majin ssj eric

^^^I agree. Hell that new Regal GS coming out looks better than almost any car Acura has ever made (exceptions being the NSX, 3g TL, Legend coupe)....

chungkopi

that's the difference between a company with a big dream and a company who is playing safe.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Well I can't consider anymore, now that I realized it's worthless since the following is lacking: flush windows, hidden wipers, and 3-stage paint.

chungkopi

Hyundai will be fine because genesis and equus sell very well in korea. hyundai is still an infant in luxury game. they don't even have a luxury brand yet. but even hyundai knows they can't bring a knife in a machine gun fight.

all big name luxury brands have v8. all american brands have v8. v8 isn't going anywhere. honda needed to develop v8 15 years ago. it's never too late, so i hope honda develops v8 someday.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

I LOLd.

majin ssj eric

SSFTSX

design of car and price of car is directly proportional. otherwise why will some one make comment that RL look like $35K car. which it is not.
In Europe 25000 british pound 520 and 50000 british pound 550 will look the same. you just need M sport package to 520 to make it look better than standard 550. you see how your price arguement is stupid. as luxury is always subtle integrated into body structure. Acura RL is following that logic. the price of Advance tech pack with AFS lighting and sunshades is atleast $5K alone.

Acura RL alteast gives you class leading reliabilty, resale value, supple ride with handling. you dont need sport package compromise for the handling. your practically not seeing this side of handling and luxury combined into one package.

About Buick it is trying to resurrect itself with bankrupt Opel brand. it is not going to happen. Even BMW/Audi cannot reach Honda reliability, styling and fit/finish and your trying to pass an Opel clone as Acura competitor.

Costco

There are people that still haven't ignored SSFTSX yet

I think I'd rather have a discussion with a brick wall. or even msl82. He was an idiot but at least it was amusing to read his posts.

SSFTSX

Honda does not need to develop V8 15 years as without V8 it is the world most profitable automaker and third most valuable brand after BMW/Toyota.

Only Honda alone can manage this feat without full line up of cars and no V6 or V8 TDI. This is calle strong brand image and customer loyalty in world. Customer is the highest in Honda
Time has proven Honda right that CAFE regulation will make downsizing even more profitable. Vehicles need to shed weight by hundreds of pounds. All Honda has to do is introduce hybrid power to its 3.7L along with 6speed Auto. Acura RL with 350bhp and 6speed Auto with more aerodynamic profile will surely be winner against V8 competiton as aerodynamics and light weight plays most important part of performance parameters.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

It's kind of hard to read your comments, which are laughable by the way, when you have run on sentences and poor grammar.

Anyway, no, you're still wrong. You still don't get. Your opinion is still held by only you.

You don't understand the 5-Series thing. We get it: you don't like its styling and you very much like the RL's. That's too bad because sales definately suggest your opinion of this outstanding RL is in the EXTREME minority. They're moving several thousand midsize performance luxury sedans each month and only 150 or so are RLs. The RL's market share is terrible and it's no surprise why. It's an Accord with an advanced AWD system and lots of goodies packed it. It doesn't matter that it has triple series paint, man. Arguments like that show your lack of understanding. Those things should be the cherries on top, not its primary card(s) to play.

And you point out that it's the jack of all trades. Unfortunately it's also the master of none and doesn't come close to standing out in any particularly good area. Reliable? Yeah, the M37 and GS350 should fit your bill just fine.

The RL is an also ran, and sales show it. You DON'T understand luxury. You do NOT.

And exactly why do you think Buick can't make it? Sales of the Lacrosse and Enclave along with interest in the Regal already make you appear biased in that mindset.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

But when you DO talk to him you can coax the most hilarious things out of him

SSFTSX

sales. Luxury is about exclusivity. It is actuall very good that RL is not selling well. I dont want to see it on every corner.
How do you think BMW 530 without sport pack will handle?. how will be its interior. and surely with that oversize body on 17inch will look hell lot better. and all that music sytem that RL provide you for long drive. (read C&D long term test about it). what about Active noise cancellation and all those sound dreadening features for high speed.
Proof is always in pudding not in following the uneducated crowd that are buying vanila BMW and called it luxury.
you can only get this interior for $50k.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Maybe you aren't aware of what hybrid powertrains weigh.

In pounds:

GS450h: 4164
GS460: 3836
GS350: 3704

LS600hL: 5203
LS460L AWD: 4740

RX400h AWD: 4652
RX350 AWD: 4343

X5 Active Hybrid: 5769
X6 xDrive50i: 5269

7 ActiveHybrid L: 4839
750Li: 4641

Want me to list more?

Your BS, stomped again.

Costco

Hell, as long as you keep coming with the facts and the hilarious posts, I'll read them

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

GOOD that it's not selling well? You lose right there. Immediately upon saying that you cannot win anything else. After this response you are going on ignore for being a COMPLETE FUCKING MORON.

A 5-Series in any set will outhandle the RL EASILY. The DIESEL 5-Series models would outhandle the RL. You have never driven either have you? You just magazined raced with skipad figures or something right? Figures.

First you bash large wheels on a car and now you bash small wheels. Make up your mind.

The 5-Series is TEN THOUSAND TIMES better as a high speed beast than the RL. It was BRED to do it. The RL is an adapted engineering exercise, a family car underneath.

And being in the business I know for a FACT you're a bullshit liar for saying uneducated people buy the 5-Series. Show me a report depicting RL buyers as being more educated or enthusiastic about their purchase (as in they were "educated" about their choice).

P.S. Nice how you read that C&D article as proof and then have the balls to claim the RL as the god of reliability in its class, ignoring the fact that they complained about MULTIPLE reliability problems with the RL. By the way Mister Test Tube Baby, the RL turned out to be the LEAST reliable sedan in the class of vehicles they had long term and by a LONG shot ....which included a year with an A6.

And people make fun of Audi reliablity.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...term_road_test

SSFTSX

What this has anything to do with Honda?. Honda will go its own way.
how is CRZ weigh compared to Fit?. When you look at all those handling enhancement and larger wheels with more robust body structure of CRZ it is not that heavy with excellent fuel economic.

Costco

You have officially been upgraded from the title of "noob" to the title of "member"

oh and while you're at it, add msl82 to your ignore list. Then you'll be that far ahead of the curve.

SSFTSX

remember that was first year of Acura RL 2005. Problems do happens in such complicated model. No one in the world has introduced SH-AWD at that time. so all energies were used to make that system more reliable. so minor things were ignored. I have read the report. it is nothing to sneeze about. there is PDF document for performance after 40,000 miles.
Rmember Acura is smart luxury. I have been in too many MB taxis and rental BMWs. They are certainly not luxury. it is just people entering into brand. you have to built to order cars from BMW/Audi to get any kind of magazine test performance. Only M/AMG/RS models count as luxury.
Acura RL is complete package as it is from on dealer. no modification required.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Yay! I knew it was worth it staying up this fine evening.

But I do want to repeat that people: The god-quality of Acura is overstated.

And I don't want to hear "first year quirks" like an uneducated fanboy such as SSTSFXwhatever will probably claim. They almost always test first year cars (A6 was a first year car), and eight stops for problems in one year for a 50K "luxury" car is unacceptable. And as you dig into Google you find out it wasn't the lone RL with its share of wiring/electrical gremlins.

The RL was actually kind of a pile compared to the TL and TSX in reliability.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Look at how clean and uncluttered my page looks now:

chungkopi

shame on you for using IE!!

everyone should use chrome or at least FF.

chungkopi

good for RL owners, but horrible for business.

who care cares about selling cars! it's all about making 200 of RL owners very happy!

majin ssj eric

Yep, the time has finally come. Now the RL is best because nobody wants one????

Ignore.

smarty666

Oh, I'm so ever glad you caught yourself there and put the 3G TL exception in !!! Good job! I still love the size and bodystyle of it to this very day! Oh why Acura, why did you have to go and ruin it in 2009, why for the love of God, why

smarty666

Speaking of NSX, I hadn't seen any in a long time, but I just saw two on the road this week. I just started at the sight of them. Oh how I love and miss that sports car! The nostalgia it brought back for me!

I want Acura to bring the NSX back !!

majin ssj eric

I want Honda/Acura to go back to being the company they were in the early nineties....

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Hell Acura circa 2007 wasn't bad. Sexy TL, TSX, and a good RL, strong new MDX and the new RDX.

It seems as though the new 2008 TSX brought in the fail.

majin ssj eric

I think the "fail" started when Acura never came up with a successor to the NSX....

SSFTSX

I dont think it is bad to Honda business at all. How many RL 2010 you can find on dealer lots waiting to be depreciated for year end sale?.
Most of basic tech developed is already shared across Across Acura/Honda line up.
Euro Accord has LKAS/CMBS/ACC. and now ZDX also has ventilated seats. RL has done its job. it is now in its 6 year cycle.
check this interior for luxury 7 Series. even worse than Honda Accord design let alone ZDX/RL.
No need to up exterior of 7 series as it is already not worth look at it. MB S class look even worse for exterior.




look at ZDX interior from design to color matching. and that nice steering wheel along with square clean lines.




now compared to this thing. It is overcomplicated bumper and interior not so different than lower models.




Acura is still cutting edge for price point of $50k.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Ironically whenever I hop on and refresh my page it's usually within 15-20 of someone posting. I'm pyschic.

Anyway, yeah I'd really have liked an NSX successor but I also think it owuld have been equally wise to invest in other things. Instead of a highly expensive and low production run MR platform for example, how about a new platform specifically for Acuras (and the Honda/Acura Legend/RL)? Or how about a new V-8 or new exclusive-to-Acura line of engines instead of an awesome V-10?

I guess that's the businessman in me, but I view a highly expensive halo car as something for a brand with a stable line already (Lexus, Audi, Mercedes with their new supercars).

But don't get me wrong, I loved the NSX and would love to see a new one!

Costco

This has been mentioned many times and has been addressed several times by Colin.... impossible. You can't ask ANY manufacturer to go back to the way they were in the 90's.

F23A4

Timeout!!

fsttyms1

Cant ask, but suggestions never hurt!

Yumcha

I see that this thread kinda went sideways...



Anyhow, here's the rub: We welcome ALL discussion...be it pro-Honda or pro-European, whatever. We all have biases and we all have opinions and are entitled to them. However, that being said, keep the personal attacks limited. Next person who gets cute with that gets a nice vacation courtesy of the staff here. Capisce...?

Moog-Type-S

^^ Wait a minute....I thought you were Asian not Italian

fsttyms1

Fool went to the Olive Garden so now thinks he is part Italian. Hes a little

Yumcha

Call me Vito.

black label

I understand everything you said except this "Capisce" thing.

pttl

I think he made an offer that we can't refuse.

TSX69

Toyota Sales Tumble Despite Incentives

When the dust had settled around the massive investigations, congressional hearings and media attention concerning Toyota’s unintended acceleration woes, the automaker decided the best solution to jump start its sales would be to offer historically high incentives. At first, the plan appeared to accomplish the goal of moving cars from Toyota’s lots as sales jumped substantially in March and April compared to its abnormally low performances in January and February.

Now, data collected from Edmunds suggests that the boost in sales for the struggling Japanese automaker may have been more short lived than originally anticipated. Edmunds says that it appears as if Toyota’s incentives are no longer moving cars as they first did, as Toyota’s sales have dropped 17 percent compared to April (2010).

“We’re noticing that Toyota’s incentive program is starting to fall on deaf ears since most of the people who were open to getting deals from the automaker already made their purchases,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds analyst. “Our Toyota cross-shopping data indicates that the brand has not yet recovered from recent image problems.”

This drop in sales suggests a more serious problem that Leftlane first reported on May 10th, as analysts then expected Toyota’s sales to drop off substantially once the incentives were normalized in June – not during May as incentives continued.

Compare and contrast
Due to the volatility of the auto market in 2009, comparing month after month sales figures in 2010 can also help to show industry patterns and trends. In the month of May, General Motors has increased retail sales by 9 percent, contrasting Toyota’s drop in retail sales of 17 percent, when compared to last month [April 2010].

GM has also drastically boosted fleet sales for 2010, with fleet sales up a staggering 53 percent compared to the same three months in 2009. GM has increased its fleet sales from 70,000 units in the first three months to 148,000 units sold, according to a CNW columnist. Overall, GM’s fleet sales comprised 31 percent of its total sales for the first three months of 2010, compared to 17 percent for the same period in 2009.