Treblig

You know, it's pretty amazing how much you can do using the voice commands.

1HOT NSX

The sunroof didn't go off twice. The Acura "tech" screwed up and left a lose wire when he fixed it the first time. The Audi dealer would've much prefered to replace the whole roof if he could instead of just applying a little grease. Dealerships make tons of money pleasing clients under warranty - of course they were against the cheap fix!

1. RL IMHO has the best seats and the lumbar support is just right.
2. My doors are perfectly aligned with the dashboard - I guess I'm missing the meaning of alignment in your view. I have not used the cigarrette lighter since I don't smoke and I won't let anyone smoke in my car/
3. Totally agree with you on this one - Acura should offer the wheel option at a decent price. I rather not get into Porsche options, even the regular wheels appear to be an option on Porsches.
4. Knob is infinitely superior to touch screen in every way.
5. My climate control system is flawless.
6. I don't need or want cooled seats.
7. I rather have seats that do not fold down to avoid rattles and the opportunity to carry items that will destroy the interior of the car - like lumber from Home Depot.
8. I would love to have a Sirius option and definitely give me Sirius and keep OnStar.

Treblig

It's not free maintenance, but my dealer takes care of all oil changes.

hothonda

Ditto!

RLdriver

True, as I almost always use voice for navigation. But still, comparing knob to touchscreen, I favor the former by a mile.

lindros2

Short of adjusting the lumbar with a jackhammer, no. I still feel like there is a Duraflame log in my back (others have echoed this). It's not the amount (it sort of is), but the non-adjustable LOCATION of the lumbar. My shirt actually gets creased/wrinkled in an awkward place as a proof point.

And regarding the C&D sunroof issue, it doesn't matter if it went out once then there was a "wire hanging" -- it still required two trips to the dealer to remedy. Two trips is two trips.

My Audi dealer fixed a lot pro bono, and the sunroof thing actually was a factory track alignment issue. It just turned out that enough white silicone solved the problem. That's the SAME stuff Acura used on my TL sunroof track.

My point that didn't come across is that my two Acuras have been far more reliable than my German cars, but no automobile is perfect. The RL plays in a crowded 40k-60k segment of cars that are better sellers but far less reliable. I love my RL despite all of the things that could be improved.

psteng19

Really?
I read it and came away thinking despite all the minor problems with the car, they still love driving it which is an excellent endorsement IMO.

psteng19

It's not a hard concept but I could've sworn seeing a few posts here where people inadvertently drained their battery because they didn't completely turn the car off?

jhr3uva90

Exactly! Granted, the RL might be too high tech for some people. My problem is is auto mechanics, valets, and parking attendants who don't know the steering wheel is supposed to move, so they don't know that the car is completely off. What I try to do is leave the radio or CD player on. That way, anybody who can hear can realize that the car is not completely off.

ilas

Now that I have learned the RL language, I do nearly everything with voice commands. It's a wonderful feature of the car. I find that there are very few mistakes the voice software makes as long as you follow the exact language in the owner's manual. The only drawback is that it took a while for me to get the commands down, as I do not drive my car that frequently.

ilas

Yes, I have even laid my coat in the backseat with the key fob in it and this is enough to start the car. Plus, Tony obviously didn't notice that the key fob fits quite nicely in the top middle storage bin compartment...there even seems to be a place designed for it in there.

BTW, I absolutely hated the BMW keyless start when I test drove it. You had to push the keyfob into the ignition column before pushing a button to start the engine. How stupid, you might as well have a key. The nice thing about the RL is that you never have to touch the fob.

liveperilous

Ok so I got 30,000 miles on my 05 RL. I have to say, I don't understand the glitches they are talking about. Haven't had a single glitch yet. There are some parts of the car I may disagree with but thing works pretty dam reliable. Only reason I bought this over a BMW 545i. All cars have the redhead stepchild causing problems.

bkw

This article will hopefully act as a wake-up call for Acura service centers nationwide. I feel that the article was positive for the car, but negative for service.

In the article, what driver adjustments need to be made on the navi screen? I thought there were all in the MID.


Oh, and about the cig/accessory port. I thought it was designed to open halfway on purpose as to avoid any accidental access by children with small hands since it is easily accessible by the passenger. Every RL I've sat in performed the same way, so I was under the impression that it couldnt have been an isolated manufacturing defect.

michaelbmenaker

What cigarette lighter? I have checked often and been told there is no lighter available for the RL.
Parts number and cost would be most helpful.
Thanks.

ilas

I was only stating a fact and not suggesting that most consumers think this way. I do, but that's just me.

jhr3uva90

I have a better idea: keep the RL's MSRP the same and throw in some free maintenance. That could help increase sales. In fact, I think it's something the dealerships should have been doing and would be, if they knew how to sell expensive cars.

Boulder GT3

I don't think they hold back criticism of the europeon's at all. Two that come to mind recently are the E class and the 745. Both were slaughtered by them for issues large and small.

These are the same mags that have consistantly praised Honda and Toyota for quality.

The car got a bad review because it had problems.

kgd

Someone should take the time to write a letter to the editor regarding ownership experience of the RL. There is a lot good information here that would be a good start. Don't they print those in the front of the magazine each month related to the prior month's articles?

I enjoy driving the car more everyday and have never second guessed my purchase decision. A friend of mine just purchased a 530 last weekend. I drove it a bit this week and would not trade even though he paid alot more for his car. There were a few things I liked better in his car, but that does not make the RL any worse, they are just different cars. The only problem I have had is occasionally the voice commands do not work and I need to restart the car and they then work fine. It is just an annoyance and I will just wait until the next service to have it fixed. I expect a couple of issues since it was the first year of production.

Who is going to draft a letter? If you put a draft up here, I am sure others would help to finalize it. Probable should be a max of two paragraphs, so it will need to be to the point.

Kris

Sopadepollo

Yes it's true that the E class and 7 series had their shortcomings mentioned by the Mags, but they never had HALF the freaking article reserved for bashing their cars! A paragraph or two I would understand about the continuing problemswith their RL, but not HALF the article. It was simply over kill by C&D.

Boulder GT3

I disagree. The 745's were slaughtered for the I-drive and just that one point consumed the majority of what was written about the car by C&D. One of the big problems with I-Drive and part of why it was/is such a big issue is that is was contrary to the positioning of BMW as the "Ultimate Driving Machine". They took the "UDM" and connected it with a non-friendly interface.

I think, and the sales numbers would support, that there is a positioning issue with the RL. What is it? Audi, MB, and BMW have that pretty clearly defined. I and other people buy an Acura and one of the things we expect is that it is stone reliable. It may not have the teutonic positioning of Audi but we do expect that it will not dissapoint with trips to the dealer and annoying problems. That's one of the main calling cards of the brand. When that does not come true it's an issue worth writing about.

Back to BMW, when you expect to be connected to the road and you have to argue with the user interface it's an issue. Hence, they get blasted on the 5,6,and 7 for I-Drive.

Acura has done a disservice to a really nice car in how they have handled the RL. Too bad. They have some really great stuff in racing they could leverage for excitement and they certainly have a quality history to die for.

static808

Absolutely right. The disservice is that the previous RL was let go by Acura dealers for along time. The new car was launched to NO fanfare. They did nothing to promote the car. They hoped the technology would sell the car, but in retrospect, people didn't know what the car was...or the targe audience.

They dropped the ball on an awesome car.

You can't say its a little bigger than the TL or why spend the extra $$ on an RL.
All the car manufacturers have cars in similar scope (A4/A6, C/E class, 3/5 series, G35/M35). The marketing screwed it all up.

Oh well. At least for now, great deals can be had and I am sure Acura/Honda are not going to make the same mistake twice...

jhr3uva90

Damn, you hit the nail right on the head! There was really NO hype surrounding the release of the car, nor was there adequate training for sales people or service people (hence the problems that Car & Driver faced). You said it perfectly.

Water-S

I just got the new Car and Driver 2 nights ago and read it last night.
now my comments on the review of the RL:
They tore Acura up pretty well.
Here's the thing. I know they had a bad dealer because DID ANYONE CATCH IT TOOK 2 FULL WORKING DAYS TO PUT IN A POWER MIRROR SWITCH. . I work at Honda all they this shouldn't have taken more than an hour At the very most 2 hours.(that's provided you have a 'wet behind the ears' tech) two full days is unacceptable. I know what the dealer did. Dealers love warrenty work. whatever they charge to fix it the car maker has to pay it. like I have 02 Toyota Tundra I took it in for a recall on Oxygen Senor. I told them before taking it in I got a 'back up car' I don't need a loaner. I picked up the Pickup about 2-3 days later. they replaced the WHOLE EXHAUST Manifold because they said they couldn't get the Oxygen sensor . Plus they billed Toyota for a loaner. total bill if it wouldn't have been "eaten" by Toyota would have been over a grand. .
The best dealers I find are the type who
#1. Does the job right first time(to what they were saying in Car and Driver it was electrical issue someone was double checking stuff)
#2. Doesn't take advantage of the customer or car maker(this relates to #3 and my rant above)
3. fixes the car in a acceptable time.

Water-S

You are right on "hype" of the RL. If you remember when the Mustang (current generation) was released everyone was excited to see it. (even though I don't like it sorry to owners and fans of the current mustang). Ford I think had record sales the first year of the new body style.

I don't think Acura markets the RL enough. you see something here and there. but for the cars it's going up against(5 series,S type, E class,A6, caddy STS,)
advertise and promote their cars heavier.

jhr3uva90

If what you're saying is true, then Acura corporate needs to find out what dealer did this and then descend upon them like the angel of death. The RL cannot afford any bad PR, especially in such a popular magazine.

Water-S

A side comment on you guys talking about BMW's iDrive:
It's annoying as hell. I test drove a 530XI. Don't get me wrong the car is awesome looking. I'm sorry to say this I think even better looking than the RL.(sorry it's just my taste). However that iDrive is BMW's downfall. Until they fix the IDrive(and i don't mean minor touchups I mean overhaul or get rid of it) I won't own a BMW.
My brother in law he's a big German car fan. He was talking to me about in 2-3 years getting a new BMW. I told him I'd look at a E-class over the 5. and I'm not saying the E-class is perfect.

Boulder GT3

I've got a 745 and the iDrive in that one is even more complicated that the 5's. It's been interesting to use it over time. The first drive is horendous and the stories of people buying them for country club wives and them being returning with the first tank of gas are true. That said, the car and the system has worked well for me. I like the car more everytime I drive it and I love how clean it keeps the dash.

BMW's took some big risks with styling and controls and have been really panned by the media. The sales figures are great though and they have really tried to be good to customers. I think they quietly extended the warranty on early 7's to 7 years.

Imagine an RL offered with a sport package that leverages their great TSX race, the NSX heritage and Acura reliability and low service costs. Honda/Acura is very smart and have the capital to fix the positioning. I'm sure they will.

ilitig8

I see this opined all over the interweb and never understood why people think this, it is just plain wrong by a LONG shot. Asian car manufacturers spend FAR more on car rag advertising than their Euro counterparts, a quick check of recent mags gives this account (may not be perfect!)

March C&D 18 pages of Asian ads 3 pages Euro
Feb MT 17 pages Asian 2 pages Euro
Feb Automobile 11 pages Asian 2 pages Euro
Feb R&T 12 pages Asian 2 pages Euro

So in 1 month across the major US rags we have 58 pages of Asian ads and only 9 pages of Euro ads (I think 4 were Saab), only one was MB, not a single BMW or Audi ad. Unless the Euro companies are spending 6 times as much for ad space then it isn't true.

ilas

The haters are using this article all over the place. At insideline.com, some idiot said that CD took the RL off of the 10 best list BECAUSE of the problems it had. Oh, that's funny when one reads the last sentence of the first paragraph. The person said they were at a cadillac dealer and passed on a used RL. Right, like Cadillac is likely to have more reliable cars on average than Acura. This kind of press is going to deepen the resolve of these people. Acura should be ashamed of what happened with the CD car.

raider4

ilas, did you ever get your car back with your transmission fixed to your satisfaction? I am considering an RL but am very concerned about your issues and how/if they were resolved.

neuronbob

X 1e102783

Overall, a very positive article on the car, but not on the service department. Acura should tear that dealer a new one.

Actually the poster who felt that Acura should send a team of inspectors around to each dealership had a great idea, for this reason alone.

ilas

Oh I forgot to update. Yes, the hesitation and shifting was the result of bad gas. The dealer could not find anything wrong, so they flushed my tank and refilled it and drove it a bit, and now it works perfectly. I remember filling it at a 7-11 station (OK, totally stupid). It took them a week to find this, as they tried every other diagnostic and check before the last resort of flushing the tank (such a simple solution found at the end!). I think the time they put into it indicates that it is not a frequent issue with the RL. Also, my new door handles work great ...they replaced them no questions asked. They could not determine the cause of the slight buzz in the tranny at 1200-1250 rpm, but they want me to wait until it becomes more pronounced. It is very faint anyway, so no problem.

These were all little things. I wish you luck in your purchase decision, and you cannot go wrong with the RL IMO. We even have some exclusivity because I don't see myself coming and going everyday. I see tons of BMWs though, jeez! Now I have hit about 4500 miles and the car is awesome. No rattles or squeaks, and very quiet and powerful. I would buy my RL again in a second if I were in the car market. Acura has a history of quality and reliability. My bet is that I won't have many if any additional problems with this car. If it helps, I was talking to the dealer service manager, who goes to my church. He is emphatic that the 06 should have much less problems than the RL given all of the small fixes to the electronics that occured in the first production year. That's OK with me for such a complex car. I wonder if Mercedes is working so hard to fix their issues, probably not. From browing LPS forums when deciding to purchase my car, it seemed that BMW and Mercedes owners are complaining more about engine problems than Acura owners on average....in fact, I have not seen many engine problem complaints on the Acura forums. I'll take a faulty door handle sensor over an engine problem anyday.

So will me neighbor. Here's something else that's funny. My neighbor just chose an 06 RL over an A6 3.2 yesterday. The 3.2 with equivalent equipment is actually more than an RL now at 06 prices He has owned two previous A6s and also has an MDX (like me, go figure!). His Audis were maintanence nightmares (engine, tranny, AND power things that stopped. His 2002 also had a horn that went off randomly in the cold weather). He has officially left the brand. So, score a conquest sale for Acura on that one. He agreed with me that the RL felt more reponsive and had better steering than the A6 3.2, and the interior room was not that different.