Just wanted to let you guys know I'll be trading my RL tomorrow for a new M45 Sport. I still think the RL is a GREAT car, as I have from Day 1, but you can count me in with the group that has been seduced by the M's V8 power.

I wish you guys the best of luck with your RL's. This is a great forum with some of the nicest people I've encountered. I'll still pay an occasional visit, and you'll get no Acura-bashing from me. I still think the RL is a class act all the way around and deserves to be at the top of anyone's list.

 

Well, if you had to sell your RL, you made a fine choice for a replacement. I think I've seen you post at Freshalloy.

Anyways, I hope you keep your M45 a little longer than you did the RL.

 

you get 35 more horses and an ugly car....Good bye !!!!

 

Nice reply, miscreant. You're apparently 27 years old, so act like it. Your attitude is exactly what this message board does NOT need. Personal taste is personal taste, and the original author's post was friendly, and NOT negative in any way. Many people think the RL is boring, bland; too pedestrian. I certainly wish the RL had more personality myself, but I don't consider the M to be a stunner, either.

Not only will he get 35 more horsepower, he also gets *80* ft-lbs more torque, which equals a 0-60 time of roughly (based on various magazines) 1 to 2 seconds faster than the RL. That added power also beats the RL in passing times, the quarter-mile, e.t.c. The M also offers things the RL doesn't, like a backup camera, DVD-video, ventilated seats, a longer warranty, smaller turning radius, more interior space, a rev-matching transmission, and surround sound for all passengers (not just the front passengers like in the RL).

That all being said, I prefer the RL overall, more than the M. I prefer the transmission, engine, and driving experience in the M, but as a whole, the RL is a more complete vehicle in my eyes. I will be buying either an RL or an Infiniti M in the next couple months.

Let's just not be nasty to those who have different tastes, alright?

Randy

 

I can't afford a loaded M45 and I prefer the RL by a small margin; but a loaded M35 is a heck of a deal. I am torn between the two. Several things bug me about the RL: no back-up camera, no full-size spare, and price. For its price point I find a lack of back-up camera inexcusable and I hate donut spares. Although a loaded M35 has all of these RL shortcomings for less money, I still prefer the RL (but only slightly).

 

Best of luck DSEAG2, hope you enjoy your new ride.

 

Good bye Dseag2. Thanks for participating, and enjoy the M!

 

dseag2, take care, wish to see your feedback and reviews sometimes in the future.


Your're always welcome here...

 

I had the opportunity to drive two M's recently with friends and can honestly say it is a superb sedan. However, there was no V-8 seduction for me. (And while I wasn't very impressed with the drop-down DVD for the back seat, the Infiniti salesman did give me a great idea for my RL. He suggested twin, flat widescreens that go right on the back of the front headrests. I am looking into getting them installed thanks to his suggestion.)

If anything, your post should prove something to everyone in the RL forums. You prefer the M and its V-8. I've driven several of them and prefer the RL even more now (it's a lot quieter, for one). So personal preference is alive and well even in an RL forum. Hopefully, we can all respect each other's choices. Certainly we are each guided by different values and individual preferences when selecting a fine automobile.

Enjoy yours. And great travels to you!

 

Hey, good luck! The Infiniti M is a GREAT car! Came close to buying one myself, but the RL cost less money for me. Take the M around the block for all of us!

 

About the back-up camera, I tried it on the Infiniti and it works well. However, I had the back-up sensor installed on the RL, and it is more effective for me, because listening to the beeps frees my eyes to look at the actual parallel parking of the car. It has worked well for me. As you know, prices in Texas for the RL should be quite reasonable. So, you might want to consider having your dealer throw in the back-up sensor as a "freebie."

 

Damn, that was a quick trade-in...I was expecting you to trade the RL in for something (I figured the M45) this fall but you surprised me with this early move.

Hope you enjoy the car and it is problem free for you.

 

I have an '04 TL but I will shortly own either an RL or an M. The TL, IMHO, has the best navigation system available. Since I live in the north, the V8 with RWD is out so my choice comes down to the RL or the M35 AWD. As Navigation is the most important issue to me, has anyone had extensive experereince with both the RL and the M Navigation systems and can you tell me how they compare?

 

What type of trade in did they give you on the RL?

 

While I cannot say that I have had a whole lot of experience with both systems, I can say that magazine review after magazine review admits that the Acura's system is BY FAR the most user friendly to use. I know that the voice commands on the Acura's system are phenomenal (and are probably very much like the TL's).

Don't know if this is of much help, but worth a post, I thought

 

BTW, dseag2, doooo post pics of your new ride...I'd like to see how it looks

 

I have had experience with both the Infiniti M's nav system and the Acura RL's system. Both systems are easy to use and use voice recognition well. The Infiniti's system has a "bird's eye view," which lets you see the road from the vantage point of a bird or a tall building as opposed to looking at it like a map. However, I like the Acura RL's nav system better, since it displays traffic as well as directions. The RL is the first system in North America to do that, and it is one of the reasons why I bought the car.

 

Excellent idea thanks; but I have really grown fond of the back-up camera. The one on the FX is superior the '04 MDX. Infintii has distance guages built into their system.

 

I have the Acura Nav in my '04 MDX and the Infiniti Nav in my '04 FX. Acura is the superior system; however Infiniti is acceptable. Their Birdseye display view is a nice feature. I would have to say that IF the NAV System was very high on the decesion list then I'd say go Acura.

 

A couple of points:
1) Infinti will not allow manual programming while the car is in motion (or at least my '04 FX will not); you may want to confirm how the '06 M will work.

2) Real-Time Traffic reports is available in only 21 metro areas as of now. If anyone wants this feature then check your area. Its a Premium subscription service after the free year is up.

 

I think you're right about 1). I don't think the M allows it, either.

Regarding 2), I think the 21 metro areas happen to be the largest areas, but I agree that you should check before buying.

 

Ok man go cry to someone else. I wasn't insulting anybody neither I used any bad words. You need to relax and don't take things personal. It is a fact that you get 35 more HP and to me it is an ugly car.....and good bye. Didn't mean it in a bad way.

 

"you get 35 more horses and an ugly car....Good bye !!!!"

LOL, he says he didn't mean that in a bad way.

 

randy,

how does the M offer surround sound for all passengers and not just the front passengers? that makes no sense at all unless the backseat had front channel speakers in the area but that would sound like shit if it did.

not to beat the dead horse but the RL has ventilated seats...just not there in the U.S. but the RL everywhere else has em. hehe

 

Of course I did. I just had to say otherwise . I have been a member for a while and I'm tire of some many ediots wondering around these forums. It used to be really cool, until the Type S came out, when a larger group of people purchase the TL and even worse now with the 04 TL selling like hotcakes. Everybody used to help then; and bring good info to the forums, I know I put in my good shared of knowlege and assistance. Lately I mostly read.

Now a days is more BS than ever. Topics like how much did you pay, where did you buy, I found this cheaper, what color is your car....etc. After a while you just don't care anymore. There still a lot of cool members that do bring good info, knowlege and assistance to other users. Maybe is just because I'm a technical guy, but so are most of the users here.

The guy likes the M45 so who cares, I know I don't so I tell him good bye and enjoy your ugly car. BTW Thanks to all the members that help out and and bring good info to the forums.

 

Yeah, I know the RL gets the ventilated seats in Canada even....I wish it was at least an option here!

I believe the RL has 10 speakers, correct? The Infiniti M has 14, including rear-surround speakers on either side of the front-seat headrests for the front passengers. I believe for the rear, the rear deck holds the rear-surrounds, and the front channels are matrixed together from the rear-door speakers. From Infiniti's site:

The available Bose® Studio Surround™ sound system with digital 5.1-channel decoding features 14 speakers, including personal surround speakers embedded in the shoulders of each front seat. SurroundStage™ digital processing creates a truly immersive multi-channel sound experience for every passenger.


All I know, is that to my ears, the sound in the back of the M is more accurate (as far as surround staging) than the RL. That being said, I like the RL's sound better!

Randy

 

Maybe I am missing something but wasn't this thread started by somebody posting his first message?? He is saying goodbye but yet he has never been here. I doubt that he has ever owned an RL or even now owns a Datsun (infiniti). Much to do about nothing here. Influx of Infiniti folks trying to infiltrate I suspect. Let's move on to a more interesting thread that is relevant to the RL. Close this thread out. It's done.

 

Better to check it again. !!!


263 posts here... since https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...?p=194#post194

 

Greetings, while I loved my RL while I had it, I also recently traded it in for an Infiniti M45 Sport. From my perspective, the RL is a very nice ride and it has a lot of very nice features, however there was one major thing I missed while driving the RL. and that was power. I had power in my 2002 TL Type S, which I traded for the RL. By power, I mean torque since it is the real number you need to look at for off the line power. Once I drove the M45 Sport, I was sold due to the power that car has. It's very similar to that Supercharged TLS I used to own. I"m sure I'll miss the AWD at some point when it snows again, but for now I am much happier with the M45 Sport.

My message to Acura/Honda...make the front end styling on the RL a bit more agressive (like the TL and TSX), and don't change the rear end. But most important. put a nice tight V8 under the hood that has some good torque and i-VTEC. You would probably win me back then.

That said, I don't think they will ever do it, so I'm probably now an Infiniti owner for the long haul... Now if I can only get my wife to like the FX over the MDX. I might trade the MDX for an AWD FX45... Naaa, we love the MDX...

by the way, it looks like at least 2 other former 2005 RL owners, in addition to Dseag and myself have also done this 2005 RL trade for M move. I think at least 3 of us went for the M45 Sport, the 4 guy I believe is getting an M35X. I believe it is a much tougher decision when comparing the M35 to the RL. If Infiniti didn't make the V8, I would probaby still be driving my RL I don't think I would have went for the trade.

 

Good comments. It would just suck if Honda ever comes out with a V8, you might have to trade back again.

 

My first post here ... but are you sure a LOADED M35 AWD is LESS money than the RL? I haven't "built" one in a while, but I think the Infiniti with the major option packages to make it comparable with the RL comes to around $52k or so. Obviously to compare apples to apples you need to build an AWD M35.

Anyway, I have been torn between the M35AWD and the RL with the Lexus GS a distant third. My Audi is history this summer and I am hoping that the timing will allow me to do fairly well on price for a new vehicle- just pick one on the lot and move on. I love Infiniti's and the styling, but I think for strictly value, the RL is offering an awful lot. My wife drives our 2004 MDX (w/Nav & Res) and although the mileage is pretty awful, we love it for our kids and family schlepping. It has also not even had a hiccup along the way and that too has me leaning towards the RL.

I agree that they could have slightly beefed up and enhanced the aggressive posture of the vehicle, but even seeing one this AM coming down the West Side Highway into NYC, it is a super sharp and clean looking car. Nothing looks out of place and over time I think owners appreciate that.

Appreciate all the valuable posts up here and look forward to adding some of my own RL comments down the road.

 

You're dead wrong about Dseag2. He was one of the reasons I enjoyed this forum so much.

You may be right about an influx of trolls, but Dseag2 was legit.

 

I believe a comparably equipped M35x is slightly less expensive than an RL.

 

He's legit, but he considers me a troll

 

I tried to build it via its website... in my area, M35x seems more expensive... 1k?

 

I did build one thats why I posted what I did.
'06 Infiniti FX35 AWD w/ Journey Package, Navi, and Full Size Spare: Invoice = $43,843 with an MSRP = $47,960.
Yes the M can be loaded up even more with high tech option like Laser-Guided Cruise Control and Advanced Lane Departure Warning System; however it is very comparable to the RL as I built it.

By the way we too have an '04 MDX. Are you aware of www.acuramdx.org ?

 

Do not Add the Premuim Package or the Tech Package. M35 w/ Journey and Navi is a comparable vehicle. Tech Package starts going beyond the RL. Its hard to make an EXACT comparison; one can only get as close as possible. Probably should have added XM radio to my post above - adds $350.

 

Well, without the Tech Package, the Infiniti M 35/45 only has 2-channel Bose audio. I consider the DVD/DTS/Dolby/MP3 audio an important feature in the RL, and in order to make the M's stereo more equal to the RL, you need to add the Tech Package to get the M's Bose Studio Surround Sound.

True, that adds cost due to the laser-cruise and LDW system, but the Acura has other goodies like OnStar and a six-disc DVD/CD/MP3 player***.

***According to the Infiniti dealer I spoke with yesterday, the M's Bose Studio Surround system has a six-disc CD-ONLY changer in the dash, and a SINGLE-DISC DVD/DTS/MP3 player in the center console. That bothers me because I can fit 1000s of MP3s on six DVD-Rs in the Acura RL, while the Infiniti only holds one DVD... Also, if I have six DVD-A discs, I can put them ALL in the changer in the Acura ....in the Infiniti, I'd have to swap them out one-by-one.

(leaning more and more towards the RL! Hoping to make a purchase soon!)

Randy

 

You're right about the DVD/DTS/MP3 player being in the center console. It is in the arm rest. And it is single disc. That's one of the reasons why I have an RL

 

Hi again, everyone. 8-), thanks for the nice comments! PSteng, I didn't say "troll", I said "fanboy", but as I said in another forum, we need to bury the hatchet and move on.

Anyway, for anyone who is torn between the M35X and RL, I would go with the RL. I would have never traded my RL for another V-6 as I consider it the best of the V-6 automobiles in its class. As I've said many times before, the fit/finish is unsurpassed and it is a fun car to drive. It is also "Lexus quiet" without feeling isolated.

The M45 Sport is a totally different beast. I consider it a "no apologies" sports sedan that also offers luxury vs. the RL which is a very refined luxury sedan with a sporting nature. Believe me, I noticed the difference immediately after I dropped the RL off at the Infiniti dealer and hit the highway in the M. There was quite a bit more road noise, but the car has 19" wheels and high-performance tires so it was to be expected. For me, it's worth the trade-off. For many, it wouldn't be.

The RL also has some practical advantages:
1) Automatic programmable door locking/unlocking
2) More characters in XM title/artist display (Infiniti/Lexus offer only 10)
3) Door handles that you touch/grab to lock/unlock rather than pushing a button
4) Best metal flake finish in the business
5) Unbelievably quiet ride

As I've always said, it is a great car.

Now, before my friends over at the Infiniti forum call me a traitor, I do have to say the M is also finished very nicely, has a great sound system, and is an absolute blast to drive. It also feels a lot bigger than the RL and after all is said and done, that appeals to me. To each his own. They're both wonderful automobiles, and I wish you guys the best with your RL's.