t600

Hey guys, a couple months ago I bought a 06 RL non-tech with 91k miles. I drive the car very little and I'm really disappointed in the way that the car rides. I noticed it while test driving but liked the car anyways and figured no more than it would be driven it would be fine. Last week was the first time I actually drove it any distance and I was happy to park it when I got home. I read post after post on the forums talk about how smooth a ride this car has and now I'm convinced something is wrong with my car. I didn't test drive any other RL's but for people who own this car what is the ride comparable to? The only thing that rides worse than this car in our driveway is our 04 F-250 with the FX4 off-road package....and only by a bit. It rides considerably worse than our altima, maxima, and even the Chevy Z71 pickup we have. It rides a lot like the 06 Ford Mustang GT that I bought new before the RL. If we were going on a trip I would have to rent something else to drive, and I don't think that's right for Acura's flagship. One thing that is odd is that the car wanders over rough roads but is fine on smooth roads. I was just curious what parts of the suspension could cause this other than worn shocks? I'm trying to figure out a game plan before dumping to much money in the car. Thanks guys

VietGuy03

iTrader: (4)

Just to clarify you noticed something slightly before you bought the car and now it has become more pronounced after a long trip? Have you checked all the pressures in the tires? Pressure settings have affected how members on the forum with RL's have perceived their ride.

What kind of tires do you have and approximate tread on those tires? Additionally, what are the DOT'S on the tires to give an idea of their age. I find it strange that your car would wander while driving. One thing to keep in mind is the grade/angle of the road you are driving on. Highways have a natural grade in order to aid in the moment of water off the road. So just because a road is paved smooth doesn't mean that there is no angle/grade to it.

Another potential issue you should consider is your alignment. There are some shops that offer free alignment checks to bring in business. Utilize them and cross reference their suggestions with other shops to see if they coincide. Additionally, ball joints, suspension arms, shocks and springs should all be considered as well.

Granted everyone's idea of smooth ride will differ. There are people that believe a Buick Century or Mercury Grand Marquis are the standards in "smooth" riding cars, while others will vouch for the Acura RL.

danmm7

iTrader: (1)

Ride quality of a well tuned and maintained Acura RL should NOT be that bad, period!
I compare the RL to my old 2003 Maxima, 2004 TSX, Hyundai Sonata V6, Mazda B4000 truck, etc and it is MUCH smoother than all of them. It is not as smooth as our 2007 Sienna van, but the RL close, yet more sporty and controlled on the road. I have 18" aftermarket wheels too.
With the OEM 17" wheels, my RL had a very nice, smooth ride. It is a very easy car to drive over long distances. No rental can come close to the ride and comfort of my RL.
There is something wrong with your car that you need to address.

1. Check your tires - all four of them. Pressure - too low or too high? How much rubber left on tires? Are they wearing evenly? Cupped tires can make the ride really bad/noisy. If tires are just "ok", replace all four of them with high quality new tires.
Try Michelin Pilot A/S or Toyo Versado. This may solve all your problems.

>> Keep pressure at 32psi (cold) or higher on all four corners. I run mine at 35-36psi. More than that will make your ride harsh. Check pressure when tires are COLD.

2. Regardless of #1 above, take your car to a GOOD, reputable wheel/tire/alignment shop and get an alignment + all four tires re-balanced. Ideally, try to find a shop that has a Hunter balance machine, so they can check your wheels too.

3. If 1 & 2 above are taken care of and your car still rides crappy - take it for suspension inspection to a trusted mechanic - check for leaking shocks, bad end links, bad engine mounts.

Good luck!

23109VC

i agree. my 06 RL rides like a dream. VERY smooth. My 2007 MDX, a nice vehicle in and of itself, rides FAR rougher than my RL... NO other Acura I have driven - and I've had quite a few various loaners, have driven as smooth as my RL...

something is not right with your car.

obvious things to look at:

Tires. how old are your tires? if you have old tires on the car, jus tputting a fresh set of rubber and rebalacning can make the car drive COMPLETELY differently.

tire pressure - make sure it's around 32. look in the door jam on the sticker.. it's either 32 all the way around or I think it might be 32 front, 30 rear. tire pressure can make a noticeable difference in how your car feels.

alignment. when was the car aligned? alignment makes a huge difference in the feel of a car. if the alignment is off it could be causing this wandering or in general, a poor feel.

also, rebalance the wheels/tires if it hasn't been done in a while.

If you were to get an alignement, buy new tires, get it balanced - I'll bet you find the ride magically improved. obviously a set of tires is not cheap... but if the set you have are worn, or have worn improperly due to lack of rotation and/or long term misalignment.. that might be a good thing to do. a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S + are my recommendation. $200/tire from tire rack. any major chain like Discount tire will price match + shipping costs and you will be out the door under $1000. these tires kick a$$ and will make the RL drive smooth AND handle corners great.

i love mine.

the RL is a pleasure to drive on the freeway. we have a 2007 MDX along with our RL. the MDX is great b/c it holds so much stuff and when we do family 'trips' or things where we have ot haul stuff, we end up taking the MDX b/c it's so much larger.. but for our family commutes on weekends where we are not hauling luggage/strollers/stuff - but we are going to be on the eroad for an hour or two at a time - trips between San diego and LA , etc... I almost ALWAYS insist we take the RL... it's a bit tighter for the kids in back, and they don't have their "tv" set on the headrests.. BUT it is such a more pleasant drive.. the smoothness on the freeway, and the rock solid feel o fthe car at cruising speed makes it one of the best cars I have driven for trips..

Pint

Strange to read. My two previous were bimmers e38 & e65, but I can not complain about lack of smoothness in Legend/RL. Tyres, pressure, shockers, as mentioned above, may be an issue in your particular case, otherwise I don't know what to say. Puzzled.

HondaV10

What size are the wheels on the car? I wonder if you may have an A-spec or aftermarket suspension on the car...

tnobori1

Even with aspec there is no way that it should be riding that harsh.

alfadoctor

In comparison to my former '97 RL the "06 is a bit tighter on the ride but it feels so much more responsive, doesn't wander the road, and the car feels more integrated as a whole. I don't mind putting in 10-12 hour drives the car is that comfortable. Do you have an A-Spec car? The springs are more firm, as could be your tires, adding up to a stiffer ride. Test drive a new RL and see how the two compare.

t600

Sorry guys for the being slow on getting back in here to respond. Well the car rides on stock 17 inch rims and tires and as said before it doesn't have the PAX system. I'm not positive whats going on exactly but I feel lots better knowing this isn't the way its supposed to be. As for 23109vc 's recommendation on tires, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S pluses are whats on my car now. They have at least 75% tread left and I know that pretty much everyone LOVES these tires. I posted elsewhere on here how much I dislike these tires but I'm starting to wonder if I got some from a bad batch or something. The tread on my tires is coming out in chunks, and the rubber that hasn't completely broken off from the surrounding rubber is as hard as a rock when you pull it off and look at it. I didn't realize this until just the other day how bad it is so I know the tires are at least one of the problems. I also would guess that the shocks are stock, no accessories have been added to the car so I doubt the shocks have been done and the car isn't an a-spec car. I'm probably just going to go ahead and bite the bullet and get some new tires...I just hope they make a BIG difference. Thanks guys for the help.

tnobori1

Make sure to read the thread on tire pressure and also consider getting the car aligned. You should love this car, so something is definitely wrong!

Chas2

Call Michelin, get instructions for warranty claim and go to a nearby Michelin dealer....worth a try.

t600

ok guys, I have a quick question that i'm sure is answered numerous times but I'm about to head out in search of tires and need some quick info. Since my top priorities are noise and cushy ride and with the car seeing no snow i've decided to go with the bridgestone serenitys. My question is with this being an AWD car can you replace 2 tires at the time? Since the current tires have lots of tread left I'm not sure it would be a big deal but I don't want to ruin anything dealing with the AWD of course. Two of the tires will be a Christmas present and I was hoping to wait until after the holidays to replace the other two. If I can I will replace just the front two for now because I know that the "wandering" started immediately after they rotated the tires so the tires on the back should be usable until I can pony up for the extra 2 tires. Thanks again for the help guys

Chas2

So you will end up with two different pairs of tires. Each axle should have the same pair of tires on it. Maintain the same rolling diameter tires, and do not mix types (e.g., all season and summer tires) Understand how much tread is left on the old tires. Probably should not be more than 4/32 difference from the new tires.

New tires always go on the back.

Do not cross rotate so you have mixed pairs.

The manual says:

Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).

Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a different
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.

It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible
or necessary, replace the two front
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
affect your vehicle’s handling.

Also go to the Tire Rack Tech Section and read the article on AWD and tires, and also look at the article about why new tires go on the back.