rets

Edmunds Editors' Review 10/2004


Car and Driver Buyer's Guide 10/2004

astro

too funny Les, too funny.
only took you guys about 9 hours to find this place.

justinjsw

05 RL from Acuranews room

Official U.S. Acura website

Official Acura of Canada Website





Reference:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11

justinjsw

05 RL Color U.S.

Desert Mist Metallic
Ebony or Parchment

Nighthawk Black Pearl
Ebony or Parchment

Opulent Blue Pearl
Ebony or Taupe

Carbon Gray Pearl
Taupe or Ebony

Lakeshore Silver Metallic
Taupe or Ebony

Redondo Red Pearl
Parchment or Ebony

Meteor Silver Metallic
Taupe or Ebony

Premium White
Parchment or Ebony

Celestial Silver Metallic
Ebony or Taupe


05 RL Color Canada

justinjsw

Autoweek SEMA RL ASpec Review 11/04

ricecake

http://www.autosite.com/Previews/2005-acura-rl.asp

http://www.nctd.com/sneakpreview.cfm...RL&ReviewID=62

justinjsw

Toronto Star Review 9/04

SH-AWD Toronto Star Review 9/04

Motortrend Preview 9/04

Autoweek SEMA ASPEC RL review 11/04

Autoweek Preview 9/04

Canadian Driver Review 10/04

justinjsw

JDM Honda Legend = NA Acura RL

Honda Legend Website

justinjsw

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Reference:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22

justinjsw

Road and Track Preview 10/04

Car and Driver Full Review 12/04

Automobile Magazine Review 10/04

justinjsw

Acura Super Handling All-Wheel Drive System Named To Popular Science Magazine's Best of What's New


Torrance, Calif. 11/10/2004 -- The Super Handling All-Wheel Drive(TM) (SH-AWD(TM)) system featured on the all-new 2005 Acura RL performance luxury sedan has been named Best of What's New in the Automotive Technology category of Popular Science Magazine's 2004 Best of What's New list.

Best of What's New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 12 categories: Auto Technology, Aviation & Space, Cars, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets, General Innovation, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Personal Health, Photography and Recreation. Winners are featured in the December issue of Popular Science.

The Acura SH-AWD system is the first and only all-wheel-drive platform to distribute the optimum amount of torque not only between the front and rear wheels but also between the left and right rear wheels. The result is uncanny cornering performance that provides extremely neutral steering and outstanding vehicle stability.

"Being named to the Best of What's new list further confirms that the Acura Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system is a significant advancement in automotive technology," said Dick Colliver, Acura vice president, sales. "Acura takes its reputation for technologically advanced vehicles seriously and we appreciate the recognition in such a respected publication."

"Best of What's New is the ultimate Popular Science accolade, representing a year's worth of work evaluating thousands of products," said Editor Mark Jannot. "These awards honor innovations that not only impact the way we live today, but change the way we think about the future."

The 2005 Acura RL is Acura's top-of-the-line sedan. In addition to SH-AWD, it features a 300-horsepower VTEC engine, track-tuned suspension, and a host of advanced technology including the first North American application of a real time traffic information system.

justinjsw

HDTV feed Honda Worldwide SH-AWD

Night vision/Honda Legend

gocubsgo55

might also want to add these tech videos if they aren't up where I haven't noticed. Please note, Honda's Intelligent Night Vision System is not available for the USDM, for those who aren't aware. Just a heads up.

Honda's Intelligent Night Vision System

Honda's SH-AWD tech video

rets

Acura SH-AWD System named to Popular Science Magazine's Best of 2004


Car & Driver RL Review


Honda Legend Wins Japan Car of the Year Award 2004-2005 and Most Advanced Technology


Acura unveils A-SPEC RL at SEMA!


Member Reviews of RL


Automobile Magazine Review


Dec. Smart Money Mag

peter97

Just read a nice review by LA Times automotive critic.
Good enough to be on top of his car of the year list!


http://www.latimes.com/classified/au...-home-highway1

A sound investment
The Acura RL is up to its ears in high-tech refinement -- and you haven't heard the half of it.
By Dan Neil
Times Staff Writer

November 24, 2004

I was an audiophile in college. Incorrigible, really. I shouldn't have been allowed within 100 yards of an audio.

My stereo system comprised a 400-watt McIntosh amp and preamp, four Klipsch speakers, an anvil-heavy Thorens turntable and a Tascam reel-to-reel four-track recording deck. I remember standing outside my burning apartment in worse-for-wear BVDs and hearing — as if they were Clarice's bleating sheep — these components shriek and sizzle and puddle together with some 500 albums and tapes.

So much for that hobby.

After the fire, I bought some consumer-quality stereo equipment and settled down to a life of aural mediocrity, never again to savor fully the depth and nuance of my Black Oak Arkansas records.

But in the last decade or so I have monitored, with what I like to think is a fairly accomplished ear, the changes in car audio, not all of which have been positive. The self-deafening fetish of kilowatt amplifiers and seismic subwoofers loud enough to cause cattle to spontaneously abort … well, that's not so great. When enough kids lose their hearing or develop tinnitus, the aftermarket manufacturers of these systems are going to get slapped with the mother of all class-action lawsuits.

Other technologies are just gimmicks. Programmable DSP (Digital Sound Processing) essentially increases reverb levels to mimic the spatial acoustics of different rooms, for instance, "club," "concert hall" or "stadium." That's just what I want: Mozart at the Meadowlands.

In the Acura RL, however, I think I've found the perfect car audio system. It's transportation for the soul.

Like its sibling the TL, the RL is equipped with a Bose DVD-Audio sound system. DVD-Audio is a recording format that contains some 500 times the amount of information of a standard audio CD. These DVD-A CDs — remastered from original recordings — create a superb spatial illusion by putting individual instruments and voices across eight surround-sound channels, so convincingly that you will find yourself checking the back seat to see if Milli and Vanilli have their seat belts on.

Even with ordinary CDs the system's processors helpfully divvy up the two stereo channels into a fairly convincing surround-sound experience, using what Bose calls its Centerpoint processing. The lowest frequencies are parsed from the other channels and pumped through the woofers.

So it's super hi-fi surround sound with exceptional audio imaging — Lionel Hampton sounds like he's playing vibes on your ribs, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan warbles at the edge of the afterlife. Amazing.

A car, however, is not a living room. It's a cramped space full of hard, reflective surfaces and soft, absorbent materials, so each car's cabin has its unique acoustic features. Meanwhile, cars are noisy. Mechanical sounds from the powertrain, road noise and wind noise all compete with an audio system.

Most of the automakers that use Bose systems, including Acura, make use of the company's Audiopilot noise compensation system, which monitors cabin noise — say, the whistle of a partially opened moon roof or the churring white noise from rough pavement — and boosts amplitude in certain frequencies to compensate. Audiopilot can be found in everything from Corvettes to Maseratis to Maybachs.

Unique to Acura is its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system. In principle, it works just like Bose's noise-canceling headsets (which makes me wonder why Bose doesn't market a system like it). ANC monitors low-frequency cabin noise (around 100 hertz or lower) and then reproduces the signal 180 degrees out of phase, which has the effect of muting the booming low-frequency sound in the cabin. Call it the sounds of silence.

ANC operates whether or not the audio system is turned on. As soon as you turn the ignition switch, the cabin fills with a cottony, comfortably numb quiet above which the richer and more pleasant sounds of the car and stereo can be heard.

The rundown of the RL's audio system goes like this: a 10-speaker, 260-watt surround-sound audio system, with six-disc in-dash changer, compatible with DVD-Audio/CD/MP3/WMA formats (Don't know what they are? Ask your kids), as well as XM satellite radio with a free one-year subscription.

The RL is a veritable landslide of in-car technology — including a surprisingly lucid voice-recognition system parlaying with the audio, climate, Bluetooth phone and navigation systems (560 voice commands, such as "Find nearest Vietnamese restaurant" … and later, if you fall ill: "Find nearest hospital"). It even recognizes spoken addresses, so you can say the address — "Two-Oh-Two West First Street" — and the system will find it for you without your spinning and punching in letters as if you were working a Dymo tape machine. The nav system also includes a Zagat restaurant guide — it will dial selected restaurants for you — and split-screen 3-D route guidance.

Brace yourself, Angelenos: The RL offers real-time traffic information. Using data culled from Caltrans and other sources and put up on the XM satellite, the RL's nav system displays traffic slowdowns, road construction and SigAlerts. The system will even route you around these arterial blockages if you ask it.

Of course, if it means another 30 minutes in the virtual presence of Alison Krauss or Elliott Smith, maybe you are not in that big a hurry.

At some point this car gets to be so accommodating it's funny. The keyless access system, for example, uses a transmitter key that you keep in your pocket. When you approach, the car recognizes the key and will unlock itself. When you leave, you need only wave your hand over the outside handle to lock it.

Retractable rear headrests? Check. Power rear sunscreen? Check. Retractable rear window sunscreens? Road-following headlamps? All right, already.

Oh, yes, it goes like a bat out of heck, too (no FCC fines for me). Powered by a purling 3.5- liter V6 putting out a thoroughly overachieving 300 horsepower (and getting 18/26 EPA mileage to boot), the five-speed RL also features Honda/Acura's new "Super Handling" all-wheel drive system (feel free to laugh at the name). What's so super? Simply put, the electronically controlled rear transaxle accelerates the outside wheel in a corner — according to traction, load and yaw rate compared with steering angle — thereby helping the car turn.

You have to drive this car pretty hard to notice the effect; most of the time it simply drives with effortless and unremarkable élan, like a 300-horsepower Acura with a hall pass from Professor Isaac Newton. The steering is perfectly weighted and lively. The car feels utterly at ease on its double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension. Even though it lacks the baroque suspension engineering of some of its rivals — the Lexus and Audi air suspensions, the Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control — the ride is well damped and locked down, an impression amplified, as it were, by the car's electronically derived quiet. Fresh snowfall, anyone?

Beautifully styled inside and out and built with a precision that Rockwell might envy, the Acura RL is now on top of my car-of-the-year list. It's a real-world list that excludes my drugs of choice like the Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz E500 wagon. The RL comes in one trim only — loaded like a drunken Shriner — and costs $49,470, which may constitute the best dollar-to-feature ratio in the luxury sedan segment.

For a lot of car shoppers, the price will be music to their ears.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automotive critic Dan Neil can be reached at dan.neil@latimes.com.

*(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

2005 Acura RL

Price, as tested: $49,470

Powertrain: 3.5-liter, SOHC, 24-valve V-6, variable-valve timing and lift, electronic throttle control; five-speed automatic transmission with sequential sport-shift and manual paddle-shift mode; all-wheel drive

EPA mileage: 18 miles per gallon city, 26 highway

Horsepower: 300 at 6,200 rpm

Torque: 260 pound-feet at 5,000 rpm

0-60 mph: 6 seconds

Wheelbase: 110.2 inches

Overall length: 193.6 inches

Competitors: Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic

Final thoughts: So complete, only failure is not an option

justinjsw

Canadian Driver Review 10/04


First Drive:
2005 Acura RL
by Paul Williams

Washington D.C. - Back in 1988, Acura was first out of the gate in North America as a Japanese luxury car, but the division has had its ups and downs since then.

The ups include the introduction of the splendid and exotic NSX as a "halo" car for the brand in 1991, and the downs include the gradual disappearance of that fine car, along with a string of somewhat indistinct vehicles through the 'nineties.

But Acura, now pushing a combination of high technology, luxury and performance, is arguably back in the saddle. The recently introduced TSX and TL have caught the attention of consumers, and the 2005 RL, a $69,500 bundle of silicon chips, leather and horsepower should interest luxury buyers looking for a state-of-the-art alternative to German mainstays BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz.


Like all Acuras, power is not an issue, but unlike some Acuras, neither is the front-drive specification known for its torque-steer under full throttle. That's because the RL's 300-horsepower, 3.5-litre V6 with variable valve timing, energetically propels the car through a new Super Handling all-wheel drive (SH-AWD) system.

The engine, according to Acura, is the world's highest output, naturally aspirated V6 available, but gives better fuel economy, is lighter, and produces less emissions than the engine it replaces.

The five-speed automatic transmission uses Grade Logic Control to reduce unnecessary shifting, and features Formula 1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel should you wish to (literally) take things into your own hands.

Aluminum is used extensively in this car to keep the weight down, from the revised front and rear suspension, to the hood and fenders to structural components like chassis subframes.

The Super Handling (don't you love the name?) all-wheel drive system uses sensors to detect the driver's input, yaw rate (rotation on its axis) and lateral forces on the car, and then sends varying amounts of torque to the wheels through an electromagnetic clutch. Optimum torque is continuously distributed both front-to-rear and, at the rear, side-to-side, with the system making instantaneous and continuous adjustments as you drive.

A brake-based electronic stability control system and traction control further contributes to vehicle stability. These systems, combined with the stiff and lightweight chassis, produce an exceptionally well-balanced vehicle that's easy to control on a variety of road conditions.

Exterior styling of the RL continues the aerodynamic TSX and TL theme, but the car looks somewhat more muscular due to the rounded fenders front and rear (the car is virtually the same size as the TL in all exterior dimensions).

Inside, occupants enjoy a spacious cabin, bigger in the rear than the TL, that's tastefully appointed with leather and wood accents throughout. The sweep of the dashboard, which continues into the front doors is perhaps reminiscent of the 5-Series BMW, which, along with the Audi A6 an Mercedes-Benz E320, is suggested by Acura as their direct competitors (others would be the Jaguar S-Type and Lexus GS300/430).

The amount of standard equipment, however, sets this car apart from its competition, as there are no options.

The list is long, and includes the all-wheel drive system and electronic stability controls, active front lighting (the headlights swivel up to 20-degrees based on vehicle speed and steering input), and a keyless, programmable, access system, where each key has a "digital identity" that remembers seat and mirror positions, audio preferences and climate settings.

A GPS-linked dual-zone, dual-mode climate control system allows driver and passenger to set temperature and airflow modes independently. It factors in the position of the sun and adjusts the cabin climate accordingly. For Canada only, headlight washers and heated, ventilated, perforated leather front seats warm and cool their occupants using three fans built into the seat structure.

The navigation system is also standard, along with a 10-speaker Acura/Bose DVD-Audio system tuned to deliver surround-sound to all seating positions in the car. The RL is enabled to connect with your Bluetooth cell phone for hands-free communications.


Active Noise Cancellation uses two microphones in the car to detect low frequency booming from the exhaust system. The system then sends a "reverse phased audio signal" through the audio amplifier to cancel out the noise, which quietens the interior by up to 10-decibels. This technology works whether the audio system is on or off. However, when the Bose audio system is on, another technology called AudioPilot makes adjustments to the sound to compensate for noise generated by surrounding traffic and varying road surfaces.

An interface dial (looking suspiciously like BMW's I-Drive) controls audio, climate and navigation functions by scrolling through menus and selecting options. All of these functions, however, are duplicated with knobs and switches on the three-section centre console.

Every other luxury amenity seems present and accounted for. There's even a power sunscreen for the rear window. A few accessories are available, including interior trim kits and 18" wheels (replacing the standard 17" wheels).

But you won't want for much.


The twisty Shenandoah Circuit of Virginia's Summit Point Motorsports Park provided an opportunity to drive the RL back-to-back with various German competitors and, credit to Acura, the outgoing 2004 RL.

The stability and balance of the 2005 RL in comparison with its competition was immediately evident, with the rear-wheel drive BMW 530i providing the closest driving experience. The RL's all-wheel drive system should provide superior traction and safety in snowy, icy conditions when they arrive.

As far as the outgoing RL is concerned, this new model is simply not the same car. However, with an MSRP of $69,500, there is a significant jump in price over the outgoing 2004 model which is $55,800.

rets

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97

TLProspect

Forbes Magazine


https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106




Edit by MOD rets

rets

Technical

• Introduction
  
  
• Powertrain
  
  
• Chassis
  
  
• Body
  
  
• Interior
  
  
• Safety

rets

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...=1426#post1426


Nissan Fuga vs Honda Legend

rets

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

Ken1997TL

MSN Carpoint

9 / 10

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/jo...&src=reviewers

rets

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241


Feb. 2005

rets

http://www.roadandtravel.com/newslet...ebuary0105.htm


https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250

Ken1997TL

Autoweek 2/7/05

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=101697

petemc

Motorweek review:

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2405a.shtml

phile

0-60 in 6.5 seconds, that's the fastest I've seen so far.

BTW, the RL was voted best new luxury sedan by Autobytel's editors in their recent Editors Choice Awards.

Link (click)

catsailr

Car & Driver has Acura RL as Best Luxury Sedan.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=8916

rets

2005 Acura RL


Four important aspects of the redesigned Acura RL asserted themselves at the flooded raceway: Acura's most powerful production engine ever made is the RL's 300-horsepower V-6, and it dominated the 220- to 225-hp efforts of its Teutonic rivals. The Acura's five-speed automatic transmission allowed crisp, almost instantaneous manual shifts using steering wheel "paddles"; and this allowed racer-like precision for entering and exiting corners at optimum speeds. By contrast, the Mercedes hadn't even managed to upshift on a straightaway before it was time to downshift again for the next corner.

Acura's all-independent suspension derives from Honda's Formula One experience and endows the RL with flat, stable handling without sacrificing ride comfort. Combined with computerized vehicle stability control, the RL managed to corner precisely even in corkscrew conditions whereas the Audi wallowed belly-aching through corners.

The technological climax, however, was Acura's stunning "Super Handling" all-wheel-drive (SH-AWD) powertrain. Able to apportion motive force independently between front and real wheels as well as between left and right rear wheels, SH-AWD ensures maximum traction for all road and weather conditions.

But that's not all. This exclusive, computerized system also has the ability to speed up the outer rear wheel when turning, vastly improving cornering precision. (Think of a styrofoam coffee cup rolling on its side; its wider open end helps the cup pivot briskly towards its narrower base.) Aficionados of the 1997-2001 Honda Prelude Type-SH will recognize the earlier, front-wheel-drive application of this technology.

In soggy circumstances at the raceway, Audi's quattro system chuffed and labored; BMW's rear-drive layout stuttered under incessant traction control; and Mercedes' 4Matic system plowed. Only the RL seemed elated by the gauntlet Jeanne had thrown down.

phile

Forbe's review (click)

Some notable quotes (finally, someone had the cajones to say it like it is):

And not so notable quotes:

Although in my humble opinion, the newer BMW interiors are not exactly what I'd use as the standard bearer to compare anything else to.

rets

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307

rets

• legendguy: "Real User's Guide (Long) to RL Climate, Radio, Nav"
  
  
  
• SPUDMTN: "My RL Experience--LONG POST"

I'll list all the reviews in this post. (If I miss any of your review, please PM me, Thanx.)

sfintel

By Bill Howard

Few PCs apply extra power to your outside rear wheel when you zoom through a corner. The Acura RL, which comes close to being a computer on four wheels, does. This $50,000 sport sedan is the latest and perhaps finest example of the marriage of automotive, computing, and entertainment technology.

ADVERTISEMENT Every car made today has a couple dozen microprocessors, and a sophisticated car employs somewhere on the order of 100. The exact number is hard to discern because a car consists of lots of third-party black boxes (with multiple processors inside) and because some automotive engineers are too modest to count the tiny integrated circuits directing the airflow out of dashboard vents as true microprocessors. Suffice it to say that there are a lot.

Some people gripe about the complexity brought on by electronics, while others marvel that computer-controlled ignition and emissions controls make cars 100 times cleaner than they were in the 1970s, and let them go 50,000 miles between tune-ups. Next time you fly into Los Angeles and the ring of yellow smog seems a bit less intense, credit the computers that control the cars that burn the gasoline.

The RL competes with other midsize sport sedans such as the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac STS, and Mercedes E-class. These cars cost as much as the average family earns in a year. But the technology trickles down over a couple years into affordable, mainstream vehicles because of the steady price cuts for the electronics, even if there's no dramatic parallel price erosion for the physical parts like the fabric and triggering charge in an airbag or the cast iron and steel in antilock brakes. Other things, such as the RL's SH-AWD (super-handling all-wheel-drive)—the ability to sense the car powering through a corner and increase power to the outside rear wheel, the one doing the lion's share of the work—also will get cheaper over time, but perhaps never cheap.


What is most impressive about the RL is the navigation system and related control knob. In addition to the Alpine-engineered system being fairly easy to program—something you cannot say about all nav systems—there's an overlay on the 8-inch LCD of real-time traffic information, called XM NavTraffic: accidents, construction, traffic tie-ups. It's based on information compiled by a mapping company called Navteq, piped to the XM satellite radio service, and piggybacked onto its satellite feed.

If you're in one of 20 key U.S. markets, you may be able to get reports of accidents on freeways and major surface roads (unscheduled incidents), road construction (scheduled incidents), and, best of all, the actual speed on the highway ahead of you (traffic flow information). If traffic is flowing at 40 mph or greater, the roadway is green; 20 to 40 mph, yellow; below 20 mph, red.

NavTraffic is a classic dancing-bear technology. You're so impressed the circus bear is dancing that you don't ask "How well?" until later. In a week-long test drive in metro New York, NavTraffic did a good job of indicating accidents and long-term construction projects. The speed information was spottier; only a handful of roads have the embedded sensors that measure traffic speed.

I thought the accident reporting, based on human reports, was at least as accurate as the radio-based (RDS) system in use throughout Europe. Over there, quite a few accidents remained as icons on the car's LCD control panel long after the accident was cleared. If you're going to spend the $10 a month for XM satellite radio, it's worth the additional $4 a month for the traffic info. (The competition does not have such a feature yet.)

Another fascinating technology in RL is the control knob on the console that manages many of the dashboard functions. It's big, grippy, and generally useful once you grasp its workings. It's friendlier than BMW's iDrive, which tried to replace too many functions and buttons, but busier than Audi's MMI controller: 33 buttons and knobs are within a few inches of the Acura controller, versus 15 for Audi.

If that's not enough cool technology, Acura integrates Bluetooth, allowing cell phones to be controlled from the steering wheel; IBM's ViaVoice for superior voice recognition (but not perfect—it can't tell "navigation" from "AM station"); 5.1 channel DVD/CD/MP3 music (multichannel audio can be dynamite inside the car); and active noise-cancellation signals played through the ten-channel Bose speaker system, letting the car get by with lightweight noise insulation materials. About the only knock on the RL is a rather cramped back seat. Other than that, you won't find a better $50,000 computer on wheels.

rets

RL in latest Consumer reports test?



http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/04/pf/a...ex.htm?cnn=yes



For 2004 models, Honda Accord Hybrid best family sedan, Ford Focus best small car.
March 5, 2005: 4:39 PM EST

DETROIT, March 4 (Reuters) - Japanese automobiles are the true kings of the road, judging by the latest annual "Best Cars" issue of Consumer Reports magazine, which hits newsstands next week.

All but one of the vehicles in the magazine's list of "top picks" in 10 different categories for 2005 are Japanese. The exception is Ford's small-sized Focus sedan.

Japanese vehicles also score a clean sweep on a list of 21 vehicles that Consumer Reports says it can recommend because they earned "very good" or "excellent" scores in all five major ratings areas it tested.

The recommendations are important since the spring auto issue from Consumer Reports, which accepts no paid advertising or free samples of the products its reviews, has long been seen as a trusted shopping guide by many U.S. car buyers.

Anything that could accelerate the rate of defection away from Detroit's mass market automakers is clearly bad news for the likes of General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. as they continue to lose market share to fast-growing foreign rivals.

The Big Three can take solace, however, from a Consumer Reports survey showing for the second consecutive year that the average domestic car is more reliable than its average European counterpart.

That trend, which gives Detroit at least some bragging rights, was reported by Consumer Reports for the first time in 24 years in its previous auto issue, in 2004.

Reliability results this year were based on responses from Consumer Report subscribers about a record 810,000 privately owned or leased cars and trucks.

Japanese and Korean automakers once again produced the most trouble-free models, with an overall problem rate of 12 per 100 for the 2004 model year, the same rate they have had for the last three years, Consumer Reports said.

It said GM, Ford and the Chrysler side of DaimlerChrysler AG inched closer to the Asians with an overall problem rate of 17 per 100, however. That matched the industry average and was down from a combined rate of 18 per 100 last year.

By contrast, the problem rate for European automakers rose slightly to 21 per 100 from 20 last year.

"Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo had more than their fair share of problems. Only Audi came out better than average," the magazine said.

"The most reliable brand overall is now Subaru, which averages eight problems per 100," Consumer Reports said. It noted that Honda Motor Co. Ltd., long a reliability leader, now averaged nine problems per 100.

The single most reliable vehicle in the 2004 model year was Hyundai Motor Co, Ltd's low-cost Sonata sedan, with a problem rate of just two per 100.

The showing "further establishes Hyundai's remarkable turnaround from one of the least reliable brands to one of the best," Consumer Reports said of the Korean automaker.

Ford's Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicle and Nissan's Quest minivan tied for most unreliable vehicle, it said, with problem rates of 49 per 100. Close behind was the pricey Touareg SUV from Volkswagen AG, which had 48 problems for every 100 vehicles. Top of page

phile

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...4.html/?nav=lb

Rob L

I like that washington post review.

I won't even get into the whole "prestige" thing people have though. My thoughts on it aren't that nice.

phile

http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories...757740,00.html

Whoa, didn't know about this.

rets

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448


Vehicles Feature
The Best Sedans 2005
Dan Lienert



The Japanese rule the sedan market.

Just as American automakers still make the best pickups, Japanese automakers have come to build, for the most part, the best sedans in the world. The only areas in which their sedans do not trounce the competition are the most stratospheric price brackets--and that's presumably because the Japanese don't sell sedans that cost more than $60,000.

We release our guide to the best sedans each year at this time (you can find it in the slide show that follows), and this year, the domination of the Japanese has become more astonishing than ever, because it is more indisputable than ever. In comparison after comparison, we found the Japanese offerings tend to beat the competition in terms of reliability, owner satisfaction, safety and depreciation. While, for example, a BMW may have higher owner satisfaction than a car from Toyota Motor (nyse: TM - news - people ), the Toyota will tend to have a stronger combination of the vehicular selling points we just mentioned than its competitors.

What happened to the Germans? Wasn't a company such as DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) Mercedes-Benz subsidiary supposed to be the ultimate sedan manufacturer? Poor reliability, an issue for which the brand has garnered a lot of press in recent months and years, has become the bête noire of Mercedes owners.

Consumer Reports gives both Mercedes' flagship S-Class and high-volume E-Class sedans ratings of "poor," the lowest on its scale, for predicted reliability. The entry-level Mercedes C-Class sedan ranks only one step higher, with "fair" predicted reliability. To compare those ratings to some Japanese sedans, all of the sedans in the slide show from Toyota and its upscale Lexus subsidiary achieved reliability ratings of "excellent" or "very good."

We say this while understanding that buyers don't always go with what looks best on paper. Hearing your mom say, "I have the perfect girl for you" and then hearing the woman's list of attributes will ordinarily not make you fall in love. By the same token, car buyers frequently go with their hearts and not their heads, and plenty of people have criticized Lexus for being technically excellent, but not passionate enough.

Despite the reliability problems, Mercedes still makes a mighty fine car. We hope that the engineers and executives at the company are able to resolve their quality control issues quickly, and we will be the first to stand up and cheer when we can put a Mercedes back on this list. Mercedes-Benzes have a certain iconic quality lacking in Lexus cars. It's sort of like the difference between Sean Connery's James Bond and Pierce Brosnan's; one is the real thing, and one is a kind of smooth copy.

We used reliability ratings and other objective standards to make our "best sedan" selections. Factors such as a car's recall history, predicted depreciation, safety and owner satisfaction went into our decisions. As usual, we only evaluated vehicles we--as an editorial staff that spends its life working with cars--would consider owning. We love cars and taking road trips, so we would not consider owning a car that did not have significant performance capabilities, interior comfort or commodious luggage space. We also want to feel a certain pride of ownership in our vehicles.

Another rule we employ in these kinds of features is what we call the "no lame ducks" rule--we want to inform customers about the latest and greatest vehicles, so we did not consider rewarding models that are headed for discontinuation or replacement. That's why you won't find the BMW 3 Series in the slide show that follows; an overhauled model will go on sale in June.

For a look at the best sedans on the market--and to see why and how the Japanese automakers have become such formidable builders of four-doors--please follow the link below.



http://www.forbes.com/2005/04/04/cx_dl_0404feat.html

msu79gt82

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...12/036542.html

msu79gt82

Interesting article regarding Real-Time traffic monitoring.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...032507709.html