Qatar

Well, Friday afternoon i'm heading to Infiniti to trade in my RL for a M45 Sport with technology package.
I love my RL, but its not the car for me in terms of performance and accessories. I cried many times about Honda's policies when they release a vehicle without considering the importance of accessories.
I've had my RL for 6 months, and found nothing but joy in that vehicle, but Honda need to think of the competition, i don't need a V8 and i sure don't need many of the fancy things that the M45 has, but again for the performance, rear view camera and cooled seats, i'm willing to sacrifice the best navi in the market and some other extra stuff.
Honda need to consider sport packages from the manufacture, i'm tired of the dealer installed ad ons, and the styless looking rims (their looks bugged me since day one) not to forget rear view camera just like the Japanese version.
I just don't understand why so many accessories are available only in Japan and not the States? If Infiniti can do it, so can Honda, but i careless now.
I'll be around checking Acura out untill they come up with something that
would fill my thirst.

Bye everyone
__________________

dtrose

Good Luck with the M. Be sure to post what you received as a Trade for your RL.

Rob L

Um, ok.

Thanks for sharing.

hondamore

Just my two cents, but had you added the 18 inch rims, and A-spec suspension to your RL, you could have had the best of both worlds for at least $15,000 less. With the 18's and some decent tires, the RL is a totally different car. The A-spec suspension would get rid of most of the body roll if it is a firmer ride you are looking for. Since you don't need a V8, I don't see what else you are looking for. Regarding the rear-view camera, please report back on how effective it is in the winter months when the lens is covered in snow and road debris. Good luck with the M. Some lucky guy is going to get a hell of a deal on your RL.

cM3go

The M is an excellent choice. One of Infiniti's best car, a world ahead of the previous M. Good luck with the new car, hope you like it!

WhitePearl_RL

Congrats.

NorCalRL

I'm confused.

Qatar writes that Nothing has changed with the RL. These features never existed on the RL. The rear view camera could be added as an after-market product.

The cooled seats would have been a major issue if Qatar is actually in Qatar near the Persian Gulf. But, of course why would someone buy a car without cooled seats there anyway?

hondamore

Sorry I missed your Qatar location, so you can ignore my comment about snow and grime getting on the rear view camera lens. This also explains why you would choose a rear view camera over AWD. In Canada, where I am from, and most of the Northern United States, AWD is a huge benefit to have during the winter months. I still think that you will miss the SH-AWD's handling on dusty sandy roads as well. Good luck with the M.

dom

Sounds like you made a mistake buying it in the first place.

GIBSON6594

What do you do for a living? your 24 and have enough money to buy an RL, sell it for a huge hit, then buy an even more expensive car?

NorCalRL

GIBSON if you Google Qatar you would find the following:

"In recent years, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, becoming one of the world's fastest growing and highest per-capita income countries.

Oil and gas account for more than 55% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given Qatar a per capita GDP about 80% of that of the leading West European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 16 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years.

Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 14 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world."

Guess if you were a citizen there you could afford whatever car you wanted and then trade it in a few times a year if the ashtray got dirty.

Dave

Guy Legend

There lies the truth. I hope he keeps the M a bit longer than the RL.

Anyways, both are amazing vehicles. You can't go wrong with either.

dallison

don't those v-8's have oil consumption problems?

msu79gt82

Then why not an M35 Sport w/ Tech?

Qatar

Hi guys,
My Acura Dealer offered me $38k for my Rl with 10000 miles on and i refused and traded it in at Infiniti who offered $42k.
I'm from Qatar but i live in Virginia and i got the M45 + Tachnology package+ Journey package in addition to Aero kit for $58k.
I never said that my RL was a bad vehicle, its just not for me.
I purchased a 2005 Honda S2000 3 months ago so i wont end up trading in my RL, but i realised that no matter what i had on the side, the RL would never be my daily vehcile, because of the whole vehicle character which cant it as a sport sedan even with the A-SPEC package.
I'm still loyal to Acura, but for now, i have to get my money's worth, not saying that the RL wasn't, but HONDA CAN DO BETTER.
There are many great things in the RL, which i never used (paddle shifter, Real time traffic..) i personally need cooled seats, its SUMMER for Gods sake, and Honda Legend in Japan comes with FRONT + REAR view camera plus many other feature.
The M45 is called Nissan Cedric or Fuja in the Middle East.
I'll be back once Acura offers a SH-AWD in the TL.
I'll post pictures soon

Qatar

The advantage of the rear view monitor is that it has a angle assist which helps you move into the space at a right angle, and its linked to the steering wheel. Basically, it helps you park the vehicle at the right angle while backing into a spot.
I'll report more once i know how it really function.
On thing to be honest though, Infiniti need a bigger navi screen and need to ask Acura how they make theirs

AcuraGT-3

Watch out for the quality, looking at the M forums, seats aint' working, mirrors are not working, the speakers on the seats are popping off, fuel economy is horrendous, etc etc Nissan cost cutting at its finest......

Quatar, who the hell buys a car for OEM wheels? if you can dump 50k in a car, hell, to lose 10k at trade to buy a 55k car, you can buy some aftermarket wheels right?

The RL has never and probably won't ever have tons of aftermarket support, that is not the cars target market. Its for people who want little fuss and don't want to make a fuss.

Congrats though

msu79gt82

Which M Forums are reporting a lot of problems? I have been active on Edmunds and other Infiniti M forums the past 3 months and have yet to see hardly any threads dealing with M problems?? In fact as of yesterday the RL Problems thread on Edmunds has over 200 posts and the M Problems thread had less than 10.

This is a serious question; I am still undecided between these two cars and would love to see the threads you refer to. Links to these M problem threads would be great; I can't find them.

mrdeeno

I'm shopping for an M45 sport (tech+journ+MES) to eventually replace my cl-s.

Over at freshalloy.com, there's some complaints about minor problems like the seat speaker cover popping loose, and some problems with stereos just dying, seat cooler/heater switch not working properly. Not too many people have had these problems and all of them are relatively minor. There was one guy that needed a new engine right after he got the car, but it was an isolated incident.

The gas mileage sucks, but that's the nature of the car (gearing for acceleration). I wouldn't want to compare the RL's gas mileage...I heard it sucks too for a v6 and the car doesn't perform as I feel it should for a 300hp car (needs more torque!). Oil burning was a problem with the 1st gen M, but haven't seen anyone complaining about it yet (engine is slightly modified...prev. M had 340hp, 2nd gen has 335hp).


Being on Freshalloy.com's M45 forum since the M45's intro and this site, I think there are more problems with the RL than there are with the M45...as evidenced by the "Known Problems and Quirks" thread.

DCRL

I'm all for choice. I wouldn't drive an M if they gave me one free (it looks like an Altima SE to me), but I that's what choice is about. Some people love the M and some love the RL (and a whole lot of people are crazy for other cars). What we have here is a great free market.

And maybe there is something to teething problems with first year versions of complex vehicles. Lord knows, Acura owners complained about loads of things, including many that weren't even problems (just operational items that needed to be learned). But my, and two friends RLs are perfect. Not one problem out of three cars. Not a single solitary quirk or malfunction.

To me that, and Acura's attempts to correct items on some vehicles with problems, speaks loads about the quality of this vehicle.

Rob L

The Audi A8L according to Road & trackj has performance about the same as the RL..it has 330hp V8 do you then think it doesnt perform as it should considering its engine and stats?

Until Lexus slapped the 6th gear into the LS430 it had basically similar numbers as the RL and it was a 290hp V8. DO you think it under performed?

I can say the same thing for other larger cars that have the same or more powerful engines compared to the RL...not trying to say the RL is super quick or anything but its performance is IMO fine for its engine and fine forthe cars size/weight.

Oh and yes, the RL's fuel economy does suck.

As for the original poster...I am still trying to figure out why he got the RL since the issues he has were there right from the start. Then again, people make odd choices that boggle my mind....oh and i think rear backup cameras are silly and probably get people more distracted than they already are when backing up.

msu79gt82

Silly? Each to his own The lack of a backup camera will probably prove to be a deal killer for me. Acura has the ability (my MDX has one); but simply does not get it. The new system on the M is incredible and far superior to that of my '04 MDX and even better than Infiniti's '04 system in my FX35.

hondamore

I wouldn't be suprised if a backup camera is one of the goodies that Acura add to the RL for the next model year. That said, if I had to choose between a gitchy little piece of technology like a rear view camera and the proven everyday benefits of AWD, it's an easy choice. Regarding the fuel mileage difference between the M45 and the RL, if you add up what you spend in gas in a year and then add 10%, that is a pretty big chunk of change.

WhitePearl_RL

My oldest son was looking at a 2004 Nissan Maxima SE 6 speed and I could not help but notice the similarity between the M35/45 and the Maxima. Do they share the same chassis? The difference being the Maxima is FWD?

What do you think?

Maxima: ~$26-34K






Infiniti: ~$43-55K

mrdeeno

No, they are on different platforms. The Maxima is on the Altima fwd platform and the M is built on the Z/g35/FX rwd platform.

mrdeeno

I agree with you about choice, but then you mentioned that the M looks like the alitma. There are alot of people who won't buy the RL because it looks like an Accord, and to me, the RL looks more like an accord than the M an altima.

mrdeeno

Acutally, yes I do think the A8L and Phaeton and LS430 aren't as quick as they should be for the HP. But then again, they are in a different class where performance is behind luxury. I can think of hundreds of other cars that have more than 300hp (many SUVs) but aren't as quick as the RL. But again we're not talking about that class.

In this class, you got the RL, M, GS, E, and 5. the GS430 has ONLY 300hp, but can easily beat the RL simply because the RL doesn't have much torque. If the RL had another gear, they could probably gear it to make the car much quicker, but then again it doesn't.

dseag2

Helloooo??? I owned an '05 RL for 5 months and 4,700 miles and had brakes that constantly squealed, plus the famous "recall" to replace 4 different items. My NavTraffic never worked (my salesman told me it had to do with the lack of signals in Miami) and there was a significant delay in title/artist display on my XM radio. I haven't been to this forum for a while, so I don't know if Acura ever found a fix for that.

I've now had my M45 Sport for 2 months and 3,100 miles and the only thing that has gone wrong is a blown circuit in the seat. (Yes, I'm the ONE PERSON you're talking about when you say "seats ain't working".) The dealership kept the car overnight and gave me a G35 as a loaner. The seats worked the next day. Everything else about the car has been flawless. And I didn't have to leave a credit card deposit and sign an insurance waiver for the Infiniti loaner like I did with the Acura.

The RL was a great car, and IMO the quality of materials was best in category, but from my experience there has been less to worry about with the M. BTW, I've also owned a '99 TL, '04 TL, '03 QX4, and (currently) an '04 FX35, so I've had pretty extensive experience with both brands. Not many problems with either.

msu79gt82

Don't need AWD in Houston; interested in the M35, not the M45 (so mileage will be at least as good, if not better than the RL)

msu79gt82

I am astounded by folks who AT THE SAME time criticize the M for a family resemblance to other Nissans/Infinitis WHILE AT SAME TIME praise the RL in spite of its family resemblance to other Hondas/Acuras

Some folks who are here are undecided in their next vehicle and are looking for credible info (pro and con); while I fully expect a pro Acura crowd here (and rightfully so) it would be nice if was honest dialog w/o any BS.

sufall96

Bad Azz M45

DCRL

MSU, there's no bull in my opinion. I don't see the often-referred-to "Honda similarity" in the RL's exterior at all, but boy-oh-boy do I see lots of look-alike featues in the Nissan-Infiniti lineup. Those are, of course, my opinions, but there's no bull involved.

You have a totally different viewpoint from what I read in your post. And that's fine; I respect that and believe you are being equally honest. But tastes and styling viewpoints are going to vary. If prospective buyers want "cedible info", my opinon (hopefully) counts just like yours.

In fact, with both of us expressing our views, prospective buyers have even more info to weigh and eventually make judgments on their own.

I think they can handle a few different opinions just fine.

dseag2

I've always criticized the M for looking like a "bloated Altima" and now I own one. My opinion hasn't really changed, but the longer I've owned it the more I've grown to appreciate the styling... especially with the 19" rims. IMO, the tail lights are too big, and the rear 3/4 view is nothing special, but the front and profile views are great. The short front overhangs look a lot more sporty than the RL or GS.

I've always seen the Honda family resemblance in the RL as well, although I haven't quite been able to put my finger on it. IMO, the rear 3/4 is the nicest design in its class and the sweeping lines are beautiful. However, the front 3/4 view is pretty weak and bears a strong resemblance to the previous gen Honda Accord Coupe. Overall, it's still an attractive car. Probably more attractive than the M, but less sporty.

The bottom line is, almost all cars bear a family resemblance. They are designed that way. If I wanted something truly different I would have looked more closely at the Benz CLS or the 300M, but I didn't like the interiors or the baggage that goes with either. The RL and M both have beautiful interiors and are reliable.

That is only my opinion, but it is unbiased.

msu79gt82

When I see the new M I clearly see the Nissan/Infiniti family relationship. However when I look at the new RL I also clearly see the Honda/Acura family relationship (as does nearly everyone else; as in the "often-referred-to" magazine reviews). And thats not a bad thing; I would tend to ignore any post that denies the RL has a family looks relationship to the Accord as being non-credible. That was the purpose of my post - all manufactures strive for a somewhat uniform look: BMW wants to look like a BMW; Hondas and Acura look similar, to deny the facts causes a post to lose credibility.

I did not object (nor will I ever), to anyone's opinion that Car A looks better than Car B. However I will object if anyone says they reject Car A's styling SOLELY because it looks similar to its cheaper cousin WHILE AT THE SAME TIME accepting Car B's styling IN SPITE of its similarity to its cheaper cousin That is an illogical contradition.

hondamore

Every good car manufacturer "flaunts" their good reputation by styling their cars with a family resemblance. This is in no way a flaw or a weakness. I'm guessing that the hostility you are feeling is mostly related to the fact that you are on an RL forum discussing the RL's direct competition. This is the automotive equivalent of wearing a Redsox hat at Yankee stadium. You are very wise to be researching both vehicles in their respective forums, but it is just human nature to defend the vehicle that you just purchased/feel loyalty to and to feel offended by those who would expound the virtues of its rivals. That said, the M is a piece of shit that doesn't deserve to share the same pavement with the RL which is quite possibly the greatest vehicle ever built. Just kidding.

03TL-S

Wheres the similarity exactly? I know ive seen pictures of the 06 GS and the maxima side by side and they look pretty similar.....i dont see it here.

psteng19

Why choose when you can get both in the M35x?
And on top of that, you get a proven performance RWD biased system

And I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say "gitchy."
Was it a typo and you meant to say "glitchy?"
Because there have been threads about the screen flickering, but that's more of an issue with the screen than the backup camera, isn't it?
Other than that, I haven't heard of any glitches with the camera itself.

psteng19

I agree.
In fact, I believe it was Motor Trend that posted a picture of the RL when it was the Accord that they were talking about

hondamore

By "gitchy", I meant a device whose primary purpose was as a convenience as opposed to a device like AWD whose purpose is one of fundamental performance and safety. Another way to put it would be the Rear view camera is "neat but not necessary". From my standpoint, AWD is necessary and the SH-AWD is neat. Thus, if I had to choose between two cars based upon the presence or absence of these two features, the AWD car wins in a heartbeat.

psteng19

I believe the word you're looking for is 'gimmicky' perhaps?

And my original post holds true.
You can get a true performance AWD setup AND rear-view camera in the M35x.