lindros2

After owning an RL for 3 years and an RDX for a month, the RDX with a 4-cylinder turbo is good enough for me. No need for the added weight of a 6-cylinder - and how much more power than 260HP do you really need? Especially since Honda V6's tend to have low torque.

The RDX is quicker than my overweight RL (with the penalty of a 4-cylinder noise), and the transmission is tuned *far* better.

aplato

I have the exact same combo (an RL for me and a RDX for the wife). But, we did consider gas mileage on the RDX. It almost stopped us from buying it. But, in the end, we liked it a lot more than the CRV and some others.

The RL actually seems to get slightly better mileage!

csmeance

its the bunch of torque from the turbo that gives it that fun feeling over the 6cyl...

ssim3

If this is the case why is Acura apparently hitching its horse to SHAWD across the line which is heavier, has more moving parts, is inefficient and limits their appeal in the subbelt.

lumpulus

SH-AWD is NOT designed primarily for bad weather driving....it's for handling....hence the name

Super HANDLING- All Wheel Drive.

neuronbob

Problem is that Acura's marketing people either don't know how or simply won't say that in their ads.

And Acura has already said that they intend SH-AWD all across the line. It remains to be seen whether they actually bring a RWD beast to market, or will just tweak SH-AWD to be more rearward-biased.

csmeance

They are following the lines of the luxury brands cost effectivley. Instead of sending 300HP to the front wheels or designing a whole new RWD system, they are just using the SH-AWD platform. Aslo SHAWD is lighter than the regular AWD system due to electromagnetic clutches and a carbon fiber driveshaft...

neuronbob

It's still 200 pounds IIRC. Hopefully Honda has found a way to lighten it further for the upcoming SH-AWD TL.

csmeance

Maybe all aluminum frame

TSX69

New Sedan to take Acura to Tier 1 Status

Posted on Monday 11 August 2008

Update: Acura’s plans for its future lineup are ambitious and bold - two necessary qualities for a Japanese company seeking to enter the luxury car market and beat the Germans at their own game. To do so the carmaker has its sights set on a radical revamp of its current lineup as well as the addition of several all-new models. The final objective is to distance itself from Honda once and for all.

While the TSX, RL, and TL have been redesigned for 2009, Honda’s vice president for corporate planning in North America, Dan Bonawitz, admits that none of these cars are up to ‘tier’ 1 standards. However, in a recent interview with Automotive News, Bonawitz boasted that the situation will change in 2010 when an “all-new vehicle about the same level as the TL” arrives.

The RL’s poor sales performance has led to speculation that it will be replaced before 2012, speculation which has been fueled by Bonawitz, who revealed that Acura has a “sedan coming that will clearly put [them] in tier 1″ before 2012.

The RL’s possible replacement may become the Acura that can intimidate the Germans, with a possible 400hp (298kW) 4.5L V8 engine and a RWD layout rumored to be among its list of specs. There’s also the chance that this new sedan will be sold alongside the RL as no final decision on the future of either model has been confirmed. Pictured above is the Acura Advanced Sedan Concept from 2006’s Los Angeles Auto Show, a striking design study for a flagship sedan.

Also rumored to be in the works is a new four-seater coupe as a possible replacement for the CL.

One model that is confirmed is the replacement for the NSX supercar. Seen testing recently at the Nurburgring, the new flagship model is expected to sport a 550hp (410kW) V10 engine with 420lb-ft (570Nm) of torque.

Finally, the RDX will come in for a redesign for the 2011 model year and could spawn a hybrid variant. This will be followed that same year by the next-generation MDX, which could be offered with a new V6 turbodiesel engine. A third SUV model could be added to Acura’s lineup as revealed by a new prototype caught testing recently in California’s Death Valley.

jhr3uva90

I'll believe it when I see it.

Trackruner228

iTrader: (1)

CL6

That is an interesting article. Acura was the first Japanese luxury brand and helped to make the Germans more consumer friendly in their design but this makes it seem like Acura just arrived:

"Acura’s plans for its future lineup are ambitious and bold - two necessary qualities for a Japanese company seeking to enter the luxury car market and beat the Germans at their own game."

My question for you guys is what do you think about this statement:

"While the TSX, RL, and TL have been redesigned for 2009, Honda’s vice president for corporate planning in North America, Dan Bonawitz, admits that none of these cars are up to ‘tier’ 1 standards."

That sounds wrong to me.

Storm982

maybe i'm just being naive, but couldn't they have a V8 engine and incorporate the VCM cylinder shut off system into to to help somewhat with fuel savings???

neuronbob

+2

"I said, show me the money!!!"



To me, too. Tier 1 is ALL about perception. The RL is already there in build quality and reliability, but it is not perceived at all by the buying public.

Blazing GT

looks like a TSX

Ikko

You're being sarcastic, right?

larrynimmo

by my standards, the RL is tier 1.2 (almost there) Just for the record, my tier 1 is LS460

CL6

Yea but the guy who said it wasn't Tier 1 works for Acura... that's the issue I have.

VTEC Racer

I think you guys have misunderstood this. What he means by this is that the the TL, RL and TSX are not what Acura considers their tier one cars. Acura has always said ever since they announced their goals of being tier one (January 2008) that their first batch of tier one cars won't arrive until 2010. Clearly, the only major complaint that people have of the new TL is the exterior. Even though that the new TL is more than capable of facing off against the top cars in this class, all Acura is simply saying is that this is not THEIR tier one effort. In other words, we can do better and we are with the future models. Some people are going to say why wait until the new models, why not do it now. Well, Acura announced tier one in January, these new recent models (RL, TL, TSX) were well into the development process at that time.

One thing I do agree with though... enough with the talk, just do it. I bet if Acura never announced their goals of being tier one but still came out with the same cars, there would be half the amount of complaints. People act like Acura has been talking about being tier one for years. It has only been 8 months.

jhr3uva90

Here's an idea: instead of talking vaguely about what they might do in 2010, maybe Acura should JUST DO IT and then discuss it.

levon1830

Acura managed to intimidate the Italians once long ago with a certain extraordinary vehicle. Can't remember the name of it though...

I think it's possible. Only time will tell if it actually happens.