The 2007 RL has had only minor changes from its predecessors -- a base trim level has been introduced, one that has neither navigation nor the Adaptive Cruise Control (more on that later). But an Acura official said that a changed RL will be coming soon, a not very surprising development given Honda's habit of introducing either a partial change or a whole new generation every four years or so.

In theory, the new RL will be a bit more noticeable than this one. Of course, I happen to like stealth cars and this is a shining example of one. From the rear, from the side, from the front, there's nothing that stands out as a unique styling cue, even though the car as a whole seems well thought out. If anything, the car looks muscular, in the sense that it has that pronounced wedge shape that makes the rear of the car stand up a bit.

...

The anomaly in this car, however, is the fact that it is sweeping the cellar in its own category of so-called "mid-premium" cars. A chart freely provided by Acura shows that by the end of October 2006, the BMW 5-series was the class leader, followed closely by Mercedes-Benz' E-series -- both lines offer bristling V8 engines. Lower on the chart are, in order, the Infiniti M35 and M45, Lexus GS300, Audi A6/S6 and, in last place, the Acura RL.