rlx015

Time of our dear RLs gets closer every year to start considering next car, so I figured I ask the zine community and fellow RL owners, what is their next car they perhaps looked into?

truonghthe

seriously Acura current line up has nothing making me excited for (well be realistic here). Lexus is the only car that offer luxury and driving performance can some what mimic the BMW without the maint cost (if you buy it used). If you can change car every 3 years i would say go for German car.

RL09

U've had a KB!, get a KB2.

I only drove German cars and frankly nothing beats the KB2.

And every shop I drive into, I get volunteers to work on the car. Lately they changed my headlight bulbs with excitement. Checking it out all around. I had to force money into their pockets...

I am eventually buying a 2012, removing the battery and shrink wrapping it until my current one breaks my heart.

I only hate Acura for no longer making them.

HDNBenjamin

I don't plan to ever sell my RL. Hope it lasts another decade. It has 120k now, so I should be good for awhile. If I do need a car to replace it right now, I'd consider the 2018 RLX SH or the the new Lexus GS F sport.

Right now, I am shopping for an s2k as a compliment to the RL. The RL is the best car I've owned thus far. Super reliable and great handling.

teh CL

iTrader: (1)

RL isn't going anywhere till I get my hands on a NA2 NSX. Then it still won't go anywhere...

MrG4Life

iTrader: (1)

After dropping money earlier in the year on the timing belt work, modifying my headlights, and just got four new tires installed, I'll be enjoying my car for several more years. I'm still looking at what will replace the RL and would like to keep it in the Acura family but I'm not sold on the new RLX just yet. A trip to the dealer and a test drive is what I need. A newer MDX is on the list but the wife more than likely will be hopping on that. Other than the MDX, the only others on my list are a Mercedes AMG C-Class, Lexus GS, and Tesla model S

rlerman

I’ve owned my 05 since early 2008, 123k on the clock. I periodically toy with the idea of getting a newer car, but I just can’t get motivated by anything else to do it. I love the car, take care of it and it’s treated me very well. If I had to replace it, I’d being looking at the rlx sh. Eventually, I’d like to pick up one of those for under $30k with about 40k miles, just like I did with my current RL. I don’t like cookie cutter cars, which I think Lexus basically is. If the mdx had a bigger hatch opening, I’d consider it too.

08KBP_VA

With the questions and attention it usually causes and the regular ask if its for sale its not going anywhere plus for the price what can you really replace it with? The original owner traded it on a TLX in 2016 and asked dealer a couple times post trade if they knew if it was available for sale.

Personally theres nothing compelling enough out there for me

CadiGTi

I plan to keep my 2012 RL for another 100k miles (another 2-3 years). It has been a rock solid car for the past 105k miles. I put 173k on my 2006 RL and 183k on my 2003 CL-S Acura both rock solid cars.

Do not like the current RLX, IMO the RL is a much better proportioned and better looking car. Top picks would be the new Audi RS3, but I drive 30k a year and it is a small car and high maintenance one. My sister has a 2015 A3 Prestige with Sports Suspension and seats. I do love driving it, just don't like the extra care the Audi demands. My stretch goal might be the new 2018 Lexus LS500, the reviews have been glowing on it. I also like the current Lexus 460 which would be a great CPO car. My business partner still has his 2008 LS460 he purchased new. 250k miles and it still rides as Lexus serenely as new. My servicing Acura dealer (Pohanka) has been outstanding which does make it hard to switch brands.

08KBP_VA

My stable houses a diverse set of brands (cars as old as 25 years) but we shared at least 2 of same vehicles (RL and TLS) rationale is similar for not moving on though, care and feeding wise of the new cars. My real issue/concern is the manufacturers are making it increasingly more difficult if not impossible for the owner to work on their own vehicles due to how complicated the engineering and design is and for me thats a huge negative.

I too use Pohanka (all 3 of their brand centers there) but not for anything but inspections, way too expensive. I will agree that they are very pleasant to deal with and very respectful of my cars not allowing lane jockeys to pull them in only service writers.

My_1st_Ac

Great Poll! As some know my 2005 RL is at 218K and has served me very well!!! I really can not just the price of the RLX and I really like my 2nd Gen bod style for some reason. So sadly, soon I won't be in the RL family much longer. So I am currently leaning towards a Honda Accord (new or used). I like the 2017 Honda Accord Touring. Any feedback?

projektvertx

iTrader: (2)

Based on your polling options, my gut feeling tells me you're interested in Infinity

LS1SSChris

No plans on replacing the RL in the near future, my car has pretty low miles. But I guess if something suddenly happened to it I would more than likely move to an 07-08 TL Type S or a 2010+ TL SH-AWD. I would also look at the Lexus LS430/LS460 but more than likely I would stick with an Acura.

CadiGTi

Some years I have put as much as 50k miles in one year on my Acura's. Pohanka I think keeps 85 new Acura loaners. You are paying full retail for service. In my case the seamless efficiency of getting the car serviced and fully maintained from people I can fully trust makes it a good value for me. Plus I live in a high rise with underground parking so self maintenance is next to impossible. I also have the comparison and joy of dealing with (for my sisters A3) 2 Audi dealer's in metro NYC. Dealing with the 2 Audi dealers in NY is about as pleasant and joyful as having a root canal and a colonoscopy all in the same day. And my one experience with Audi roadside assistance in NYC was just as frightening. Years ago I dealt with Acura roadside at 10:00pm on a winter night (pothole blew 2 tires and bent 2 rims). Pohanka service is open till midnight. They had a warmed up brand new Acura waiting for me and I made an early morning appt in Baltimore with a large client the next morning thanks to Pohanka. And the same service advisor for 14 years. So I am hooked! Would love to own an Audi, but so jaded by their service history.

rlx015

Does it bother you that TL SH-AWD 3.7L engine has that oil burning issue (3 in 4 cars supposedly are having this problem)? Tnx

rlx015

Not going to lie but I did test drive that car, and OMG what power it has... Price will come down to my budget perhaps within couple of years. But, what I have issue with is quick price drops and that usually says something is off with the car.
It is really hard to get anything after RL when you think about it. You need something that is 350-400hp+, V6 or V8 and absolutely AWD to be able to "upgrade" from RL...

It is unfortunate that 2014 TL SH-AWD 3.7L engine has oil burning issue... I would not hesitate to jump on that car without hesitation

truonghthe

Have you check on the Q50 issues? just google "infiniti Q50 red sport problems" you will see things like TB "slip" off to transmission issue. I am not saying the Q50 is a bad car but in today economy quality car don't come cheap. Every brand has it own issues just do a lot of research before buying one, well its disregard that if you planning to trade for a new one every 3 years.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

I vote Lexus. Which one is the question - IS, ES or GS series. I'd probably go IS350. That's the direction I'll be heading in a few years. At the rate Acura is going anyways.....

LS1SSChris

Not too much, I could deal with adding a quart of oil or so every so often.

RL09

Infinity is a glorified Nissan, and still they kept it all plasticky inside. There was one parked next to the RL at dealer. Outside was more attractive to me. They both had 3.7 l engine. both were top of their lines with all options... i wanted the infinity. until..... I sat inside.

I lasted 12 seconds.

The only competition here is a Lexus. They are also well built, well finished.

ronvanr

I'm going for an RDX next (used), now that I have a sports car, I no longer need a sports sedan (or at least a semi-sports sedan in the RL). I'll most likely stick with Acura, because after shopping around they still offer a lot of bang for the buck, and there is plenty of maintenance I can do myself on the Acura which will also help with cost in the long run.

1stRL

I was in the same boat before . I couldnt get my asking price PLUS someone dented my fender the day someone was going to buy it. It only made me realize that you really can't have a nice car if you street park in NYC.

anyway here were what I was looking at

• Jaguar XJ (non l) v8 only
• jaguar xf-r
• Audi s6 new gen
• Dodge Charger SRT
• Tesla

but like many have said . The RL has been almost a perfect blend of performance and luxury ( love the sound system). That it's hard to find the right upgrade.

rlerman

i looked at the rdx yesterday, the back area was a complete turnoff. It has a very large hatch opening, much bigger than the mdx, but when you fold the back seats down, there is a huge hump, wtf? They lost me on that. Had it been a perfectly flat back, I would have been a serious buyer.

rlx015

I actually tested IS 350 AWD F-sport, it was the mid-30s, low miles certified, I believe... NOT IMPRESSED... build quality is great, but boy was that car slow... yes, I put into Sport+ ... maybe I expected way too much out of it.
The second issue I have with Lexus is cruise control and where it's located... looks like technology has not improved since the 90s... I also see that newer Audi's are bringing the same - why? BEATS my mind.
The Third issue I have with AWD is that bulge on the driver side next to the driver's right leg... there is a huge bump that Lexus apparently could not figure out and hide...

Yesterday I test drove 2015 GS 350 AWD, F-sport ... again, not impressed with acceleration at all!!! Sticker price was 42k, had 15k miles and was certified...
The second issue > same as above.
The Third issue > same as above...
The fourth issue > was unimpressive infotainment system which is controlled by "mouse" like controller... very unfriendly, and yes I get it, do not operate while driving approach, but it was pretty hard to do ANYTHING while driving with that thing...

One thing they did nicely was the quality of luxury materials - well done... other than that, I will PASS any Lexus...

rlx015

I did google, and honestly did not find much on transmission slipping TB, etc... Only thing I found so far is this:
http://www.infinitiq60.org/forum/infiniti-q60-issues-problems/5769-infiniti-service-bulletin-regarding-timing-belt-issue-failure.html#/topics/5769?page=1

Like many cars every car will have issues, but judging by the number of threads for the red sport, it may be more in the future, but right now not sure if its alerting ppl enough as there is only few threads from the same forum or two...

Can you share what you found?


​​​​​​Thanks!!! 👍👍👍

projektvertx

iTrader: (2)

Definitely agree on the mouse aspect of the Lexus infotainment system. It’s funny, I’ve found myself disliking so many of the new navigation/infotainment systems lately... Most require input on the touch screen to turn on things like heated seats and even change the most basic setting which irks me to no end. While I acknowledge many people hate it, I personally love the tactile feedback of buttons that the rl system provides.

rlx015

I don't know, I would definitely not compare Infiniti to Lexus quality wise, as Lexus is really the best when it comes to quality of material used (all interior)...
My experience is slightly different, where 2017 Inifiniti Q70 5.6 AWD I test drove couple of days ago, I have to say that quality of the interior is really good. Definitely better than my 06 RL, but considering the age of the models compared, no wonder... I did sit in RLX, TLX as well, and Acura is not that bettter with newer models vs this specific Infiniti that was fully loaded ...

Was it M37, Q70, Q50 or G37 that you saw? Cuz this Q70 5.6 awd is something else...

I LOVED the damn thing but still bit high in price for my budget ... meanwhile, my RL is the best choice for now

GASKICKER

I just did all of the same maintenance items on my '05 with 185k on it.....hoping to get another 60-70k out of this one. I hate the leather seats though, Ive got to figure out an inexpensive solution. Cracking all over the place. I had a Ford Taurus that I put 260k miles on, the leather seats looked better when I got rid of it than my RL seats looked at 80k.

RL09

I was comparing the lexus to acura by saying [our] real competition is lexus when considering going to another car as your OP says.

Sorry I did not specify which infinity, it was a Q50 like the one on your poll. A 2010.

I have always liked Hondas for my bikes, and german for my cars. Now, it's Acura for my cars; mayyyyybe Lexus. But I am considering an MDX and wondring from others on here if they have found the MDX a reliable car as well, like the RL, or was the RL in a league of its own?

TonyCD

Ouch! That bothers me a LOT. Does the same problem afflict the 3.7L RL?

TonyCD

Like many here, I plan to keep my RL until it does a natural death at a glorious advanced age.

I take OP's question to mean, "Of the cars available today, which are a logical successor to your RL?" To me, that would be a Lexus GS AWD used, or a Genesis G80 AWD new. Nice inside and out, AWD, performance, midsized interior, gas mileage is nothing special, more reliability and lower cost of ownership than the Germans.

rlx015

From what I was able to see it affected all models having that engine: RL probably is not on the radar because of number of the units sold vs TL model... ZDX was also affected, but again, units sold vs TL cannot compare really.

"Like many here, I plan to keep my RL until it does a natural death at a glorious advanced age. I take OP's question to mean, "Of the cars available today, which are a logical successor to your RL?" To me, that would be a Lexus GS AWD used, or a Genesis G80 AWD new. Nice inside and out, AWD, performance, midsized interior, gas mileage is nothing special, more reliability and lower cost of ownership than the Germans."

I actually tested 2015 Lexus GS AWD F-sport with about 20-30k, forgot exactly what it was... but yeah, luxury is a step up, power, well not so much... I think it is more solid build, good stiff feel, but acceleration is not an upgrade. Downgrade rather... the reason I say a downgrade is: GS in "Sport+" mode felt slower than regular manual mode on my 06 RL... note this GS was certified and very good condition, so it was not like engine did not do its job good or anything... just not that quick...

rlx015

Got it - no worries man... I think new Q50 (2016+) and Q70 have drastically improved in quality of the interior, but are still behind german cars, etc.
I was thinking of MDX too, drove 2016 and 2017 and really really nice full size SUV... I just do not need all that space... If anything I'd rather take RDX since it is smaller but has the same exact engine (3.5) ... yes I loose SH-AWD, and get only AWD, but can't get it all

TonyCD

Interesting. Given today's horsepower race, I'm a little surprised any new model is slower than our older one. But historically Toyota always understresses their engines for maximum reliability, so their straight-line performance usually disappoints – just part of the deal with them, I figure.

I probably wouldn't be so attracted to a Lexus for a different reason: high resale values. Those are great for the original owner, not so great for a used-car buyer. One of the things I loved about the RL was that its lack of reputation enabled me to buy a luxury sedan for less than I felt it was worth. You can't do that with a Lexus. These days, your best chance to do that is probably a Genesis.

truonghthe

well done statement, I use this as my advantage also, I mean where can you get a car as cheap and reliable that packed with tech as 2n gen RL?

07 Lexus GS350 still sit at $10k for a clean condition around 130k miles meanwhile my RL is no where close to that price tag and speaking used Lexus please beware that all Lexus first item need to be replaced is the suspension and you will be in for a surprise for OEM parts.

08KBP_VA

My 92 Lexus i would never consider selling, while its not worth a lot ($7-10K) it runs like a top and looks amazing. The suspension issues must be modern Gen issues as all Ive done to it is all PM.

truonghthe

lol I guess that depend on how people define the term "modern" anyway here is what Lexus we owned.

2000 GS300 Platinum Editions
2001 IS300
2001 LS430 Sport package
2003 GS 300 Sport Design
2001 RX300
2008 LS460 ML package
2008 GS 350

all of these has one thing in common is that when we purchase the car the first thing we replaced are the front lower ball joints. I had experience one ball joint broke clean while on the freeway and there is no sign or symptom of a fail ball join before that.

08KBP_VA

Guess depends on mileage and care of previous owners. Mine was snowbirder owned spent time between somewhere in NY then wintered in Palm Beach. Damn wish I had that life. I just think early 90s they were building their brand in states and likely different standards than now? Who knows but 2000's I consider more modern than 90s. Death of a lot of earlier cars like Benz (124 to 210) went in favor of accountants directing design based on cost.

DanL07RL

I didn't vote, and here's why:

I have 130,000+ miles on my '07 RL. I have performed, personally, most of the periodic maintenance on the car (including regular replacement of all drive line fluids), and have had other work done primarily by the dealer (alternator replacement, shock absorber replacement, timing belt work, etc.) for those jobs I just don't have equipment or knowledge to perform. The car has been lowered and ASPEC 18'" wheels mounted at the 60,000 mile mark. Last summer I had the front bumper cover and hood resprayed, and the chrome on the front grill shutters painted flat black, and then a clear bra applied, and I cleaned up the foggy headlight lenses.....it looks and run great!! The car is still solid, smooth and responsive and I have seriously considered keeping it going for some significant time in the future......I LOVE THIS CAR!! My son, who cherishes his '11 TL, tells me all the time how nice my car is.

That said, I have looked at others, and may very well be forced to replace the RL at some point. First, I WILL NOT buy new....I'm done with that. A well-researched, low mileage program return or demonstrator is in my future. Candidates are Genesis (maybe the new G70?), Porsche Panamera, and another Acura. Lexus are nice cars, but IMHO you pay too much for what you get and can get in other brands at better value.......just like in the RL I want to keep as long as possible.

RL09

wow I didn't know an rdx had the same engine as an mdx... as of certain year those became 3.7 too.,. I thought rdxs were 4 cylinders. I also didn't know they don't have an sh awd.

I am still on my idea of buying a 2012 RL, removing it's battery and shrink rapping it until this RL needs help.