Mike_TX

That's what my salesman told me he hears the most about the RL.

I was at the dealer today for an oil change and as usual, I talked RL's with my salesguy (hoping in vain to get some inside scoop.) Without any prompting, he said, "The complaint I hear the most about the RL from prospective buyers is that it doesn't have enough power and it rides too rough."

"Rides too rough?", I said, with a certain amount of disbelief. "Yep", he says, "They expect it to ride more like an ES350 or a Cadillac, and it just doesn't."

Now, for me, the ride is a little firmish over ripples and sharp stuff, but that's what I consider a good compromise between ride and handling. But he says it misses the mark with a lot of people because they expect a $50k luxury car to ride like a cloud.

I mentioned that a lot of the people on the forums are going A-Spec and wishing for coilovers to firm up the ride, and he says he knows that, but buyers in this segment want a plush ride more like the previous-gen RL had, and it just doesn't deliver.

"Go out and bleed some air out of the tires", I advised him.

.
.

carnutpa

I traded a Cadillac DeVille for my RL and I would definately prefer a cushier ride than the RL has. I understand you probably give up some handling to get this but if I had a choice, I'd take the better ride. I have a bad back and although the seats feel nice, the stiff bumps certainly don't help. I know all you RL owners would disagree, but I am hoping the next gen RL has a cushier ride.

larrynimmo

prior to buying my 2007 RL, I was going to buy an08 ES350. The ride of RL was almost a deal breaker for me....it was a compromise for me to accept the much higher handling performance over a little loss of ride comfort.

Mike_TX

Seriously, a couple of pounds of air pressure makes a big difference in the ride.

Acura recommends 32psi front, 30 psi rear. That's for optimum handling, tire wear, etc. Go ahead and drop the fronts to 30 psi and initial impact harshness really improves.

I had my oil changed today and as I drove away I immediately noticed some extra "thump" in my car's ride. When I checked the TPMS, I saw they had run all the tires up to 32 psi. That doesn't seem like much difference, but it's definitely enough to feel! Mine have now gone back to 30 psi (cold) all around.

.
.

Chas2

I guess I will have to try this to see since I am riding at 35 32 (lot of temp fluctuation. A few weeks ago we were in the 50's and recently we were in the 80's. Maybe tomorrow will be more toward recommended with a high of 68.

AsianTL

I agree.

Mike_TX

I'm sure you know this, but you should set your tire pressures only when the tires are cold (meaning they have sat for at least 3 hours without driving, and preferably overnight).

Temperature fluctuations will definitely cause the cold pressure to change, but usually not more than one or two psi. And as cold weather sets in, you do need to reset your pressures.

.
.

sadlerau

The ride/handling compromise can be covered by Acura using pesio-electric dampers [as offered on the MDX].
The power issue is more a gearing issue which a six speed gearbox and the 3.7 motor from the MDX would resolve.
Are you getting the impression that Acura really do not know what their market is? These two fixes would cost next to nothing, and according to your sales person are the major gripes with showroom floor traffic? Acura please wake up.

Mike_TX

Yeah - he says people actually come for test drives and say they're disappointed with the ride quality.

The piezo-electric dampers could help with the ride issues, but they aren't exactly cheap ... they make up most of the extra cost of the Sport version over the Tech version of the MDX, which is about $1,800.

We pretty much all agree the MDX's 3.7-liter engine and a 6spd tranny would make a lot of difference. Heck, even the current 5spd (tuned for crisper downshifts) and the bigger motor would make most of us happy!

.
.

Touge

It's funny when I 1st test drove the RL I thought the ride was soft. I guess it's all relative.

neuronbob

Exactly what I thought. I thought it was too soft prior to A-Spec. Then again, my ride at the time was an A-Spec TL with a thicker rear sway bar and 18's, so YMMV. The RL's ride is damn near perfect now....a little softer than the A-Spec TL, but definitely tolerable.

Very simple solution for this for the next RL, almost a no-brainer: Base RL with floatmobile ride and Michelin MXMs with lots of sidewall for those who expect (shudder) a soft ride, and RL-S with A-Spec suspension and 18's or 19's for those of us who actually value handling. I mean, DUH! That's what Mercedes and BMW do (though even the base 530 and 545 don't exactly have a cushy ride either at base model level...).

lumpulus

When I saw some think the RL rides to hard I was like. "WTF?", but then I come from driving RSX Type S for the past 5 years. I think it rides too soft.

As to putting softer tires on it...good idea...just NOT more POS Michelins. I wish Honda would get away from Michelin as an OEM supplier.

kmcheney

I agree that a couple of pounds of pressure makes a big difference. I actually run mine about 3 pounds higher than recommended (35 front, 33 back; I have the PAX tires) and enjoy the firmer ride.

To each his own but I wouldn't call Michelin's a POS. IMHO they are great tires. I have them on all three vehicles and even on my motorcycle. They've never failed me.

lumpulus

They are CRAP....the ONLY thing they have going for them is tread life.....they are noisey, they handle horribly in the wet, and not too well on dry pavement either...all of that, and they are EXPENSIVE.

Try Dunlop next time you buy tires...you'll never go back to Michelins again.

tasdisr

After owning an 03 TL-S and an 05 TL, I thought the RL ride was a little bit on the floaty side.
The ride does not seem quite as bad after living with it for six months. None the less I am still thinking very seriously about having the A-spec suspension installed soon.

As far as power the only thing I would like (as has been stated many times) is some more
low end torque.

Other than that I think the RL has one of the best balances of ride and handling out there.

AbovePrime.

The RL's main problem is the tranny, and they're is no fine balance between a good riding sedan, and a great handler, as it is out paced by the 5 Series, the A6, and the new S80 V8&T6.

Letting out tire pressure is good for the ride but it is the reason most people see horrible treadwear, I keep the PSI at 37 in the SUV's, which weight about the same as the RL.

rettenhu

I was in a similar position about 3 months ago and decided on the RL instead of the ES350. The ES350 was just too soft for me and the RL is definitely on the "bumpy" side in comparison. My tires are at 32/30 (front/rear) and I will try dropping the fronts down to 30. In my case, I also think the quality of the roads I generally travel has a huge bearing on the ride. Highway driving seems fine to me but the ride becomes very bumpy on local streets... especially those here in NJ which are not always in the best condition. I am still very happy with my RL decision. I would be interested in suggestions on alternative tires to the OEMs that would emphasize ride and quiet without giving up too much performance.

webhead

I thought that the ride was too soft with the stock suspension. Now, with the aspec suspension, 18 " rims and michelin pilot sport A/S, the ride is near perfect. I keep the tires at 35/32.

RL06tech

My god the Rl handles rough, I can't believe how many ways that makes me laugh! Since we have visitors in our house my s2000 has become my daily driver, the RL has become my wife's and the ody our visitor's transport. Now, when I drive the RL it feels way too soft and wallowy!! More unbelievable is people complaining about their back due to the RL's harshness my god, if the harshness of the RL is enough to hurt your back you should be running around in a wheelchair with a fentanyl patch while chewing some vicodin and using a demerol drip at full speed! Yes the RL is a little harsher than a BUICK, Cadillac and LEXUS but by all other measures it is still very very soft. Its like comparing a feather pillow and a foam pillow, they are both still soft.

LuvMyTSX

I've never driven or ridden in an RL, but it sounds like they need to offer a standard "plush" trim and also a "sport" trim to satisfy more people.

black label

I have 3 words for you. Magneto rheological fluid. This is the magic behind the suspension in the MDX sport.

They absolutely need this in the RL (along with some other things). Any one who has driven a MDX sport will know where I'm coming from. In "comfort" mode it rides softer than a normal MDX, yet in "sport" mode, it has a very rigid sport ride.

If they were to put the MRF suspension in the RL, you could have a firmer ride than you have now OR a softer ride. All you need to do to switch between the 2 is push a button on the center console.

Don Melcher

Also be aware that if the car is parked so that the sun is hitting only one side that side can be + 1, even 2.

Don Melcher

That is what I expected too and was surprised when I first drove it. But my wife liked it (it is her car, after all) and had complained that her Toyota Solara wasn't sporty and rode like a Buick.

It does remind me of a friends 3 series BMW.

When I take the 205/50 series track tires off and put the 205/60 series street tires on my Porsche autocross car then adjust the Koni shocks to full soft, it doesn't ride a whole lot harder then the Acura - and it has stiffer torsion bars then stock.

I have to say, that after driving it, I am impressed with the handling. At first it also seemed noisy - but I think that was because the tires (PAX) were new.

I had also heard comments that the PAX sidewalls were softer so the ride was better. Don't know. Never driven one without them.

As for power - I can't imagine why you would need any more.

gavine

My parents judge a car by how bumpy it feels. They care not about handling. So, I guess some customers are that way. They like the Camry better than the Accord ONLY because it feels less "bumpy" *rolling eyes*

The RL felt a little stiff to me when I first bought it and I like it that way. It has definitely "softened" since then so these people test-driving are getting false feedback.

I run my tires at 42/40. I like a stiffer ride and I think my RL is very comfortable on the road, even with these high tire pressures. I'm considering A-Spec as well. Nothing worse, in my opinion, than a boaty ride.

The other thing to consider is that Acura knows the RL is going to get tested against the competition in slalom and skid pad so, perhaps, they decided to make it a little on the firm side to help it win some of those competitions.

Can't please everyone I guess.

Mike_TX

Wow. You run the tires at 42/40?!?! That's all the way to dangerous.

Tire pressures that high reduce your tire's "footprint", and therefore put less rubber to the road. That means less traction, especially on wet roads. In fact, I wonder how you can even keep from sliding around when it's wet, since radial tires are designed to "slump" a little for optimum traction and cornering performance.

Not only that, but you cause your tires to wear too much in the center of the tread when you overinflate.

For AbovePrime, 30psi isn't going to cause "horrible treadwear". It's the recommended pressure for the rear tires anyway, and 2 psi isn't going to cause a noticeable difference in wear.

.
.

black label

Only if you get a 535xi, any thing less than that is completely outmatched by the RL (and to be honest a complete embarrasment the BMW rondelle).