Minarets

hey guys,

looking at a 2006 WDP/blk interior RL as my new comapny car. my current company car is going away and i am being forced into an allowance instead, due to enonomy. but alas, i still get a gas card and a $575/allowance

anyway, i drive about 50k miles/year. i will be in this thing for at least 4 years...so, 200k plus.

how is the BOSE? as good as the Els in the TL? also, i know the SH-AWD is awsome, but is the car a real joy to drive? i do a lot of hwy miles. plenty of room for adults in the back seat? the wheels are 17''? as much as i would like to put ASPEC's with as many miles as i drive, id rather pay for the 17'' tires.

anything i should be concerned about for the 2006 model? tranny issues or anything? i am aware of the big $1200 service at 110k.

does the bluetooth and voice commands work well? i have heard several manu. of that kinda tech, and the driver can never be heard very well. my friends G35's sucks, imo. i get feedback when he calls me and i hear a lot of ambient noise (road noise) on his end.

but overall satisfied with yalls purchase?

Minarets

any thoughts?

037

I honestly don't know how an RL would hold up for 250k.

With an allowance like that I would go with a brand new accord...honestly.

As far as Bose, definitely beats ELS.

The car is very pleasant to drive and if you get rid of the touring tires will also handle much better in rain/snow.

Bluetooth works very well.

flyfishindawg

I am on my fourth Acura in the same situation that you are in. Here are my thoughts:

- No problem on the mileage as the powertrain (with proper service) should easily go 250+. I have only had one of my cars (2002 RL) have tranny problems that this was particular to that model year.

- Buy the extended warranty (bumper to bumper up to 100k). It will pay for itself several times over, mostly on nagging type things but potentially major as well.

- Make sure that the dealer has repaired all recalls and checked all known TSBs.

- NO WAY that the Bose sounds better than the ELS. ELS is twice as powerful and, to my ear, the Bose is inferior to it. Sorry.......the good thing is it still sounds fantastic, I just greatly prefer the ELS.

- Comfort is outstanding, car is very safe, and a bargain at the current prices. Don't hesitate to buy one.

Minarets

only reason im considering this is the deal i have found is a 2006 with 10,500 miles for $22k.

its basically this or a 2006 TL with NAV with 17k miles for $17,500

plastikman

Well the difference between those two cars is like night and day, I would go with the RL since you will be in it all the time. The TL is a nice car, but the RL has a lot more creature comforts and the interior is higher quality, plus it's much bigger then the TL.

037

@Flyfishindawg, I have owned 06 TL with ELS for almost 3 years and when I got into the 09 RL, the sound system seemed far superior.

What are you comparing?

CadiGTi

I average about 50k mikes per year for my business.

I owned and drove a new 2003 Acura CL-S 6 speed for 4 years and 183k miles (and also at the same time (for 1 year) a new 2007 VW GTi 6speed. Owned the VW for exactly 1 year and 32k miles. Loved the GTi but got fed-up with the VW dealer.

At about 125k I put a clutch in the CL-S and at 180K one of the Xenon headlamp generators went out ($700). Never used oil and drove as new and looked almost new when I sold it to Car Max in August 2007 for $6k.

In March 2008 I purchased a 2006 Certified pre-owned Acura RL CMBS from an Acura dealer. The car was owned for 14 mos by the original owner and only had 4708 miles on it. It came with the extended Acura Certified warranty (62k total miles). I now have 54k miles on it. I did have the selling Acura dealer De-Pax the wheels/tires and install brand new 17" OEM wheels/Michelins and install the spare tire kit.

The dynamic laser cruise, the CMBS, Bluetooth, Audio system, and Acura Nav are all outstanding. The car has been trouble free and rock solid. The dealer service is world-class (my dealer is open till midnight 5 days a week and service on weekends till 6pm.

If you are looking for balls out performance and excitement, the RL is not it. If you want an extremely safe, competent, and satisfying "Executive Office On Wheels", a pre-owned RL is hard to beat. The more I drive this car the more I love it.

I had the RL in the shop Friday for a new windshield. I had a 2009 TSX loaner. Put 350 miles on it Friday. Did 32.5 mpg. The TSX is a great car for the money and class it is in, but really made me appreciate the RL (especially the RL's first class interior).

MPG's on the RL average 26-28 highway, about 20 local on premium.

One more thing, all car co's are taking cost out of their cars, and Acura is no exception. I really appreciate the RL's interior. It not only looks great, but the material are all very high-end. Just went to the Cadi dealer with my neighbor who is about to buy a 2009 Cad CTS-V. Incredible car (THE definition of "Balls Out Performance"), but the interior materials and switchgear are no better than VW and barely above the Malibu. The new TL has a cheaper interior than the past gen TL, and if you look closely at Audi their interiors look good, but the material are cheap.

My business partner has the 2008 Lexus LS460.....more luxurious, softer riding, and better mpg's (RWD). I just feel too old when I drive the Lexus and the handling is a bit too isolated. The Lexus is also a few bucks more and their service costs are quite a bit higher.

Look for a deal on a late model (2006 or newer) RL. I think it is one of the best deals all around for us road warriors that do not have time to spend at the car repair shop.

Good Luck!

Ed

flyfishindawg

05 rl.

Minarets

so is the RL a car thaths to go to the dealer for regular oil changes or routine maint? or can i take it to another trustworthy mechanic?

Minarets

im also confused on the ipod integration. i have searched but that led to my confusion...the only way to get your ipod to work in the RL is to but some $200kit from the dealer?

does it work well?
hell, what is my best ipod solution?

CadiGTi

No Ipod connector, at least in the 2006. I burn my music to discs instead.

I use the Acura dealer for all service. Oil changes are about $40.

I am sure you can use a private garage for regular maintenance. My attitude is that I get great service, new Acura loaners, and factory trained techs to work on a relatively advanced car.

My 07 Vdub ran on synthetic and I was paying $90 plus at the Vdub dealer for oil changes (plus car rental for dirty Rabbits when I needed a loaner for the customary VW warranty issues!!!).

flyfishindawg

It is my understanding that, in order to keep the warranty good, you just need to have records that the maintenance is being performed. Since I have to change my oil monthly (every 5k, it's easier to remember that way), I do it myself. I keep receipts of the oil and filter purchases plus the mileage/date of oil change. The only services I have ever had the dealers do is the major (105k) services plus a transmission service every 30k-40k. I have a pretty good track record in that I have had three Acuras go over 250k miles and only one had major issues, that being a bad tranny on my 02 RL.

All this is the long way of saying, take it to whomever you like (that knows how to work on Honda products) but keep records.

Minarets

if oil chages are only $40, i will go to the dealer. is that for synthetic? thats a great deal if so. it will cost $40 at a jiffy lube

i plan to get my oil change about every 7-10k with synthetic, since i do so many hwy miles

CadiGTi

$40 is for regular oil (Castrol). I change oil every 5k and most of my miles are hwy. (the oil light usually shows 50% oil life left at 5k miles).

My dealer had told me synthetic is not necessary on the RL and I ran my 03 on regular oil for 183k trouble free miles.

The VW turbo I had did require synthetic.

Ballinger

In terms of selection and ride, I agree with what CadiGTI has posted, above. I also have an '06, and I also receive a variety of swank Acura loaners when it's in for service. I've driven TSX and TL's from '07, 08 and they're neat -- but not the road car that the RL is. If you're going to put mileage on the car, the RL is outstanding.

Minarets

blah! found out the RL i was looking at (reason for the best price i have seen yet) the car had been in an accident. air bags were not deployed, but the passenger suspension was replaced.

should i stay away? acura warraty is void, but this place will warranty unlimited miles for 6 months

RL Chi-town

i'd stay away....

away...

CadiGTi

agreed, there are too many good ones out there. In my neck of the woods (Northern Va) there seemed to be a lot of professional middle-aged women and middle to older age men driving the RL's from new. I see some real pristine trades sitting on my dealers (Pohanka Acura) used car lot and I hear they move pretty quickly. Just keep looking, you will find what you want.

Ballinger

Ditto those two, above. RL is a granny car... ho ho... our '06 was pristine in '08 when I bought it. There are more out there waiting for you, in CPO format, and for great prices.

Minarets

but i can probably kiss $22k for 10k miles goodbye though, eh?

RL Chi-town

my opinion...

the suspension is shot. they had to replace it. it may easily be that the car will run smoothly. but it may not. now you don't have warranty on this car. am 25 yrs old and the biggest thing i love about this car is the smooth ride it has. i live in Chicago where there are many pot holes. and the ride is still smooht. now you are getting a good deal 20something thousand with 10.5 k miles. big deal. not worth the money. and i don't think you will be happy. i paid 20k for mine 06 with 40k miles. great deal. no accidents or no issues.

you will find a better car with less headache and with warranty.. WARRANTY... even though these car's will run for ever you still want to have WARRANTY on something. Trust me you don't want the headache. not on a beautiful ride like the rl. Great freaking car.

DONT DO IT. LOL

bugeye

My out the door (tax, title, etc included) price back in March was $22k for an '05 with 19,500 miles. Dealers are still pretty desperate, you just need to find the right car.

And like everyone's been saying, RL's tend to be owned by an older (and, typically more responsible) crowd. Mine was owned by a couple in their 70's. I would definitely hold out for a car with a clean/no accident Carfax. It's just worth the peace of mind, imo.

CadiGTi

It is a Honda! Not a Chrysler! The miles are not so important.

I am sure you can find a pristine '06 with 25k-40k miles for not much more than $22k.

Keep the faith!

Ed

FN P90

Maybe I should sell mine before 250K?

Hmmm? What's going to happen in 2 weeks when and if I hit 250K???

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

So true, pretty much sums up the RL.
I get .55 a mile and at 2500 miles a month receive a check for around $1400-$300 in fuel=oil changes/tires and of course play money. The RL is a great executive car.

FNP90-congrats on your mileage.

neuronbob

Welcome back FN P90! You are definitely a hero around here.

Well, that answers the question for the OP.

/thread

bugeye

FN P90, you're my hero. I hope mine lasts that long!