SpicyMikey

I always knew the RL was not "green". But I have to admit I was a bit stunned to see how bad it really is compared to other cars in the Lux class. Check it out;

http://www.mpgomatic.com/2007_luxury_sedans.html

lland

No surprise...about what I've been getting. Besides, most of the cars above the RL have smaller engines, are lighter, lack AWD, or have some combination of these. For "directly competetive" cars, the RL is near the top or within 1-2 MPG of them.

LL

Rob L

They all have more gears. I am sure if Acura slapped in a 6 speed the car would be higher up that list, prolly an extra mpg for both city/driving. Regardless, the RL sure isn't some fuel efficient car but not horrible either.

To me the most impressive car on the list is the LS460 since its engine is big, it is powerful and it weighs a good chunk....the 8 gears are clearly doing their thing for the car as is the sweet Toyota engineering.

neuronbob

Yup...those numbers seem about right for the RL.

SpicyMikey

Yea, I agree the gear issue is big and probably the main reason for the poor ranking. The RL is practically the only one still running with a 5 speed AT in it's class. They better do something about that with the next gen. Everyone keeps talking about MORE POWER. That's great. But most people want mpg and shop that number too. Who knows, maybe these low figures are already hurting them in sales. It's a factor in many peoples decision. They're competition is working hard on that already (e.g. MB). They can't keep ignoring that.

GoHawks

For a company that touts itself for being environmentally responsible, you would have figured Honda would have addressed that from the beginning. My bet is that Honda went the conservative route based on what happened when they went from a 4 speed to 5 speed tranny in the 2nd gen TLs.

I'm sure one is in the works, they're just testing the hell out of it to avoid another embarassing situation.

Chas2

Although, it is somewhat green from a carbon contribution standpoint being a ULEV II, of course, they may all be that, though doubtful the diesels are.

The principal tailpipe standards applicable to today's vehicles are:

Federal Standards:

Tier 1: The former Federal (EPA) standard; as of 2005, no longer in use.
Tier 1-D: The former Federal diesel standard; permits higher NOx emissions than the Tier 1 standard; as of 2005, no longer in use.
Tier 2 bin 11: New Federal standard, applies only to large trucks.
Tier 2 bin 10: Least-clean Tier 2 bin applicable to cars.
Tier 2 bins 9 through 6: (Progressively cleaner standards)
Tier 2 bin 5: "Average" of new Tier 2 standards. NOx emissions levels of all vehicles sold by each automaker must average to the bin 5 NOx level or cleaner when standards are fully phased in later in the decade.
Tier 2 bins 4 through 2: (Progressively cleaner standards)
Tier 2 bin 1: The cleanest Federal Tier 2 standard. Equivalent to a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV).

California Phase II Low-Emission Vehicle Standards—A new set of Low-Emission Vehicle standards; generally cleaner than Phase I Low-Emission Vehicle standards:

LEV II: Low-Emission Vehicle, the least stringent of the new, Phase II LEV standards. NOx emissions are one-quarter the level of a LEV I-certified vehicle.
ULEV II: Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle, a mid-level Phase II LEV standard. Hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions levels are nearly 50% lower than those of a LEV II-certified vehicle.
SULEV II: Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle, a California standard even tighter than ULEV II, including significantly lower NOx emissions and more durable control systems.
PZEV: Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle, compliant with the SULEV standard; additionally has near-zero evaporative emissions and a 15-year/150,000-mile warranty on its emission control equipment.
ZEV: Zero-Emission Vehicle, a California standard prohibiting any tailpipe emissions.

California Phase I Low-Emission Vehicle Standards—The former set of Low-Emission Vehicle standards; generally less clean than Phase II Low-Emission Vehicle standards.

LEV I: Low-Emission Vehicle, an intermediate California standard about twice as stringent as the now-expired Federal Tier 1 standard.
ULEV I: Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle, a stronger California standard emphasizing low HC emissions.
SULEV I: Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle, a stronger California applicable only to larger passenger trucks (SUVs, pickups, etc.); emits approximately half as much as a ULEV I-certified truck.

Chas2

I remember, a while ago, Lexus was able to gin up a 5 speed transmission by software--using the overdrive plus second, to come up with another gear. I am not sure that we have "overdrives" where this can be done. Any idea?

This was a stop gap before they could bring a true 5 speed or 6 speed--I guess now 8 speeds--to market

travis13

R

travis13

L