This thread is the first I have read from someone who has owned and driven both the 2005 Acura RL and the 2006 Infiniti M45. Qatar, I thank you for providing me with information I have not gotten from reviews published in automobile magazines.

The comments by many contributors to this thread more or less coincide with my opinion after I made a comparison of the RL and other similarly equipped luxury sedans. Earlier this year, I compared the 2005 RL with 2006 models of the Audi A6, BMW540, M45, Lexus GS430 and Mercedes E320. My review included personal inspection, test driving these automobiles and reading many automobile magazine reviews.

My research led me to conclude that the RL’s totality best met my driving needs. I reside in Arizona and drive where new home construction never seems to end. Each day I drive city streets where stop and go is a way of life. I also travel freeways where at times the need for immediate acceleration is an absolute must. At other times, I drive on desert roads where it is important to dodge animals or wind-driven brush.

The Arizona environment is quite dusty, very wet during the monsoon season, freezing in winter and extremely hot from May through October.

I want a car that has a comfortable ride, visual beauty and sumptuous appointments; in other words, a true luxury car.

It must be able to surmount the environment with a good heating and air conditioning system and good air filtration. It has to have a large enough engine to quickly accelerate. Of equal importance, my car must have the handling characteristics that enable me to safely avoid unexpected road obstacles. My car has to have displays, knobs, dials and gauges that I can easily control without moving my eyes from the road.


My pre purchase investigation of the RL and its competitors showed me that the RL best met my criteria. Although there were larger and more powerful engines on some of the other sedans, the RL had a power plant and transmission that met my passing and cruising criteria. The handling characteristics of the RL enabled by SH-AWD, shift paddles and its breaking systems are in my opinion, superior attributes.

IMO, the RL has the best navigation, communication and technological aids of any of the sedans I inspected.

Although significant but not a deal breaker, the cost for many of the other luxury sedans, similarly equipped, was almost $20K more than the RL. However, it was not cost but overall quality that motivated me to buy the RL.

I have now driven my RL 3025 miles. It has surpassed my every expectation.

 

Well put shepsan!!

 

In the M, I think only one of the headlights turn when the car is still or moving at slow speeds.
Both turn more as speeds increase, so you wouldn't notice the swiveling lights as much if you parked on your driveway and shined them against your garage door.

 

FYI: there is a new dedicated forum for the new M-Series; very few members. Not like here.

www.infinitimclub.com

 

Well the traffic at the above referenced M site is so bad, I do not see how it can survive. Apparantly M owners are not as vocal as RL owners

But FYI: I did run across a fairly active site dedicated to the M-Class: www.infiniti-driver.com

 

Freshalloy is the most active M site and is quite a bit more active than the RL boards here at AZ.