You're exactly right - the same stuff over and over again gets tiring (lack of a V-8, poor sales, it s/b RWD, etc.) And ironically, most of the people complaining about the car don't own one. I love driving my RL and don't care what the sales are. All I care is that there are enough parts available to get me through my warranty.

 

AMEN [Standing up applauding you]!! I was just thinking the same thing and you beat me to posting it. I have never seen so much whining about a car, and this is a car most of you bought!

I for one love my RL! Every time I walk up to it, every time I get in it, and I consistently get admiring glances.

I enjoy every aspect of it. THe fact that it's sales have been declining has been a blessing since it put it in reach for me. I also didn't settle for the RL, it won out in a true comparison between the Lexus GS 300 AWD and the M35.

I plan on keeping it for a long time and given that it was built in Japan, I expect a little more solid build quality.

No regrets here at all. I love my car and would make the same purchase again.

 

yeah~ here's some more ass kissing- well put.

As much as we gripe about it, I think its one of the best in its class. I would never get a E-class, 5-series, A6 (well maybe), or S80 over the RL. I have driven this car. I love how it feels just like my 2003 TL type S but more refined. In comparisons it always finishes on top. I think if more people just knew about it it would sell more. I was once at an auto show and some guy was in the same E-Class as I was. He looks at me and says, "You like it?" I tell him that I'd rather get the RL. He didn't even know about it, so I showed him and he's now part of the Acura family. He told me all the gripes he had with his old E the RL satisfied, just he didn't know about the RL.

Talk to most RL owners and, yes, they are deeply satisfied (especially how you can get one for $3000 more than a fully loaded TL).

Also mentioned here in this thread, is that the more Acura and Honda distance themselves the better Acuras will get. Acura isn't shooting themselves in the foot on purpose, they can only go as far as Honda lets them. I mean look at the TL. Once the TL/Inspire cars were ceased and now the TL is purely an Acura, not derived from any Honda- it became a hit. So we know Acura knows how to make a luxury car and the more "control" they get the more evident it will become.

 

Good for u. The TL place is MUCH noisier than this one. And TL owners are extremely passionate about their cars. RL folks need to get with that. There's more to life than all this grumbling about what the car DOESN'T have. It's an awesome piece of work and pleasure to drive. And I love to see our cars in the DC area. Too bad we don't say hi to each other and show some pride like that...

 

Jeez, this thread and my response to you all has gotten me geeked up to go on another RL test drive. Damn you all! I LOVE my TL and look forward to driving it every day, but an RL with A-Spec suspension and wider rubber might do the trick for me, especially if I can get a close-out 2006.

Upgrade bug hits me about this time every year (last year it was M35x vs. RL, love them both to death....), and in 6 weeks I'll have had my 2004 TL for three years......so you never know.....I may start moderating in this section soon as an RL owner....

 

If you test drive it, drive it HARD!

 

I had the same problem last year. I had an '03 TL-S and then an '04 TL and absolutely loved them both, but especially the '04. But the thought of having an RL with SHawd and the other goodie upgrades -- at a good price was too much to walk away from. Good luck! You'll need it !

 

You're absolutely right! It's handling prowess isn't truly obvious until you really drive it -- and drive it hard.

 

I love my RL. Period.

I have had so many instances where people turned their heads while driving or walking and kept on looking at my cool RL for a long time! Maybe they were looking at me, who knows?

 

Bingo! My personal feelings are that with Acura and Honda separating themselves, with Acura wanting to be a Japanese BMW (sportiness and technology) and Honda being mainstream, and with Acura's starting to get an identity of it's own we only have good things to come in the next 2-3 years.

The TSX has been a hit. So I expect the next one next year to build up on this with more distictive styling (If the look is that of the Sport Compact4 then we wil see bulging fenders ala MDX, headlight covers with more angles ala RDX/ MDX, and some more geat features.

And before anyone says something about AWD, remember that Audi dominated SCCA before Benz and BMW complained that AWD gave Audi an unfair advantage. All Acura's should have standard or optional AWD as well as a motor geared for more low end torque (didn't the last RL have this an no top end. And didn't people complain that the top end wasn't there as characteristic of Honda/Acura engines?)

For me the RL is lacking only some luxury features that should have been here to begin with or offered in a "Touring" package.

And yes I have test driven the RL. I like my TL more but it cannot take a curve the way the RL can plus I liked looking at the MID's torque distribution display!

 

1) the TL is not purely an Acura, it is built on the same platform as the Honda Accord and built on the same Ohio assembly line as the North American Accord.

2) the TSX is the Japanese Accord, and designed by the same people who came up with the "plain" looks of the RL, but people are willing to ignore that so they can have leather seats and a moonroof for $28K

In fact, one can argue that there won't be any "pure" Acura sedans until they get their own platform like most of the Lexus sedans and Audi sedans. The Infinitis are based on the FM platform that they share with ONE Nissan, the 350Z, but I'll let that slide.

Again, your AVERAGE Acura driver (not the ones who post on the boards) care about one thing above all others: value. They perceive value as a car that has more bells and whistles for less money than the competition. Unfortuately, that type of customer is highly unlikely to pay $50K for a car, unless you give them their preception of value and throw the kitchen sink into the car for that price. That's why Acura drivers are probably the only luxury-brand drivers who are bitching because they can't have AWD, moonroof, leather seats and a V8 for $50K.

By the way, what car DOES have AWD, leather, and a V8 for $50K?

Still love my RL, though. Makes me drool sometimes.

 

The Chrysler 300 C with 5.7 liter V8, $36,260.00 MSRP.

 

Touche' ...(Now if he would have added build & quality components he would have made an excellent case)

 

i thought the 300C was RWD only.

 

It's AWD? I didn't think it was --- but it IS an option.

Anyway, even so, it's not in the same class (or anywhere near it) as the RL as far as buld quality, materials choices and quality, overall reliability, etc.

To be fair, that wasn't part of the bargain as stated.

 

No comparison whatsoever. The 300C is RWD, it's a boat, it handles like crap, it's got no steering feel (think 1970's power-assist US steering, it's like kissing your sister with a mouth full of novocaine...) and the nav system on those things is complete and utter garbage -- it's got no voice command and no touch screen, you can't use it while moving, and you need to enter destinations with a stupid little joystick.

I drove the 300C several times, and its derivatives (the Dodge Charger and Magnum) and I completely fail to see why these cars are getting such rave reviews. Sure, they look decent, and it's a step up in quality from the crap that the US has been putting out, but you can't even begin to compare that to an RL.

 

How much does that Chrysler cost with AWD, leather, and a V8?

The only car that is similar to the RL, in my opinion, would be the Audi A6. it costs substantially more for the same features. In fact, they're the only car I can think of from the top of my head who offers AWD and a V8. However, I believe that car costs over $50K.

 

The Mercedes V8 E550 also offers AWD. It'll cost you a pretty penny though (about 6 million of them).

 

I doubt the current RL will improve enough to get any extra attention. What Acura should do is start offering better lease deals on them. Under $500/mo on a car like that would be I think irresistable to alot more of the target demographic. (And maybe even a few people outside the demographic.)

Theres been lots of great cars in the past that didnt sell well in the new-car market. The Toyota Supra comes to mind. So does the Mazda 929. I bet the RL will find new interest in the used car market strictly for the bargain value of it, what with the SH-AWD and high tech nature of the car.

 

I'm sure that lowering the price of anything will help it sell more, but I don't think price is really the issue for the RL. IMHO, it's a pretty good bargain at it's current sticker price. It's a great bargain at its current selling price.

 

A M E N !!!!!! Could not agree with you more ! Perhaps they should offer "spinners" rims ! I think they are HIDEDIOUS !!!

 

Currently own 2002 RL and a 2006 RX 400h. I've driven the 2nd generation RL. It is a sweet car, yet I won't be buying another RL unless Acura comes out with a 3rd generation car that hits what I think is the sweet spot. Yep, I'm one of those near mid-fifties, cash-paying, like to have bundles of performance and yet at the same time be economically and environmentally efficient folks. The key word is "efficient".

I'm in manufacturing and when you get above a product's break even point you make tons of money. Acura is making its money on TL and TSX product. The RL has probably never been a big money maker but I wonder if it's underlying function may have been a kind of big scale field testing platform for stuff they want to put out into the field but not in big enough numbers to hurt the company should problems occur. We do this with our products, it would seem plausible for Acura/Honda products as well. A good example is the SH-AWD system as well as the higher level of electronics & software in the 2005 RL. It is a lot less trouble fixing 5,000 cars out in the field than 100,000 cars.

Where I think Acura/Honda is dropping the ball is in developing high performance, high efficiency product. It has been Honda's legacy, but Toyota's Camry/ES-350 V-6/transmission combination has eclipsed Honda in efficiency and is matching/exceeding in performance. Honda needs to give its engineers audacious goals like having a VTEC engine that can provide significant variations on demand in torque and horsepower. My present RL (2002) is a gas mileage dog. The car needs an overdrive (fifth) gear speed and the ability to generate more torque at 1700 - 2000 rpm. Instead, it is buzzing at near 3000 rpm at Interstate speeds. I want the buzz for getting on the entrance ramp and yet also be able to drop back to non-buzz rpms for good gas economy. This is a big challenge, but the folks at Toyota appear to be getting there with their VTEC motors.

The other aspect is hybrid technology. My 400h is the fastest car I've owned at going from 20 mph to 75 mph. Yeah, it doesn't sound like we're accelerating that fast because there's no shifting going on, but man does it fly down an entrance ramp. Cutting the motor off when going down hills, sitting still in traffic or while waiting for someone you are picking-up is a no-brainer for improving gas economy all the while sitting in air-conditioned or heated comfort and all the motor/climate management being done automatically for you. The next generation RL should be a hybrid with mind-boggling acceleration. Acura should aim for what Lexus has done with the GS-450h but do it for $10,000 less.

Long posting from a first time poster. I'd love to hear your thoughts & comments.
wstr

 

Welcome to the board, wstr75. I agree with your post wholeheartedly. The current RL is like an experiment. They have taken the lessons learned and applied it to the RDX, which has a "light" version of SH-AWD.

And there are alternatives to hybrids. The new diesels in some of the German cars can be just as fuel efficient, even more so when you factor in bio-diesel.

 

Awesome first post, wstr, and point well taken. Welcome to the board! As far as the SH-AWD, it is already widely known that Acura plans to deploy this across its product range. On the 3G TL board, we were recently (though unrealistically) praying for SH-AWD on the 2007 TL. We were all disappointed, but not surprised as this will undoubtedly appear on the 4G TL soon. (This discussion was what made me think of the current RL again).

There are multiple examples of tech that will probably make it to the TL, then the TSX (collision prevention, etc....all that stuff on the Tech Package).

 

Great observation. Early on the NSX was the rolling testbed for Honda. VTEC, Drive-by-wire, electric power steering were all first introduced on the NSX and then they found their way down to the other models. Seeing that the NSX is on hiatus, the RL may have assumed that role, however temporary until the redesigned NSX comes out.

 

The other aspect is hybrid technology. My 400h is the fastest car I've owned at going from 20 mph to 75 mph. Yeah, it doesn't sound like we're accelerating that fast because there's no shifting going on, but man does it fly down an entrance ramp. Cutting the motor off when going down hills, sitting still in traffic or while waiting for someone you are picking-up is a no-brainer for improving gas economy all the while sitting in air-conditioned or heated comfort and all the motor/climate management being done automatically for you. The next generation RL should be a hybrid with mind-boggling acceleration. Acura should aim for what Lexus has done with the GS-450h but do it for $10,000 less.

i agree with everything you posted except for the hybrid tech. lexus sold 299 gs-450h in the month of july. people in this forum are complaining about rl sales being low but july sales eclipsed the gs430 and 450h sales combined. i think it would be wiser to invest the hybrid technology in the mdx for example, where fuel economy may be more relevant than for a lps. your rationale that a v6-hybrid provides greater acceleration and power may appeal to luxury customers that crave performance in the 50k arena. however, as evidenced by most of the yahoos posting negative comments about the lack of a v-8 in the rl, would seem to still fall short to people who only care about a v-8, not a v-6-hybrid cranking 330 hp.

 

I agree that there should be a hybrid option for the RL instead of making it manditory as some may not want to pay the price for whatever reason.

Last year Acura said that there would be a performance hybrid coming but did not say which model. So your wish may come true.

Also you hit the nail on the head by saying that the RL is a test bed for new technology much like the Honda Prelude was. SH-AWD is making it's way to Acura products little by little as did Nav Traffic.

My final comment is that you are also correct in that Honda/Acura has dropped the ball in some areas. By now Acura's should have had 6 spd autos or even 7 spds. The TL was among the first with a 5 speed and VTEC has not kept pace with VVT-i and others that continuously vary valve timing.

BTW welcome!

 

It's a boat for SURE...i drove my uncles client. And at lower crusing speeds it seemed okay, but DAMN was it HUGE. I had to be on end just to make sure i wasn't swaying into another line. The ride quality wasn't that bad, maybe i was on good roads...but 300 wasn't a car you could connect with. you knew you were just driving it...quality wise seemed garbage, nothing awed me about it, except the car itself from the outside. But even then. Enh.

The RL we own, and that's amazing. When you drive that car, You literally feel like you are that car. You're connected with everything it was, and although it's big, it didn't feel as massive as the 300 looked.

Really, he's right. No comparison.

 

From the 8/22 WSJ:

 

I think Acura can sell a $50,000 vehicle. The problem is the RL is not that vehicle.

The TL sells will and will sell well because it has the right features for a near luxury class car.

The RL is too close in size to a TL with lower 0-60 performance. The car could use a little more wheelbase for more rear room, more performance with an RL V6(300 HP from MDX) and and RL V8(350+ HP).

These cars can support a $50-60k price as M's and GS cross this barrier. However, things like 12 way memory driver seats and 8 way passenger seats are necessary. The car could use front and rear parking sensors too. And it needs more rear seat room and a bigger trunk to compete.

Front wheel drive as an option is not a way to go but to size it up is. The RL already has what most people want but falls a bit short. Basically close but no cigar.

I think otherwise Acura has done a good job and has a nice niche slightly below Lexus. The demise of the RSX moves Acura somewhat upscale with Honda getting this car in the form of the SI coupe and sedan(nice to see the EX with 160 hp 2.0l).

The TSX has nice features and a nice price point. I doubt a Type-S with an RDX turbo motor would hurt.

The TL does well and while it doesn't have the luxury of an ES or the performance of a G35 it bridges the gap nicely. The Type-S won't hurt.

The RDX will hold a nice spot as it is far more luxurious than a RAV or CX Mazda. The new MDX looks good too.

Now upscale the RL and then try a real premium sedan if you like but the RL is too little.

 

^^^What he said, but also bring out a premium coupe. THis is a gaping hole in the Acura line up, since they dropped the CLS in 03, or some might consider the 95 Legend Coupe the last great coupe from Acura. I've owned both and am getting tired of Acura treating coupe drivers as poor step children. They are making tons of money off the TL &TSX, --bring out a premium coupe, and not just a TSX coupe. Acura is sending it's loyal coupe buyers to Infiniti, BMW, and maybe Lexus, they don't care?

 

I was just thinking that as I was looking at the new 3 series coupe at a local dealership. Acura needs a coupe and not a half hearted one.

The Legend was a great example while the CL (second gen) had flaws such as poor styling (IMO).

The next Acura coupe needs a great sporty look with performance to back it up. However with out a RWD platform we have to have AWD. Now that wouldn't be so bad if the set up is done right.

 

I'd like to see ventilated seats! Now with warmer days and global warming, I think this option should be available.

 

that's always a nice luxery feature.. i was riding around in my friends ES 330 with the a/c blowing through my seats and it felt nice!

 

I predict this for the refresh along w/ the new 3.7 engine. I do not understand why Canada got this option where in general, is the United States not warmer?

 

I agree with you there. The 3.7 is coming since the TL T-S is close to the RL's hp and has added (Navi Traffic, updated Navi computer, and Auto lights). Plus a new TL is coming too so the RL had better be bumped up in engine size and in horse power.

Now, do you think the RL will stick with the MDX's 300 or go for something alot higher so the next TL can have 305 or more hp?

 

Canada gets ventilated seats as a sort of compensation for them not getting XM radio.

Also, bear in mind that Acura corporate of North America has less control over the RL's development than the other Acuras (which is why the RL looks the way it does, in my opinion). So my guess is that the RL will get the new engine when Honda in Japan says so, not when Acura says so. I was hoping that that Honda would say so for the 2007 model, but I guess we'll have to wait until 2008.

Oh well, I'm still enjoying the car I've got.

 

Hi everybody...been awhile, but wanted to chime in...

The RL's 3.7 Engine will probably be 310hp and some new tech goodies.

I am hoping that the split in design houses between Honda & Acura will allow Acura to finally get some direction. The new MDX, RDX is a start..

The next set of models will probably be the biggest bet from Honda/Acura. My take...
new TSX/TSX Coupe - 2009 - SH-AWD, 4cyl Turbo, 3.2L V6 or smaller V6 (think shoehorn)
new RDX 2007 (out now) - looks nice.
new TL - 2009 - 3.5L SH-AWD = RL ? How does Acura do this model refresh?
new MDX 2007 (out now) - looks nice
new RL Coupe - 2008/2009 - 3.7L SH-AWD (coupe, convertible - hardtop = nice to have)
MMC RL - 2008 - 3.7L + new cutting edge technolgy..
new RL - 2010 - V6Hybrid or V10...does the RL get stretched and go after the 7,S, LS?
new NSX - 2008/2009 - can't wait



Static808
'05RL Black/Parchment
'04TL Desert Mist/Parchment