buzzmag

Got out of my 2006 RL last April for the M37x. Couldn't wait 2 or 3 more years for Honda to give us a new RL. I like everything about the M37x except the way it looks. Power to spare and plenty of luxury and conveniences. For me, Acura's SHAWD beats Infiniti's AWD.

I don't read much into Consumer Reports reviews but its latest review of the RL made a point of not enough pizazz or ooomph for it to be considered a luxury car when price is considered but that's probably every reviewers opinion.

If Acura can give me an RL with a 7 speed trans and 330HP ,3.7 liter engine on their next redesign, whenever that is, I'll be back to Acura in a flash.

lflorack

I've taken eight quick pictures and put them here.

037

or



I know which face I would pick.

ichi d

+1 for the RL.... The M's front looks like a fat rhino to me and its not that appealing. although the the M56s is not that bad with the bigger rims and blacked out headlights.

gcook

I like the infiniti M too. I too like it as an alternative to the RL. Would love to hear a good review after some time?

lflorack

I didn't want to leave Acura either and wouldn't have if it wern't for the current styling of the RL that I don't like (personal opinion, I know). I know not everyone does, but I really like the styling of the 'M'.

It's too early to tell as I really haven't pushed the 'M' yet (go figure) but it seems to me so far that SHAWD is superior to Infiniti AWD. I may change my mind after driving it a bit longer.

It's almost universal that the reviewers have always thought that the RL was too bland and they almost never give it any credit as a luxury car. We know better but, that's what they think.

lflorack

After I've had the car for a while and have driven it more 'normally' than like a new car, I'll be happy to give my impressions. So far, they're very good but again, I've not pushed it very hard yet.

TRIUMPHT

iTrader: (1)

I think the grill on the M is ugly but def think the overall car looks better than the RL ..the RL looks so plain and helpless next to the M..

TRIUMPHT

iTrader: (1)

^ I got to push that car at the test drive ..they took me on the highway with it and told me to gun it......hell of a difference in power...you won't be disappointed with it ..i was not to impressed with the handling of the car on a turn i had to make it didn't hug the corner .......but then again that is a much bigger car and i'm use to TL"S ..I could've lived with that though ..but they tried to low ball me on the price of my trade in....so i kept it moving...$25,000 for a 2011 TL with 1500 YEAH fifteen hundred K on it ...F outta here kelly blue book on the 2010 is worst case scenario 29 k ........so i will enjoy my TL and look into the M again in a couple of years unless ACURA comes out with something better ...ENJOY

037

overall the Infiniti does look more appealing but that grill...

lflorack

It appears that both the RL and the M have grills that evoke strong emotions.

Either or

plastikman

I went to infinity last night and checked out the 2012 M37x and I have to say I am amazed how far they have come with their interior. Overall I like the car a lot and will be comparing it to the A6 and a few other cars. I think I am pretty much done with Acura for now. Over the past 12 years I have owned four differnt models ( three TL's and one RL ) but that will be ending now. I am very hesitant to buy before I see the 2012 RL, but I can only wait so long. With the catastrophe and hardship over in Japan, it might be delayed a lot longer then I care to wait.

lflorack

I agree about the Infiniti interior. I found it to be stunning. I really didn't want to leave Acura either but... we all have our likes and dislikes. Acura is a fine car and I may return someday as the three that I had (2 TL's and an RL) were very nice and very reliable.

As promised, a quick update on the M37x: I have just over 4,000 on it now.

Handling: It's hard to put my finger on it but I think my Acura's (2005 RL) SHAWD was a bit more tenacious in the curves. The Infinity is no slouch either and would say it comes in a slight bit behind the RL and just a bit better than my two TL's (2003 S and 2004)

Power: There is NO comparison. The power on the M37x is eager and plentiful. You will feel it. The 330 hp coupled with the 7-speed transmission results in a huge difference. If for some reason, you want even more -- you can get an M56 and have 440 hp!

Appearance; Looks are subjective but I think the interior is much better in the Infiniti. I personally like the exterior better as the exterior on the RL's is looking dated -- and as I've stated before, I don't like the grill at all. Obviously a matter of taste.

Other Random comparisons: The GPS is in some ways better and in other ways not as good. I don't like that many of the Infiniti's GPS functions are locked out or at least limited when you're moving. (At least it's not like the Lexus GPS where everything is locked out when moving.) I DO like that the Infiniti has auto-rerouting due to traffic etc (new RL's may have this but my 2005 didn't). In certain situations, the birdseye view is nice in the Infiniti. Personal preference but I find I like knowing what direction I'm heading just by looking at a north-up map.
There are many more voice commands in the RL.
The sound system in the Infiniti is similar but better than the RL's (I have the 16 speaker version).
The Infiniti is a lot quieter but that may be an unfair comparison (5-6 year old RL versus a new Infiniti).
The brakes are MUCH better in the Infiniti.

More when I think of stuff.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments. I'll do my best to answer them.

Lee

oo7spy

Not knocking your comparison b/c most of it surely is valid, but the RL has a "North Up" birdseye view, the '09+ has a revamped ANC system that's supposed to be quieter, and I'm pretty sure there is an auto-recal method if you have the Active Traffic (I don't, but have seen Acura commercials about it). Like you said much of it is subjective, and I'm glad YOU are happy with the switch.

I am interested to know the long term quality of the interior, especially since you say it is nicer. I can't vouch for the RL's durability b/c mine's not too old, but I have heard about Nissan interiors falling apart relatively fast. Hope yours doesn't and you can come back and deny that speculation.

kssod

Similar thoughts stated here many times. What has happened to Acura and the RL? It is not mentioned in any mid size luxury car comparison, and is not even mentioned by Acura in their monthly sales reports on Acuranews.com. My 06 is still soldiering on but I would love to drop 55k-60k on a new exciting Rl that has some style and class leading power.
Conversely, driving an RL makes it very difficult to buy an alternative. The RL does everything well and is so loaded with technology, that the comparable A6, A7, 5 series etc. nickel and dime you with option pricing. For example, keyless entry, is a 1k option on a 5 series, and in an A7 the only way to get a power adjust steering column is with the Prestige option. As others have expressed, I truly wish that Acura corporate people would look at this forum, and realize that there is a significant market for a premium, stylish , powerful vehicle with the Acura badge and reliability. I am sure many would love a RL with rear biased SH-AWD, and a 0-60 time in the low 5 sec range, to compete with the M37, A7 (5.3 sec) 535 etc. combined with some cool interior lighting, nav and style.

jhr3uva90

I got a chance to test drive the 2011 Infiniti M37 today. I must say I was impressed. The car accelerated well. The interior with the Japanese ash wood was beautiful. And I enjoyed driving a RWD car. I don't think I want another sedan with SH-AWD and the wide turning ratio that it has.

I've had nothing but Acura cars since 1998 and I don't think I'll be buying another car to replace my 2005 RL for a couple of years yet. That being said, I'm not really impressed with anything Acura has released lately (except possibly the ZDX). Meanwhile, Infiniti has released convertibles and hybrid, which Acura has NEVER done. What's going on with Acura? Does Honda want them to thrive and compete or does Honda want the Acura brand to simply be a way to maximize utilization of their existing platforms?

TonyCD

Lotta ragging on Nissan here, though of course this is an Acura board. I think a lot of it isn't quite fair.

I too lack confidence in American-made Nissans with Ghosn's Renault cost-cutting, and Consumer Reports' numbers (the one thing they're really good for) show it's not just our imagination. However, I agree with the poster who pointed out that the Japanese-made Infinitis have a much better quality reputation, which appears to be deserved.

There's no knocking the interior quality of the M. With the possible exception of Audi, it's class-leading. I personally feel the increased use of fake wood has lessened the visual quality of the RL interior over the years. In the higher versions of the M, it's visibly real and impressive. Padding is good, lines are flowing and material quality seems top-notch. (Anybody seen how crappy the new E-Class interior looks? Hyundai would kick it out of bed.)

There are only a few things I can find to knock about the new M. They've fixed their ridiculous 5-speed tranny with too-short gearing, which addresses both the highway noise and highway mileage problems that kept me from seriously considering the previous model. Back seat room seems worse than the previous M, but that's always been true of the RL too. I don't like the exterior as well as the previous model, but that too also applies to the RL, and I'd pick the M over the current RL. And of course, the lack of torque vectoring gives the RL a real advantage in corners, but the M counters with gobs more power.

I think you did very well, and you'll continue to do so. Enjoy!

christopher1

i am in the same boat if 2012 is not change from the butt-ugly grill. i have NO choice but to buy nissan... or used 08 RL.. I hope ACURA is reading our posting..

TonyCD

Actually, you do. If the grille is your only objection to the car, you can order a Japanese Honda Legend grille on Ebay. It does have a Honda rather than Acura logo on it, but that could be a virtue in confusing the ignorant if you're into that sort of thing. :.)

Pens Fan

I had a 2005 RL and when the lease was up leased a 2008 M35X. After three years I was very happy to purchase a 2010 RL. The Infiniti seemed fine at first but did not age well at all. It is a gas guzzler and felt heavy and bloated. We needed new brakes at 15K, (RL never needed brakes and I turned it in with 45K miles). I missed the RL ride and handling. Looks are subjective of course but if the ride is what is important, Acura wins hands down. I test drove the M37X and was not that impressed that much had changed driving wise from the 2008.

lflorack

Everything I read and see says that the 2011 and 2012 M's have changed considerably since 2008. Obviously, I don't know yet how my 2011 Infiniti will age. So we'll seee about that. But, with the introduction of the 7-speed transmission, I think the gas consumption has improved considerably. On a recent trip I took with my not fully broken in M37, I averaged 26.1 mpg (driving with cruise at 78). On my normal driving (daily commute of ~22 miles one way and around town combination), I agerage between 21.5 and 22.5 so far. It seems to be climbing as teh weather warms up and the car gets more miles on it. Considering it's a ~4,000 lb car and 330 hp, that's pretty reasonable.

As for ride, I didn't get the sport model and I'm running the OEM 18" wheels and tires. I hear the ride is much stiffer if you get 20" tires or get a Sport model. Having just left my 2005 for the M, my opinion (you're right, a lot of this is subjective) is that the M is slightly firmer -- but most of that is likely due to the age difference between the 5 year old RL versus the new M. Also, of the two vehicles, the RL felt only slightly heavier to me.

I'm not dismissing what you seem to be looking for in how a car rides at all, I just haven't seen that much of a difference and I think we're likely looking for different things.

erdoc48

Actually, it looks very nice in white pearl. Get rid of the 'Dorschel' sticker on the back though.

lflorack

For those who are interested, I've taken a few more pictures (total of 23 now) and posted them here. The recent ones (all in the garage) are from last weekend after I put two coats of Zaino on it. Also in the recent pictures, you can also see what a 3M Clear Bra on white looks like.

lflorack

Thank you for the nice comment.

plastikman

Well I am going to test drive the 2012 in a few days, once I have a little more time. I did go have a look at the A6 yesterday and I have decided to hold off and see the 2012, there are some significant changes on the new model. As for the grill on the infinity, I personally do not mind it, but would consider changing it for the mesh grill if I did end up purchasing it.

lflorack

Let us know what you think of the 2012. I kinda like that mesh grille too. A little too much for me probably, but do like it's look.

jhr3uva90

i look forward to reading about everyday driving on the Infiniti M. Also, I would like to hear opinions about the audio system.

lflorack

I have the Premium and the Deluxe Touring Package -- the latter of which includes the Bose Studio Surround sound system with 5.1-channel decoding and 16 speakers. Honestly, the sound of this system compared to my former 2005 RL's Bose system are fairly comparable. I really don't notice a huge difference in how the two units sound. The major differences are that the M's CD/DVD/DVD-A player is a single disc player and the RL was a 6-disc unit. However, the M adds a 9.3 gigabyte "Music Box" hard disc player and you can record CD's right in the car. My 2005 RL also did not include an Ipod or USB connection for digital playback (I know that later RL's do have these). The M has both. I think the RL had 12 speakers. As I mentioned, the M has 16. I haven't tried it but I believe you can play DVDs (video) on the GPS screen. My RL couldn't.

Daily driving so far is a joy. The car is quiet and refined but is ready to be pushed at any time. It handles great and the lack of SHAWD is made up for with the gobs of extra power. My only complaint (and it's really a minor one) so far is the 7 speed transmission. It's not always as smooth as I'd like it to be and sometimes it seems to have trouble deciding the gear it wants to use. I normally run in "normal" mode (I can also set it for snow, eco or sport.) The difference between the settings is results in different shift points and throttle sensitivity. Next time I'm at the dealer, I'll have them check to make sure the transmission has the latest programming update.

But... overall, I'd say this car is a pretty big step up from my RL.

Hope this helps.

thephantom

The newer RL's can play DVD video, I believe.

How's M's handling compared to your old RL? Since it's really a RWD vehicle, does it push you through the turns better than the RL?

Also, the GPS is hard drive based; does it update the map and POI automatically via the satellite?

037

newer RLs definitely DO NOT play video.

RL has a 10 speaker Bose system which is kinda weak, in the 200-300w range.

oo7spy

This is a common lament on new automatic transmissions. The ECU is programmed to "learn" your driving style and change the shift timing accordingly. When we bought my fiance's Civic in August '09, the 5 speed auto drove me crazy because of the number of gears and lack of power. The car could not decide what was the best option and surely didn't understand what I wanted it to do. I would say this was only really annoying for 6 months and progressively got better. After that it only happened occasionally that it wouldn't do what I wanted. Today, it does everything I expect it to with no guessing.

I would give it at least 6 months to learn your foot and it's own capabilities before letting a dealer 1) reset the settings and 2) take your money. It is possible that some new autos don't have this "learning" period, but I think it is very common and works itself out quickly with respect to the life of the car. I have no doubt yours will be everything you want it to be with regards to shifting by the end of the year. (Unless you are using cruise control in hilly areas, that just throws everything off.)

lflorack

Sounds likely.

I think the RL with SHAWD is more tenatious than the M but the M almost makes up for it with rear wheel drive and a lot more power. But, I beleive the RL still wins -- but not by a lot.

I know the GPS software gets updated via disc but I'm not sure about the POI's. My guess at this point is that the disk also updates the POI.

lflorack

I can confirm that the transmission is already smoother than it was when I got it. Must be learning my tendencies.

slawek65

Hi. ask dealer for ITB 10075 and ITB 09032 software patches. These two make big difference, like night and day for my 7 speed g37.

lflorack

Thanks!

neuronbob

All I can say while reading this thread is: "where's Acura?"

RL fans are abandoning the brand as well as others. The only Acura I even want right now is a TSX wagon. Sigh. I hope Acura execs and workers monitor the board and give us an RL we can be proud of, and SOON!, or admit they don't want to be in this part of the market and let us know.

jhr3uva90

I've had nothing but Acuras since 1998. However, unless Acura makes big changes in the next couple of years (by the time I'm ready to buy another car), I might jump over to Infiniti.