vp911

There has been a lot of talk about people wanting a rear view cam. Have any of you ultimately put an aftermarket cam in the car?

On page two there is information about the available 2006 rear view camera option and it's possible integrated with the 2005 RL.

Rob L

I need someone to explain the big deal about the reaview cam...is it something people want for like parallel parking?

I see no real point of it other than to show off to people that your car has a little video camera in the back...then again, I havent driven a car with one so my opinion is simply based off theory

msu79gt82

EVERY time I drive my car I have to back up - every single time. Therefore 100% of the time I drive I find the rear-view camera useful.

Additionally we have a narrow driveway and a three car garage with a house that sits at the driveways edge. Thus backing out of the garage involves some turns and a brick wall to avoid.

Additionally I chose to back into parking space at my offices's garage. I never had tilt-dowm mirrors until an '01 MDX and now don't see how I could live w/o them. I first got back-up cams in the '04 MDX. Once you have had it you would better understand its appeal.

Fatalvenom

I'm sure it is a nice "feature" to have on your car, but for those people who believe that if the car doesnt have one its not as good, GO BACK TO DRIVING SCHOOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I too back into and out of very tight spaces MSU.......I never felt the need to look at the backup camera on my mom's 04 Q45 when I used to drive it once in a while. If anything, it gives you a false sense of security when it comes to backing up when compared to simply throwing your right arm behind the passenger seat and looking behind you. I'm not trying to knock on you MSU, but for those people who "cant live without it" then I say you need to become a little less lazy. This country (USA) has become so instant gratification dependent it is almost disgusting. Everyone wants everything done for them, or they want it to be made so easy that they couldnt screw it up if they tried. IMO, the rear-view camera is the automotive technology equivalent of cheese in a spray-can

vp911

And what happens if you are backing out of your driveway and a 5 year old child is riding his little tricycle on the sidewalk and happens to be directly behind your car when you start to back out? You can't see the child because s/he is too small to see. Hmm camera would have been helpful, eh?

Fatalvenom

Yea and you bring that up......I almost killed a damn kid because I decided to use the back-up camera one time, well I could see 100 yards behind me and about 20 degrees left or right from the center, but when the kid was beyond that and traveling at a good speed, lets just say my instincts kicked in and I looked back just before I would have hit him. Well there is something called being "alert"........and looking through a camera doesnt give you the same angle of perspective as say.....looking backwards which gives you a full 180 degrees of rear visibility !!!!!!!!!!! Looking through a camera is tunnel vision..........I'd also like to see you drive your car forward through the screen in the dash, and only that..........its only a matter of time before you hit a mailbox or a dumbass kid on a bike. Face it the camera doesnt have a wide enough prespective, only you turning your lazyass around will solve the problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fatalvenom

Oh, and if having a camera to back-up is such a big deal, just checkout www.avelectronic.com

Fatalvenom

BTW VP, I'm not tryin to be a dick or anything........I just had a long night tonight having to shoot down this sweater-vest wearing bitch who had a 545i at the bar, who thought he and his car were so incredible.

He couldnt help but make a crack on my RL when I pulled up, but I got him good when he had his smart-ass line of, "oh....you cant afford a beemer". Well I looked at him and noticed he was around 37-42 years old. I proceeded to say, "well for only being 23 and driving a $52,000 car that is bought and paid in full is pretty nice, being that you probably lease your "beemer" for $600 a month and paid $3,500 down and you still wont own it after 3 years". Needless to say he shut up real quick. =)

acurafox

Obviously the market does not agree with you, since there seem to be a lot of this type of products being sold these days. I'd like one for my RL so I don't have to worry about using my bumper as a parking aid when backing into a space, and I have been to driving school, thank you very much. BTW, if you come off your arrogant soapbox and actually try to participate in the original discussion, you might find that there are others that don't actually think the same way that you do and that the world won't stop turning as a result.

vp911

So true. I happen to think it is a great tool - it is not absolutely necessary for me to survive, I won't die without it - but I did like it when I had it in my FX35. It had a pretty good view of the area behind me.

spacklebucket

For 15 years, I lived in an area where I needed to parallel park everyday and did it with lots of different cars - none had backup cams or tilting mirrors. There were times where I got out of the car to check clearances. I got on just fine.

Our FX45 has the backup cam. The first thing it says when you put the car in reverse is "turn and look before backing". I thought that was common sense, but I guess that doesn't apply to everyone. I find the backup cam to be very useful when used in conjunction with the old "right arm around the passenger's seat" technique. The backup cam gives you a view of what you cannot see by turning your head around. I find it particularly helpful in judging an object's distance from the back of the vehicle.

I'm not sure I see where the debate is here. Its obviously not necessary.....neither are cell phones. It sure is nice to have, though. Its a great safety device for sure just in case there is someone/something right behind you and its a great convienence item.

Rob L

Yeah I have to backup every day I drive my car...but I use my eyes to see what is behind me and I am scanning left-right, right-left the whole way so NOTHING will just magically pop up behind my car.

I could see it to help for parallel parking but just straight out packing up I dont see the point. I would think it would be more of a distraction that people look at it rather than do the proper thing which is turning their head and looking to see what is or isnt there. Also, having parking assist sensors I think would be just as useful.

I guess I just dont see why some are sooooooo set on having it. I wouldnt complain if a car I owned had it but I wouldnt pass on a car simply because it lacks this simple and really not needed feature. Like ventilated seats...I like them but wouldnt have passed on the RL if it didnt have them.

vp911

It could just be me, but I can see a lot of people saying they want it just for the cool factor - without even mentioning the possible safety advantages. But, like you said, I wouldn't pass on the RL due to the lack of the feature (hence I bought the RL)

oblio98

I had an 04 Q45 as well, which had the backup camera. I also "threw my arm around and looked to see what was behind me" all the time.

The thing that was so great about the backup camera was this. Your in a parking garage, backing into a space. There is a wall behind you. No kids, no animals, just the car and a wall or a bumper of some sort. Once you are in place, the back up camera works perfectly for getting "right up to the wall" without hitting it. It is also great when you are trying to get out of a parallel parking spot that someone has "boxed" you into. Using the camera, you can easily see how much space there is between your bumper and the bumper of the car that boxed you in.

All in all, I could live without it, but if it was an option in the RL, I would have bought it. As it is, I did get the backup sensors, which help a lot.

bluemule

I'll reply to this post, but it's addressed to the other posts as well regarding the desirability of a back up camera.

I have backup sensors on my RL, but test drove an Infinity G35 equipped with a backup camera at my last service...the dealer sells both automobiles.

I found the backup camera to be very functional as a redundant safety feature. Of course, one should turn around and look, but what about the blind spots? The camera gives a much better view than what I got by looking out of the car and using the mirrors.

I'm 60 years old and can't turn like I could 40 years ago. But, I doubt that you younger folks can see all the blind spots any better than I can.

The Infinity camera gives a graphic display of where the car is likely to go based on the direction the steering wheel is turned.

I found the Infinity's camera a most useful aid and very worthwhile backup to the sensors and to looking behind.

I think it's ridiculous to not offer, at the very least, a camera as an option on a car in this price range.

Personally, I'd opt for the sensors and any other aid making parking or backing up easier and safer, including, but not limited to, a camera.

Fred

bluemule

Whoops! Make that an M35 that I test drove.

Fatalvenom

Well, that is why God blessed the RL with back-up sensors =)

R J Poseidon 6

Not I, however, we put 1 in some smokin' hot milf's '05 RL & it's just like the MDX 1 .... pretty cool, cost her $1500.

Karl_in_Chicago

Beats me. For some reason there's a reflective piece of glass in the middle of my windshield and 2 more mounted outside each front door. When I look into them I can see what's behind me - it's pretty amazing, actually and I've grown used to using them. I live in the city of Chicago and parallel park on the street and have never had any problem at all with these reflective glass thingies. Now, some of the other people could definitely benefit with some additional parking aids but I honestly think that anything short of having giants pick up their cars and place them into parking spots there will always be those that will ding/scrape/hit other cars no matter what; cameras wouldn't help them at all.

Fatalvenom

BRAVO I couldnt have said it better myself !!!!!!!

oblio98

Yeah, and you can say the same thing about those weird folding pieces of paper with all the lines on them that show you where you can go working fine instead of that "new fangled navi thing" in the dashboard too.................

To each his own.

msu79gt82

You know I didn't realize how useful tilt-down mirrors were until AFTER I owned a car with them. What do you RL owners think about this redundant lazy-inducing worthless safety feature?

Re: Back-up Camera
I have been on this forum long enough to know that IF the RL did come with a back-up camera THEN owners would defend it with their whole being!!

vp911

I most def. would not defend a rear view cam with my being. Other features, yep, of course. I find the rear view cam to be more of an additional toy to have.

I find the tilt down mirrors to be helpfup at times. I wouldn't die without them in another car; however, I would like to have them if future cars.

msu79gt82

And thats my point. Its a nice feature to have in a nice $50K Luxury car.

Nocturnal

My S4 got hit from behind in a parking lot when I was backing up as well. I wonder if either backup cam or sensors would have prevented it. I was looking over my right schoulder and the guy pulled out from the left. I never saw him till we hit. I'm not sure I would pay $$ for a backup cam but of course I wouldn't mind having it if it came standard. The biggest problem seems to be that the camera only works if you look ahead, the direction you should not be looking when you're backing up

I think it's time they came out with driver's helmets that project these backup cam images on a type of HUD so you can see them no matter where you look

vp911

I guess the RL will have the rear view cam as at least an option in 06. If you go to www.acuranavi.com and lookup the 2005 RL, you will see one of the additions to the 2006 software as "For RL, RidgelineNavigation support added for rear camera accessory"

bluemule

I'm still putting miles on my '94 Honda with 458,000+ miles, and have never parked the car in a parallel space without manually putting the mirror down to see the curb. I was thrilled to discover that the newer cars do this automatically. I can't stand to have a sidewall or rim go into a curb.

Fred

bluemule

There are different flavors of cameras. The M35 I test drove at my Acura dealer when I was getting my first service, seemed to offer a much better peripheral view, meaning side to side, than the one in the Honda van I got as a loaner the last time I had the Honda serviced. The view rearward was quite impressive. I think such a camera would be mighty handy backing out of a parking spot while in the shadows of large pickup trucks and SUV's, the likes of which, are endemic 'round here.

jeffster

Any confirmation of this? It's one of the things I really want in my next car after harry R in my MDx. It's one of the "tipping point" feature between an Rl and an Infiniti M35x for me.

vp911

It is not confirmed to my knowledge; however, based on the acuranavi.com site I imagine it is going to be part of the 06 RL. They needed to make other changes besides the tech package to boost sales closer to MSRP rather than 40k.

mrdeeno

I have an m45 with the rearview cam...

yesterday was parked in a hotel parking lot with those "one way" aisles...the ones that are at an angle instead of perpendicular to the aisles.

Well parked at the last spot (or first spot however you look at it) next to a chevy avalanche. While backing out I have to look past the chevy to see if any traffic is coming, all I had to do was back out so the camera was past the chevy's butt, then I could see all the way down the aisle to see if any cars were coming. There would've been no other way to see down through the aisle wiithout pulling at least halfway out of the spot.

As wide-angled as the lens is and how useful it is, i usually also turn around and look since there's always a blind spot somewhere (the day I forget to look is the day I'll end up scratching a 19" rim or worse).

That's how useful a rearview cam is. Is it necessary? of course not...17-18-19-20+" rims, navi, leather, dual zone climate control, cooled seats, heated seats, summer tires, more than 100hp, etc. aren't necessary. But it's really nice to have. I wouldn't put extra money into it as a standalone option, but if it's packaged with other useful/cool stuff, i'd get it.

hondamore

Releasing a rear-view camera as an accessory certainly seems like the most profitable way for Acura to add this feature to the RL. They can turn $50 worth of parts into a $1000 accessory. If they add it to the list of standard equipment, it certainly wouldn't warrant an increase in the MSRP of $1000. That said, as an RL owner, this feature should have been part of the RL's list of accessories from the beginning. The engineering has already been done for the JDM Legend, so putting the parts in a box and selling it as an accessory should have been a no brainer. Part of me still thinks that some slimy lawyers at American Honda HQ had a part in this. Maybe the position of the camera in the RL would leave bigger blind spots than the camera in the MDX, so they feel making it a standard feature would expose them to a bunch of lawsuits when drivers become focused on the camera and neglect turning around for a look at what is behind them. Just a guess. Does anyone know where the camera is located in the JDM Legend?
My personal opinion remains that the rear view camera is neat but not necessary.

jeffster

I agree that it's neat but not necessary.

However, as many have stated, I'm making my buying decision on my next car purely on the "neats," as all the cars in my short list are handling all the necessaries perfectly well.

msu79gt82

Very well put and I agree. When one spends $40K+ on a car it should more than meet your NEEDS. Therefore its the WANTS (extras) that become differentiating factors.

jeffster

Debate over. The 2006 RL offers the rear view cam as an option for ~$500.

But still no rear video entertainment system for the kiddies. This may drive me to an M35

Nocturnal

So now the question is if this can be retrofitted on the 05. From the acuranavi site it's clear that if you get the updated disk your nav system can deal with the signal.

vp911

I guess we will have to wait till it is actually released to see how it is integrated into the 06' RL. Is pre-wiring already done in the 06 or does the dealer have to do the wiring to the navi dvd drive. What type of connector is it - or did they add an input to the nav unit? Is there a hole pre-drilled in the trunk lid to accomodate the camera? Too many variables.

hondamore

The $500 price may not include installation. When you build the car and list the accessories, it says installation not included. I don't know what that applies to.
My gut feeling is that the 06 RL is identical to the 05 which should mean that they can fit the rear view camera onto an 05 as well. Any wiring and/or holes to be drilled will be done by the dealer during installation. Again, just my guess.

vp911

I agree that installation is not included. I would *guess* we can buy teh cam for $300 from dealers on ebay and have our dealers install it - if it works with the 05.

ASP

Let's hope