Actually, I said BUTT-ugly. But you're right, I was talking about the '09 TL, whose bizarrely malformed hindquarters are grossly offensive--indeed, hideous enough to induce acute attacks of nausea, which I have experienced personally after having the misfortune to see one.

OTOH, the '09 RL is no beauty queen especially from the front, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it ugly.

 

This is what I would like to get next. I have wanted one of these for years. 430hp

 

I don't think you'll get flamed for that.

The Fit is Go, after all! If you've ever driven one, you'd find it's a remarkably peppy little car, and especially with a 5MT (which I tried) it can be fun to drive. Honda knocked this one way out of the park and it's a perfect example of why I started driving Hondas 20 years ago.

The Insight is funny looking but if the reports that it handles and drives like a real Honda are true, it will sell like hotcakes.

We need these models to sell, sell, sell so Honda will have enough $$$$$$$ to survive the economic crisis and complete development of the next RL!

 

VOdoc, show me your beauty queen.

 

I was currently looking at the LS460L to replace my RL Aspec, but it didnt have the handling or the power out of the hole rush my RL delivers. Havent got a chance at the LS600 but i dont know how much nicer it could be then the one i drove. Im leaning to a loaded out v8 X5. The new RL in my opinion doesnt have the flash factor of my aspec, and i cant picture valets squirming at the sight of one rolling up.

 

[IMG][/IMG]

 

I put it in red text....hoping that i fixed it for you

 

Are you really 22? LS460L................then the LS600??

 

he also said something about a V8 being weak compared to a V6...ignore that me thinks.

 

OK, no need to knock on Donnie, he's just expressing his opinion. I've met the guy and seen his RL in person. He's done quite a nice job with it, too. With an underdrive pulley the throttle effort on our cars is reported to be somewhat less so it might FEEL like there's less rush in the experience with the Big Lex he's driven on, say a test drive (e.g. tranny computer not used to spirited input, etc.).

Back on topic:







I hope THIS depreciates really fast.

 

remember bob, you have a customer for all your parts.

 

VOdoc- Looks like I was.. right? The TL miiiight grow on you, but it is tough to love. The grilles on the new RL and TL are different, but still equally as bold and really in your face. I appreciate the grille on the 05-08 RL and how it just seamlessly accentuates the rest of the car so beautifully, without taking ALL the attention away. I think of the two the TL would actually be easier for me to adjust to, but maybe cuz when you paint the TLs grille it really just makes the tail end the hardest part to deal with. And the rear adds another, and just too many opstacles at this point, in trying to fall in love with the car. I can honestly say that I will bolt from Acura if the 3G RL does not meet my standards in luxury and refinement.

Donnie- nice lookin RL. I always love the black, probably my favorite color for a car.. when it's glossy and clean I'm surprised to hear your comments on the LS460, but that's your opinion. I personally think it's a good improvement over the RL.. with luxury being even better, hard to believe, but true.. and with power.. The Lex is over a second faster 0-60 without reducing mpg. X5 fully loaded, or even LS600..... Damn, son! What about an X6? It looks so, so nice in person..

bob- does that thing really go 0-60 in under 4 seconds?! It is a nice lookin Caddy.. and with just insane crazy horsepower and torque, I guess going 0-60 in under 4 seconds isn't that hard to understand. How would you deal with the RWD in your winters though? Not to be a debbie downer..... I'd actually need to wait longer for the LS460 if I want it because I'd hold out for AWD, which didn't come til just last year. (Newer model, gotta wait longer to depreciate under my price range )

 

"VOdoc, show me your beauty queen."

She's not too beautiful at the moment...we've had 2 weeks of on & off rain, so the paint's all spotty and even the tire gloss is gone. You can see her front end reflecting palm trees on my avatar.

My ride is identical to Donnie's, down to the window tint, except with the boring PAX 18" wheels instead of those nice A-specs.

 

^ PAX 18" ? You mean the regular facotry 17s.. right? The ones that comes with all RLs.. Donnie has aspecs which are 18s.

 

^^^
VOdoc is correct. The PAX (run-flat) wheels that come with the "Tech" package RLs are 18.4" in diameter. They look like the OEM 17's, though.

 

Probably keep the RL for another 3-4 years, next will be either an S8, LS, 7, MB, or maybe another RL (depending on the redesign).

 

So this is what I want after RL.



or this

 

^

btw.. This commercial ALMOST makes me wanna look harder at Infiniti.. ALMOST.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18a4h...eature=related

Gotta love that beat, god damn!

Now, let's stay on topic! Sorry OP...

 

 

I recently had a 2008 RL CMBS/PAX for about 5 months. The car was great but after being in a BMW for 8 years I missed the ride. The road feel in the BMW is very different from the RL. It's a subjective thing but I missed it.
I picked up a 2007 550 Sport, CPO'd by the dealer with 20k miles.

I will say that the "user interface" for the NAV, Satellite Radio, etc. is much better in the RL than the 2007 version of BMW iDrive. However, the 20 way comforts/sport seats in the BMW must be felt to be believed. And....the 550 engine is a beast

 

550=

Mmmmmmm, power.

 

Too funny. I just drove a 5MT and a 5AT Fit Sport yesterday with my son. I agree with what you said about the 5MT. I told my wife that this is the Honda of old, not especially fast, but fun to drive, handles well.

 

I plan on keeping my RL at least until the extended warranty runs out in about 3 years. At that time, I think I will be looking at:

Lexus LS
Audi S8
7 Series

MAYBE another RL, depending on how the next version looks like. If it looks anything like the current TL, then forget it!

 

S8 would be niiiice, although, I bet repairs would be a few dollars... 100K CAR!

 

He really does mean 18's, and they do have the same aesthetic design as the OEM 17s...Acura/Honda was proud of that wheel design. There was even some interview with a spokesperson who said they were really proud of that new design.

The PAX is an interesting asymmetric wheel that is measure in millimeters, rather than inches. Putting together all the info on the net on PAX for the RL, the wheel is 18.1 by 9.3 inches wide. Sort of an odd duck. The 9.3 inches comes from the Michelin site, where that 245-680R460A tire only appears to be made for the RL. The Monroney sticker also lists the wheel size as "235 mm x 460 mm A", so that is straight from the manufacturer.

235mm is 9.52" wide. 460mm is 18.11" in diameter. The A is for asymmetric, indicating that the outer side diameter is different than the inner side diameter, or a wheel constructed for the PAX system. The asymmetrical design is to allow a damaged pressureless PAX tire to stay on the wheel at high speeds. A "standard" tire would come off the rim with no air pressure.

This very design feature is one of the reasons PAX is so disliked in the industry. You need special machinery and training to demount and mount PAX tires. A long time ago, I was told the new machines, which could also do conventional tires, cost $10K.

 

Well I'm going to buck the trend here. I'll be going for the cheapest 4wd Honda I can get. If they finally offer the Fit 4wd in the US that will be it. I mostly use my RL in winter plus I also have a brand new MDX

 

Well I'm going to buck the trend here. I'll be going for the cheapest 4wd Honda I can get. If they finally offer the Fit 4wd in the US that will be it. I mostly use my RL in winter, plus, I also have a brand new MDX. Ergo, my RL ends up being very expensive winter transport for one. In summer I drive my s2000. The RL is paid for, thus I will keep it till it starts becoming problematic, after it I'm going for a cheap 4wd honda. If the Fit never makes it to our shores in 4wd guise then, it will be a CRV. Hopefully by then it will have bluetooth phone which, IMO, is the only real tech shortcomming of the CRV AND it will be available in a stick again (fat chance)

 

No need to worry, PAX is dead> If you are planning to buy a car with PAX tires, don't. Make sure that the PAX system is replaced before you buy. I got rid of my RL's PAX and traded in my PAX equipped ODY for my MDX.

 

M5 as a DD, pricing is just about right.

 

I'm probably trading in my 06 RL within the next few months and moving to a 09 BMW 335i. Gotta love those twin turbos!

 

That's like 12/18 mpg...

 

I think my dream garage includes an SUV with a car... But I don't see many options in the SUV dept.. as far as looks and interior goes. There's just nothing that sticks out for me.

I'd have to say the Range Rover Sport is the only SUV that appeals to me. Too bad they know it, and can charge a lot for it. I've seen lease specials for like 750/month and close to nothing down.. The Audi Q5, however more crossover than SUV, appeals to me somewhat, but I fear it could look pretty bland if not dressed up with all the options...

The X6 would be extremly pricey....

 

I agree. I got a set of these wheels (right) to replace the PAX (left). I am using the PAX in the winters until they are gone...then off to the recycler

 

Too bad the standard wheel on the left wasn't 18" for BOTH pax and non-pax RLs, instead of 17" for standard non pax equipped cars. Now, I'm left to buy A-Spec wheel to replace OEM for a respectable sized all season wheel.. until I find a nice 19" wheel to use during the summer... But prob not til summer of 2010

The OEM wheel is amazingly easy to clean, and doesn't look THAT bad, which makes it dissapointing that it is a measly 17"