LS460

It isn't the advertising or the prestige factor- it is simply a car like this that makes Lexus the higher brand than Acura. Yes the new LS will cost a lot more than the RL and I am NOT trying to say they should be compared- I am merely pointing out that Lexus has a badass top line car and for Acura to be there at Lexus levels they need a badass car too. The RL is great and I love it but no way it will compare to this new LS in terms of luxury but again, it shouldn't since the price diff will be quite large.

A loaded long wheelbase LS460 looks like it can compete with the Maybach based on luxury...crazy.

I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed the new LS460 but no way I'd be able to afford one.

 

My mother, a lifetime mercedes customer, had just purchased her first non-MB product last week - a fully loaded 2006 LS430. I had informed her that Lexus were to be introducing the next LS replacement next year, but after the test drive, she did not care that it was smaller and underpowered than her current ride.

The current LS is stellar to say the least. There are no squeaks, no creaks, no rattles, the ride is totally rock solid, and it's quieter than our RL and the S500 4matic it replaced! It's got goodies like park sensors, rear view cam, auto folding mirrors, power seat belt height, and the damn fan oscillates! You can actually see the direction thingie move left to right!

I'm sure that the next gen LS is going to be quieter, meaner, larger, and more technologically advanced, but it's going to be hard as hell topping the current one.

 

Much as I love Acura, I must agree with you on this one. There has never been a Honda product at the level of a Lexus LS (or Mercedes S-class, or BMW 7 Series). Honda just doesn't have a full-size platform at this time. Maybe someday. . .

 

Do you think that the public would actually purchase a car larger than the current RL priced at ~$70K? Without a significant overhaul of their current sales/marketing/service tactics, I would highly doubt it. Toyota and Nissan have distanced their luxury brands from themselves, Honda really needs to do the same.

 

Folks, relax...take a deep breath...and realize that Honda has a flagship in the works along the lines of the LS, S-class, 7-series.

We just need to be patient. And Honda has always been tight lipped about these things so don't expect much info until the car is ready to debut, but from what little I've heard, it should include a new drivetrain from what is currently available in the Honda/Acura line-up.

 

Mid-90's Mazda 626 (economy family sedan) had oscillating vents so this is not something extremely exclusive or special.
I too thought it was cool back then.

 

The new LS 460/L is a nice car. Yes I do agree that the service at Lexus and Infiniti is better then Acura. Now, my service has been good but my dealer sales other luxury makes. Where I bought my car from, well, the service sux!

As for Acura's car above the RL, that rumor has been around for some time and I hope it is true. The Legend has many features we don't get in N/A and even Canada has ventilated seats and head light washers we don't get here. So our RL could be more of a luxury car then what it is.

With that said, the LS has always had a presence that the RL never touched such as the stitching of the leather or the quality of leather. IMO Acura's are built to a price point (like most cars). The TL would be a better car if Acura would have went all out on the quality front (leather seating that get wrinkled way too early) or in my case the lights on the steering wheel not lighting up (my car is an '04).

I'm not sure if Acura/ Honda has ever understood that the reason the LS has done so well is that it goes above and beyond. Now to be fair the new RL does so with Navi Traffic and SH-AWD but what about the none needed things! What about rear seat heaters? What about a passenger seat with 8 way adjustment (which is average these days) or offering a DVD player that is a option on the TSX and Accord? If the RL had more things then the price would be higher and it wouldn't sale well because no Acura (minus NSX) has sold for over 57K

Yea, Acura may need a ultra lux sedan.

 

I hope the design is a knock out. With the annoucement that Acura will be separated/ engineered differently from Honda, this is just possible.

 

Well I'm not so eager for this. I like the idea of driving the best car Honda/Acura makes. But wouldn't you know that as soon as I get it, an even better model is introduced.

It looks like my next car will have to be in the 70K - 80K range. Either the All-New Acura-whatever or the Lexus LS-whatever.

 

I think Acura does not see itself as an over-the-top company like this. They are extremely conservative. I still can't believe the new RDX is going to have a turbo in it.

Lexus is more about advertising, Acura is more about engineering. Lexus builds some nice cars there is no doubt and the RL seems to be only a half-hearted attempt at the luxury market, but the RL is still a unique car.

 

I agree with you except that I think the Acura RL is a bit more than a half hearted attempt at the luxury market...the RL is OK and certainly the nicest I've ever owned, but the dealership experience I've had so far sort of takes the shine off owning the car.

The large Lexus is a very nice car, but not for me. The one I looked at recently in Birmingham was acres of dash and interior, but if I wanted a taxi, I'd personally opt for something more practical.

OT a bit. Although it costs more and has a different set of features/options, the Lexus GS series would be the comparable model I'd be looking at to replace the RL...but not the AWD version...I just don't think I could live with that hump.

 

My first thought... LS430=BORING looking RL=SPORTY looking

LS460=WHOA! VERY nice, to say the least!

Although, the front looks like a Lexus and the rear reminds me of the BMW 7 series.
Lots of big bells and whistles, they finally ditched the senior citizen styling...

I want one too!

 

I saw the pictures of the new LS. Very neat. The cues are very 7 series (trunk and lenses). I am sure Toyota burned alot of money on this model and from what I heard it will be priced way below the Germans (S, 7, A8).

I love my RL but I would eventually get the new LS..My problem with Acura is that Honda doesn't let it go...Infiniti and Lexus have abandoned their "mother" brands and created new ideas & styles.

Acura needs about $100+ million invested from corporate (Honda) to the Acura dealers. Split the money across the moneymaking dealers to provide better all-around service. Acura owners service their cars at the dealers and visit the dealers for everything & repeat sales. Honda/Acura has the opportunity to now leverage that.

I look at it this way, with 100,000+ cars sold in 2005 between the TSX & TL, why wouldn't Acura start building more prestige. They will have alot of repeat buyers in a few years.

When the RL is refreshed ('08); they should also bring out their V10 NSX (Halo car) and the all-new luxury flagship (Legend or whatever they call it).

Its sad to see Honda drop about $150million/annually on F1 motorsports to compete with BMW, Mercedes, Toyota & Ferrari but can't turn out a flagship car that makes the Lexus LS look feeble. We all know they can...

I have a friend from Japan who told me that Toyota ONLY fears Honda and views them as worthy competition. Toyota still can't believe how Honda (small compared to mighty Toyota) has marvelous engineering and is the World's Largest Engine manufacturer (boats, cars, etc..). SH-AWD is an example of their engineering marvels that I enjoy everyday !

Lets hope Acura gets their flagship. For now the RL will do nicely.

 

What I dislike about Toyota/Lexus is their stability control. It is so restrictive and it interferes with the driver and can be dangerous I think. Honda/Acura's VSA is much more subtle and better. I also think Toyota/Lexus does not build very sophisticated engines and not being able to use the Nav system while driving is absurd. They just do not trust the driver!

 

You cant possibly believe that Lexus was over the top prior to the debut of the new GS, which only occurred a few months ago. Prior to this, Lexus had a VERY conservative (read: uninspiring) lineup.

They finally sobered up and decided to add some direly needed performance to their lineup along with the pre-existing superior quality and elegant styling.

Honda will either have to make an attempt to join these ranks or continue being a niche automaker.

 

Did they have to make it look like a new BMW? Bleah.

Then again, I guess it wouldn't be any better if they'd kept it looking like an Avalon with a glandular problem....

 

why do you think that? toyota's 3.5 engine pumps out 306hp and more torque than the RL and uses direct injection and gets decent gas mileage.

 

they should light up.

 

Yes they should. I like Acura and Honda, but they are pushing me towards another brand with issues like this.

 

Look at the engines they make for the Camry, the Corolla, the Lexus ES.

 

If the car is a 2004 RL (first generation) then they should NOT light up. Also, the 2004 RL belongs in another forum.

 

That new LS is a nice looking car. I don't think I'm quite ready for such a cruise ship though. The looks sure have improved a lot over the supa-avalon we have now. As far as Acura competing with Lexus, I could care less about that. All I care about is that Acura builds good cars and offers good maintenance. Anything they can do to make the ownership experience better should be explored. So far mine has been good but I haven't had it in for major service yet. The sales experience has been good though so I'm hopeful.

 

i was refering to his comment on the 04 TL...smarty pants!

they DO light up... and if they dont, take it to the dealer and have it fixed. a few of mine went out, and thats what i did.. whats the big deal?

 

I thought the 04 TL didn't light up. There was a big discussion about this when I bought my 05' TL.

 

As has been said, the lights do light up. The '04 Accord's did not but the '05's did as well as the TSX's.

Also I put this in this form because of QUALITY of Acura vs. Lexus. Lexus is all about quality. Now how Toyota can achieve it in Lexus and Acura can't is beyond me.

A statment form a Lexus rep indicated that an older LS is more reliable then a newer S Class or 7 Series.

Now from what has been written, Acura is going to step things up in coming models. I'd say the RDX will be the first to improve customer satisfaction and quality with the next MDX, TSX, and TL.

I for one would like to see Acura have a higher quality rating then Honda and for an Acura to have a higher quality rating then a Buick.

 

they most certainly do... the tsx's didnt in 04.. maybe thats where the confusion comes from?

 

That is a possibility. I have had an 04TSX also - so it there is a good chance I am just confused

 

My friends have several Lexus cars and build quality is way up there. They also have very reasonable prices for maintenance & service. Makes me wonder...but I like my RL.

I got some minor bugs on my 05 RL and am waiting for my first oil change to get them taken care of. Some minor rattles, regular oil change and the driver door handle isn't really working. I'll provide some feedback on the local NJ dealer. I am also going to get my car serviced by the closet Acura dealer, not where I purchased my car. I want to see how they respond in service.

I just hope Acura does have better reliability scores than Buick in the future. Acura like Lexus should be at least very close to the top in the ratings.

 

Agreed re: Acura reliability up there with Lexus. I too have concerns with the door handles not working. I wonder if Lexus, Caddy, Corvett, BMW, Infiniti, or M-B owners have similar issues. It would be interesting to know.

My TL rattles (had more headliner velcro added), sub rattled (some additional padding added), wrinkled leather on the bolsters, and poor paint quality. I like Acura and wouldn't mind the next gen TL or try my hand at an SUV with the RDX but when you spend over 30k you want as little of a headache as possible.

 

Wow, the LS460 sure is nice. Ok, so it's not some super exotic, but I don't think it's as bland as some people believe. The other cars in this class (7, A8, S) are similar in someways and so it's very fitting. I've always wanted an A8 but I wouldn't mind an LS460 either. But yes, Honda/Acura has a long way to go if they want to be in the same ballpark. For one thing, it's about time to ditch the V6 engines and go full blown V8. It's simply a prerequisite to be playing with the likes of BMW and MB. Hell, even Audi has a W12. And for people who think Honda/Acura is all about engineering while Toyota is all about advertising, that's BS. While Honda is sitting on its laurels/fanbase, Toyota is cranking out one hybrid after another (LS460H?), an 8 speed tranny, and a damn car that parks itself! Gee where are the engineers in all of that?

 

My Infiniti never had problems with the door handle not working - but there was a button on it - not just touch and open like the RL. IMO the Infiniti system is better. That is how Lexus does theirs also.

 

[QUOTE=bkw]
It's got goodies like park sensors, rear view cam, auto folding mirrors, power seat belt height, and the damn fan oscillates! You can actually see the direction thingie move left to right!
QUOTE]

Umm.......my sisters 95 Mazda 626 has the oscillating fan.......not exactly "stellar" new tech

 

Nor does Acura have the engine to support that kind of vehicle. Yet.

If all goes as planned, and Acura finally creates a V8. I assume alot more cars coming out of that line up. Including a higher end car/new flagship to compare it with Lexus, Infinti, BMW and Mercedes.

 

I dont think acura is even trying to compete with lexus at this point. i mean, the old LS (400) was good competition for the RL (3.2) as they were the same size and had many of the same features. But I think lexus has turned to being the pinaccle of luxury at all costs, whereas acura and honda is trying to get back in touch with sport. And when I say sport, i'm awaiting the comparison of engines which has always been the argument against honda's, but across the board, all of acura's cars are sportier than their lexus counterparts. Acura fits between Toyota and Lexus and kind of gives you the best of both words. It wouldnt be in Honda/Acura's best interest to jump to that price range because the combination of comfort/technology/sport/and value are what seperates honda from its competitors. Honda hasnt attempted to make an S-Class/7-Series/A8/LS430 competitors and I dont think they plan to. Recently we heard about how Honda was going to go back to its roots. The new civic si is faster and bolder than ever, the new NSX will bring V10 power and an even lighter frame which will undoubtebly out-sport the lexus lf-a which, while a gorgeous car sure to pack a brilliant engine, looks much more like a SL-series Benz competitor than a 911 competitor. In the TL forums, when people discuss what they'd change about the TL, they ask for SH-AWD to get rid of torque steer, and 300+ hp under the hood. People's biggest complaints with the RL arent that it doesnt come with a Mark Levinson sound system or that it isn't as prestigious as a Lexus, its that the RL only comes with 300hp and it needs a grunty growly v8 to go along with its other attributes. Obviously, the honda/acura fans are in the mood for something different. Personally I chose to keep my TL instead of getting the IS350 for that reason alone. I just felt that the IS, while it has a more powerful engine has regressed in its sport evolution. I think GS vs. RL competitions end up with the same feelings. I just dont see Acura and Lexus being true competitors, nor do I see Acura trying to be Lexus's high end competitor as far as the LS is concerned. If lexus wants a fight? Tell them that in 2 years, their LF-A can meet our NSX on the track... Beatdown time

 

Dude, that was so profound it brought a tear to my eye!

 

Ya beat me to it....i had one of those 626 models...a very underrated car, if I may say so. The oscillating vents were one of the most often-noticed features, too!

 

I don't know about being "true competitors", but I think every auto manufacturer is in one way or another competing. At least in sales. Let's face it, the point of making cars is to sell as many of them as possible. Every car that Lexus sells is a car that Acura/Infiniti/BMW/MB/Audi/etc. could have sold. Facing off at the track is 1% of the fight. The real battle for manufacturers is how they can get customers to hit 0-60 to the finance office the quickest.

 

wow look at those rear seats!!!!!!!

wonder if its a massage chair -_-

 

What rear seats? Is there supposed to be a picture or something?

 

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