter how many cars I drive, the ergonomics of Honda/Acura products just feel right to me. Overall, I like the RL better, but that's not to say I wouldn't honestly consider the M45 if they changed the taillights.

 

Phile....you beat me to it...I'm glad you see the dash similarities too! I also noticed the large gap between the trunk and bumper. Let's hope they fix this!

 

Interior goes to RL, but exterior, I would vote for M45. The tail on new RL looks similar to the new bimmer 5 and 7 IMO which is nicer than M45. But over all, I vote RL for the Acura/Honda's.

 

The new RL is a vastly improved over the old one. However, looks like Honda designers went over board and copied a lot of other cars to design the RL i.e. Mazda Millenia, Infiniti I35, Honda Accord, BMW 6-series, and Caddy Catera IMO.

The M45 looks good, but the rear tail lights are weird looking....the interiors on both cars are nice though!

I am split between the two cars, both are equally great.....however you can't beat 340HP V8 and RWD!

 

I am really into the symmetry of the interior on the RL- the rest of the car is nice but the interior is the nuts!- IMO

 

Lights = 1/2 yay (to bland compared to the sleek wraparound of the TSX and TL)
Grill = nay
Rims = yay (20 inch !!!!!)
Square patch in the front left = nay
Lights in mirrors = yay
Dual oval exhaust = yay
Trunk shape = yay
Tail lights = NNNAAAYYY

Most of interior deserves a = yay
Giant sized shifter knob = nay
Gauges = 2x yay

One thing though, is it just me or do those tail lights look "kia-esque"?





The back is nice looking, despite the fact that it looks like the illegitimate child of a bmw 6 series and a kia (because of those tail lights) but if they changed that the back looks great!!!
The front underwhelms me

 

RL nuff said

 

First time I've seen the RL pics.. and even though I like them a lot, I think I like the M45 better

Seems as the price goes up in the Acura line the less I like them, lol, which I don't think Acura wants to hear, but then again I'm young.

 

I see Bangle in the way the trunklid sits above the crease line formed by the window sill.

More pics at TOV: http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=219695

 

That pic with the man standing next to the RL shows just how really big the car is. Alone, I thought it looked small, but that pic proves me wrong.

 

I think it's a major improvement over the previous RL, but I would take the m45 over this mainly because I think the exterior is better and it also has 340hp. Also I think in acura's attempt to go upscale they've emulated the maybach's rear in the back of this car like how the trunk sticks out past the rear lights, how the lights shape the bottom of the trunk at a steep angle and how the rear lights also go into the rear fender and how the license plate is recessed into the trunk in the trapezoid shape.

 

the RL is bland...kinda looks like the accord...honda played it safe...which is what everyone on this board seems to like

but then again, the tailights on the m45 is too extreme in my opinion, borderline hideous...lol those things are gonna take some time to get used to

i'll take the RL over the infiniti

 

Damn, I totally agree. Exactly what I think. Scarey. The M45 is for those with some nuts and the RL is for those used to the bus.

 

I'm not sure why so many people equate different to being better. IMO, the Infiniti tries way to hard to be different and ends up looking too much like a rice-mobile. Who would pay near 50k for a xtra-large Sentra Type R???? Seems to me that when you buy a luxury car you want to seperate yourself from the kids. Just my humble opinion though

 

Eesh, if you're calling Infiniti a 50k Sentra, what's stopping anyone from calling any Acura a rebadged Honda? Being different isn't better, but it does set it apart from the rest of the pack. Why do you think Alfa Romeos are so hot in Europe? The cars aren't better in any sense but being different from anything else.

Junkster, who can't see where HCF sees 'rice' in the M45.

 

RL Interior, M45 Exterior

 

Actually, I don't have a problem with anyone calling an Acura a rebadged Honda because it is. But if you want to see rice in the Infiniti just look at the tail lights. Not to say the whole car is bad but it just seems as though it is way too aggressive for its customer base. The inside is pretty nice but the outside just looks too......what's the opposite word for classy?

 

The word you're looking for is trendy... and I have to agree that Infiniti cars are trendy cars, and do not have very classic lines of a car. The ricey rear lights seem to be a phenomenon with all the badges of late... the MDX, the last gen IS, it's some sort of an epidemic. I agree the M45 rear looks off-putting, but I don't think it's that ricey, it's just unrefined in it's design execution.

As for the target audience, I think Infiniti is going for a bit on the younger side of the market compared to the RL. This is evident with the M45's abundent use of aluminum trims in it's car. Trendy cars sell well to the younger age demographic, no matter what age group your looking at.

And I still don't see a Sentra in the M45 whatsoever. Where do you get this impression?

Junkster, who thinks the real opposite to classy is "trashy".

 

Acura has only about 6 months to production to make changes while Infiniti has almost a year. I'm not sure if either one will change that much though.
It seems like the GS will be the only one in the group to retain the NAV screen within reach - all the others including the RL and M45 have done the I-drive route.
I want to see some more specific specs and some preformance numbers.

 

I think the only thing to change on the RL will be the rims, and maybe a few more announcements about technicalaties/new technogies. Thsoe who have been up close seem to think the car is production ready and has the stickers to prove it.

The only problem I have with it is the downsizing to 17"s. Makes no sense, the car will look nowhere near as good with 17's. At least step up to some 18's minimum. Whats next, all season's?

 

Dont even try to tell me that the styling of this car is boring.


It is subtle, but beautiful IMO.

 

RL is awesome... Like the int. and ext. specially the back. Unfortunatly I'll only see it on pictures since it won't be imported to europe...

 

Don't you guys get the Legend? This should be the replacement for it.

Junkster, whose jealous because the Euros get to keep the Legend name.

 

RL Interior. M45 Exterior Engine = M45 all the way but I think i would overall have to take the RL. You live on the inside, outside is pretty nice and AWD is just great to have. Both cars are a great step forward for both companies

 

The lights on the outside review mirror is the giveaway if the car will live outside of NA.

 

I smell LEDs

 

I can't imagine the RL not having LEDs if the TL has them. And from the pics, they look like the LEDs on the BMW 7-Series, where you don't see the individual LED lights.

I think it's just ironic that LED taillights are now among the "it" feature to have on luxury cars...they've been used on everything else that isn't associated with luxury, like on traffic lights.

 

The front of the RL looks like a Corolla... IMHO

 

first time seeing actual pics for the RL. i was about to post without even looking at the first page of this thread because i thought you were still referring to the current M45, which is one of the ugliest cars i have seen recently, but now i see that they have redesigned it. It actaully looks pretty good...BUT, i think the RL looks SO much better than the current RL, and i'm sure performance-wise, with the 300 HP engine, although not as powerful as the 345 or whatever it is in the M45, it will be much better, probably close to the TL range. I like the RL better just cuz i'm biased i guess, but i do like the styling of the RL. As far as performance, i'm hoping that good things come for it, but we'll just have to wait and see.

 

the headlights on the RL reminds me so much of the new honda civic!! does anyone else see this??

 

That's funny because I thought the interior of the RL looks more like a Civic than the headlights.