I could use some informed opinions on what I should do. I was in an accident on Friday and my '03 RL was just declared totalled. (the car did a great job protecting me..walked out w/out a scratch) The car only had 52k miles and has never given me one problem. I learned to appreciate the fact that the car was so reliable. Insurance offered me $15,000 for the car and I have to find something to replace it with.

I'm not excited about coming out of pocket to replace the car ( I only drive about 8k miles a year) but I think it's smart to get something newer than an '03. I'm seriously considering the '05 RL. Should I expect this car to be as trouble free as my '03? Also, how much will an extended warranty cost? I plan on buying this car at auction from a reputable dealer who gets cars as requested at the auctions.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

The '05 had a few issues and there have been some TSBs on the RL (you can find most of them HERE). As long as the issues were addressed (not many reports of them coming back), you should be good to go.

LL

 

Sorry to hear about your loss. I walked away from a major crash in my 2000 RL. These things are built like a tank. Since you mentioned $15K budget, apart from 05 RL have you considered 04/05 TLs as a replacement ?

 

i say...put 3grand down...and lease something...keep the rest

 

i say 06 rl is a better choice, too many bugs on first year 05.

 

I bought my 05 RL from a dealer auction. The dealer was a good friend of my brother in law, so he was kind enough to take me with him to the auction. My RL was a one owner from Indiana. I made sure I had it inspected by an Acura dealer first. The dealer was also kind enough to sell me the car for the price he won it for. I paid $13,700 with the car having 69k miles. Then I bought a 3 year, 36K mile warranty from CNA. So my final price for the car was $15,100 before taxes and I'm covered until 105k miles.

Had the car for a few months now. Only had one problem which was my headlights began to flicker. Its a common problem. Thanks to my warranty, they paid for the 2 new bulbs and I just had to pay the $200 deductible.

I am very happy with my purchase. I highly recommend getting an RL.

 

Obviously the price point may make the determination of which model year you purchase. But due diligence is a must, especially if not under warranty or CPO. There is plenty of info in this forum for TSBs and some issues that were more common on some 05 RLs (not all). Most of those issues had been resolved my mid 06 RL production. VIN numbers are usually posted on the TSBs.

Also to consider should an 06 be on your radar: The 06 RL has a longer OEM warranty ( 48 months / 50,000 and drivetrain is 72 months / 70,000), so should you buy an 06, you may still have warranty support should you discover something after delivery.

No matter what you buy, if possible get a warranty. As reliable as these cars can be, only one thing to go wrong can easily be a $1500+ repair.

 

I agree. I purchased a used 05 this year and thankfully there are no problems with it. If I had read a little more I would have played it safe, spent a little more, and purchased an 06 for my peace of mind. Repairs can be expensive on these cars. But again my car is fine besides the dreaded head light flicker. You will be happy with the 2G RL although I do like the 1st generations body style better.

 

Thanks for some of the advice. Any suggestions on reputable aftermarket warranty companies?

Also, any idea about what I can expect to pay for the warranty? I'd want it to be as comprehensive as possible. I've heard some stories that these warranty companies can be difficult to deal with.

 

Warranty prices can vary by your market or state.

I tend to be wary of aftermarket warranties. If you buy an RL still under factory warranty and less than 50K miles, you can obtain an AcuraCare Extended warranty. This is also a benefit of a CPO purchase. Also, if you buy through a dealer ( a non CPO RL), you may be able to negotiate an extended AcuraCare warranty with the purchase. AcuraCare warranties can be obtained with scalable deductibles.

http://www.acura.com/EXTENDEDWARRANTY.ASPX

I would not buy a technology packed and featured car as most are today, without some warranty coverage unless you are prepared to pay for repairs, have the skill to do so yourself, or simply want a beater appliance vehicle.

 

Even if I move up to the '06 RL I'm going to be out of the original warranty, if my math is correct, and then not eligible for an Acura extended care warranty. I suppose the extra money on the '06 should take care of some of the issues that others had w/ the '05, but I'll still be w/out a reliable warranty.

My research on aftermarket warranties has not been encouraging, so if anyone has experience with an aftermarket warrranty and having repairs paid for and fixed w/out any issues I'd like to know.

Thanks.