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Hello everyone. I am new to this forum, but wanted to get some info. I am looking into getting a second car and the RL was one of them. I have found several RLs between '05 and '08 for a relatively low price. I wanted to check with you all on here to see how they held up over the years and what I should look out for when checking out the vehicles. I am also looking at a few '06-'08 Lexus GS, and a few Nissan Maximas ranging from '09-'12. If anyone has an insight on how the RL stacks up to them that would be great also. Out of all the cars I saw, the RLs tend to be the cheapest and have the most reasonable mileage. I drive a lot for work so I want to have something reliable, attractive, and not give up too much of the amenities and power that I am used to in my current vehicle, (2013 Kia Optima sx).
Hello everyone. I am new to this forum, but wanted to get some info. I am looking into getting a second car and the RL was one of them. I have found several RLs between '05 and '08 for a relatively low price. I wanted to check with you all on here to see how they held up over the years and what I should look out for when checking out the vehicles. I am also looking at a few '06-'08 Lexus GS, and a few Nissan Maximas ranging from '09-'12. If anyone has an insight on how the RL stacks up to them that would be great also. Out of all the cars I saw, the RLs tend to be the cheapest and have the most reasonable mileage. I drive a lot for work so I want to have something reliable, attractive, and not give up too much of the amenities and power that I am used to in my current vehicle, (2013 Kia Optima sx).
Look for 06-08, do not buy 05 regardless of service records (I just do not trust that year because of all stories and electrical issues I read here about).
Second important to be aware of is: mileage, look for something around 100k and plan to do timing belt on your own dime (unless there are dealer service records that it was done already).
Be ready to shell out $600+labor for OEM engine mounts... and also depending on the ride quality you may need to look into replacing struts and shocks.
I was told by the mechanic I needed to look into suspension because my tires were cupping on the inside (I had at that time 130-140k miles I think), so check the tires...
You can find KYB Excel shocks and struts on Rockauto.com for a good price, and install should not be that difficult - counting you will not do it on dealer... because they will charge heck of a lot more...
I wanted to make a thread too but didn't want to make the forum even messier. I'm looking into buying a 2005 RL A-Spec. It has 104,XXX miles but seems as though the major maintenance hasn't been performed. There are 2 other things that bother me about the car. The driver side handle touch function doesn't work anymore. I was doing some research and seems as though it's ~$300-400 to replace the handle alone. The previous owner also rolled the fenders for aftermarket wheels and apparently didn't do a great job. The fender lips and quarters "flare" out just a tad from the stock body line. Anywho, I'm kind of torn. Seems like a decent car, looks great, but definitely will require some love to make it right. He wants $7000, but I don't think it's worth that much haha. Any thoughts or opinions?
I wanted to make a thread too but didn't want to make the forum even messier. I'm looking into buying a 2005 RL A-Spec. It has 104,XXX miles but seems as though the major maintenance hasn't been performed. There are 2 other things that bother me about the car. The driver side handles touch function doesn't work anymore. I was doing some research and seems as though it's ~$300-400 to replace the handle alone. The previous owner also rolled the fenders for aftermarket wheels and apparently didn't do a great job. The fender lips and quarters "flare" out just a tad from the stock body line. Anywho, I'm kind of torn. Seems like a decent car looks great, but definitely will require some love to make it right. He wants $7000, but I don't think it's worth that much haha. Any thoughts or opinions?
FYI - these are just concerns in my opinion (fine print to avoid people criticizing it... instead I invite all to contribute to the question thread owner posted):
Concern #1 - 2005 (perhaps built date can help if it was done towards 2006, I don't know if that matters in RL case).
Concern #2 - Not sure on the parts how it will be finding the A-SPEC suspension since mine is not A-Spec
Concern #3 - $7k price is a bit high IMHO -
Concern #4 - 13-year-old car gives you avg of 8000 miles per year... when you have AWD car with that low miles per year, it must have been driven LESS than it should have been - so it raises another flag why the mileage is so low... again, this is just my opinion and not an absolute truth
Concern #5 - Fenders work > will it require some body work? Do expect that rust will come back if there is any at the moment.
Handle I do not think is an issue, 300-400 you can replace it and it will work fine...
1. Yeah, I hear a lot about the possible electrical problems with the 2005, but besides the door handle, doesn't seem to have any other issues electrically.
2. I actually have Tein Comfort Sports already. Sending to Tein for a overhaul and will replace whatever suspension is currently on the car.
3. I agree 7K is high considering the year and lack of maintenance performed. If I can get it down to $6K, I'll probably grab it.
4. True, it is lower mileage. The current owner is the 2nd owner and really only drives it a few times a month as it's his 2nd car. 1st owner was an older person.
5. This is really bothers me haha, but I think the Mugen flares would hide those imperfections.
I guess it really comes down to price. Seems like a decent car that needs some love but not at the $7K price point.
Lol I just wanted to see if my logic is sound. I'm leaning towards buying the car despite the concerns listed. Of course, all depending on the price. Just wanted more opinions since I'm not super familiar with the RL chassis.
Laughable that people would avoid an 05. I have one with 135k miles on it that ve owned since 2008. It’s been fantastic. All the bugs showed up between 40 and 60k, haven’t had any trouble since. Just crappy interior quality of armrests. It’s true 05 (and 06) had issues, but once addressed, it’s as good as any other year. Service records are key.
I would agree - at this point, regardless of the year - if the car is still around and running and being sold, it's most likely a very solid car. I have a '05 with 170k that runs great! These are VERY solid cars, and while I have had the opportunity to get a few RLX's, this car still does it for me.
As far as Maxima's go, they seem to be pretty solid cars and are actually pretty quick. Any VQ powered car should be decent. However, I think the interior/quality is not on par with the GS/RL though, while the Maxima is nice if optioned right, to me it definitely feels like a cheaper and lower level car. The GS350 is more comparable to the RL as you can get them in AWD, similar power and have similar options, I think it comes down to preference with those two. The GS on average seems to cost more money though.
I have an '06 RL and its been really good, no complaints. I put 28k miles on it since I bought it last July. Car handles very well for its size and just eats up miles effortlessly on the highway. I truly don't think these cars can be beat for the price. Not as flashy as a BMW or Mercedes but likely more reliable and going to be cheaper to maintain.
I would avoid the '05-'08 RL's only because of the PAX tire system. i understand they can be a headche and $$$ when its time to replace tires. A lot of people try and go with conventional wheels and tires to avoid the $$$ and/or trying to find a place that works on that system( not eveyone can work on PAX system), but going to conventional wheels and tires can mess up pax system/ Thankfully acura did away with PAX for '09+ RL
What does pax have to do with avoiding 05-08? They weren’t standard equipment. My 05 didn’t have them. As long as a vehicle has a strong service history and known problems addressed, any year from 05 onward is a great choice. My 05 was flawless from 60k through 135k when I sold it.
De-PAX'ing a RL is no big deal. When I bought my '07 Tech w/CMBS & ACC, the previous owner had already replaced the PAX tires and wheels with the regular stock wheels & tires. I eventually replaced the stock alloys & tires with 18" A-Spec wheels & Pirellis and also replaced the rear springs since the PAX tires are super heavy and take a different spring. For me, I'd say swapping out cost about $1300, the majority of which was the Pirellis (I got an incredible deal on the A-Spec wheels). Good luck---
Right. I don't see many tech RLs around. I think mine might be the only tech model in the entire region. But by now, all the tech models would be de-PAX'd because the tires would be worn out and you can't buy PAX replacements.
