FromTLtoRL

Before I go with my new purchase, here's a little story...

With almost a year of TL ownership, I finally traded the car in for a 06 RL. The 6 speed tranny on the TL just gave me fits from day 1. The shifting from 1st to 2nd was horrendous (very notchy feeling; grinds sometimes)! Going from 2nd to 3rd is another issue (popping out of gear), especially on cold mornings. The dealer has replaced the tranny fluid several times already...from new and improved Acura fluid (yeah right)...to BG...even to the famous GMSF a lot of TL members have used...it got better but it is still not perfect! My 1994 honda accord shifted better than my TL

So this past weekend I stopped by the service department and discussed the issue with the service manager. He asked if I could leave the car for him overnight. This way he can drive it first thing in the morning. I agreed to it.

Before I left I decided I should check out the Type-S. Made chit chat with sales manager and next thing you know we were talking about the RL. It only took 1 test drive and I was sold! I floored the car from a dead stop and it shot straight like an arrow (no torque steer). The interior looks and feels good. The exterior look is growing on me Since they are trying to clear their 06 inventory, I was lucky to get a good deal. A deal I thought I could NOT pass up.

Anyway, tonight I took home a 2006 RL (non-tech package) Carbon Gray Pearl with black interior. I only drove about 5 miles but I was enjoying every minute of it! I am looking forward to be with the RL group here. I have a very good feeling this ride is going to last me a long time

Ernie Golfs

Welcome to the RL group. We look foreword to your comments and input.

GoHawks

Congrats!! Great color combo choice.

Touge

Congrats and enjoy the upgrade =).

miner

Welcome to the board. I am new here too, but have felt at home since day 1. Enjoy your RL. Your TL was a 6MT? I wonder if the Type-S will have a better tranny? The 6MT on my '04 TSX was smooth as butta.

acuralvr1

Congrats! What did you pay for it?

FromTLtoRL

acuralvr1 - I sent you a PM.

You can also look the RL Owner Sign-in thread for more information.

Thanks!

Treblig

Welcome. I too am a TL to RL convert

Mike_TX

Yep, that Carbon Grey is the best color going.

Congratulations!
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neuronbob

Another TL to RL convert here--welcome to the board.....

As good as the TL was to me--and I realize your experience was different--the RL is definitely a step up. There is an issue with 3rd gear in some 6MT TLs that has been giving people the fits over in TL.

In the speed department, I don't miss that second extra it takes to get to 60 mph, don't even notice it.

jhr3uva90

1/2 second :-)

FromTLtoRL

I just got back from my brothers house in VA. Drove about 100 miles both ways. My first long trip on the RL. Even though I couldn't really punch it (break-in period), I can feel the power is there. The spaciouness of the interior cabin and the way the dash is laid out, I felt relaxed the whole trip round. I guess having an automatic car made a difference too (I came from a 6 speed TL). I can definitely say the leather and the seat are so much more comfortable. I almost felt asleep a few times So far I have no regrets making the purchase. Hope it stays that way

guia x

I picked up my 06 RL last night. I traded in my 04 TL as well. Right now, I feel like I am not quite enjoying it just yet. Reading these boards and knowing what I know, I've been just observing the car really carefully. It does not help to know about rattles and then hear it coming home from the dealer. I've got a rattle by the rearview mirror area and in the sunshade in the back.

Once home I noticed a small dent above the rear passenger side window. I called my salesman right away and he said to bring it in. Anyone know how they fix dents? It's like a quarter inch in diameter. Do they need to take the car apart or do they have some kind of suction thing to pop it back up?

Since most of the people on this thread is coming from a TL, how does the ride quality of the RL feel compared to it? The first time I test drove an RL, it felt pretty soft yet stable and planted to the road. The one I drove home however feels pretty stiff and I feel all the bumps on the road. It seems like it is stiffer than my TL. On smooth pavement however, it is quite perfect. I'm not really complaining but I just want to hear what your thoughts are. I just want to make sure it's normal and that I don't need to address the issue. See the dealer had to swap out the wheels because I did not want to pay for the A-Spec wheels. So they put the stock ones on. I don't know if it could be an alignment, balancing, or tire pressure issue. Is it normal to have 37 psi in the front tires and 36 in the back?

Another issue I have is the XM. My car did not come with it activated. So I activated it last night. The lady said I have a three month free trial for the music and navtraffic. I listened to the DVD-A demo disc this morning and in the end it talked about key features of the RL and it said that it comes activated with XM and NavTraffic for 12 months through Acuralink. Am I missing something here? Did I activate it correctly or do I need to call them back? How is Acuralink related to XM and the NavTraffic? Also, when I left home I see the traffic icons and routes but after an hour of driving, they disappeared. Is this one of the known issues that I need to bring the car in for an update or just an activation issue?

Anyway, hopefully I get over some of these issues soon. I really want to just sit in the car and just enjoy it. It is such a nice car. It is much better than the TL in so many ways. I just wish that I didn't have all these issues from the start.

miner

yes, 12 mos. of XM and NavTraffic on Acuras nickle. Have your salesman call XM.

FromTLtoRL

I had to call XM to activate mine. Based on the "radio id" I gave them, their record showed 1 year subscription. In fact, they said real time traffic is part of it too. So this leads me to believe the radio id is already marked on their database on what you should get.

Bob In Miami

guia x,

37 PSI is too high for cold tire pressure, however is not out of line after the tires have heated up. 36 in the rear might be a little high even for warm rear tires. Set the tire pressures correctly after the tires are cool; your ride will improve.

Bob

Bob In Miami

Also........correct tire pressure might alleviate or eliminate some of the rattles.

guia x

Thanks guys. I'll call XM later. When I called, I had to even tell them I should have a trial period. So they put me on hold and they come back and say ok and I ask how long and they say three months. Do you guys know if the 12 months is only for the RL? We also got an 07 MDX and they said three months on that one too.

I figured it might be too high because the bumps were just really harsh. It's 37 for both fronts and 36 on left rear and 37 on right rear this morning. A hour of driving brought the pressure up to 38 on fronts and right rear and 37 on left rear. Do you know what the correct tire pressures are? I hope this will alleviate the rattles as well. They do not come that often. Only when it's really bumpy. Thanks for your help.

dwboston

For the OEM tires the manual recommends 32 for the front tires and 30 for the rear. I found that to be a little low and run 34 for the front and 32 for the back.

The 2006 RL should come with a year of XM and NavTraffic. My wife's 2006 MDX only came with a 3 month trial of XM.

guia x

Wow, 32 and 30. That's a long ways from 37/36. I'll try 34/32 and see how the ride quality goes. Thank you.

Mike_TX

I keep my tires at 31psi (cold) front and rear, and it rides and handles nicely.

The pressure you have (37 or whatever) is too high ... the suspension is tuned for lower tire pressure, and for best ride you need to use the recommended pressure.
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GoHawks

Check on Acura.com. I seem to recall that in '07 they changed it to 3 months.

Mike_TX

True - the '07's get only 3 months, according to my sales guy. But dwboston was talking about the '06.
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rltraveler

I too called XM one day after buying this car,,,gave my radio id,,,was told one year's subscription covered by Acura,,,however, still no traffic info shown (in market covered by same),,,so I called back- after reading catalogue and seeing where traffic is connected to XM Radio,,,was then "hooked up" and told both services good for one year courtesy of Acura,,,

Then,,,received a bill for one month's service,,,went to XM website,,,emailed their customer service,,,telling them their bill was one year early,,,bill Acura!,,,no response in over a week,,,will wait for another bill before calling sales rep to handle.

I am still learning this car,,,so far so good!,,,

neuronbob

Welcome to the RL part of the board. There are a LOT of TL-RL converts. Interestingly, there are far fewer the other way around.....

Anyway, I'll tackle this question:

With the right tire pressure (32/30), the ride on the RL is compliant. In the 1k miles I spent on stock rubber and wheels, the ride was much softer than my TL. Then again, my TL had been A-Spec-ized for 2 1/2 years at the time I traded for my RL. OTOH, when I had my A-Spec suspension and wheels installed on the RL, the ride was suddenly VERY hard. I checked the pressure and found they had inflated all the tires to 37 psi! I reduced the inflation to 35 psi all around and the ride is PERFECT. Smooth on bumpy and smooth roads, yet tight in the curves, with minimal dip and squat on acceleration/braking.

During my first 1k miles with the RL, it spent time in service (to have addons installed). I had TL loaners, which were obviously more firm than the RL. That's about the best way I can describe the difference in the ride. Recall: the RL's primary mission is luxury with some sport in the curves.

guia x

Okay, I lowered the tire pressure to 31 psi all around. I was actually going for 32 psi in the fronts and 30 in the rears, but I let out too much in the front, so I decided to go 31 all around. The ride quality improved alright. It's not so harsh anymore. Also, I do not hear the rearview rattle quite as often. I fixed the XM as well and I now have 12 free months. Thanks for the help guys.

synth19

congrats on the purchase!