neuronbob

I do. Too bad they screwed up the front.

TampaRLX-SH

I don't find it offensive as I do the front, but don't like it.

But few will ever see the tail. Once they see the nose, they turn into stone.

Mike_TX

What, no "Hell no" option???

.
.

CL6

GoHawks

I actually like it. I see it as an evolution.

CL6

Dude, it's an

GoHawks

I was waiting for that or Evilution.

lindros2

The half-baked, rice-burner-meets-Accord (or Civic?) taillights ruin it. As does the "hump" in the center of the trunk that aims to out-ugly the original current-generation 745i (E65).

scottj

While I truly hate the new nose, I merely dislike the new rear. It takes the Bangle-butt to a new extreme that I don't care for.

TSX69

I do not like the reverse lights in the chrome but the shape of the rest of the lights is nice - in a spacey aggressive way - they would have gone well if they put the same shape of headlights as on the MDX.

neuronbob

Dang, this is as split as the Democratic Party nominating contest.

super-rl

Well done Acura specially in the front end the grill is perfect, look 10 time better than the current one, yah have remember that this is a refresh not a redesign so everything not going to be perfect so get with it

Treblig

I'll have to wait until I see the real thing. Not really sure if I do or don't from the pics.

fstshrk

It looks too much like the MB S Class (or the last generation BMWs). Not a big fan of the Bangle "rear"

Chas2

Yeah, the press release photo of the silver RL from a high aspect point front 3/4 view is a most unfortunate photo. It makes the car look really fugly.

When I see some of the shots taken from ground level, in darker colors, like the red and dark gray, the car does not look AS objectionable.

AnothaTL

I am so disappointed in Acura. The RL is the flagship for Honda Motor Company and it is now a joke amongst car enthusiasts.

LegendaryRL

+1 for Hell No!

The old Acura Legends(KA8) is still the best looking model by far.

RL06tech

Its OK but but I like the present design better. The new refresh when looked directly astrern is sort of a 7 series me too look

SpicyMikey

I definitely would say I like the new rear better then the current rear. Neither are fantastic but it's an improvement. I can even accept the new nose. I just can't get passed the grill. The human eye likes things symmetrical. How can they think that looks appealing?

2007AcuraRL

the rear trunk area, while not offensive like the front grill, downgrades the RL product to something more akin to that you would see in a Honda showroom. Even the new wheels look like something you'd expect on an Accord.

TampaRLX-SH

Simple, elegant & sophisticated styling has been supplanted with a kitchen sink mentality of every known styling cue in the market segment.

evantec

Well put!

Maybe there's some unwritten rule that the high-end cars' trunks have to be some minimum size, and the result is that ugly bulge. It looks larger than if it were more aerodynamically designed.

The previous TL's taillights were OK, but they were much better than this.

Maybe they're trying to go after the 745 market with all this. But I'd think people buy some of those BMWs despite their styling, for the handling.

neuronbob

I still like the new rear. The old one was somewhat bland, though handsome. This one has some pizazz. The rear lights match the MDX's and so it appears Acura is trying to put a corporate identity to its rears. Unfortunately, it also resembles the 8G Accord's as well...don't know what that means.

VOdoc

The old rear looked like a cross between an E-class and S-class Mercedes. It had class. The new rear looks to me like an unholy marriage between a Honda Civic and a Bangle-Butt 7 series.

And notice that they put the weird vertical folds on the bumper. Those were a defining feature of the atrocious Acura Concept Sedan (and can be seen in real life on the rear bumpers of the Cadillac CTS and the best-selling Acura CL).

gdevine

I like the look of the rear end just as I do the rear of the Accord. Unfortunately it looks too much like the rear of the Accord. The front end looks like Hillary

cai06

I like the rear design the most. Much better than the competition IMHO: M35, E350, 535, GS350

TSX69

My favorite of the bunch is the 2009 RL. I never liked the GS350 as it always looked like droopy eyelids to me & the M35 lights were just way too big. The Mercedes looks OK & the I could never appreciate the latest BMWs over the previous generation.

I have to say that I really like the shape of the exhaust pipes - it is a small change but definitely adds a unique flare.

LAHORE1

makes the car look like an Accord to me.....

Acuraboy7

LOL lets hope they don't ruin the TL.

Acuraboy7

I'd have to say that the M45/35 has the best looking ass.

VOdoc

Not a Bangle fan here at all.

But...if you're going to put it that way, then look again at the 2005-08 RL versus the 2009. Our version reminds me of a good-looking girl in well-fitting jeans. The MMC looks like a wide-glide stuffed into some low-riders.

TSX69

Upon closer inspection, it looks like the cut out for the exhaust does not exactly match the shape of the tail pipes? It would have been nice if they cut it exactly the geometrical shape to match, it looks more round ...

VOdoc

Now I'm finally getting what really bothers me about the trunk. It looks like a dowager's hump. (Medical term: senile kyphosis.) That massive chromed crossbar shouts "low class"--reminds me of a Chrysler. The creases in the bumper are a ripoff of a not-great styling cue from Cadillac. And why oh why would you make perfectly designed taillights smaller? To make the car a less visible target for distracted teenaged texters so they can rear-end you better?

Shotgun

Actually, I like the 05-08 butt best...It's clean and elegant!

lindros2

I just wish the RL (and all Acuras in general) had the cachet of a BMW. People indeed buy those for the propellor emblem on the car, not knowing or caring about its driving excellence.

Back in the 1980s Acuras did have a higher-end flare. The Legend, the Vigor, and even the Integra were great "entry level luxury" cars.

What happened (why didn't the brand "evolve" to be the Japanese BMW to Lexus' Mercedes identity) ? Infiniti leapt ahead, and now Acura is more of a "rebuilding Audi" than BMW...

mcflyguy24

For comparisons sake:
Hyundai Genesis rear/side shot
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...i-SideRear.jpg
I actually like it more than the MMC RL's rear, but not as much as the current RL's. Though I'm not fond of the chrome in the middle of the tailamps. There's just too much going on in the rear of the 09 RL for my tastes.

SpicyMikey

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but if you really wish Acura had the cache of BMW then why don't you just buy a BMW? Acura and BMW both make good cars but you buy an Acura for it's high reliability, good interior ergonomics and technology, and GREAT value. You don't buy it to impress the neighbors. But then again, you're not paying 20% more for the same car in a MB or BMW showroom. In many ways cache just means "hey I have enough money to overpay for this car and not care". It doesn't necessarily mean it's better.

Acura targets a different type of customer. Maybe that will change over time but it is what it is for the immediate future. I'm an Acura kind of customer. If they started offering all these ala carte options and variants on each model and significantly increased the advertising budget, then the price would go up for the same product and it wouldn't be such a great value anymore. They'd probably loose their current market niche.

aids333

Look at the JDM Legend.. if the front is all you are complaining about, the front can be changed. Not buying a Honda because you don't like the way that it looks to me sounds only slightly absurd. They've always been known for rogue styling, and sometimes it creates a niche, a change or a new way of looking at things that wasn't there before.

If you don't like it. Change it. It's not worth wasting your money on some other companies inferior product

Blazing GT

I like the new RL in WDP

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

Saw several in person, did not like it overall. Looked dead one like an Accord would look like. Interior is great.