It's getting... fake wood trim!

What's the deal with that? How much money will this really save?

Seems strange the RL is so advanced that the base model deserves fake wood.

 

It's getting plood? Ewwwww. No mention of that at Acura News, if that's true they must have been ashamed to print it.

Who'd buy that? and no navi, either. Pffft.

 

It's confirmed from Acura.

 

Anyone have pics of this new base model ? I'd be curious to see how it looks

 

Well, the dealers wanted a less-expensive version of the RL and they got it. Now the base model has fake wood like all the other Acuras. So be it.

I love my RL, hope to pay it off soon and I hope to keep it for a long time. However, if I had to replace it, I probably would not buy another Acura at this time. I think Acura would rather be known as a near-luxury brand than a true-luxury brand, and shortcuts like fake wood and their continued reliance on FWD seem to me to be evidence of that.

 

Me, too. I'm sure they'll appear in the next couple of weeks.

CL6, no disrespect meant. I guess the thought of plood in an RL caused me to be a bit more tart than usual. (shudders)

 

RL without navi is like a day without sunshine. Fake wood and who knows what else removed. I don't think it will help their sales. Sounds like a real loser? I guess we'll have to wait a while and see.

 

You never know. When the Legend was out, there was a base model that had cloth interior. It may help sales. I say MAY, but as others have said, instead of moving the RL upmarket, it does just the opposite.

 

Exactly.

Did the base Legends sell well compared to the more upmarket ones? In other words, is there a basis for comparison here? Just curious.

 

Friends, I agree with all of you. Instead of moving the RL up-market, they just moved it down market. If anything, they should have just added more standard features and kept the same MSRP, or even drop the MSRP slightly. However, the DEALERSHIPS were yelling for this car. And I agree with them on one point: the navigation system should be optional. However, I think the dealerships wanted to narrow the price difference between the RL and the TL. With the new TL Type S and the base-level RL, the price difference is now about $6K. So now, instead of salespeople having to explain why there is such a huge price difference, they can simply contend that the price difference isn't so big.

Here are my predictions: 1) sales of the 2007 RL will be about the same as the 2006 model., 2) sales of the TL Type S will be disappointing, because people will hesitate to spend nearly $40K on an Acura TL, 3) sales of the base MDX will be strong, but will taper once the price approaches $45K.

 

Not sure, but the 2nd gen Legend was pretty popular. The GS was the top of the line model with the TYPE II engine and traction control. THe lion's share of the sales were with the the base and LS (mid trim) models.

 

Well the optional wood steering wheel already uses fake wood, and it's pretty convincing, so if used on the rest of the cabin it'll probably look just the same...most people won't be able to tell anyway. But yeah, that just brought the RL a rank lower in quality perception.

 

......until they come here and we tell them they've got "plood". But you're right, it probably won't matter.

jhr, the Legend in Japan already has plood and the navi is optional. Even the moonroof is optional, it appears. I agree with your conclusion that this likely won't change sales much. I predict that the MMC next MY will make a bigger difference if it is done right. 3.7 liter engine, here we come?

 

The wood steering wheel is very nice. If I owned an RL I'd have to have that. And the RL already has fake wood on the doors I believe. So maybe it's not the fake wood per se but the suggestion of it.

The Strippo RL is just the Alaskan model with faux wood I think. Only time will tell but I don't see the RL breaking any new barriers. I think the MDX will do that.

And if you look at the next Gen Legend also remember the car it went up against, the Lexus LS, was far superior in many ways...

 

The base Legend? No.

The L and LS model (sedan) had the most sales. The GS (top of the line) did fairly well too in the '94 and '95 years.

I dont think they even offered cloth in the coupe.

 

My understanding is that the RL of both generations had/have REAL wood, no simulated wood. Plood if done right can be quite convincing though.

 

I think the 'wood' on the doors is phoney.

 

The 2005-2006 RL does have plood on the doors, and that little tiny bit of wood-look material under the radio is probably plood. In my opinion, Acura has pretty convincing plood, which is why instead of plood-only on the base RL, I would have thought that a matte metal/aluminum-like trim would have looked pretty good and set the models apart.

:Spoiler Alert: Do not read further if you don't want to know about a minor giveaway on the plood.
If you look real carefully at the passenger-door plood, you'll see a very slight outline identical in shape to the memory seat button panel on the driver's side. I love my RL, but found that the dimple was visible just a tad cheesy. The downside of symmetrical cars for RHD and LHD.
:End Spoiler Alert:

I really don't have a problem with the new 3-level model range. It mirrors the competition's trim levels, and gives buyers the option of non-NAV for less money (which was my thinking when I started car shopping). Some people might want the basic goodness of an RL at a lesser MSRP, so the option packages could help drive sales overall.

I could easily see that someone looking at a decked out TL *might* be tempted by the new base RL where they wouldn't be in 2006.

The model/pricing overlap might work in Acura's favor.

Rob144

 

I wouldn't have had a problem with the Base RL had it been introduced that way but, now, it looks like a retreat by Acura from a market the arrogantly entered. By 'arrogantly' I mean putting the RL out there right away being fully decked out and loaded with a 'one price fits all' scheme.

Perception is important in luxury sales I think and while I think the RL has many great things going for it, the new pricing plan looks like a retreat. It will be interesting to see how the TL Type-S does agaisnt the Base RL but, to my mind, the biggest competition for the RL will be the MDX with its amazing suspension, fresh styling, more advanced HFL, and lower MSRP.

 

Yeah, but now we're gonna have "can I put a navi in a base RL" and "noooooo.....I've should've got the navi" threads just like in 3G TL. This moderator can hardly wait..... Well, it'll make things more interesting, to say the least.

Maybe that's true, and maybe that's Acura's intent. We'll see in a couple of months. All this convinces me that I bought the RL at a pivotal moment that will not come again easily. I'm even more thankful I got a decent deal on mine, and that I didn't sit on my butt waiting to see what happened for the 2007 MY.

 

Quote:

Spoiler Alert: Do not read further if you don't want to know about a minor giveaway on the plood.
If you look real carefully at the passenger-door plood, you'll see a very slight outline identical in shape to the memory seat button panel on the driver's side. I love my RL, but found that the dimple was visible just a tad cheesy. The downside of symmetrical cars for RHD and LHD.
:End Spoiler Alert:

I checked this on my 05 RL. I looked real close with light at several angles. No outline on the passenger door. This is the first time I've looked at the door panels closely. The plood looks very good, the wood grain apears to be coming through the clear finish. Fooled me

 

I agree with Bob! All you guys that recently bought 06 RLs got something that may not happen again. You got bargains on a great car. You're all money ahead as far as I'm concerned.

 

IF you're keeping the car for 5 years you did very well. If not, well, your resale blows. But you got a great car for not a lot of money.

 

Too, too true on both counts. But I walked into the deal knowing about the lousy resale.

 

I don't know. I think it was ballsy of Honda to offer a loaded car, on the assumption buyers in this range would pretty much want eveything on their cars. (Even though the Technology Pkg. was rightly offered as an option.) I know if I'm buying a $50k car, it had better have a lot of stuff on it, and I don't want to have to check boxes on a lengthy options list to get it all.

Their mistake, as many others have noted over and over again, was in thinking they could crash a party already dominated by established players like Mercedes, Lexus, BMW, etal, without setting the stage properly, and without a V8. And BTW, I think they're still failing to set the stage, since too few people know how nice this car is.

As for the MDX, I somehow doubt people are cross-shopping it and the RL. People tend to be in the sedan market or the SUV market , and few of them say "Gosh, Marge, I know we came here to get an RL, but how about we get this SUV instead."
.
.

 

If Honda REALLY wants to "set the stage" and establish Acura as a luxury brand, then they need to make luxury cars. The Integra/RSX cheapened the brand, in my opinion. Also, instead of putting a V8 in the RL, they need to: 1) build a V10 (which rumors say they are), 2) bring back the NSX and put the V10 in it, 3) create a REAL flagship that is full-sized and has the V10 engine, and 4) make that V10 an option in the RL.

Again, from what Acura is developing in North America, they seem to be content selling SUVs and sedans in the $30K - $40K range. The RL was imposed on Acura from above. I think if Acura had their druthers, they would stop with the TL Type S and not make a more expensive sedan.

 

I don't know, jhr - I may be alone, but I wouldn't be interested in a V-10 engine, no more than I'd want a BMW V-12. Too expensive, too much complexity, weight and appetite for gas. There are many, many great V-8's out there that provide all the oomph I'd ever need. And with the trend toward powerful and torquey V-6's, I doubt tons of people would buy an RL - or even an LS type sedan - with a V-10. V-8, probably.

As for the NSX, it went away because it's a narrow-focus, limited-interest vehicle. Like the Viper, it's a halo car in the eyes of some, but certainly not a money-maker. And I can't see that it would do anything at all to sell luxury sedans like the RL.

I think Honda is in the luxury car market for one reason (well, maybe two) ... honor and kaizen ... constant improvement and progress. Without an answer to Toyota's and Nissan's forays into this market, Honda would be seen as not moving forward, so they are obligated to "keep up", if not exceed their rivals.
.
.

 

There are people out there who will buy a V10 simply because 10 is a higher number than 8, especially if an Acura full-sized sedan costs less than a similar Lexus LS. Personally, I'm okay with the V6 in the RL, but I guess we're a minority.

Regarding Honda's reason for being in the luxury market, it seems that it is in the market solely to extend the current platforms. Every current Acura shares a platform with a "regular" Honda, or will soon. And Honda has NOT kept up with its rivals as a result. Toyota and Nissan have moved to RWD cars, Honda has not. Toyota and Nissan have V8 engines, Honda does not. Toyota and Nissan both released full-sized flagships, Honda has not. It would be nice if Honda would really apply more resources to going upscale.

 

Where are you guys reading that the wood on the door is fake? Or is it something you notice? Cause colin, another member and a dealer, also said that once, but reading the RL's extensive list of standard equipment, I didn't see any mentioning of "simulated wood grain" (automotive lingo for plood) like I do in other Acura lists, like the TL for instance.

 

CL6 also sells Acuras IIRC, so he has sources we don't. I believe him.

 

I cannot find where it directly says it but Temple of VTEC had this posting where it states that the Navi option would get upgraded wood. This to me suggests the base gets faux wood instead of the Navi option getting some extra super high quality wood.

I personally do not see what the big deal is: cars that use real wood put so much shiny stuff on to perserve it, that it ends up looking like plastic anyways. If using fake wood saves $$$, then I say go for it. Spend it somewhere else where I can tell the difference: like ventilated seats.

 

It's all perception. If you have something in your car that looks like wood, you want it to BE wood. But in a way you're right - once they put all that acrylic (aka plastic) lacquer on the wood, it almost becomes plastic.

And I also agree on the last point, I've had two cars with ventilated seats (actually, one had air-conditioned seats, not just ventilated), and they are a very nice feature. Especially here in hot Texas!
.
.

 

OK. I'll start the "Can I get air-conditioned seats fitted to my RL" thread! They do it in Canada, don't they?

I just don't think the "bigger is better" approach is part of Honda's culture. They may not have the best 0-60 times, or most horsepower, or V8 engines, but they do so many things well across the board.

It is a testament to the design and execution of their vehicles that we talk about "wanting more".

Rob144

 

Where? Link us please. If you can't provide that then where did you get the info from?

 

Not true since we got our cars at a drastic discount. 40,900 is cheap. The ones who bought it for 48-49k are the ones that are screwed.

Our resale value should hold in the 30s for at least 2-3 years.

 

The RL is a full-size Luxury car so I am not sure where you think its not.

We went and looked at the M35. It was just way to big (bigger than the 07 POS Camry we had). And the build quality wasn't exactly like the RL was. You can tell just by looking at it. Reason why we got the RL instead.

V6 engine that pumps out almost 300hp is good enough for me. We didn't buy the car to race.

 

The RL is nowhere near as big as a full-size car. The Lexus LS and Mercedes S-Class are examples of full-sized cars. The RL is a big mid-sized car. I agree that the RL seems to be more solidly built than the Infiniti M, though.

 

2007 RL Acura Facts Guide. It's not online but any Acura dealer should have it.

Trust me on this one.

 

Ah, no.

Let's say you got a 2006 RL for $41,000.00. Add your taxes, etc. and you're looking at $45,000.00.

Trade that sucker in and you'll get hit at $31,000.00. That's a loss of $14,000.00. Sure, if you paid more you're more screwed but either way it's blood on the floor.

I own a CL, I should know!

 

[QUOTE=pimpin-tl]The RL is a full-size Luxury car so I am not sure where you think its not.[QUOTE]

If you visit www.acura.com and compare the RL to other cars and if you look under 'EPA Class' you will clearly see the RL is classified, by the EPA, as 'Mid-Size' while, for example, the Lexus LS and the Lincoln Town Car are 'Large Cars.'

That may answer your question.

By the way, the RL is 193.6" long, the LS is 197.4" and the Town Car is 214.4" long.

That is the 06 LS.