Thought I would share my experience today. If any of you have followed my threads on here, you'll know that I've had my share of issues with my 06 RL. From a cabin full of creaks and rattles, to an oil consuming engine, to bubbles in the headliner...etc. Well... after growing frustration over the 'nickel and dime' stuff with my RL, I made a stop by my local Lexus dealer (I am a previous 94' GS owner, and if it wasn't for the price difference, I would have gotten one of those instead of the RL last year) Of course with all of the little problems I've had with my RL, I've often beat myself up for being a cheap bastard and not just spending the extra few thousand and getting the GS.
Long story short, I was impressed with the upgrades to the GS including the extra ponys and upgraded navigation.... so I decided to call it quits with the RL and had every intention of driving home in a new GS tonight.
The dealer was very anxious to get their 07's off the lot so they can make room for the O8's coming in a couple weeks.... I had an offer for a 07 GS350 with Nav for 44K... and 33.5K for a trade on my 06 RL with 18kmi's on the Odo. With tax/tag/lic it would be about 13K out of pocket.
I was willing to make the deal for the $$... but then I drove the GS. I took it for a drive with the salesman, then with my wife alone.

My thoughts -
1) HOLY $&@^ the GS has RATTLES TOO!!
2) It's got good low end torque and quick shifts...the 6 gears are nice!
3) Our gauges are bigger, easier to read and more attractive
4) Our stereo sounds A LOT better than the 'Non-Mark Levinson' system (It was 2k more for the ML) Their Non-ML system doesn't play DVD-A....and XM is a $600 option I would have needed to add.
5) Our Bluetooth is much easier to make a call with less worthless prompts than ours. Plus you need to hit a combination of the 'phone button, and the 'voice button' to make a call. I now know why they lock out Nav and Phone inputs on the go... because you really do need to look away from the road for a significant period of time to make the inputs on the touchscreen. (Which by the way.. with the angle it's set at...is hard to see with polarized sunglasses)
6) Their Nav resolution and menus looks much better, but takes a lot more input keystrokes to do the same thing ours does. And the lock out is a nightmare. The only thing you can input on the go is "Emergency" info... Funny that 'find nearest dealer' is considered an 'emergency'. I did try using the voice-commands...and they didn't work once for me. I said, "Find nearest Lexus dealer"...and nothing. The salesman couldn't make it work either.
7) Our seats are comparable in comfort... ours a bit softer... and their headrests suck in both positon and comfort.
8) Our back seat is more inviting... and our trunk looks like the grand canyon in comparison...and we have cupholders in the back.
9) Our keyless door handles feel more substantial... but I liked being able to open and lock from the rear doors on the GS.
10) Our dash layout is more luxurious... my wife did not like the view of the passengers dash. She said it just felt empty, and could have used some wood trim. I agree.
11) Our car handles the curves better... less body roll... feels heavier, but in a good way.
12) Their rear sunshade retracts when in reverse...and comes back up when in drive. But... to do it yourself, you have to use the 'drop down panel' and that takes some serioius amounts of 'eyes off the road'. Our is MUCH better placed by the sunroof controls.
13) When parked next to eachother, ours looks wider and more aggressive... From the front and rear. I think they have us beat in looks from the side, but that's subjective at best.
14) It's a small point... but our cup-holders ROCK. Their adjustability and placement is perfect. Our arm-rest is pretty damn good too.
15) I like the ventilated seats, but I was wearing jeans, and damned if I could feel a thing. If I wore skirts... maybe that would be a fun feature.

So, in the end...I told the dealer, "Thanks but no Thanks". He quickly offered me a better price on both my trade-in and the RL. I told him, even if it was a strait trade, I think the RL is a better car. He asked, "Why's that?" And I quickly answered, "I have all-wheel drive, adaptive headlights, better stereo, better Nav, better bluetooth, better furniture, bigger trunk... and I don't have to spend any more money to keep it!" I did conceed that the GS was a little quicker, looked better from the side, and had a service dept open Saturdays. The Sales Manager came out to meet me before I left and had looked over my car thoroughly thinking it was going to be a trade in, he even took it for a test drive himself to make sure it was running well. When he shook my hand to say goodbye, he said, "You have a really nice car, that's the first one I've driven"

I was glad I drove the GS, because I not only saved myself 13K... but I drove away in a better car.... and I can finally stop thinking, 'I should have gotten the GS.'

PLUS ... I still have all of YOU!

 

I test drove a GS right before the RL on the same day. I drew basically the same conclusions. I'm confident you made the right choice (both times), but I agree you've had more then you're share of problems with this RL. I guess it's the luck of the draw. You could have driven a GS off the lot and had extra problems too.

Glad you're still around Keep us up to date on this engine issue.

 

Doc, sometimes we get absorbed in the flaws as the car becomes second nature to us. I always like going away a few days and returning home to find how much I love the RL when I get back into it.

But it is a machine, and imperfect, and it does sound like yours is not up to par from your reports. Other than my now cured "not an ashtray" death creak, my RL is still solid as new, a year old and 13k miles, I could not be happier.

Interesting on the GS findings. I nearly bought one before the RL and could not agree more with your assessments. I also found the build quality and feel more on par with the TL and not up to the RL.

My sis had a current gen 06 GS, rattles and all. Finally the tranny went *boom* and she now drives an 07 RL. She chatters about how much better the RL is than the GS is....of course she dismissed me beforehand when I was the only RL owner in the Toyota / Lexus cult I call family. Her standing joke is riding in the RL and muting the stereo chiming 'Hear THAT?...... NOTHING, NO RATTLES!' All I can say is I am the only non-blonde in the family.

Still, your RL seems to be letting you down. I know the feeling. That is what my TL did to me. But if you are willing to spend 13K to get a GS when you find the RL better (aside from irritating faults / defects)....perhaps a NEW RL is in order and better odds you get an RL built as most of us here report & experience?

You KNOW what to look for in a new RL as far as the rattles and engine issues you have been experience it. As an RL owner already you are better tuned in to thoroughy inspect another RL.

You know you want to.

 

navydoc, Acura will fix your engine.whether they have to rebuild it or put in new block, they will make good on it. Burning of oil is not an immediate problem other than it can shorten life of spark plugs, emission sensors and cat converters, but it takes a long long time to do this damage with a higher burn rate...like 1qt every 100 miles.

The dealer needs to really find the source of the oil burn before they tear the engine down because there are two major similar problems. Valve guide seals (not likely on new cars) or rings or cylinder scores. If it is valve guide seals, you will know it when you have someone else start the car, you will smell oil in the exhaust. (you may not even see it)

One thing i will tell you about engines that burn oil...the problem always gets worse and never gets better without repair.

I feel for your decision about the GS. I was minutes away from buying an ES, but the dealer reneged on a price point --- i wont go backwards --- I had always considered the RL to be out of my price range. Then reading on a Club Lexus, some unhappy owners were talking about their buybacks (due to tranny flares) and they were going to buy RL's with the 3.5k marketing money. I half heartly took the RL for a test drive....a week letter I bought the car and am very happy. I was going to buy an ES UL...I am 100% glad I bought the RL..


I guess my point is...thank goodness for forums, they help us really make informed decisions. I have learned so many things that help me get the most out of my car.

 

Hahaha.... I'm hoping Acura won't be able to figure out why mine is burning oil...and just Give me a new one! <Not holding my breath>

I think the gist of my post is... even with the problems I've had with my RL... she's still better than the competition!

 

Nice write up NavyDoc333!

 

C'mon Doc....admit it. There are a few hairline scratches, maybe a swirl mark. Then there is 2, maybe 3 rock chips. Oh, and that heel wear mark on the driver's side floor mat. YOU NEED A NEW RL!

 

I agree you've had an unusual amount of difficulty with your RL ... if it makes you feel better, mine has been virtually flawless.

Oddly enough, I was thinking about cars tonight before reading your post, and for the first time now, I can actually see myself owning two RL's at the same time. As much as I like my new MDX, every time I get back in the RL, I tell myself what a sweet car it is. If the next-gen RL is as good as this one, I may trade the MDX for one. If it's somehow really screwed up, I may trade for the outgoing model before they're all sold. That would give me two of the same, but that's not such a bad thought ...

.
.

 

Nice Thread NavyDoc333.

I too have a few minor issues with my '05 RL and was going to revisit the lexus dealer next week. I decided not to get a GS300 AWD back in '05 since my observations were similar to what you mentioned.

I guess its the luck of the draw. I bought the extended warranty so I am good till 2011 and 117K, so no worries here.

I guess these new cars are so tweaked they are ready to rattle, in some cases.

 

Make sure you post your thoughts after you visit the Lexus dealer. I really 'wanted to' like the GS... who doesn't love getting a new car...and the wife was actually willing to LET ME. The funny thing is, now I feel like I'm $13K richer...and should go on a shopping spree... my wife doesn't agree with that concept... but it was worth a try. <scratching the 50" Sony LCD off list>

 

Be careful what you wish for. I'm not sure I'd want some marginally qualified tech ripping out my engine. Not something they do every day. If I was you I'd be rooting for valve seals. Easy to fix, get the engine retuned, no harm done.

 

Great writeup. When I wa buying, it was between the GS300AWD and the RL. I have always loved (still do) the exterior of the GS, but it was the interior that sealed it for me.

I didn't really test out the voice recognition as I figured it was a worthless gimmick after trying to get it to work in my Lan Cruiser, which was the exact same nav Lexus offered.

How absolutely thrilled I was once I discovered how wonderfully usable an integrated that technology is in the RL.

I still think about possibly owning a GS in the future, but it I'm reassured that my RL will stay with me for a while once I read such thorough posts as yours.

 

This thread should be used as a "testimonial" in Acura's website. If so used, Acura should give all posters 2 years of extended warranty. Based on the reliability of the RL, it costs Acura little or nothing!!

 

I wonder if the new LS's features will trickle down to the next GS? If so, the next iteration might be impressive. I greatly prefer the current RL over the current GS, though.

 

Nice write up doc. I always appreciate the messages you post here. They are well thought out, useful information, and part of what makes this such a good site. Thanks for the perspective on the GS 350.

 

NO Surprise to me at all, any of you guys having any doughts, go out and drive the other cars.
You will come back to the RL and kiss it.
It is a fantastic car, period.

Then add the A-Spec and you will be floored, if you really drive the car.
My NSX sits home alot.

 

I again second the A-Spec.

Good write-up, Doc! The RL seems to make sense for those who do thorough research on their cars.

You definitely have more than the average in terms of issues with yours, though. I hope your dealer resolves them to your satisfaction.

 

Ditto x 10!!! Very well said, even keeping objectivity in spite of having your own issues with Acura and the RL. Great job!

 

Great example of the principle that the grass is always greener. Navydoc, congrats on going all the way to the brink and making it back wiser and happier for the experience. Strong work! And thanks for sharing, your story really is the best kind of testimonial.

Now that I think of it, my '06 has a couple of stone chips, a little intermittent rattle in the dash, and a few minor scuffs in the interior... naw, I'm not gonna let Tampa talk me into a new RL quite yet!

VOdoc

 

OMG! With THAT kind of wear & tear, I would just file off the VIN number and leave it by the side of the road!

VOdoc....get a new RL....you KNOW you WANT to..... <repeating in hypnotic voice>

 

I can and have testified about this. I have driven them all. As I said, the Cadillac CTS (2008)comes close, but then you have to deal with American reliability. BTW Doc the ML audio system in the Lexus not as good as the Rl audio system either. Being an audiophile since 8, the audio system in a car is very important to me. I can always buy a 5K afterrmarket set up, but when I buy a 50k car I should not feel the need to do that.

 

Ok... I like the RL better... but I can't stand their service (you can reference tonights comments on my "Oil Consumption" thread). I've gotten on Cars.com and put in a call on 2 06 GS's and one on a 06 MB E350. I love my RL, but it's not worth the grey hair and ulcer it's going to cause. I'll let you know how things go.

 

Dude, don't look at the E350 without some serious thinking. The MB is going to be way more agrevation the the RL or GS. Plus, their service isn't that good either. The only way I'd go from here is into a GS or maybe an M35.

I'd still really consider the option of fighting this and filing a lemon law case (see my posting in that thread). If you trade in a 1 year old car you'll get seriously hurt on the depreciation. The gap between equity and residual value is probably as bad as it's every going to get at this point in the life of the car.

 

I agree...but my looking at 06's... I'm saving their depreciation ... so it looks like I'll only be out 2-4K depending on my negotiating skills.
Getting the RL in the low 40's really helps offset the depreciation when you look at trading for another brand that doesn't budge as much on the sticker.

 

The 3.5 & 7 Speed auto are a smooth combo. Makes you wonder how much better RL would be with 6 or 7 speed tranny.

 

I'll second that. My NSX only gets driven every other weekend, instead of every weekend and most week nights, since I picked up my Legend Nov. 2006.

Come to think about it, just as well it doesn't have a six speed tranny and V8 power, I might have to mothball the NSX totally!! [Only kidding]

 

I wonder how much a new engine costs?