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Comments
Besides, it keeps the competition guessing.
BTW, Acura needs to move away from the FWD and go AWD on all makes. From the rumor mill, I guess the new 05RL will be the start of it. It really does not matter if others like the FWD format, but the trend is RWD or AWD for sports sedan. This will definitely take Acura to the next level with LEXUS, BMW, AUDI, MB
"Acura needs to unload the current RLs at wholesale prices."
They are. RLs do not make a significant (if any) profit for Honda. They already have heavy dealer subsidies and leave the lots at invoice prices. If they were to sell them at lower prices, they would probably be losing money on the deals. That loss would mean less money to do things (like design a better one).
Bottom line: Keeping the new design a secret, keeps the RL from costing them money.
"When the MDX received a 240 hp version of the 3.5L, most people figured that it would be a no-brainer to see it show up in the RL..."
That's a popular misconception. The 3.5L in the RL is not the same block as the 3.5L in the MDX. The RL's 3.5L is based on an older engine. I suspect that this is also the reason why a newer tranny was not added. The one from the other 3.5L may not bolt up to it.
Chances are, if Acura had introduced a new RL two years ago instead of now, it would have been another mediocre car. It probably would have been V6 making about 260-280 hp in a FWD chassis, with cosmetic and content upgrades. A nice car, but not a remarkable car.
By waiting a few years, they now have the technology to make it a 300-330 hp car with an advanced hybrid drivetrain and AWD. This would be, IMHO, a much more unique competitor... and worth the wait.
Yep. I agree with that, too. But it brings us back to the "Honda is a small company" issue once again. If Honda had spent time and money building a new RL, would they still have been able to create vehicles like the MDX and Pilot? Would they have been able to afford the new Alabama lines for the Ody? Would they be able to keep up with Toyota in hybrids?
I completely agree that the RL has suffered badly. But I also suspect that it was a nevessary evil... and probably the lesser of several evils. My hope is that the new design is stunning enough that the market is blind-sided. Which would attract more attention than incremental improvements.
BTW, selling at invoice is not consider to be rock bottom pricing. The company and dealers still make a good profit. Selling at one or two thousand dollars below invoice would be.
Given the low production volume, I doubt assembly personnel would be too adversely affected...
Acura will release information. The 2005 RL is expected to be shown in January. Rumor has it going on sale in April. That is typical for Honda/Acura products.
They never (willingly) release information more than a few months ahead of the vehicle launch. Given Honda's ever-increasing success in our market, I cannot accept the notion that releasing information early is "the key" to success. This strategy has always worked for them in the past.
Furthermore, it is possible to release information too early. People in this market are fickle. Hype will build up, peak, then falter as new and more interesting cars steal the spotlight. The ideal situation is to have the car go on sale while the hype is still peaking. If you release information too soon, the hype will subside before people can make a purchase.
Take the Ody as an example. Back in 1999, Honda could not keep pace with demand. They immediately starting looking to expand production. The line in Alabama was completed
sometime in 2003 (maybe late 2002). Of course, now every minivan on the market has a "magic seat", big interior, and powerful engine. The demand has faltered.
The only reason why building the new plant makes sense is because the MDX, Pilot, and the upcoming truck can be build on the same line. The RL line does not have other vehicles to fall back on when times get tough.
Sphinx - I don't know. I don't know enough about how much it costs to shutter a line, then reopen it, restaff it, and retrain the workers. There are some cases when it is better to keep a car line running at a loss. I can tell you why Ford still sells the Taurus at a loss, but I don't know enough about the details of RL production.
Acura may still makes a minor profit on the RL. (The R&D costs must have been recouped back in the '90s.) But you can bet the profit margin is wafer thin.
Think NSX and think RL. Frankly, I was surprised that Acura axed the CL coupe. When you think about it, that was deeply out of character for the company--keeping a non-starter in the lineup for year after year after year is what I'd have expected the fate of the CL to be.
As for the RL, it may just be procrastination. They may have designed the RL back in 2000, but been forced to hold off because of other projects (the Ody and Pilot). They may have justified the move by saying, "it'll only be for a year or two." Then two years later, they had to postpone it again. Back to the drawing board. Had they known that the it would be four years late, rather than two, maybe they would have cut production.
Who knows...
To me redesigning or updating the RL hasn't been a top priority of Honda for a few years but now it is a top priority for Honda. Obviously Honda wants Acura to be upscale and Honda can't do that without having the 05 RL be a hit.
The flip side is that Honda built a stronger following with the MDX than the RL ever had.
The question becomes, can the new design make up lost market share within its segment? The first generation Ody certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of American minivan buyers. But the 1999 Ody turned that around. Can the '05 RL do the same?
Look at Cadillac. They spent a decade trying to perfect the FWD V8, and they came pretty close. Then they realized their main competitors were RWD, and tout à coup they switched over. Acura has had ample time to prepare the new RL, and all indications are they are going the V6 FWD route.
There are a ton of RWD cars of all price ranges coming out in the next few years: at least 5 cars coming off Kappa, a glut of cars on Sigma Mass/VE, all of BMW/MB, the expensive Lexi, the LX bodies, and the list goes on. Even if it is a hybrid, it won't be a direct competitor. Even if the hybrid system is remarkable, it won't draw any of the Lexus/BMW crowd. As Ms Green said, there is little hope of gaining much market share with the RL.
I'd rather have AWD in a luxury sedan than RWD, to be honest. Who cares if AWD introduces a little bit of understeer, exactly how many 525i auto tranny sedans have you seen sliding the tail out on canyon roads lately?
As for V8, I don't think it's any more necessary than it is necessary for BMW to inflate the horsepower ratings on their 3.0L I6. Make it a performer, and that should suffice.
Doing the opposite is another story. I know several people who still defend the notion that Saddam was involved with the WTC attack (indirectly). They really want to believe that is true.
A more advanced and capable RL will win buyers, but not reverse the beliefs that people already hold near and dear to their hearts. Let's face it. Even if a FWD vehicle outhandles the RWD competition, RWD advocates are not going to accept it.
I'm not so sure that I see their product plan as being stubborn. RWD is old school. V8 performance is old. Assuming that the next RL uses a hybrid AWD system, that would be something very new. I know that RWD and V8 are coming back into fashion, but I think that using a hybrid design is actually skipping the return to bellbottoms and going straight to the next trend.
I truely believe that a vehicle assembled in Japan has better fit and finish than one done here. I once had two same year Honda (2dr - Here & 4dr - Japan) that seems to be quite different.
I am assuming that the vehicle price will be stable compare to the current RL because the price now seems a little high for what you get.
Despite popular speculation, when Accord production was transferred from Japan to the US, the US models had fewer warranty claims than the ones build in Japan.
I expect that the price will go a few grand higher. Much like the new TL vs the old TL. The new model will offer a great deal more (content, features, performance, etc.) at a moderate increase in price.
It's all speculation, though.
Have vibration in Steering wheel, even at a stand-still, and while driving at low speeds up to 40 mph. Have 26,000 miles on my RL 2002. The problem occurred about 2,000 miles ago.
When I took it in for oil change, the person who wrote up the work order said the mechanic did not find anything wrong. I got the feeling that the dealer did not look into the steering wheel problem. I did not talk directly with the mechanic.
Has anyone had this problem of steering wheel vibrations? And does anyone have any suggestions in dealing with the car dealer?
After I wrecked my RSX-S, I decided that god was trying to tell me something about my driving habits (car was totalled -- I was unharmed) so I decided to chill out and grow up a little. I'm very happy with the car. It changes my whole outlook on driving. Rather than zipping in and out of lanes like a jerk, I just sit back in my comfortable seat, turn up the radio and let the road unfold.
A used RL is a stellar deal for someone looking for luxury on a budget.
I might have to change my handle tho...
Suggestion: back to the dealer, have the service advisor drive the car with you in it to replicate the vibration, then they'll know what to do. JW
Type: Large Sedan
Where Built: Marysville, OH/East Liberty, OH/Japan
However, this site lists only Japan.
Here are the models built in the US:
http://www.hondanews.com/Forms/corp/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?*ws4- - - - - d-db-query-Show***000485***-wieck_media***-***corp(directory)***.- - - ws4d?corp/results(r)_text.html
Here are the models built in Japan:
http://www.hondanews.com/Forms/corp/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?*ws4- d-db-query-Show***000505***-wieck_media***-***corp(directory)***.- - - ws4d?corp/results(r)_text.html
(RL is listed at the Legend).
Think about it though, if you buy the '04 and then LOVE the '05 you're going to regret your purchase for a long, long time.
Good luck!
Available at extra cost.
And if you don't like that, ask AAA as their's is quite good. JW
Carguy - Mine, too. About the only serious problem with the Ohio built TL is the transmission. That tranny comes from Japan.
Of course, my made-in-Japan CR-V went to 84K miles before it had its first unscheduled repair. And I wouldn't call a bad distributor a big deal. So, my Honda fleet is 1:1. That's why data like the warranty claims are more compelling to me, than personal anecdotes.
That's what I was told 2 months ago by Acura people.
Just go ahead and get the 04, since you'll get a fabulous discount on the price. There will be no discount on the 2005 model when it comes out in April, and why buy it when you can wait only another 5-6 months and get the 2006 model, which will have all the first model year kinks worked out. So if you can't wait for the 2006 model, just get the 2004 now. You can dump it/trade it in down the road if you like the newer RLs.