I have a 1994 Legend and have been looking for a 2006 RL. For some reason there are NO 2006 or 2007 models to choose from around here - but plenty of 2005s. I normally avoid buying a car in its first year - as they usually have problems, some major and some minor, that get sorted out in the second or third years.

Is a 2005 model going to have issues that were fixed in 2006 and 2007 ?
Any other reason I should consider not getting the 2005 RL ?

Thanks for any informed input.

 

From what I have read on here. Staying away from the 05 is the best bet

 

2005 owner with 110K miles
there were issues, but all of them should have been fixed under warranty
I have not had any non-warranty problems other than headlight bulb which Dealer replaced under "good will".
I am getting the 30mph whine (search forum) - be sure to test drive car cold and see if whine occurs at 30mph. It occurs over very small speed range, so make sure you do this right away, as issue goes away once car is warm.
Obviously, 2006 or 2007 would be better, but if you get a good price on 2005, I think you would be good.

 

general concensus here is that the 2005 RL has alot minor problems here and there.. that may drive you nuts? so you're better off getting a 2006+ RL

 

Buy the newest you can afford.

The 2005 was honestly not that bad, the worst problem was the AC compressor going out, if you look into a 2005, make sure that's been serviced or (best case) replaced. A lot of 2005s are exiting the original manufacturer warranty this year, so that is a potentially expensive repair.

 

2005 lacked the ability to do nav traffic...if that matter to you.

the 2006 does NOT have a backup camera OR the aux input in the armrest.

2007 has all the good stuff. if I could find an 07+ I'd go that route. Given that the RL is not exactly out there in huge numbers...you have to pick from what you can find. I'd put condition / mileage / and CPO status as major factors to consider.

i.e. - if you found a 2006 with low miles in pristine condition for a great price, I'd take that over a 2007 with more miles or in less than stelllar condition.

after looking at quite a few CPO RLs...it was apparent that *just* because it is CPO does NOT mean that it is pristine. I saw a few Cpo rl's that i would not buy b/c htey simply were not that clean.had dings..etc. I found a MINT 2006 and was plenty happy with what I found....

good luck!!

 

This statement is untrue. The 05 DOES have Nav traffic.

 

A few of those points are completely wrong. The 2005 RL could absolutely "do" XM Nav Traffic. And the 2006 RL did not come with the back-up camera factory installed, but it could be added as a dealer-installed accessory. The 2005 RL could not be retro-fitted with the Acura back-up camera. I owned a 2005 RL and now drive a 2006, so I'm well-versed in what each was capable of.

As to the OP's question, I agree with Bob - get the newest RL you can afford. I'd personally shy away from the 2005 model though. Nearly all of the bugs in the 2005 were fixed in the 2006 version.

 

Listen to bob and dwboston!

 

Agreed as an 05 owner, get the newest one you can afford.

 

Thanks to you all for the advise, its all fairly consistent and the area where there is disagreement - like options available vrs. standard equipment - not really a concern for me.

I will wait for a 2006 or 2007 to show up. They seem to be very rare and when they do pop up, every single one is a dark color with a dark interior, which I do not want.

I will be patient and wait for the car I want. Fortunately I don't need to rush as my Legend is only 16 years old, so it's just broken in, still 100% reliable and sadly only worth maybe $ 3,000.