I was looking forward to picking up the RL I bought at a dealer tomorrow. (I've not driven it off the lot yet.) They were fixing some glitches with it...like the of the rear view mirrors not going down properly when you back up, the voice recognition not working, and they reset the key fobs for seat memory.

What I discovered in checking it out today is one of the XM stations is distorted. (Channel 32 The Message) This is a station I listen to. Other stations are clear and it's clear in another RL on their lot. It seems that receiving an XM signal is pass or fail...so this seems odd. Why won't one channel come in cleanly?

On this site, I read about a glitch where the door locks won't work when you press on the handle to lock the door. That's the case with this car. The sales manager tells me this is a known issue that happens on the light color cars. (This one is Meteor Silver.) The lock works on the gray car they have...and XM 32 works fine in that car as well.

Is this a bad car? Am I weird to want a buy a car where things work? The car has 50,000 miles on it. It's Certified and I bought the extended warranty to cover this stuff, but I don't think I should take the car with known problems.

I've known the owner of this dealership for years from our business community and it's a good dealership. We bought a TL from them several years ago. Where we last left off, the sales manager is going to try to undo the deal, as they don't want me to take the car if I'm not happy with it.

Perhaps I can hunt down another RL or they will give they other one they have. (It has 58,000 miles) I thought the RL would be a good car to replace my new generation 2007 Infiniti G35 coming off a two year lease with, but now I'm not so sure.

Any insight is appreciated. A decision will be made tomorrow. Thanks!

 

I wouldn't take delivery of the vehicle unless all the problems are fixed. An acura dealership in particular should not be putting a CPO car on their lot with door handles that don't work, no voice recognition, or mirrors that don't go down.

In the year or so I've been on this board, not once have I ever heard mention of the color of the car affecting any functionality of a car...sounds like a load of BS. Pick another car at another dealership.

 

rlerman...thanks for your response. While the dealer is fixing the issues I mentioned, it sounds like the door handles, wouldn't get fixed...and the radio station that won't work is an unsolved mystery. At this point I'm not feeling too good about this car. For whatever it's worth, I post what happens.

In general though...is this 2005 RL a good car...if I have a good car?

 

Speaking personally (having owned a 2005), might i recommend getting a 2006 model if it is available. I had a late model '05 (last 5 of VIN 16565) and had a few glitches. Headlight malfunction (both igniters and lamps were replaced at $1600 per side), door handles replaced, XM unit malfunction, exhaust tips, a/c unit, front disc/brake pads (malfunction with the springs, prematurely wore the brakes out at 20k), etc. Most of these issues are resolved when the 2006 model came in.

 

Yes, the 05 is an outstanding car. I have had some repairs done, but nothing that is specific just to the 05 (I think).

I've had the power steering hose recall, a headlight flicker, and the propeller shaft bearings, all of which were replaced under warranty. I also had the exhaust tips replaced for excessive soot build-up and the passenger side mirror because it was loose, also done under the CPO warranty.

Make sure you get the extended warranty that takes you up to 7/yr 100k miles, then your covered for all things mechanical.

 

Spend a little more money now rather than later and buy an 06.

 

i had my RL for a year and no tech glitches yet...

 

The latest update on this car, is the dealer is going to void the sale. Even though I have yet to pick up the car, the sale was processed on 6-30 to save a few bucks on our sales tax and the loan has been funded. Here in California, we just went up to a whopping 9 3/4 % tax on 7-1. (The state is a wreck, but we have great weather!)

I believe this is a reflection of the relationship I have with the owner and I do think this is a good dealership that want's to do the right thing. This particular car has some issues and they do want me feel comfortable with the purchase. Our town has a very tight business community and their good will is important.

They made me a pretty good deal...$22,500.00 on this certified car with 50K miles and the understanding they would fix the body damage on my 2007 Infiniti G35 lease return and handle the lease turn in. I might have only been hit with a few hundred dollars in dings, but sadly, I hit something and cracked the front bumper...which could cost a least $500.00...maybe more. All in all, it seemed like a fair transaction and the RL is a lot of car for that money. In this economy, I'm done leasing higher end cars.

They just bought a silver car that they are going to certify which may be a good choice. I'll see how that goes.

I really appreciate the insight and input about the RL from this forum. I loved the TL I had several years ago. My mother in law bought it off my lease and it still is an awesome car. Acura makes a nice product.

Thanks!

 

good to hear that....and that is a very nice thing for a dealership to do.

9 3/4% tax...
i thought we had it bad at 8.375%
and LI 8.675%

 

$22.5k on a CPO 05 RL w/50k miles is not a good deal, in fact it's awful. This dealer tries to sell you an RL that needs a lot of sorting at that price...like I said earlier, find a new dealer. In this economy, that car should be in the 18-19 range.

 

There may be certified cars in the 18-19K range somewhere, but I'm not seeing them in online searches of the major sites in a 100 mile radius of north Los Angeles county. Most of these are priced at 23,900 - 24,900, obviously allowing negotiating room. I think pricing may be regional.

The other side of the deal, is that they are fixing body damage on my Infiniti which will cost them much less to fix than it will cost me. I've cracked the front bumper, which is really the killer, in addition to the usual things I will have to pay for and deal with on a lease return...so that has some charm.

Where this is at now, is they just bought a silver car that has been thoroughly gone through. They're going to let me drive it for a day or two and make sure I like it, before I buy it. I'll bring it back...then they will tint all the windows for me, which was part of the first deal. That's worth a few dollars.

I know the owners of this dealership and they give much back to our community. Today when I went to look at the silver car, the owner profusely apologized for the issues on the first car and said it never should have been on the lot without those things being fixed. This stimulated a staff meeting where my situation was addressed.

All you can ask of a business is they make things right. They had to unravel a deal that funded a week ago. Yeah...it can be done, but it's a hassle. To them it's important they have a satisfied customer. They could have stuck me with the first car, but chose to do what it took to make me happy. Silver with the charcoal interior, is a great combination that I had on a previous car and a better choice than meteor silver with light interior. And I get to try it before I buy it. That's a big plus.

I'm in business, they are in business. I like a fair business transaction and I look for value. I figure...what kind of car can I get for $22,500.00 that offers what the RL does? And as a hack musician, I love the sound system, that blows away what is in my Infiniti. Yeah...maybe I could pay less by getting a car from somewhere else, but my sales tax money stays in my community and I work with a dealership with integrity...that truly cares about my satisfaction. That's worth something to me...and they do massages one day a month for customers.

 

In the end, you should get a car from the dealer you're happy with. There is value in Customer Service. As for me, I've gotten most of my cars from AZ. Bought my first new car (1991 Honda Prelude) in Tucson when I lived in No. Cal, and, last month, bought my 06 RL in Phoenix (I'm living in CT now). Price is one reason ($22K for an 06RL with 34K miles, good deal). Weather is another reason (dry weather, minimal rust). Buying from out-of-state, I don't pay AZ sales tax (I'll still have to pay CT sales tax when I register the car, but I have 90 days to get it registered).
However, if I ever find a trustworthy dealership in my area, I would probably buy from them....I've been looking, but nothing yet....

Good luck!

 

Is that the price they initially quoted you or did you negotiate it down from a higher price?

I stand by my initial claim, in this economy an RL w/50k miles should have a value of less than $22.5k I paid $26.9 over a year ago for an 05 with 43k on it.

If that is the price you are going to take, you should at least have them throw in the extended warranty, which is worth about $1k, it's the least they could do for initially showing you an unsorted car....that's good will. You might also try to haggle for all weather floor mats, a rear spoiler, wood steering wheel and/or shift knob or whatever else you might want on it....cost to them is very cheap.

As for the sales tax, isn't it state sales tax???

 

Make them fix everything or refuse the car. If it's CPO, all issues should be taken care of. I bought an 05 RL with 60k 7 months ago for $18,500. The dealer made sure all updates were taken care of. Also, get the extended coverage... parts are expensive on this car. I have had the propeller shaft replaced (2K$) job, exhaust tips replaced, brake switch replaced, and mirror tightened under warranty. The RL is reliable, but this was the first model year... I will never buy first model year again. I had an 04 RL(last production year).. no problems in 125k miles. If you can buy an 06, do it.

 

I've truly appreciated the input I've received through this. As I mentioned, I think market conditions are different around the country. In the Los Angeles area I'm not seeing anything in an under 20K price range.

Today, I picked up the silver car they just got to test drive for a couple days. It's a very clean car and so far I like it. If I want it, they will make me the same deal they did on the first car. They'll throw in full tinting, fix the damage on my Infiniti and handle the lease return. I don't begrudge the dealership for making money. I need to make money in my business, so I get it. That's worth something to me.

If I buy this RL, in the end, I think the deal is fair. I know they could sell this silver car for more and the demand on used cars is hot, since the new car market sucks. Guys like me that traditionally would be leasing a new car, are seeing the value of buying a nicer used car for less.

And yes...I am definitely getting the warranty. There are too many things that can go wrong with this high tech car.

 

Well, good Luck with the car!!! I don't expect you'll have many problems and after a year or so you'll still love the car as much as the day you bought it.

 

Hope you do get it.....and DEFINITELY invest in Acuracare, you never know when you'll need it.

The RL is an excellent choice!

 

I've had the car for a two day test drive now, which has been very nice. This is a clean car. I've put a couple hundred miles on it and I think it's a winner. I drove it in traffic through LA and perhaps the only downside was I had to drive through LA in traffic.

My favorite parts of the car are the sound system, the seats and the solid feel. I've been fortunate to be leasing pretty nice cars over the past few years, but I wouldn't normally be in a car that's 50K new. This one does not feel like a used car. It's tight...looks great and runs great. In this economy it's a good investment for a car. I didn't see any other options other than a pricey 335, which is very expensive to maintain. As noted before, I owned a TL before and know Acura is a great car. Having a relationship with the owners of this dealership and their desire to make me a satisfied customer is certainly a plus.

Adding the warranty is a good investment as well. Some might comment it could be had cheaper, but I will pay $1200.00 and I'm sure that's marked down a bit. It will be well worth it. I'm not too concerned about the car running well, but I can see how the technology may be problematic.

Now that I've put it through it's paces, I'll sign the papers, they will tint the windows for me and I will have it back for the weekend...although I'm doing a motorcycle ride to the beach Saturday. It will be hot as hell in LA this weekend, so hitting the coast on the bike will be nice.

I'll provide an update on it all...and perhaps have other questions. One question would be, what's the best solution for getting an iPod jack in the car? I've got to imagine the FM transmitter is not the best way to go. Any thoughts?

Everyone's input is greatly appreciated!