synth19

So brought my RL in for a few Warranty things and they gave me a new TL. Man this things sucks. As we all know the exterior is hideous, and the interior feels cheap and busy. Of course this is just an opinion but honestly feel that my 5 year old RL is a much better car then the new TL. You can almost immediately tell the superior build quality of the RL vs. the TL. /rant.

thephantom

But I LOVE the power and handling of the new TL!

FatNoah

I recently got a new TSX as a loaner and pretty much felt the same thing. I love my '05 RL. Everytime I see another 2G RL on the road, I catch myself admiring it.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

That probably means the 3G TL is more refined than the newer ones..
i still wanna test drive an SH-AWD 6mt

tnobori1

^ X2. I need to get into an SH-AWD TL to compare the handling to my RL.

synth19

meh. New TL on all season's doesn't beat my RL with Blizzaks.

tnobori1

I suspected as much!

mg7726

you just opened a can of worms with the 4G TL group. Granted there was a reason i got the 2008 RL over the new gen of acuras.

GoHawks

I agree. I sat in a new TL yesterday. The dash kinda looks like in came out of Transformers movie. It just doesn't look as upscale. Maybe sporty, but not upscale.

Having said that I was at the Detroit Auto Show last weekend. When you walk around and look at a lot of the products out there, the RL is beginning to look dated, but that seems to be what Acura does with the RL. Didn't the first generation run almost 10 years? Then again the same could be said for the Lexus GS. Lexus hasn't done as much to keep that platform current either.

Acura had a lot of real estate at the show, but there wasn't a lot of traffic there. You could attribute that to the fact that it was Detroit, but the lack of traffic wasn't the case at some of the other foreign brands like Audi and BMW.

It comes down to generating some excitement.

23109VC

the new TL is a nice car, but yes... the RL is in a class by itself... sometimes I think when my RL wears out.. maybe I'll snatch up a smokin' deael on a 2010/2011 RL.....

same nice interior, but I do LIKE the new RL exterior.. some don't like it, but I think the newer RL looks SWEET... tinted, spoiler, and maybe some nice wheels..and the newer RLs are bitchen cars.. and you NEVER see the new ones on the road..

a few nights ago I was right behind a newer 09+ white RL... gorgeous!!!!

tnobori1

That had to do more with the color than the body style, though!

dwboston

I had my RL in for service and the master brake cycliner recall this week and was a given a 2010 TL as a loaner (that I had to keep overnight), and I agree with the OP. The TL was a base model, with no navi, and the car just looked and felt cheap and plastic-y inside. The ride was OK and the engine was nice and smooth, though there seemed to be a lot of road noise. It occurred to me that Acura has a lot of nerve slapping a $35k sticker on that car. I used to own a 2003 TL-S, and drove the previous-gen TL many times as a loaner, and I can say that Acura took a step back with this version both styling and performance-wise. I was thrilled to get my RL back after driving the TL for a day and a half.

23109VC

how differently does a newer RL drive vs the 05-08 ones??? they look very similar inside.... exterior they are of course very different... but with the newer engine and any changes in transmission/engine tuning - does the newer RL drive a lot different than an 05-08 or if you got out of an 05-08 and got into a 2010 - would you even notice the different in the ride/handling/drive/acceleration/etc???

while i like the look of the newer RLs.. i wonder if the best RL "bang for the buck" would be a low mileage07-08 and then slap on custom wheels/suspension....

or is the newere one much much much different behind the wheel b/c of hte bigger engine, more torque, etc..

i had my car in for an oil change, and some minor stuff at the dealer the other day..

when I went out to pickup my car--- it was looking VERY nice. they had done a nice wash job, shined up my tires... with my tint and spoiler... i thought my car looked as nice as it ever has.. (as good as a 2G can w/out wheels and a drop)... and right behind me was a new TL SH-AWD with the solid spoke wheels and a spoiler... it was a lighter gray color.... i had a chance to stare at the TL and my car - and do a nice side by side... I had to admit - the new TL did look more aggressive... it is a nice car. I've driven them as loaners.. (never an AWD model though) and I do think they are nice. they lack some of the niceties that the RL has standard... but in terms of driving dynamics, the TL feels faster and much sportier... it's targeted at a different crowd....

while the RL is a great car, if I woke up tomorrow and a new AWD TL was in my driveway...I wouldn't be upset or anything... there are times when I just LOVE my RL... quiet, smooth... a vault on wheels... yet it handles really well on turns despite it's weight... then there are times when I really want to drive fast or have somethign sportier... the TL woudl do better and splitting the difference between sport and luxury... the RL is more focused on lxuury and while it is sporty enough.... i doubt you'll ever make an RL "feel" like a TL in the driving dynamic/feel area....

when my RL is due for replacment... i'll see what Acura has to offera nd if I stick with the brand, I'd probably test drive both the TL and RL..... i won't be in the car market for a few more years... by then... the 2010-2012 models may have some nice CPO deals...

maybe there will be some bad a$$ Type S TL with a turbo 3.7L.. ok... probably not...

037

from what I remember reading is that 09+ RLs have slightly stiffer springs as well as new compound rear brake pads besides the obvious engine displacement bump.

2011 RL is first year with 6 speed auto.

nralpmet

Took my '05 in a few Saturdays ago for the brake recall. Got a call towards the end of the day that they could'nt finish and would I be okay with a '11TL for the weekend. Hell yeah! Turns out it was one of the managers cars and was loaded (SHAWD with tech and winter tires). As luck had it I had to run an errand out of town on the Sunday and got to test drive the TL over 400kms.

Interior Feels more cramped. Did not like the layout of switches. Seats not as comfy.
Drive. Smoother shifting. Better low end power. Stiffer suspension - feel bumps on road. Like that the paddle shifters work without having to be in sportshift.
Nav/tech Crisper screen with some kind of filter cover to help readablity in sunlight. Bluetooth can be setup through screen menu as opposed to voice command only. Downloads phonebook from cell phone. Push start button works well but did not understand why there is a slot for the fob as it does not need to be in the slot to start.

All in all I thought the TL works well, but still think that the RL has more finesse and elegance. Would be curious to try out a '11RL...

DandyG23

I had the pleasure of driving a 2011 SHAWD w/ tech when I had my recall done. I have to say it is more powerful and faster. I still missed my 06 RL. The TL is indeed in another group and should not be the RL replacement I have heard from other people. I still have to wait and see what the 2012 RL would look like.

TonyCD

I had almost an identical experience on my recent brake recall service. The loaner base TL was quick, and it had most of the same toys as my RL -- recognizably lifted from the RL, in some cases. But even beyond the Rodan Meets Rocket Boy interior trim, the whole car just felt sort of hollow, harsh and stiff by comparison. I really had the impression that it's what happens when you try to add the perception of value to an Accord sedan by stiffening up the suspenders and doing a "sporty" restyle inside and out. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, because it beats this model in magazines' head-to-head comparos, but I remember being much more impressed with the way the current Maxima went down the road.

synth19

Just got my RL back, happy as a clam. Thank God for the extended warranty. I had the following done:

- AFS sensor replaced
- Driver's Door handle replaced
- Oil Change done

Some interior lights went out, quoted me $200 for the job. Seemed excessive, so plan on getting it done @ a buddies shop.

037

interior lights can be done on your own...those are easy. Pop some LEDs in and tons of light

wall e

YES!!! This is exactly why i want an 09 RL (white). They truly are a rare beauty on the roads. I about to get one and i cant wait to be the only o9+ RL driving the streets. I like being different :-D

baboya96

Took my 06 RL to a local dealer for some non-service item and was told to get a master cylinder recall done. So they gave me a 2010 TL (base model) with 4500 miles on ODO. man.... was I dissapointed. Granted it was a base model, I couldn't believe how terrible lay-out was designed plus the type of materials used. I'm not even just comparing with my RL. I would be hard pressed to pay $35k for it. Yes, engine was great ans response was excellent but I felt interior could improve ALOT for that kind of price tag.

it was roomy though! Both interior and trunk seem bigger than my RL and I did enjoy that.

23109VC

I sometimes think it would make more sense to just do suspension, wheels, and maybe the aspec body kit to the rl VS getting a 4g tl... If you figure you would spend a few grand for all those mods... To upgrade into a new TL you would easily be taking on a huge additional debt.... Figure most 2g rls are worth 15-25k depending on year and mileage... A new tl would be 35-40k... Cheaper to trick the rl and I can't imagine the handling would be much different once you massaged the rl with suspension wheels and tires,,,,,

Ken1997TL

You really DO get your money's worth on the RL if you value interior materials and craftmanship IMO.

037

I can confirm that with stainless steel brake lines, new pads, H&R springs the ride and feel resembles the TL that I owned.

Handling was comparable even on the horrible MXM4 tires so with better tires it's actually better than the 3G TL. If you want to match 4G you will obviously have to get the same tires, aka PS2's.