cliffbig

Yeah, that's it. You've caught me. I'm desperately trying to convince myself I haven't made a horrible mistake... *sob*

Actually, I'm not trying to convince anyone--I'm explaining why I made a decision to move away from a brand for which I've had decades of affection and loyalty.

Let's see--Acura managed to move a whopping 532 RL's nationwide in July. Obviously I'm not the only person who's disappointed in Acura. The Genesis, which is a brand new model that still hasn't reached all Hyundai showrooms, sold 619. (How bad is this for Acura? Well, Chrysler cancelled the Pacifica because of poor sales, and it sold 447 units in July '08--only 16% fewer vehicles.)

I'd love to see Acura turn that around, but I don't think the current RL has what it takes to reverse that trend.

As far as Acuras go, I've owned a 1988 Legend, a 1992 Legend, a 1995 Vigor, a 2001 MDX, a 2006 RL, and a 2007 MDX. I've found many good things about the brand... but currently, they're generally behind on technology, they offer fewer comfort features than other luxury car manufacturers. I took part in a survey from Acura earlier this year in which they asked questions about all sorts of high-tech features to see which would influence me to buy a new Acura; most of them didn't make the cut on the new RL.

For what I want, the Genesis is a better car. For what you want, the Acura may be better. But I'm a longtime Acura driver who no longer feels that Acura offers a superior product--and that's something that Acura needs to worry about. I replace cars frequently, I'm a high-tech early adopter, I don't pass on what I want based on price... and I walked away from Acura/Honda, to which I previously had over 30 years of brand loyalty. As recently as five years ago, our garage had three Honda/Acura products in it. Today, it has none.

If Acura produces a vehicle that meets my needs, I'll be back, most certainly. Right now, they don't have such a vehicle.

(The one thing I will miss--and I had to take this into consideration--is the superlative level of customer service at Jackson Acura's service center in Alpharetta. However, the fact that they laid off a significant portion of their customer service staff in June--including a service rep I considered the best I've ever dealt with--made it easier to take that step down in service quality.)

neuronbob

I agree with you here. The upcoming Acuras are not that appealing right now, at least in exterior appearance. Good thing I like my RL. I think that Acura SHOULD worry about the Genesis, Hyundai or no...enough people will buy this to further cannibalize already low RL sales, which are going to be hurt even further by the new TL.

Ignore the hating. Enjoy your Genesis. Please update us over time.

dwboston

BMW and Audi are jumping on the torque-vectoring bandwagon as well with their next-gen AWD systems. It enhances dry handling - it's not just for wet weather conditions. Personally I'll take the trade-off of slightly lower mileage and higher curb weight for better handling.

It's all trade-offs anyway when it comes to cars - until I can afford an Audi S8, no trade-offs there.

dwboston

Explain away - you'll have yourself convinced soon enough. It's your $.

Nothing personal, but I don't give a rat's @zz how many RL's have sold. It's the best blend of performance and luxury for the price. That's good enough for me. I see a million BMW 5-series cars on the road around here - I don't mind having a lower volume car and I'm not worried about resale in 2010 when I go to trade up either. And this is my third Acura and 6th Honda overall.

Enjoy your Hyundai. They should have given you a better deal for being a first model year guinea pig. The 2010 Genesis owners will thank you.

dwboston

Why should he update us over time? Aren't there any Hyundai forums? Shouldn't it be "moved to Car Talk"? This is an RL forum, isn't it?

DoctorTuna

It's really not hard to see why there will be converts to the Genesis, based on what I've seen and read, although haven't driven the Genesis. In regards to pricing, a new vehicle usually demands top dollar, that's the way of it. Just like all those who bought the RL when it first came out, they paid MSRP. Less than 9 months later I paid $3000 under invoice. It is partly about timing really and what you're willing to pay for what you want. I am also a long term Honda/Acura owner who has jumped ship to a new brand for various reasons. I loved my RL but they are falling behind in many ways.

Personally, I'm always happy for anyone with a new car purchase, it is very exciting, so congrats on the new Genesis!! I hope you continue to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my RL!!