After 12 years of driving only Hondas and Acuras, it's time to leave. I traded in my 06 CMBS/PAX RL for a CPO 2012 Audi A6 Prestige. I wanted something comparable to the RL in terms of technology (ACC, CMBS, etc.) and found a nice low-mileage A6 with the Innovation package that has ACC, blind spot assist, heads up display, and night vision. I've enjoyed the RL, but I was wary about continuing to own it out of warranty approaching 103,000 miles and with some short-term expenses upcoming in new PAX tires and brakes.

I've enjoyed the Acuras I've owned, but I feel the brand has lost its way a bit, and the delays in getting the RLX to market, coupled with the lack of an AWD option, were the last straw for me. The RL was reasonably reliable for me - my only major out of pocket repair expenses post-warranty were a stroke sensor and the carbon fiber driveshaft (of which Acura covered 50%) - though there were some minor annoying issues that Acura never fixed. I hope the Audi is as reliable, but at least I'm covered until 100,000 miles on it.

The RL has been a fun car to drive, but after seeing the latest versions of the competition, it's clear Acura has been passed. The RLX and new MDX are a nice start, but the brand needs something to draw people back in. Best of luck to all the RL owners here.

 

Pics or it didn't happen.



Extend that warranty on the Audi.

 

I hate to second that... I hope the Audi serves you as well as the RL does Don't become a stranger here!

 

I'll post up some pics when I pick the car up on Friday. The Audi is covered bumper to bumper for 47,000 more miles, then covered another 50,000 miles under the CPO warranty. That will get me to 100,000 miles and I'd be replacing it at that point most likely.

 

 

Here's a couple of photos:

 

I love the Audi front ends.

 

Nice Audi A6 - enjoy your new ride. Keep us update on your thoughts about it.

 

Nice, congrats.

 

meh

 

Very nice, and congrats! I have also been debating jumping ship.

 

nice, seems like a lot of people from here are switching to audi's on this forum. nice car.

 

Eh.. After two certified used Acuras, I aint bailing on them till Acura starts screwing me over, and I've had fantastic service - when needed - for both (7/100,000 wty on both).

Guess Im dedicated by default, but they treat me well, and I'll keep buyin' their cars (albeit cert. used). Just dont want to roll the dice and find out how another company treats their customers - no matter how much I like the looks of their cars. To each his own for sure. Thats just me. Maybe a MDX next? Im starting to think.......

BUT....If Acura failed me though, Id prol go with Lexus because a girlfriend of mine has a pretty old ES and they have treated her above and beyond what ANY car dealer would do for a customer especially for a used car. Man, excellent customer is Sooo important and more important (at least to me) than the latest hot look.

Those Audis are NICE for sure, congrats.

 

Congrats on the A6. It's too bad the Sport Hybrid RLX wasn't there for you to consider.

Don't be a stranger! I am surprised how much I hang here and I haven't owned my Acura for over four years....

 

I agree with everything you've said about Acura. Congrats on the ride. I was debating on ditching the Rl for an A8 but was convinced to keep the Rl til she dies and get an S5 for fun. I've been reading on the audi forums for a while and they are very loyal to their brand and seem to be treated well by the dealers.

 

 

I tried an A4 but the seats were killer on my big ass 6'1" 240lb body

lol

 

Thanks Bob. I thought I really wanted the SH-SH-AWD RLX, but at the expected price point I would be giving up a lot of functionality having to settle for the Tech package with no ACC, CMBS, etc, not to mention jumping in on the first model year of a new technology.

One thing that's surprising is how similar the main dash layout is between the RLX and A6. One might think Acura copied it... The LED headlights are pretty cool too. It's definitely going to take a little while to get used to the layout and functionality of the A6. The Germans certainly have their own way of doing things.

I'll post up some pictures over the weekend when I get a chance.

 

Nice pick up!

 

Gave up too soon!

Acura til the death!

 

 

I've had the A6 for a week now. Really enjoying it. So far it gets better mileage than the RL (a little more than 24 mpg combined), likely due to the direct injection engine and the 8-speed transmission. Engine is very smooth. The Google Earth nav is pretty cool, though the navigation system is less straightforward than the RL's system. The tech gadgets are pretty nice and work well so far. I really like the LCD screen in the middle of the speedometer and tachometer.

Here are a few photos:

 

very berry nice!! give us an update or vs down the road!

 

Beautiful car, DW.

As a guy who drives his cars to death, I still don't trust German longevity, but those A6's and A7's are knockouts without a doubt. Enjoy!

 

I've had the A6 for 2.5 months now and figured it was time for an update. I'm really enjoying the car. It's a blast to drive and the tech gadgets (HUD, ACC, Google Earth Nav, Full LED lights) are a lot of fun. The cooled seats have also been great this summer. The mileage has been a pleasant surprise. I'm averaging 25 mpg combined city/highway since I've got the car, vs. 22-23 in my old RL. I'm filling the A6 up after about 430 miles on average, vs. 350 miles for the RL. It's great getting such good mileage from a car with excellent acceleration and power. The supercharger and the 8-speed transmission are a nice combo.

My only complaints (minor) about the A6 are: trunk space, glove box design (it's weirdly shaped and the latch mechanism is classic German over-engineering), and the steering can be a little vague at times. I prefer the RL's navigation UI to Audi's - the Acura UI with Audi's Google Earth nav and access to all of the Google POI's online through Audi Connect would be the perfect combo. I haven't had a chance to really compare Quattro to SH-AWD, though the Quattro system doesn't have any of the SH-AWD system's whines and noises so far. The Audi also uses a passive TPMS system - I kind of liked the RL's system where you could get tire pressure readings on each tire. The RL's driver's seat was a little more comfortable as well.

It's still a little weird driving the Audi - I drove an RL for 7 years between the 05 and 06 RL's that I owned. The Audi is still very new to me and I'm still learning about all the features. It's funny, now that I no longer drive one, I seem to see more RL's on the road than I ever did before. I'll always have a soft spot for the RL - it's such an under-appreciated car. Best of luck to everyone here with their RL's.

 

I think I could live with the first two complaints. How do you feel about the heads-up Nav display? That seems to be a common lament.

 

Hmmm, I might be contributing to this goodbye RL thread in a week or two - picking up my MB CLS550 4matic next week in Germany, which will eventually replace the faithful 2006 RL. 4.6 ltr twin turbo on the Autobahn, here I come !

 

I left the RL crew and join audizine as well. Lol. The 3.0T C6 is a beast and a blast to drive. I just did stage 1 and it made a world of a difference in power! Although I do miss my RL from time to time. Lol

 

I really like the HUD. I keep it on all the time. It gives you MPH, Nav instructions when a Nav route is set, ACC info/warnings, and night vision warnings too. I haven't really used the night vision system too much yet. Some people have complained that they can't see the HUD with polarized sunglasses on. I wear polarized sunglasses and have noticed that I can see it clearly out of the left eye, and not at all out of the right, but it's still visible (though muted) with both eyes looking right at it.

The glove box was really annoying. I went to get the owner's manual out of it and it would not budge. There are two little nubs, one each on the left and right sides of the glove box door, that retract when the latch handle is pulled. Apparently the weight of the owner's manual package was pressing on the right side of the door and it would not move. I was ready to take it in to the dealer when a forum member suggested taking off the cover on the right side of the dash near the passenger door and using a long screwdriver through a hole to press on the nub and pop it. After several tries I finally got it. I guess it's a known problem. I don't keep the manual in there anymore. The trunk is only annoying because I can't fit my golf clubs in lengthwise across the trunk like I could with the RL. I know, #firstworldproblems.

 

Cars are kinda like people : they all have good points and bad points but one things for sure - your A6 is SWEET! Congrats and keep having fun. Who knows maybe when Acura gets the kinks out you may buy another Honda product again. In the meantime keep us posted.