I have been a Honda/Acura fan since 1983 when I bought my first new Accord. It was a little blue 2dr hatchback and it was great! In 1986 I bought the first generation Acura Legend, a dream car at the time. In 1992 I bought the the second generation Legend (Wow! what a car) beautiful and still is. In 2000 I bought the first generation Acura RL, never really liked the looks, but it was a great car. In October of 2005 I bought the 05 Acura RL. I only share this with you guys/gals that can relate to the emotional experience of owning this car. Super, excellent, tremendous, exciting, stimulating...I cannot find the words to express the feeling of owning and driving this car. Can anyone help?

I think we all have a duty to pass on to the rest of the world how nice this upscale automobile realy is. Sure, there has been some sofware problems, but doesn't that happen with all new high tech advances.

Just like in the nightly news, I am tired of hearing bad stuff, lets talk about the good stuff. This car has made me feel important, happy, rich (I am not), elegant. I am not a pretentous person that survives on the illusions of material things. I am just happy to be alive and drive the best car in the world (for someone who is not rich). My wife does not relate and that is Ok. Some people just don't get it.

Does anyone else love their RL?

 

I love it too, but I also hate it for the headaches it causes.

 

Yep - really enjoy my 2005 RL - no major problems with a very complicated, sophisticated piece of machinery.

 

I too enjoy my RL very much. It saddens me to hear that so many fellow Rl owners have so many issues with this vehicle. I understand that this car doesn’t satisfy all desires however, the ones that it do sure does make me

 

I am really enjoying my RL! Being a recent convert to the Acura line (I just traded in my 2005 TL in for the RL - loved the TL too!) I have owned Honda's in the past and my wife currently drives a Pilot. This car is great! It feels solid and luxurious on the road and also has a satisfying and fun level of performance to it. It is also quite entertaining with its high level of technology and nice little comfort and convenience touches. With just 437 miles on the odo, my love affair is just beginning.

 

This is our 14th Honda/Acura product. The cars have advanced technically, but the service and sales have remained the same.. shit. It's a good thing that they offer such great products, or else I'd be shopping elsewhere. Alas, I fear that as more and more Honda's are built outside of Japan, my love affair with Honda may end soon.

 

jcha2, when you write, "I cannot find the words to express the feeling of owning and driving this car" I really do understand how you feel. Simply looking at my 2005 RL as it sits on my driveway stirs an inner excitment in me. Then, when I get behind the wheel and drive away from home, I honestly feel a great sense of exhileration.

The RL feeds my desires. Its features give me constant pleasure as I travel on each journey. Neither my friends nor my wife understand the way I feel about "my car." I don't expect them to understand.

I have had many clunkers and a few really fine automobiles. None of them "fit" me like my RL does. In a previous post I wrote about my annual itch. I did not get that itch this year. In fact, I might be cured about wanting a new car every so often.

Of course, I have not seen or driven the RL of the future.

I wish all those who bought the RL as much enjoyment with theirs as I have with mine.

 

I really enjoy my car. But I am considering buying extended warranty as the car approaches 6000 miles.

 

Yeah, it's funny how quickly you assimilate to a vehicle and take it for granted. But I just got back from lunch with our CFO from London and I was showing him some of the features and it made me realize again how special this car really is. He was blown away, especially with the quality of the stock audio system.

Speaking of which, and my having been in the home and car audio business since 1978, I can tell you that the system is deceiving at first. Initially I was a bit underwhelmed. But like any quality audio system that is pretty neutral, it can seem a bit bland at first. Many mid-fi speaker companies know this and run artificially low impedances to make them seem "louder" on a demo in a store and appeal to the artificial midrange qualities that will sound "richer" at first. But this gets real fatiguing real fast and when pushed hard they will distort quicker as well.

But anyway - Only when I have been running through some familiar and complex material in my RL have I appreciated how excellent it really is. I have heard details that I even missed on higher-end home gear.

So yeah, love the car. It's beautiful inside and out. An understated and muscular, yet elegant, design that I think will wear well over time. Wax the front fenders and you will appreciate the subtlety of the contours, baby!

But, like many have said, sales / service is not a LEXUS experience - but what is?

 

I must admit, after being out of town for a few days, that I re-affirmed my love for my RL.

 

I must chime in with my affection for my 05 RL. Everytime I get inside the car and close the door, the sound of the door closing - reminds me of the quality of the car
I too am a a bit of an audiophile and love to listen to the DVD-A and the subtile musical background tones you would miss in a regular stereo sound system.
I love to ride up to TL owners (I must add I do like the exterior styling of the TL) and watch them google the RL.

Love the feel of the car on the road, the turns I make on and of the freeway ramps without having to hit the brakes. Not a sportscar but close enuff for me.

 

I love my RL as a "practical, reliable daily driver" car. I love my RL as a "fun to drive, take the on ramp faster than you would think possible, plenty of smooth power, just sporty enough" car. I love my RL as a "luxury cruiser full of comfort and convenience features and a joy to take on long trips" car. I love my RL as a "get you through all kinds of bad weather without batting an eye" car. Mostly, I love my RL because it does all of the above in one amazing car.

 

I LOVE my 2004 conservative RL !!!!! BULLET PROOF Japanese car !

 

It wasn't love at first sight for me, but I'm learning to love the RL. How can you not, when going up to Tahoe during snowy conditions was actually fun and not scary? I had to remember to keep my eyes on the road instead of staring at the SH-AWD indicator the whole time. It's just too cool to see how the power is being distributed when going through some of those curvy roads. Now if only I can find a roof rack for my snowboard...

 

Did you google or yahoo ? Someone has to make that.....

 

but of course. I'd be happy already if my board would just fit through the back seat pass through. The Japanese really need to design rear seats that fold down. I don't think Lexus, Infiniti, or Acura have any sedans with fold down rear seats. Anyhow, the big companies (e.g. Yakima, Thule) say they don't currently have a system for the RL. It looks like i'll just have to stop by REI or racknroad to see if they can do a custom job. A roof rack will definitely help my love for the RL grow. Who doesn't like a nice rack anyways

 

The Honda Accord has folding rear seats. I suppose the Acura corp idiot designers feel RICH folks wouldn't take there precious Acura snow sking ? Or they would take the MDX instead of the RL.......

 

All Acura sedans have a pass-through for skis and other long objects. The seats don't fold because they are bolted to sort of a wall, which is a relatively inexpensive way of reinforcing the structural and torsional integrity of the car. I think Lexus does the same thing with its sedans.

 

I too love my 06 RL. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains and drive very hilly and winding roads at least 70% of the time, and this car just hauls. The steering feels very precise, and the car feels responsive even though it weighs 4000 pounds. The car is truly best when hitting the gas out of a turn (I saw at least 4 ticks on my SHAWD display when coming out of a corner the other day). Many of the car magazines liked the handling, and after 3,000 miles I can see why. It's interesting and a bit confusing to me why so many people bash the RL on the internet. My guess is that these people have rarely driven the car in rainy and mountainous conditions when unexpected curves are encountered. OK, so it's not a drag racer from stoplights, but in my mind the composure of this car when driven hard is awesome. Combine all of this with the technology, fit/finish, refinement/quietness, and above all safelty that the RL has, and there is no way I will ever second guess my decision to buy this car.

 

No Acura feels that rich folks can buy a second car... like the MDX and pack more than skis into the trip.
Its a broad market... not everyone fits in.

 

Yes, I love my 05 RL. It has turned daily driving in bad traffic from a chore to a pleasure. That's a big chunk of our daily working lives, if you think about it!

The sound system blows me away every day, and the ride is simply luxurious.

The more I drive it, the more I appreciate the technology, craftmanship, and superb engineering that went into the vehicle. To me, the fact that this is more of a "sleeper" in disguise than a "statusmobile" is actually an attraction. I don't mind that most people who don't know much about high-end vehicles beyond brand names (like my wife, who is a honda girl), probably think "oh, there goes a nice ACCORD", when they see my vehicle drive by. I'm the only one who has to know!

 

I actually mistook the 2006 Honda Accord for an RL for a split second tonight. That doesn't really bother me, though. I'm quite fond of my RL, and apparently many other people like their RLs as well.

 

Count me in as another guy who loves his 05 RL. Great car

 

I can't agree more! The car feels very capable hitting those wet curvy roads. When I approach a sign showing a 20mph curve ahead, I'm extremely confident at taking the turn at double the posted speed. And it's especially fun to pass everyone while they are doing 25mph in their tire chains. On a road full of 4x4's, Audis, and Subarus, the RL can more than hold its own. All in comfort and luxury too!

 

Count me in as another who loves my 2005 RL
but thinks that Honda Service is absolute crap!

This is my first $50K car (moving up from a $20K
Mercury Cougar), and I can't believe how much
comfort this car brings. You really get what you
pay for. I used to hate driving -- but now absolutely
love it thanks to the RL's smooth ride and very quick
acceleration from a green traffic light.

Honda service on the other hand? The pits!

Honda in Ocean Twp. NJ gave me an extremely
nasty phone call after I ended up buying my
RL at another dealer. The sales manager vowed
that if I brought my car in for service at that location
I would not be treated as well as their clients.

The Honda dealer/service in New Brunswick N.J.?
Lots of little problems. A few of us arrived in the
service area waiting room 15 minutes before the
official opening time (the doors were open and lights
were on) and we were subjected to the sales manager
yelling in ear's range about the people arriving early.

Then, after all the reported problems concerning the
XM radio refresh and the TSB that was offered, both the
district and sales manager gave me a rough time about
getting my car serviced to fix the problem. Only after I
wrote a scathing letter to Honda in California did I get
results.

Lastly...and perhaps this is nitpicking...I remember a
conversation I had in the Honda service waiting room in
New Brunswick N.J. with a lady that also owned a LEXUS.
She went on and on about the fact every time she brings
her car in for service at her Lexus dealer there is a huge
refrigerator full of sandwiches and other oddities available
for customers who have to wait.

In my Honda service waiting room there is coffee service
and a small tray of cookies. And, if you don't get there
before 10am, the cookies are gone for the rest of the day.

Other than that, I love my RL!

 

These people who work for the Acura dealerships absolutely don't belong in any kind of business. They should be fired!

 

I don't mind that most people who don't know much about high-end vehicles beyond brand names (like my wife, who is a honda girl), probably think "oh, there goes a nice ACCORD", when they see my vehicle drive by. I'm the only one who has to know![/QUOTE]

Yeah - i like the fact that it does not invoke some sort of status thing. When you drive it the only people that seem to notice it are really into cars - so you can enjoy the performance/tech/luxury without stigma. When I drove a 928 everyone mistook me for an overpaid attorney or something and copped some major 'tude.

 

The only people who I catch noticing my car are BMW owners. And they kinda look at me mean, too .

Maybe they are mad at me for reminding them they bought the wrong car? Beats me.

 

Wow. The exact same thing happens to me. Someone in an older 5 series (E39)was behind me the other day. When I stopped at the light and looked into my rear view mirror he was glaring at me. This wasn't a sunny day either. Anyhow, I hit the sunshade button and that was the end of that. Sunshade + 20% tint = No glare.

 

Gonna have to watch for that one.
Did have a guy in an Audi RS6 dust me off on the freeway the other day. I was doing about 80mph with traffic minding my own business when WHAM! The RL actually rocked for a moment as he blew by at warp speed. Another 50 hp and 50 ft lbs of torque would sure be nice to have in the RL.

And I dream of the new Audi S8. A lot.

 

Audi RS6!!! but this guy pay 80K for this car, double what We pay for RL.