So i'm in the market for an RL and while I was originally set on getting an 07, this is proving quite difficult as there are about 3 right now in the northern california area within a 150 mile radius of SF. Man these cars really are rare. I was at a dealership this morning that supposedly had one RL in stock as of yesterday and this morning it was gone. I certainly don't want to overpay for one, but finding one is getting harder and harder. I wouldn't mind an 08, but they are a bit out of my price range.

so i got to thinking that I would expand my search to the 06 models even though there are only marginally more 06's as there are 07s. But on the plus side I like the idea of not having to try and figure out if car has navigation or not. Plus the idea of having Onstar is growing on me, as i'm sure most of you 06'ers would attest.

But i'm a little concerned about the whole driveshaft whirring/noise issue that seems to be found in the 06 models. Seems like a real pain to deal with. I assume that most of you 06 owners are pretty happy with your respective RLs, right? Seems like most dealers are asking about 24-26k for an 06 with about 50k miles plus. This seems a bit high to me. what do you guys think?

 

I got an 06 myself because it has the most available options, if you want the RL with every possible thing. Onstar and the shark fin are available only on the 05 and 06 models. The rear backup camera is NOT available on the 05, but is an optional add-on for 06 and is standard on the 07. So if you want Onstar AND backup camera, you have to get an 06.

As for your search, I think you'll have much better luck expanding your search outside of the west coast. For some reason, there is a love affair with Hondas and Acuras here that makes them more expensive than elsewhere. I got my 06 with CMBS/ACC for $17K with 70,000 miles on it in perfect condition from Minnesota.

Good luck car hunting!

 

2006 is OK and will save you some money. You lose the iPod linkage but you can always add that, and you can also add the factory reverse camera (I added both while I had my RL).

 

What's an ipod linkage? I have an 07.

 

I think he meant AUX jack...

 

I was in the same boat not too long ago until I landed on low mileage 06 with tech package. Had 30k miles, one owner and paid $21.9k. Private sale so avoided sales tax which was a huge help. Previous owner had the reverse camera installed as an option so that was great too. Spent $150 on PA-spec to add ipod which IMO is much better than AUX jack you get with 07 b/c you get all the information listed on your navi screen. Only downside of purchasing 06 vs. 07 was that original factory was expired. But then I spent another $1800 for a third-party coverage which mirrors the original warranty minus wear/tear. All in all, i think I got a great deal. Do not set on 07 unless you have a good reason for it...