Jazzy1999

I presented this question in another forum I'm part of (M3 E46). How often do you see a RL 2G on the road with your day to day travels? Excluding of course a Local owner in your town, you may see often.

Speaking for myself it's definitely not a car I see everyday, I'm see more 1G's. Wonder what the production #'s were between the 1G and 2G?

teh CL

iTrader: (1)

They are kinda rare I guess, Aspec's are definitely a rare breed..

Saw a black Aspec yesterday... I was like

08KBP_VA

I see them quite often, actually same holds true for e46

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

ehhh, kinda every few months maybe. So no it isn't around that much where I live

oo7spy

There is a thread with sales numbers. First year was around 30k IIRC. Next was like 20k. The. It's a steady drop to less than 400 in 2012. Total 2005-2012 production was less than 100k.

Jazzy1999

^^^^^ Hmmm interesting

MSW 6SP

I see a handful a day, but I notice I'm the youngest driver. Every other month I drive by another white one with a Mugen body kit, who apparently isn't on this site. Now THAT is rare.

RL09

The second-generation 2005 Acura RL appeared on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2005. The car also garnered an CNET.com "Editor's Choice" Award for Top Tech Car and has had been reviewed in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2011 as well as 2013 for its successor, the RLX. The SH-AWD all-wheel-drive system was lauded by Popular Science as one of the best automotive innovations of 2004, and earned the 2005 "Tech Car of the Year" from CNET.com.[40] In a comparison of 2006–2007 model year mid-luxury sedans with all-wheel drive (prices ranging from $60,000 to 65,000 CAD), the RL compared favorably to a Mercedes-Benz E300 4MATIC and a BMW 528xi with xDrive.[41][42] Subsequent moves by both Audi and BMW to design and market their own versions of torque vectoring all-wheel-drive systems bear out the innovative nature of the SH-AWD design.

While critically acclaimed, sales have not met expectations. Despite the mid-generational update in 2009, only 2,043 cars were sold in the U.S., a 55 percent drop from 2008. Among Japanese luxury flagships marketed in America during the first six months of 2010, Acura sold only 872 RLs, compared to 5,650 Lexus LS and 6,602 Infiniti M sedans.[43][44] Only 379 RLs were sold in North America in 2012.[45]

Enthusiasts and dealers said that the RL was not competitive because it lacked the full-size dimensions (the back seat was regarded as tight for a car of this size),[46] a V8 engine performance option, and the better handling and balanced rear-wheel drive of its larger rivals in the mid-luxury segment.[43][44][47][48] The 2009 refresh and 2011 update did not keep the RL competitive enough in acceleration or fuel economy, considering that other marques had released new generations of their mid-size luxury sedans, and as the 2009-10 RL retained a five-speed automatic transmission while other rivals had automatics with six or seven gears. Other competitors that were midway through their model cycle, such as the 2004-07 BMW 530i and 2005–08 Audi A6 3.2 FSI (with naturally-aspirated 6-cylinder engines that were less powerful than the Acura RL's 3.5L V6) received updated engines with turbocharging/supercharging; the resulting 2008 BMW 535i and 2009 Audi A6 3.0 TFSI proved more powerful and fuel-efficient than the 2009 Acura RL (with a 3.7L V6).[34][44][49] The RL's styling, while generally considered handsome, was not viewed as inspiring or passionate enough to alert buyers to its technological features or stand out in a crowded field, and the 2009 model was criticized for its "power plenum" grille, a bright horizontal pentagon of chrome that formed a shield across the upper center.[50][51]

Some have suggested that the Acura RL's failure in the market was due to its initial pricing which was perceived to be out of its bracket. Honda Japan believed that the new RL offered more features and performance than the base version of its luxury competitors (i.e., the base six-cylinder BMW 5 Series),[51] and suggested that it could charge more, though Honda Canada disagreed. The RL's initial MRSP was $69,500 CAD, more than the six-cylinder BMW 525i and close to that of the V8-powered 2005 BMW 545i at $70,000 CAD.[3] At the RL's price point, most consumers expected a V8. Furthermore, they did not perceive the Acura brand as being on par with its German rivals and expected more value from the Japanese marque, particularly with more expensive offerings (as opposed to entry-level offerings like the Acura TL which were much more successful in their price brackets).[4] The damage from Honda Japan's alleged hubris was done, perhaps giving the RL an unfavorable image that could not be removed, even though Honda Canada has since reduced the RL's price.[52] Although other Japanese manufacturers have had limited success in the mid-luxury market which has been dominated by the Germans, the Lexus GS 350 and Infiniti M35 (which debuted around the same time as the second-generation Acura RL) followed a strategy of undercutting the German executive cars with lower pricing and/or more standard features and sold considerably better than the RL.[43][44] Late in its production lifespan the RL also faced competition from the Hyundai Genesis which was less expensive yet similarly refined, while featuring rear wheel drive and an optional V8 engine.[45]

In 2009, the new generation of the Acura TL was released. The TL's high performance trim features essentially the same engine (but slightly more horsepower, so Acura advertised the TL as its most powerful car), the SH-AWD system, similar dimensions,[53] and many of the RL's other key features for only $44,900 CAD, causing some to question whether it rendered the costlier RL superfluous in Acura's own showrooms.[52] [5] An auto journalist remarked of the RL's successor, the Acura RLX, saying "Making the RLX bigger fixes nothing. The RL's problem, and now the RLX's, is that the car looks and feels like an exalted, compulsively over-equipped Honda Accord".[54][55]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acura_RL#Reception

alfadoctor

Most of the RL's that I have seen on the road have been about as many you can count on both hands (

MrKev

Although it's over 10 years old, they're not as common and I like the fact that many still compliment the car

JJones91

I like how rare it is, unfortunately that effects the price of parts replacement and availability.

RL09

MrG4Life

iTrader: (1)

When I first got mine almost three years ago it felt like I drove the only RL in the county. Mine is one of three in the parking lot at work and I see another one from time in my neighborhood. But overall I rarely do see them on the roads.

Ish McCormick

I know there are very few RL on the road it makes me sad but.I also love having rare cars... I've always had a eye for non norm. A few cars I had was 1994 Acura legend, 1996 Acura RL, 1994 Saturn sL2, a 89 firbird and a good rare one a 1994 Subaru SVX.. Personally I don't get it why the RL hasn't blown up. . I mean it gets all the top picks and everyone says it's the best car out there. I love the car . but the Acura RL 2006 is one of my dream cars..

Oh weird question am I the Only gay guy here ?

oo7spy

Here in the RL forum, maybe. On Acurazine, no. :theghey:

stevieray

You think parts availability is an issue for the RL, you should try sourcing parts for a '91-'95 Legend Coupe. Junkyard diving at it's finest.

teh CL

iTrader: (1)