I was at my Local Acrua Dealer today to buy my TL. Well low and behold i caught a glimpse of the RL from across the show room floor. As i walked over to it I started to get a major chubby. anywho.. I asked the salesman to take a test drive, this was my first mistake.. second mistake was actually getting in the car. After the test drive I went back over to the TL to compare.. guess what.. there is no comparison here.. No offence intended to current TL owners.. So now I have my eyes fixed on a new RL. Only problem is with the increased price, almost 15k i cant make the deal work for me because i am upside down in my trade in by quite a bit. I was willing to absorb it in the lower priced TL however it kind of puts me over the top on the RL..

 

i know how you feel man. the RL is sweet even though its much smaller than I expected. felt the same way when I walked in to buy my TL. In that price range nothing competes. I mean SH-AWD, the navi with traffic whatever they call it. But the key word here is higher "price range". You cant go wrong with either car. Just up to you on how much you willing to spend. You have two great choices as did I, but wasnt willing to spend that much when in a couple of years I want to buy an AWD SUV or SAV. Besides heres a deciding point, like I said both cars are great but can you justify paying 15K more for an AWD car that you may not need since I see you are in Vegas? Well good luck deciding bro...

 

I am surprised that there is that much of a difference, as the pics may not do justice to the RL. Seeing is believing, I guess. However, if I was looking in that price range when I bought my TL, I would have considered the RL--even if you live in a desert, that AWD would be invaluable to me. The torque steer in the TL is pretty massive, and I miss that 'sure foot plant' feeling that AWD gives me, even on dry roads. Throw in some Pittsburgh snow storms and it becomes a no brainer.

 

For 15k more it should be much better. Thats like saying to someone whose shopping for a 4cylinder Accord LX -- "The accord sucks, get the TL, for 12k more its no comparison."

"Only problem is with the increased price"
I hate when that problem arises. I was planning on getting one of those V12 benzs but the damn price got in the way.

In all seriousness though, if it really puts you over the top (my def of this statement is that it puts a strain on your finances), you probably shouldn't be considering it.

Slink

 

For that much dough, I would start looking at the M45 when the new model comes out...that thing is pretty nice

 

seeing the RL is person is just jaw dropping, pictures do not convey the presence that car has

 

I'll agree the RL is nice. But there's no way in hell I'm driving an 'automatic'. Takes all the fun out of driving IMHO. A 6MT RL with Brembos up front would be the ticket. Hopefully by the time the 42 month lease on my '05 TL is up, Acura would have make a sportier RL. I still like the TL's interior over the RL's. Maybe because I'm a younger male driver which Acura seems to be marketing the TL to. RL's interior is something a middle aged dentist would probably enjoy. Hehe...

 

RL looked pretty boring to me, but had a killer interior. The car is too underpowered for me.

I wanted a TL or a TSX, went with the TL.

 

TL = 270 HP
RL = 300 HP

how is the RL underpowered?

 

Even with 30 more horses, the RL is slower than the TL because it's heavier. I read that in a major car mag, maybe Road and Track.

 

for 50g's......... I'm sorry, but I'd be at the Benz dealer. Or looking at the a 545im (m is for manual) for those that didn't know.

 

Even though its 300hp, you will lose some of the power due to the fact that its AWD.

I was in the same position as you were about 2 months ago. Had my heart set on the 05TL before seeing the new RL. What a beautiful car!!! What changed my heart back to the TL was the asking price of the RL. I mean I couldve gotten it but will be eating bread and drinking water for several years. Did I say I love my TL? Either car is a good choice. Go with what you can afford.

 

For that much dough, with awd, nav., and other similar options to make it compare to the RL, you better be thinking M35.

 

You mean BMW 545i right?

 

Actually acceleration of the RL is more like in the 6spd TSX. Not exactly slow but you're definitely not burning any rubber. It is about .5 sec slower to sixty than the Manual TL and closer to one second slower than the Manual TL.

To put it into context it is about as fast as a BMW 530 or a GS Lexus. Not the fastest but definitely competitive. On feture content, however it puts both of them to shame, thats without even considering SHAWD.

 

Sure, and I'd have a fleet of Maybachs if I could just get that payment down a bit.


If it makes any difference, many of us on this forum could afford the RL but still think the TL is a much better value (especially for 6MT drivers.) Get what you can afford and enjoy. You can't let what you can't afford ruin what you can.

 

Just up to you on how much you willing to spend. I wanted a TL or a TSX, went with the TL.

 

the way i see it...it's all about ur budget, ur either in the market for TSX, or TL which is in the 25k-35k or MDX or RL which is 40 - 50...all bout how big ur wallet is...u cant compare TL to RL diff price range..good luck

 

I really like the RL and its presence, but Acura really dropped the ball on the rim/tire combo. 17s are way too puny, and to add insult to injury, they made them ugly.

The RL, as it stands now, is like a pretty lady in gorgeous evening gown, but with ripped Wallmart shoes on.

 

They have upgraded 18's ... they are the same as the TL aspec rims. I didnt like the RL when I first saw it in person. Then I saw one at the Airport. Thats when I saw it from farther away. Now I like it again but that price is too rich for my blood:P

 

I recently saw the RL at a car show and although it's nice...I still like the "sporty" aspect of the TL better. The RL seems like a car for "old farts".

 

I got the same impression when I sat in it. Maybe an all black leather interior with carbon fiber accents instead of wood might make it feel sportier. Oh yeah, and a manual transmission. But in this price range I'd probably look elsewhere for a car. I'd probably get into a BMW M3.