Hi guys,

I was set on getting an 06 TL but currently being offered a very attractive price for an 05 RL and since I need a car now. I like the TL but i found it very common on the street. So I am comtemplating if I should pay $8,000 more to get a RL instead. The RL interior looks nice but it seems to fit more for an older driver. (i'm 28) Has anyone driven an RL and like/dislike it and perhaps regret not getting that instead? Is it worth the additional $8000? I am planning on getting it today after work so any suggestions will be helpful. Thanks.

 

I like everything about the RL technically but the "image" of the car would be wildly inappropriate for me... I'm 25 and the RL is usually purchased by people over 55. It is styled in that way as well if you look at some of the details of the design.

The RL, TL, and TSX, RSX are almost directly made for certain age ranges in many ways. Something to consider.

 

If you can afford it I would go for it. I personally like the TL more in the sense that its quicker, but if my parents had said they would consider the RL I would have pushed them for that. We live in NE so we could use the SH-AWD, and the larger passenger compartment is nice. I would wait until they have adaptive cruise control for it though, thats all it lacks IMO.

 

nope get the M45

 

Hmm, RL, M45, slight price difference. Maybe the M35, and if that I would get the m35X, thats like the RLs equivalent.

 

I just came out of a 04 g35 sedan so I dont really want a M35, cuz its looks very similar. So I am pretty down to A TL or RL. They both got options that I like and lack. I really like the touch screen on the TL which RL lacks and love the keyless access/engine start which TL doesnt have.

 

Get the TL, and use part of the 8k you will save for mods.

 

That's a fantastic suggestion. The TL can be made sooooooooo much better than stock in both looks and performance, but you are going to need an extra chunk of cash.

 

I have requested an RL as loaner several times and the dealership obliged. Nice enough ride but wouldn't have been a consideration for me because of the price. Even if price had not been an issue, really didn't see it as worth the premium over the TL. IMHO, I am years away from being interested in an RL type of a ride and I am in my 40's. Since you are in Oakland, I don't see that you would get much out of the SH-AWD. However, if the exclusivity of the ride is important, than the RL definitely has the advantage over the TL. Even discounted, RL is never going to sell like the TL. My vote would be stay with TL and if you want to be distinctive, use the $'s for mods like others have suggested. Good luck!

 

Performance? You can't put headers on and I've seen only a handful of people mod it. The new TL is a aftermarket bust compared to the old platform where headers alone could net you 15 hp. The new one doesn't even have a S/C out yet.

Coming from the G35, the RL will seem a little slow. Its much heavier and the super smoothness will kind of drown out the sensation of acceleration. The luxury will probably seem unreal considering the G35 was loud and kinda cheap

If you are not into speed, I would say the RL is a better car than the TL. Plus you don't have that annoying torque steer in the RL. Either way, good luck with your decision.

 

I have the 6 speed so I know all about the torque steer. It's there but something I have certainly gotten used to. When I had the RL loaners, I made a point to see how they behaved when accelerating from rest and turning. Initially, I thought "Hey, this SH-AWD rules! No torque steer!" Then I had a TL loaner with automatic and trie d the same maneuvers and had similar results. Controlling the torque steer, IMHO, is more a function of auto than SH-AWD. That being said, I really enjoy the 6sp and jus drive it with the knowledge of when torque is going to be an issue.

 

I'd have to disagree with the auto being the function of no torque steer. The SH-AWD distributes torque over all four wheels depending on the situation and the conditions. Acura removed any and all possibility of torque steer when it programmed its AWD to distribute its torque a certain way when slip is detected. If the RL had a 6-speed and 50 more ft-lbs of torque, it still wouldn't produce any torque steer because the car would then have more of a RWD bias under heavy accereration or cornering. If the programmers did their job, the RL wouldn't have any torque steer even with 500hp regardless of transmission type.

BTW, the auto tranny version has torque steer under hard cornering according to some members here so it still is a minor issue with them. I personally find torque steer annoying but not enough to detract from not buying a car for that reason alone (i've had a maxima...lots of tq steer!).

 

If the $8000 isn't a big dent on your bank account, I would suggest you go for it. However, I am not sure if you are planning on getting a 6MT on the TL. In my opinion, besides the slightly less attractive body style and the lack of having a 6speed transmission, the RL is practically a nicer car than the TL.

I personally would go for the TL just because it's 6MT

 

If I could have afforded to buy an RL there is no question that I would have gotten it instead.

 

I would get the RL. Its made in Japan not in Ohio like the TL. It a much better car over all. Don't get me wrong I like the current TL. I am 2nd gen TL owner. But the new RL is phat. Get the optional 18in wheel package and make it more sporty. The new RL corners really well.

 

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IS350 anybody?

 

acutally the 2g S with headers got 27 at the wheels...

 

Get a Lexus GS or wait for the new IS350

 

Whatever you do , do not get the TL unless you like hearing rattles over your music

 

06 Tl shouldnt be that bad.

 

WOW! are there really this many rattles in these bad boys?
i mean i know every site has their trolls, but i swear i see 3 times as many here then anywhere else. so adventually i start to think, "hmm, maybe they arent trolls"

 

elmerhiggins has made it a personal quest to dissuade peopel from buying a TL. he stuck to dash fade for a while but now has moved on to rattles as an excuse it seems.

 

tzakiel-
I only wish others do not make the mistake I did
when a car's quality changes someone who was head over heals about the TL to one that absolutely feels ripped off after having purchased it thats something right there
I only call it as I see it, and i see dash fade and rattles, and busted subs
Its not a personal quest, its a quest to protect others from poor build quality!
So STFU

 

short answer: NO.

If you're considering an RL, *GET AN INFINITI M35*.

The RL has cheap parts in random places (i.e. cheap rubber around doors) and the rear seat is smaller than the TL.

Just my two cents.

 

Oh man, all these care have cheap parts in some places, they are not $100,000 cars that are filled with suede and leather. Have you ever sat in a M35 and felt the plastics? Some of them are pretty cheap...I'm not knocking the M, but don't not get the RL and get the M because of cheap parts

 

Every car in the segment offers something that the other doesn't.

RL = fastest and the best handling of the Luxury AWD cars around $45k.
M35 = fast, great looking rwd luxury sport sedan
GS300 = slow, great looking rwd luxury sport sedan
TL = fast, great looking entry level fwd sporty luxury sedan
G35 = fast, great looking entry level sports sedan
BMW 330 = the ultimate driving machine (in its class)
BMW 530 = the sister to the ultimate driving machine (M5)

 

If image is that important to you, you're looking at the wrong brand. Get the car that you like best, that meets your driving needs and desires, and that makes you feel like you got your money's worth.

Questions like yours lead to entertaining threads with flames on all sides, but I can't imagine it helps you much. Now if you had said what you really want in a car and ask owners whether a car really provides those things, then it would be more productive. I like my TL so far; that doesn't mean you would.

Your post refers to image consciousness twice. If that's your priority, go to BMW or Lexus, depending on the image you wish to project. If the car itself matters, let's hear your desires so we can determine whether the car fits YOU.

 

I understand the technology behind the RL and recognize that it has the ability to handle significantly more power and probably even a manual without producing torques steer. My point was that in the situations that cause the most severe torque steer with the 6 speed, the RL and TL automatic performance (i.e. minimal or no torque steer) were very close. Now it would be interesting to see if Acura extends the SH-AWD technology to a 6 speed TL or RL sometime in the future.

 

Id say go aspe with a rond jon body kit, get a CAI, Exhaust, add a few screens and maybe some NOS, that should bring them about up to par on the price.