carver2011

How many of you have seen this article from Autoblog?? The IIHS gave the RL only a marginal safety rating, totally eliminating it from being a Top Safety pick. Apparently the kicker was the roof strength test. Wasn't Acura promoting all its vehicles with a 5-star crash test rating not too long ago?

Here's the link:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/16/c...k-status-from/

robarsan

They should put that power plenum on the roof to stiffen it up!

The RL still gets the highest ratings for the frontal and side impact, which account for about 97% of the passenger car accidents.

037

I haven't seen any BMW get a 5 star in all side and front crash ratings...and now they put it above RL...that's ridiculous.

ReverendOlaf

It's a new test that the RL/Legend simply wasn't designed for. The good news is that with SH-AWD, stability control, and great brakes, we tend to keep the RL right side up.

23109VC

it's not really that meaningful.... unless you are being crushed by a falling bridge or something... most crashes are not impacting you on the roof...so the fact that hte RL didn' do well simply reflects the fact tha the RL was designed before Acura, or the other brands, knew this test would be coming.. the newer cars were likely built and designed with some knowledge of this test and they strengthened them to do well on it...

the RL is an older design vs the others in the comparo. i would assume that Acura might tweak newer models to do better in this test if it truly is indicative of actual safety and is important to consumers.

i'd be more worried about side impact / front impact protection...and on that test, the RL performs really well.

the RL may not be the ultimate / most safe vehicle o the raod, but that is mostly due to the fact that it is not a brand new design to incorporate every latest advance in safety / technology.

compared to ALL the cars out there on our roads, the RL is still in the upper upper % of ehicles for it's class.

why don't we do a crash test and run one of our RL's into some "greenie" in their Smart car or Prius...

every time i see a smart car I think how "dumb" the driver is going to feel when they get squished in it..

rtr

i would just ignore them ! all cars are much safer that back in the 90's so unless you decide to crash your car on purpose dont worry

neuronbob

Oh boy......I'm supposed to be scared because the RL, released six years ago, failed a brand new safety test not even required by the government.

rtr

lol

supergreen

Doesn't surprise me. My '05 RL was plagued by noises coming from where the B-pillars meet the roof. Obviously not a very well engineered area of the car.

rtr

yea but for the right person those things are a 10min fix. broken clip from someone screwing around with it before or just some adjustments will fix that. I have 2 RL's and they are both silent....

carver2011

Yeah it's true the older design can be blamed for the results, and there's no doubt it's a safe car overall. But looking over the complete list of the Top Safety picks there was not one Acura noted...very surprising since there is usually a few that have made it in the past.

Pint

Once in Merc's dealership I've asked the manager: "What are telling to people to make them buying Smarts?"

Pint

Just wondering, why the "truth" has been revealed six years later since Legen/RL has been launched.

TampaRLX-SH

All mass produced automobiles are engineered to meet CURRENT or soon-to-be established regulatory benchmarks. As stated, this test was established long after the RL / LEGEND was baked.

Very often a manufacturer will modify a model in production to meet or closer meet a post design safety benchmarks. With the RL, this has occurred with the 2009 model where the headrests were changed and the more blunt / upright nose was modified (albeit with a hack job) to meet pedestrian impact safety standards.

Honda spent a lot of pain trying to maintain safety standards (at the time of finalizing this generation model) while also checking weight issues. The RL is portly. Hence the use of aluminum and electronic sound deadening materials. Yet steel is used in the heavy, tank-like doors. Obviously, the roof structure was not a target for more metal / strength as there was no imposing benchmark for that issue. Further, the RLs stability was not so much an issue, with SHAWD, wide stance, amazing grip and low center of gravity making it much less likely to be in a rollover situation. So the focus was on the side and frontal impact.

Let us not forget the RL / LEGEND was the vehicle to introduce ACE body structure to the Acura and Honda brands, and for a time, making Acura the 5 star safety rated brand for all models.

Given time, regulators will find a new cross to bear and manufacturers will be forced into compliance. Not always can they predict these constraints 6-7 years into the future when baking a current model iteration.

Obviously cars are safer than ever and I feel very secure in my RL. But these regulatory impositions are expensive to manufacturers (and ultimately we the consumer) in some misguided attempt to save us from ourselves. I often think there is a lot of time and money spent to address the symptoms of the issue rather than the cause.

Better driver training, ongoing driver education and enforcement would be money better spent than forcing us into mobile cocoons in attempt to insulate us from a culture of irresponsible, inconsiderate and outright dangerous driving behavior on our public roads.

Pint

My 2007 has airbag behind the front grill and pop up bonnet system for pedestrian safety.

TampaRLX-SH

Yes, that was a feature unique to European LEGENDS. The pedestrian impact safety standards were conceived in Europe, and migrated to the US. By that implementation period, Honda decided (for whatever reason) a nose redesign was a better means to address this regulatory compliance issue.

I would have preferred the old nose be kept with the European pyrotechnic bonnet. Would you test it for us? Run down an unknowing pedestrian and see if that airbag deploys, actuating the bonnet to fling the pedestrian over the roof in a triple flip, landing safely on their feet (or walker) well behind the car, speeding off. It certainly is a kinder, simpler approach.

But in the US, where rules mean nothing, J-Walking pedestrians, chatting on cell phones with 4-5 toddlers scurrying around aimlessly are best suited for a vehicle with a razor sharp nose that will painlessly slice them into pre-packaged organ donor supplies.

But that is just my take on it.

Pint

I wouldn't dare, so many american tourists around.

May be it is common thing for "Hollywood's" roads, but I've not seen anything like this in real life.

TampaRLX-SH

Indeed. They will sue you after berating you that it is not like that back home.

Well the triple axle may not work. The pop up bonnet was merely to create a buffer from the dense engine block impacting the pedestrian.

Still...I like my take on it.

Ken1997TL

stevieray

You are my new hero. Please run for President.

TampaRLX-SH

I am a proponent to accelerating Darwainism. If people take no responsibility for their own actions (or in actions) and expect others to do so, well then my vote is to speed up the inevitable.

From a political angle, why waste all those tax dollars propping up a gene pool that has a death wish with exhaustive legislation, remedial training, extenuating therapy and re-integration when ultimately they will walk in front of a speeding bus anyway (because the cell phone call is far more important than awareness to their surroundings and offspring).

Life is too short, times are lean, just get it over with and let the willing live efficiently.


That's my story and I am sticking to it.

rtr

I think TampaRL needs a vacation

Jackzilla

TampaRL:
Right on the money! Regulating/legislating to the lowest common denominator is the bane of all progress.