i'm looking at CPO RLs.

there are a lot of 05s and you can find great deals on CPO ones. a lot of the large so cal dealers have CPO 05s and the ask price is 24-25k...easily could grab one for 22-23k... 24k max.

the 06s seem to be 26-28k.... a few grand higher.

what am I really gaining by getting an 06 vs an 05? assuming it's CPO, I've got 7 yr / 100k on the powertrain... i know the RL is a reliable car...

i was looking at TLs..and the Type S..but the TL rides a lot rougher and is a tad smaller. not as luxurious either.

i know neither has a backup camera, and I don't care about that.

i just want a relaible luxury car as a DD and spare family car.

 

There is quite a bit of info around here if you want to do some searches.

In short, I do not think there is any real differences between an 05 or 06 if you take into consideration a few details.

There were more 05 and early 06 build teething issues, but all are correctable by TSB and warranty repair. If you are diligent to verify all these issues are addressed or have them addressed before you take delivery, you will save yourself some frustration later down the road and be in for a solid ownership experience regardless of the model year.

That said, and if you have no TSB / warranty issues outstanding, there are minor differences in the 05 & 06:

*The 05 cannot utilize the factory camera. 06 can have a dealer installed camera.

*The 05 and 06 MID functions have slight differences.

*The 05 and 06 have slight driver personalization differences.

*The 05 has a shorter OEM Warranty than 06 and later ( A moot point if you get the CPO warranty).

*The 06 has the 'TECH' package option, which in 06 meant CMBS/PAX/ACC

Otherwise...apples to apples.

We really need an 05 / early 06 'checklist' of TSB & Warranty issues so potential owners have something to work from when deciding on an 05 RL.

I believe we have a thread started here related to this...if someone finds it, please post it in this thread.

 

Here is the thread....

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-2005-2012-76/2005-rl-reliablity-730215/


If someone shopping an 05 RL compiles a checklist perhaps Bob will make it a forum sticky.

Bob,,,,,hmmmmm,,,,,has anyone seen Bob?

 

*The 05 and 06 MID functions have slight differences.

*The 05 and 06 have slight driver personalization differences.


More detailed on these differences if you may?

 

The MID changes are very slight in how you toggle through the screens and the last screen recall. I believe the 05 always returns the top of the MID screen queue when the ignition is turned on and the 06 will return to the last MID screen viewed.

The 06 is programmed to recognize Driver 1 settings over Driver 2 settings if both fobs are present in the car, unless Driver 2 unlocks the car. In the 05, it is more of a crap shoot.

 

sounds like they are pretty much the same. i'm ONLY looking at CPO for an 05, so i'd get some extension of factory warranty...

the only other car i'm really considering is the TL base w/nav. I tried the Type S but it's kind of stifff and this is going to be a family car..my DD to work, and a spare car to drive with the family... wife + 3 kids. the TL works but the RL is slightly larger.

we recently had an 09 TL as a loaner and loved it...but they are $34k+ for a new one. i'm looking to spend $25k...so way out of my budget for a car. unless I leased...not sure I want to lease.... that's another topic............

i could get into an 07 maybe an 08 TL base or base w/nav for about what I would pay to get into an 05/06 RL.

similar car....but different... the newer TL would have a lower mileage and longer warranty but not be AWD, less luxury... the TL rides .. to me..sportier..it's firmer... but w/out pushing both cars, it's hard to say which one reallyh handles better...as I"m just going to DD it, it's not a huge issue...obviously i want somethign fun to drive.. but i'm not looking for a sports car or hardcore sports sedan..

i wasnt something comfortable that can be used to cruise with the family or take on short road trips with the wief and kids..and DD myself back/forth to work.

 

I think, but not sure, the 06 has a usb connection for an ipod, 05 does not.

 

hey 23109vc, this is Vchad, from edmunds.

I actually just read ur postings there, i woulda responded sooner, but ive been on call the past two days, so I was too exhausted to respond. Anyway, i was actually going to suggest to you, maybe RL would be a better choice, since the used 08 TL's just dont seem to be a great buy, well with compared to what dealers are asking vs. last years new purchase price.

If i were you, id go with a leased TL, base with navi, I believe can be had for high 4's with minimum down payment. Otherwise, Id personally go for a 06 Cpo RL. I really think RL is very underappreciated car. Even tho I bought an MB e-350 last summer, ive still been wanting to get an RL/TL, but mostly RL. EVen after spending 57k on the e-class....i dont have bluetooth!! But dont get me wrong, i dont regret for one sec buying the benz, to this day, Rock Solid, no rattles, not a single malfunction(believe me ive looked). its just a tank on the road.

But id get an RL without hesitation, it has such great techy features that are standard, and I think personally beatiful car. Def. get the Cpo 06, tho I think 05 might be just as good, but i think 05's have had some quirks, which were addressed in 06. it doesn't help i bought the 911 a month ago(i will NEVER GET RID of this car!), but i love cars, and i think every bachelor should have 3 cars!

 

06 RL does not have the USB port. Only the kit from Acura (which was universally panned in this forum). However there are aftermarket connections.

 

There are several TL to RL owners on this forum. I think all of us can affirm the RL is more car in substance, even if in features the new TL has many of them on paper. The TL materials and build quality has improved but still not on par with the RL. Some will say the point is moot. But after living with both cars, the RL is superior IMHO.

The TL has an edge for the sporting attributes and dramatic styling. The RL has the edge on refinement, smoothness and understated styling. And trust me, the RL can hold its own when it needs to, especially with SHAWD.

I too felt my TL was a bit too rough a ride for day to day commuting. I had my TL 18 months. I now have my RL 3 years and never looked back. It is as tight as new with no rattles, and I grow to appreciate it more as time passes.

 

vino - thanks for the info. believe me, I've considered leasing a new TL. they are nice cars. We had one for 3 days as a loander and I really enjoyed driving it. I'm on the fence between leasing vs. buying..but the more I look at the prices on the used CPO TLs, they don't seem like a good deal. when you look at what they sold for a year ago, and what dealer are asking for them now, yhou are paying close to the same price.

compared to an RL - an 06 RL, CPO, is selling now for half what it sold for new. give or take. I'd pay almost the same for an 07/08 TL as an 06 RL, and if you look at MSRP, the RL is a WAY more $$ car. I've driven both, and while the TL is sportier feeling, and feels more like a sports sedan, the RL is more of a luxury cruiser.

unlike you I don't have a 911, but I do have a boxster. Just had it out today for a spin. so I have my "sports car" in the garage..and really need something that is more for luxury and comfort.

a new TL would fit hte bill, but so woudl a used RL. it all comes down to what m akes the most sense in terms of finances. a lease or a purchase. if I buy, I'll keep it 5-7 years, to make it worth while.

i am looking at a CPO 06 RL tomorrow. it has about 25k miles on it, they are asking $26k. it's gray on black. base w/nav. stock wheels, no spoiler, no cmbs/pax stuff. just a standard RL..but it's at an Acura dealer, CPO...

if I buy used, i'll likely put down 3-5k. if I do 72 months,a nd put down $5k, my monthly is about $386. that's accounting for taxes, fees, title, etc.

if I put nohting down and just financed the whole thing over 72 months, the payment is $468.

form the numbers you and I have talked about and seen on edmunds, a lease on a new TL w/tech, sign and drive, would be about $480 + tax. so with our 8.75% here in CA, I'd be at about $522. that's a fair amount more.

of course, if I wanted to put money down on the lease, which I know is considered unwise, but if I was going to look in the short term and put money down, to equate to putting money down on the loan - and say i put down $3000 on the lease,, my payment would drop to $439/month.

in the short term, the lease would probably be a smarter move. i'd have a new car for hte first 36 months, for the same "down payment" and not much more per month.

if yhou fast forward out 6 years, the purchase probably wins out, b/c I've paid 33696 total cash to "buy" the RL. while on two leases, asssuming I could lease the car "twice" for the same deal.. I'd be paying 37584.

i'd pay about $4000 more over 6 years to lease. if the RL costs me less than $4k in repairs over the 6 y ears, and still has a decent net value at the end, I'm ahead by buying.

we've had this talk before... each option has it's pros/cons. leasing has pros which I'm well aware of. short term you ge ta better car for less cash. but you always are paying. on the purchase, you can get to apoint where you drive your car and don't have payments, just upkeep..which on ad urable long alsting car can equate to big savings. the hard part is keeping the car 6-7+ years and not geting sick of it and selling it... my last car i kept about 7 years and sold it a couple weeks ago.. i was very very sick of that car, even though it wasn't that bad..it did have high miles, and I hated it...

hmmm....

 

i bought my 05 rl with 110k on it for 10k. at first i thought it would be ok car, but as i test drive it, and check every single detail on the car. the car is great. the fact that it has so many milleage on it because the owner lived in ohio and he had to go back and forth to california, the interior just look like stock. no dent or any kind. i am so lucky to buy this car.

 

I'm going through the same issues. I'm going from a 99 Civic Si to either a 06-08 TL or an RL. I was originally going to get a new Accord 4-door but started looking at used TL's. While browsing the dealerships I kept noticing the RL's for nearly hte same money and started to investigate them. Part of me wants the sportier ride and handling of the TL but another part knows I'm getting a lot more car for the money with the RL.

 

exactly. The TL rides firmer and feels sportier. The RL is not soft or squishy, but it's not as rough riding as the TL. You get a TON more for your money with hte RL. A TON. I just bought my RL... tonight.

My parents have an 07 RL, which I've borrowed several times for lenghty drives - and I'e been test driving the RL a lot recently prior to buying the one I just brought home - as well as having test driven a lot of TLs, including the base and Type S verions.

If you want a sporty riding car - I'd suggest hte TL Type S. I'ts really sporty, has a nice exhaust growl, is fairly fast, and has decent luxury. the Base TL is slightly softerthan the Type S TL, but it's still not what I would call a "soft" riding car.

The RL is MUCH more focused on luxury. If you sit in and drive a TL around, then get into an RL, yhou will immediately notice how much more nicely constructed and luxurious it is. Open and close the doors on both of them. Listen to the difference.

I also have a 2007 MDX, and I have to say, the RL feels more solid and better constructed than that car too.

For what you can get a used RL for these days, it is a smokin bargain. I test drovd a new 08 Accord sedan, and it seemed nice. I drove the RL and it makes the Accord feel like a first gen TSX... chintzy and cheap. Look, the Accord is a nice car, and if I bought one, I'd be plenty happy. There's nothing wrong iwth it, but it lacks the refinement and feel of a higher end car like the RL.

Drdive the RL, drive a TL - do it back to back. If you have to have something "sporty" I might recommend against the RL as I wouldn't really call it a sporty car. It's not a boat cruiser like a Cadillac, but i's nothing like a TL Type S in terms of sportiness. If I was ONLY going to have ONE car - I might have passed on the RL and got a TL Type S. It has the nav system, and a luxuriosu feel, but with a focus on being sporty. It's not a real sports car, but it's sporty enough to let you have fun, without being a boy racer, but still is luxurious enough to make you feel like you are driving a nice car. The RL makes you feel like you are in a higher end luxury car that has a touch of sportiness to it...

the TL S is a nice car, as is the base TL, but if you get in then out of the TL, and slide into an RL you will know you got into a car that is a whole order of magnitude more luxurious. It all depends on what you want/need/prefer. No one can make that decision for you except you.

I was leaning toward the type S, but I have kids, and I already have a sports car in my garage as a toy car - so I was more in need of a family car - and I wanted to focus on luxury, not sportienss. I alrady have my sportiness accounted for... if you came out of an Si civic sporty little rice burner, but now want someting a bit more upscale, check out the Type S TL - i be tyou'dlike it. I drove one and really liked it.

 

hey 23109vc,

Congrats on the RL purchase! I'm glad you made a good decision, and i'm quite jealous, even with my E-class, and 911, for some reason, i STILL want an RL. Probably because I almost bought one last yr, and I read this forum daily, if i can find a well maintained at a reasonable price...im going to buy it! if you dont mind sharing, what was the year/mileage of your RL, and purchase price? atleast ill have a ballpark idea of where to be, knowing you and I both shared the same frustrations on the TL's pricing. anyway happy for ya man, enjoy the car!

 

Similar story here....When I bought my 05 RL a year ago, I initially went to the dealership to look at the TL. I test drove the TL and found it to be a well handling car with a lot of pep, but it was a little small in the back (I have two little kids who need car seats). As I was leaving, the salesman says, for the same price we have an 05 RL...I didn't know what the RL was, but as soon as I got in it, I was sold. It didn't handle quite as well and wasn't as sporty, but man what luxury, very smooth ride, nice handling, good power and a ton of features...I put up the rear sun shade and couldn't believe this was an acura. Also had a lot more room. I didn't buy that exact car, but found one within days.

 

Thanks for the opinions. I decided the TL was the one I enjoyed driving the most. I'm picking up an 07 carbon gray/ black with navi tomorrow. 35,000 miles for $26,000 and they threw in the wrap around .