SpicyMikey

As an MDX owner, here's the dimensions for anyone who might be interested in this idea.

9 1/2 at the vertical center line. 32 horizontally across the top line. 24 across the bottom line. The shield bows and these measurements are for a straight line not following the arc. It's all an eyeball estimate anyway. The grill looks like it mounts with the center bar that runs horizontal and extends out beyond the shield. I don't have my RL in the garage right now, my daughter has it (as usual), so let me know if it's even a remote possibility to retrofit this on the RL.

krio

good job Hawks. Looks good..

JMikeF

The new design makes me throw up a bit in my mouth
I'm so glad I traded my RL in for:

23109VC

the new RL looks disgusting. the existing model is WAY better looking.

I can't believe they screwed it up so badly. BARF!

lumpulus

That's not much better, IMHO.

SpicyMikey

I've come to like it after 2 days. I still can't get passed the grill and probably never will. Put the MDX gril on it and it's all not half bad. Certainly better looking then the current design IMO, but, like everyone keeps saying, the grill is a deal killer for me

cai06

Sorry man, but thats not much better . Looks like it has Christmas lights on.

xenonhid

Well Acura did hold Focus groups in California to get general feedback for the upcoming 2009 TSX.

One of our TSX forum Moderators attended the focus group and got a sneak peek at the TSX.

But looks like they didn't listen for the RL.


I'm sure someone will figure out how to Modify the grill (Mugen, or RonJON, etc)


But the consensus for the 09 TSX has been lukewarm as well.


Was there some sort of CFO or CEO change for Acura in the US market? It seems Acura has lost a lot of MOMENTUM that was strategically created successfully in 2004-2007.

static808

The 09 TSX is getting the same grille. This is the new direction of Acura. The beak lives...I can't wait to see the sales figures for the 2nd half of the year for the TSX. They will need to give it away to even come close to last year's numbers.

Regarding the RL, it should be buy 1 get one free. The car is a complete mess..on the exterior. The interior is probably the best out there right now in that class of vehicles.

neuronbob

You could be right. 2005-8 owners will likely either hold on to theirs forever or be so disgusted that they trade out of an Acura permanently.

Mike_TX

I knew I'd seen the same general grille concept somewhere ...



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halfaznguy87

HAHAHA....

Now I know how the MB SL guys felt when the SL got its refresh...

sleepinxlionhart

I totally agree. It looks really nice like that..just do something about the headlights and I think we have a really nice looking RL

JAB00

Ditto, that infiniti's look is an acquired taste.

TampaRLX-SH

The photoshops do amazing improvements over a few square inches. I like them, and they are no great stretches from what has been presented....which only tells me the offered grille is so wrong to me. How could they be so close to acceptable design and feel soooooo wrong?

xenonhid

I agree, well the interior might shine through as always


But I think its going to be interesting when you drive up to dealerships in your 04-08 RL, TL, TSX, and sadly its a GEM compared to the cars in the lot.

One analogy I can think of is: Acura/Honda is playing russian roulette with this design but unfortunately the pistol is loaded with more than 1 bullet

cai06

If you put them side by side, the new one looks bigger IMO, at least the wheels do.




Wait..it does look like the current RL on steroids LOL.

neuronbob

that's a bad pic even though in general I actually like the FX series.

Back to the new RL, I'd only buy it in black. That's the only color it looks good in to me.

lindros2

The new rear end looks like a previous-generation Accord around the bumper. I give them credit for "squaring off" (removing the round stuff) wherever they could.

Actually somehow the greenhouse+wheels in that rear 3/4 shot remind me of the 1994 Accord MMC (tough to visualize unless you owned one or a brand new one was in front of you).

The taillights and body line are all Civic.

cai06

At least looks much better than the E350 Looks more upscale IMHO.

Shotgun

Your version is an order of magnitude superior to the 09 iteration which looks like a mouth with a tooth missing...Yeah, thats it, the RL has a SNAGGLETOOTH grill!!!

GoHawks

I just realized that there really is no hope that Acura can or will make a last ditch effort to fix this design.

The reason is that it goes beyond just a grille swap. In order for the lines to match, the hood will have to extend further.

So aside from a new grille, it would need a new hood as well.

cai06

but-her-face thats the funniest one so far.

Rob144

Check out how the rear bumper looks a lot like the 2007 Accord. Blocky, with a character line just below the seam where the bumper meets the rear quarter panel.

Netcub

reminds me of this monster...

mr_clean

I must say that if this is the direction that Acura is headed.... I may be going elsewhere... maybe Lexus or Infiniti. I don't know what's going on with Acura nowadays but they are really falling behind. It seems that Honda has better designers than Acura does. I am very dissapointed in the design of the 09 RL. I believe the worst part is the front grill and hood how the lines do NOT flow smoothly with the headlights.. what were they thinking??? Is there a way to contact Acura's design team to let them know they are doing a bad job?? so..so..so..so.. dissapointed... they need to quit saying ADVANCE because they are BEHIND not advancing...

gdevine

The rear end looks like the new Honda Accord. The front looks like a spontaneous abortion. What a mess.

However it appears to have some very fun features with real time weather, rerouting, and what is bluetooth audio? Does that mean that you could download mp3 from your phone via bluetooth?

CMBS is stand alone so does that mean you can get laser cruise control in a separte package such as tech package?



































c

Rexorg

Have been reading online the reviews from the major car mags about the '09 RL ("The rich man's Honda Accord"). The naysayers are still at it for no V8 and no 6-speed auto transmission. At least they are in agreement that the "beak" is ugly. They say the price of the '09 will only be a few dollars more than an '08. If the price is right I just might buy an '09 now if I can get over the exterior.

cai06

Bluetooth Audio is a two-way hi-fi stereo wireless gateway. You can link a BA headphone, speakers, portable player, laptop, phone..

lumpulus

DAMMIT, I said this!!

lumpulus

Friggin 5 minute edit limit...why is this turned on?!?!

Actually, credit goes to Howard Stern, I believe, for coining this phrase, whom I gave credit to when I originally posted it.

Mike_TX

What bothers me most is the center section of the bumper/trunk assembly that bulges out from the rest of the rear end. Yes, we asked for more trunk room, but not by way of a bump-out. And I don't understand the styling lick of scooping out the bottoms of the tail light assemblies ... is that being different just to be different?

And the wheels look like the old ones to me, just with two more spokes added.

Wow, I'm still not gettin' there.

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lindros2

So can you LISTEN to the RL's AUDIO using Bluetooth HEADPHONES?

Or can the RL PLAY music from a Bluetooth-enabled device (i.e. Razr2 phone, laptop computer, etc.) ?

The way I've used it, I listen to music on my mobile phone via BT stereo headphones.

lindros2

The low-end torque in my car doesn't bother me. Since you and I both came from 3G TL's, we we accustomed to more power and less overall weight.

My primary request was a 6-speed auto transmission. If a Chevy Malibu can offer a one, so can Acura in the RL MMC. And then the TL, TSX, MDX, and RDX, for that matter.

But since I'm tired of repeated recalls (for 2nd gear oil things, etc.) and rough downshifts (compared to Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Mercedes, etc.), this is enough to push me away.

CarbonGray Earl

I really hope this car drives better than it looks. I think the current one is pretty damn good already. But I really hope the reviewers drive this and some how its better, WAY better than its competitors.

I have a feeling that it actually will have changed the drive quite noticably. When they changed TSX (my current car) from 05 to 06, the difference in the way the engine drove was not highly touted, but everyone that has driven it has said it has changed quite a bit. I hope for "the most extensive MMC ever" that the engine and all of its changes make it into a beast. I hope the HP number is not whole story....I hope the area under the torque curve is substantial.

Just hoping, but not predicting.

neuronbob

I'm with you on the 6AT tranny. However, don't remind me (a former 2G TL owner) about 5AT trannies....*shudder*. Until Honda perfects a 6AT, I sure as hell don't want them giving us one. "Fool me once (regarding prior 5AT failures), shame on you, fool me twice...dumber than shit." is how I feel about the whole issue. I wouldn't get into a Honda 6AT until it was proven to last over 100k miles with no issues.

An option for Honda/Acura.....source the 6AT trannies from GM. Their trannies are pretty much bulletproof lately. Hey, it returns the favor for providing J35 engines to Saturn for a while.

gtboi16

why would acura make an all new RL in 2009?! Isnt it supposed to be redesigned in 2010? Cause its a year behind redesigning. Although Acura posted this on their website, i say it really resembles the TL and just to say, it resembles the Chrysler Sebring.

Professor

Word from Acura is that if you buy one, they'll throw in the front bra used during the spy shots at no extra charge.

darmok

Totally agree on the interior. I think the changes for '09 have really added a lot of class on the inside. The new wood center console trim really makes the interior feel more upscale and the whole look is a lot more cohesive than the GS or the Infiniti M (which is a disaster on the inside!).

I particularly like the interior in the red car they're showing:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/galler...o_065-2575.jpg
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chica...reveal/626521/

As far as the nose... it's growing on me. (Or maybe it's just growing?!) Cars.com's Ian Merritt is one of the best auto journalist photographers out there, and his photos from the show floor are worth viewing:

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2...a-rl.html#more

I'm still not sold on it, but if you look at the direct front shot and the side profile you can definitely see what they're trying to accomplish. I'm hoping that with a clean sheet in the TSX and the TL, they'll integrate the design a little more cohesively.

Ibn Rushd

Well his shots are really good, even with that grill. It's actually impressive actually, and the car is really nice...but if they used one of the photoshop setups instead of the real one, it'd be so much better.

Accord bumper or not, Civic lines or not. The car looks great with them..they used it, it worked. Had brought the hood down to line it up with the headlights, it would have been amazing...and i think the MDX grill was much better, it had a bolder stance.


A puddle would help!

And it'd be such a sweet puddle indeed.