jhr3uva90

Well, I decided to drive to Manhattan from Alexandria/Arlington, VA for Christmas. I left at 2:00 p.m. and ended up in Staten Island at 4:00 p.m. Here are my random impressions:

1. Being able to use the navigation system while the car is moving is great! I don't understand why other cars are not able to do this. I incorrectly entered the destination address and ended up in Staten Island instead of Manhattan. Being able to change directions while driving helped. So was the ability to add waypoints on the fly.

2. I could have avoided the problem in #1 if the navigation system would have let me enter addresses based on zip code. That would be a very beneficial feature.

3. Speed: wow! I understand some people's complaints about the lack of low-end torque. However, I don't see it as a major problem. What I liked was the ability to increase speed from 80 mph to 100 mph just in time to chase a new BMW 3 series down the NJ Turnpike, which is how I got to NY in 4 hours (3 1/2 if you exclude my 1/2 hour rest break).

4. XM is the best thing since sliced bread. I didn't listen to CDs much on the way up because XM made it unnecessary. One house music mix on channel 80 got me through Jersey while chasing the BMW from #3.

5. On driving the RL in Manhattan: the bumpy streets did almost make me wish for the Lexus GS's cushy suspension. However, I would NOT have been able to drive in that town without the nav system guiding me and telling me what to do, which freed me for more important tasks like driving and cussing at cab drivers. Also, NavTraffic in NYC is QUITE extensive. I'm a little jealous about that.

6. Back up sensors helped with parallel parking, except when they were covered with dirty rain. Simply wiping them off solved the problem, though.

7. I don't need the RL to be any bigger than it is. It was hard enough finding parking with the car's current dimensions.

8. I parked in front of a 2005 Honda Accord. Sorry, but they do resemble. It's like looking at your "special" cousin in the mirror and realizing that you really do look as related as you are.

9. Once broken in, the RL is pleasingly supple. Also, the minor vibration near the driver's-side A-pillar seems to disappear after a while. I wish the steering wheel would get tighter as higher speeds, though, especially in that BMW situation from #3.

10. NJ Turnpike was not a happy place on December 26. Traffic crawled through the entire state. However, having an audio system that plays MP3's as standard equipment helped a bit. Why don't Lexus, BMW, etc. do this?

Overall, the RL has proven itself to be the gadget aficionados' dream car. Too bad gadget fiends don't get to write car reviews.

vp911

Well it seems you rather enjoyed the RL. Excellent details

AcuraRLBlue

Did you find the Nav system a little off in NYC?

My experience driving to and in NYC is very similar to yours.

static808

I had the same issue with the Accord / RL mixup. My wife was in a drugstore and I waited in the car. During my wait I got out of car and went in to get a soda. As we both left the store, she asked why is my car running. It wasn't....It was a Black 2005 Honda Accord parked next to the RL. I felt a little annoyed but what are ya gonna do.

On another note, I was having some fun with a GS300 AWD today. We both left the EZPass toll booth the same time...I went paddling and dusted the GS.. I let up at 90 and he finally caught up. I like the powerband in the 4K to 6K RPM. Very nice.

jhr3uva90

If the RL follows the same 5-year product cycle as other Hondas, there should be a mid-cycle refresh in the 2008 model year. Maybe they will address the problem and the RL will will a little less like an Accord. In the meanwhile, there's always A-spec! In fact, I think dealers should be including some A-spec features in with the car.

jhr3uva90

I believe the navigation system is accurate to 1/20 of a mile. That doesn't make much of a difference in some parts of the country, but that means it could be off by about 1/3 of a block in Manhattan, which is noticeable.