Has anyone else noticed the OEM flimsy(cheap) mats? It is surprising that a 50K car has such thin mats. The only one with rubber backing is the driver's - the others are backed in fabric. Have installed the all-season mats for the winter, which are of a much better quality. Will probably get some better quality carpet mats in the spring. Any suggestions?

 

I noticed this also. I was kind of dissapointed - but I pulled them out and put all season mats in (not the OEM mats because I hate the OEM all season mats)

 

Yea I also noticed this. I purchased the all season mats as well. The tl has better floor mats.

 

I believe this is yet another case of Acura looking to make more money off of each RL buyer. If the mats don't appear durable, they sell a lot more of the all season mats and make a lot more money. The same is true of the 18 inch wheels, wood shift knob, wood steering wheel and now the back up camera. All of these items should have been standard equipment. Acura knew exactly what they were doing in recognizing the demand for these items but NOT making them standard. Selling accessories = big profits. It is very smart from a business standpoint, but from a customer satisfaction standpoint - they are pissing a lot of people off.

 

I think Acura actually has the most standard equipment and has the least amount of accessories relative to all of the other manufacturers. BMW may be the worst. I think I built myself a $50k 330xi on their website. As far as the mats being cheap, they may very well be.

 

I agree, they're pretty lame -if they hold up that's great, but I'm skeptical based
on their weight....maybe they were a performance consideration..ha ha!

 

I actually have the all-season mats on top of the stock mats.

 

I didn't mean to suggest that Acura was the only manufacturer that likes to extract every nickel that they can from consumers nor do I condemn them for doing so. In fact the reason that they can get away with this stuff is because all of the manufacturers do the same thing.

 

If you store your stock mats somewhere, when it comes time to sell your RL, you can put the stock mats in and the interior will look brand new.

 

They are currently stored under the all-season mats.

. . . and my interior ALWAYS looks brand new.

 

Not to change the subject but the cargo net is extra too? Djeez.

Have you ever priced out a Subie Outback or Impreza? They have a bajillion itty bitty options you can add. Actually I think Toyota does too. It must be all the rage.

 

Yes the cargo net is extra - and takes time to install. I had to rip apart half my trunk to install it.

I bought these all season mats because they will actually hold water. The OEM all season mats do not have a rim around the edge by the pedal and the water leaks down to the carpeting and ultimately stains the carpet (and becomes white in the winter from salt). I had that problem with the TL - decided not to make that mistake again.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...otive&n=507846

 

The OEM Mats totally suck.....My Honda Civic mats are better. I am disappointed.

 

After taking delivery of my RL, I immediately ordered a set of berber mats in taupe for my tan interior RL.. Get a catalog, which shows the mats better than the link below. The taupe color is darker than the mats which came with the car and IMHO are quite attractive sitting on top of the tan floors. A couple other car enthusiast sites sell these...Griot's, for one if I'm not mistaken, and Avery makes them. These are OK and feel good underfoot...I drive without shoes. These mats do not have a heel protector, which may affect them long term, but for the price, I'll get another set.

I bought the all season ones from the dealer, and these look great for wintertime, and I'll certainly use them. But these are too industrial and rubbery smelling for my sensibilities (?) otherwise.

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=1304

 

The mats I have are tan.

 

I've been lucky in CA so far. In 10 years of driving (GSX/S4) I've never damaged a mat beyond simple cleaning. Might be different after we move to NY though :-) One thing I can't stand is a slippery mat. Somehow I prefer to drive with some traction between my heel and the car.

 

bluemule,
Thanks for the response. Two questions:
1. Are the mats rubber backed?
2. Do they have the holes for the anchors?

I will be looking to get some replacement mats in the spring and these look promising.

 

Answer is yes to both questions. The mats are rubber backed and have rubber nibs covering the bottom to hold to the carpet. The mats have holes for the anchors.

As I mentioned, the "tan" color is a littler darker than light tan interior of my RL, but looks nice. I recommend that you get a catalog which would show up the available colors well. I wanted a somewhat darker color that wouldn't show dirt/smudges and find that the berbers are more practical than the OEM's. The only negative about these mats is that the heel area might be subject to wear. So far mine brushes up to original appearance.

Autosport isn't the only outfit carrying these, but I happened to have a catalog and ordered from them. I later got a catalog from Griots with what looks to be the same mats. AutoSport's service line seems efficient, and they were able to confirm the color I had ordered for both the Honda and the RL in short order! BTW, clear mat protectors are also available as are "oriental mats"..the orientals might be attractive in the RL...but I opted for traditional/boring/business-like <g>.

 

How exactly do you install the cargo net? I bought one at the dealer and I didn't know that I had to install them.

 

They didn't give you instructions on how to do so?

 

Nope... just the net in a clear plastic bag... BTW... what prices are these going for? I think I got mine for $34.

 

I ordered mine off ebay for $34.

Let me see if I still have the instructions and I can give them to you.

 

That'd be great!!! Thanks!

 

I don't remember where I found these instructions, but I've posted them up on my website at the following link:

http://www.bdodesign.com/CargoNet.pdf

 

Thanks gator - but the instructions I have don't require any drilling or anything like those do.

Cargo Net Installation Instructions - PDF

 

I am scanning right now and will upload in a few minutes.

 

Cargo Net Installation Instructions - PDF

 

Thanks a lot!!! Another project for me to do on the weekend.

 

Yep, it will take about 30-45 minutes taking your time - maybe a little longer.