Although this is not recommended I often step on the gas through the turns of an off/on ramp....just to test the SH-AWD. It is amazing to watch the computer visualize the redistribution of power to the outside wheels.

F.Y.I. - I never do this when other vehicles are close by.

C.J.

 

And how many miles do you put on your daily driver at the track?

 

sooo...now that the conversation has drifted....
what's the weight distribution of the rl?

 

Just to clarify, the JDM Legend is only 280hp, not 300hp. Maybe it's that extra 20hp that allows the US Acura RL to get a 0-60 time of also 6.7 seconds?

 

I just traded my 04 TL for an 05 RL. The RL has plenty of power that is "well balanced". The torque steer on the TL practically drove me crazy. Once the RL is past 3500 rpm, you would swear that there is a turbo under the hood. Definately feel the oommp when I step on the gas. Don't get me wrong, it's not the same oommp when I stepped on the gas in my TL, it is a much more refined, luxury feeling of pure SOLID engineering.

 

While I beleive the RL has quite a bit of zip, especially above 3000 RPM, I wish it did have more torque down load in the RPM range. The car just does seem a little flat unless you stomp on it and get teh revs up quickly. Now with that said, the power of the RL when compared to my 2002 TLS (with Comptech supercharger) is very different. I agree with MWM, it's more refined, even when compared with the 2004 TL I drove for a bit when my TLS was getting it's 5th Tranny put in it. I still want a Comptech Supercharger for the 2005 RL. Comptech you listening! 375 HP and 300lbs of torque would add much more umph to the refinement quotient.

 

I did the same thing... traded an '04 TL for an '05 RL... and I couldn't have said it better.

And as for "Lessisbest" finding the car lifeless and the interior wierd... :whocares:

 

Ummm, don't think it will ever snow here either but it certainly does RAIN quite a bit. Guess it never rains in Valdosta. So where does all the mud come from????

 

Not to knock that review from Freshalloy but in stock form the RL wears some less than wonderful tires....notice how they specifcally point out how they likes the ones shod on the M35.

SH AWD is not just a typical AWD for snow and rain, if you understood what it does it is something that would be enjoyed everyday in every kind of driving condition.

 

When I drove it, it felt as though there was too much car for the motor. It felt as though the V6 was straining. A V8 probally would be a lot smooooooother for a 4000 lb car. By the way I have an 04 TL.

 

The Legend has 300 Horsepower, the same as the RL. In fact, the Legend has been touted as the 1st car to officially break the Horsepower agreement in Japan, even though several cars had unofficially broken it for years. But, the gearing is slightly different as well as the tires.

Gear Ratios:
Legend / RL
1st: 2.697 / 2.697
2nd: 1.572 / 1.573
3rd: 1.071 / 1.071
4th: 0.729 / 0.694
5th: 0.481 / 0.481
Final: 4.375 / 4.600

Tires:
Legend: 235/50R17 96V
RL: 245/50R17 98V

 

Shame many think the SH-AWD system doesnt do anything for the handling and only matters for wet condititions. Oh well...I know otherwise as do most RL owners who have owned other pretty good performing cars.

As for the torque/acceleration...car is fine for me as I don't do full throttle stoplight drag races with the cars beside me. I don't need to prove my manhood by my piece of metal hitting speeds quicker than another piece of metal on the road.

It is sort of funny because the RL is around the same as the LS430 in 0-60 times before they slapped the 6th gear on the LS. If that isn't good enough then I guess I don't know what is...must be 0-60 in 4.2 seconds for a 4000 pound luxury car.


I also do not get how anyone can say the RL is overpriced. Explain to me how it is overpriced but other cars in this segment aren't. RL offers more stuff with equal build quality for less money. The overpriced comments boggle my mind....

 

The SH-AWD is great under any conditions. There's nothing quite like taking a corner and mashing the gas pedal to push some extra torque to that outside rear wheel. That is the one of the few times you can feel the SH-AWD working, and you definitely know it's there.

As for the stoplight drag races, I'm with you, Rob L. Outgrew that quite a few years ago.

 

I noticed that the RL cant run with the new TLs or old Type-S's from 0-70 either....but at higher ends the difference is huge. Starting from 70, an RL runs with me step for step.

 

Recently noticed that coasting through tight radius curves at speed causes the system to also feather a little power to the outside rear wheel.

 

Depends...I'm still getting used to manual...punching to pass in 5th won't get you anywhere very fast (ugh, where is the motor!)...but punching in 3rd does...in all cases, auto or manual, have to keep the revs in the higher ranges to feel speed increases...then it goes!

OT to the original thread, but drifiting towards this observation...I've noticed that punching the car from standstill on a road with uncertain traction, causes the VSA to kick in...as evidenced by the VSA indicator flickering. I'm not qualified to judge torque, but VSA has to affect where torque is being directed...my understanding is that VSA is applying brakes...I've noticed this on wet or loose surfaces.

 

Torque in RL???

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For anyone who currently owns an RL or has test drove one, does there feel to be a fair amount of torque in the car as compared to the TL? If you floor it at 60mph, does it suck you back into the seat pretty good


This is my wifes car but the answer is no. This car has very little torque in my opinion, but thats not why I bought it. For 300 horsepower, it is really slow compared to other cars I have had. We bought it for the look, quality, and comfort.

 

When I first got the RL I thought it was under powered also. My previous car was a CL Type S. I am a better driver in the RL. This car is so smooth I just enjoy driving it. The AWD and gas mileage make a perfect balance. There is plenty of power for the exit ramp and I have never had a problem in any passing situation. This car is one of the few still built in Japan and I would say that is a huge plus. I had an 01' and 03' CL and both had problems. My 02' RL (also Japan built) was a solid car. This RL was delivered with ZERO problems and other than software updates and the XM / Navtraffic problems (new technology) I would say by far the best Acura. The power is there you just can't here or feel it becuase the car is that smooth. Enjoy!!

 

I think this hits it right on the head with the RL. The power is there (at higher RPMs) but it is delivered very smoothly and the SH-AWD keeps you stuck to the ground. It won't appeal as much to the driving enthusiast crowd since the car doesn't make a fuss, but it suits me perfectly.

 

I own an RL, and drove a TL loaner for a day while the RL was in the shop for maintenance.

In real life, i.e. in real world traffic, they are pretty much the same as far as useable quickness goes. The TL's acceleration curve may be a little more like a straight line, whereas the RL seems more progressive as the revs increase. The RL can't be said to "slow" off the line, but the TL probably has it beat on a very short straight race track, i.e. the length of an intersection at a red light. You have to decide whether this is a real advantage. For me, it's not. Acceleration is needed in the mid- and upper-range. That's where passing takes place. Low-end can be fun, but it's not really useful for driving on roads.

Mainly due to the quietness in the cabin and AWD, I think, the RL felt less dramatic (and less fatiguing) overall, more so than the true difference in torque and acceleration would suggest; maybe you could say it was more sure-footed while accelerating. It certainly lacks the TL's torque-steer. The RL handles better, feels more solid, and feels much more substantial.

I was prepared to think otherwise based on so many posts lauding the TL and being a former 1999 TL owner. I actually was looking forward to having the TL for the day, but by the end of the day, I was happy to get my RL back.