Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Acura's website says 18/26.
My dealer says he can only confirm a build date, not an arrival date. I talked to two other local dealers who gave inconsistent answers.
My salesman didn't give me a build date, but he said it would be delivered about Oct 14. He also said since I'm #1 on the waiting list I can have my pick of colors!
I'm #11 on my salesman's list and there are eight sales people at this dealership. I can envision a long wait for delivery, possibly months. I believe that an earlier post described a typical initial monthly delivery of fifteen cars to each dealer.Sounds inadequate.
1986 Legend (1986-87)
1987 Legend L coupe (1987-88)
1987 Integra LS (1987-1991)
1988 Integra LS (1988-92)
1991 Legend LS (1991-94)
1993 Integra LS Special Edition (1992-2002)
1987 Legend L coupe (1997-2000)
1996 RL (2000-present)
2003 RSX (2003-present)
Also in the current stable are a 2001 Odyssey EX and a 2002 Accord EXL V-6.
The dealer should also pitch in as I've referred over 100 transactions to them over the past 18 years. My associate's wife refuses to accept anything other than an "A" on the hood (the "H" is not adequate for her) - he has had ACURAS in his garage continuously since December 1986, He has a 2003 TL-S; his wife's ride is a 2004 TSX.
It's all my fault since I showed up at his home with my first Legend and helped him secure an eight-month-old Legend with 6400 miles on the clock.
That is an amazing story, a legacy impressive enough to warrant a new car! Well, then again, knowing that Acura can be kinda stingy, maybe they'll do an article about you in their owner magazine and sent you a FREE COPY! How about that?
Your dealer must LOVE you. You should be entitled to free lifetime service and loaner cars, that's for sure.
6,400 miles? You got anymore like that hangin' around? Heck, I'd even throw in a fruit basket!
my sister - '87 Legend L coupe (1987-94); '01 MDX (2001-present); '04 TL (2003-present); her then boy friend and another family friend also bought 1987 Integras at the same time - a three car deal for the salesman;
business associate - '88 Legend L (1988-94); '94 Legend LS (1994-2001); TL (2001-present);
sister-in-law - 2001 TL (2001-present); declined an Accord ($8K savings) because "everyone has one;" time to get something different (she always liked my '96 RL).
BTW, the 2003 RSX is my daughter's car. It replaced the 2001 Integra which she "totaled" in December 2002 after having it for just four months. That was a CPO with only 11K miles on it when I picked it up.
In this FedEx Letter package was a letter and two round trip tickets to San Moritz Switzerland. The letter invited my wife and me to fly to Zurich, be picked up in an Audi A8 and escorted to St. Moritz. Fast forward, we took Mr. Hunt (the apparent author of the letter from Audi of America) up on his offer.
We flew Business Elite (Delta) from Cincinnati to Atlanta to Zurich -- we were met by an English speaking Audi of America representative handed ~ $150 in cash and put into an Audi limo. There were two French passengers who rode with us.
We were taken to a five star hotel (a castle) in St. Moritz, where we were given Audi winter clothing and allowed to check in for a 4 hour nap prior to our "greeting" sleigh ride, dinner and entertainment slated for that evening.
The next three days included non-stop entertainment and pampering all courtesy of Audi. 25 couples from North America were in the group of 50 couples from around the world. We were Audi's guests for the Women's Down-hill skiing racaes in St. Moritz. The first evening's sleigh ride and Alpen (orAlpin?)Horn greeting (replete with an Audi Hot Air Balloon as our marquis) was followed with a breakfast and ride to the finish line (where the skiers finished) where Audi had erected a tent on the snow (complete with a buffet, bar, carpeted "floor", auto showroom and lit with chandeliers!).
That evening a black-tie affair with the "singing waiters" who performed Disney classics (in costume) was followed by a chance to meet and mingle with the winning women skiers.
The trip, at the risk of sounding trite was truly "magical" -- and, even though the little town of St. Moritz was literally covered with Audi cars, there was not one moment of "Audi" sales or marketing effort beyond the Audi napkins, Audi wine! and Audi clothing provided by the "Audi Bunnies."
The short, one-page letter, from Len Hunt that got this all started said it was a "thank you" from Audi to its best customers -- we had purchased more than two dozen Audis and actually, my 2001 A6 4.2 arrived in the US while we were in Europe.
Acura may be producing a European beating auto in the RL (there is plenty of evidence that it has hit this one out of the park).
Acura, however, could take a lesson from Audi in terms of customer appreciation. Our trip was the third invitation from Audi -- two previous invites we were unable to oblige.
I know -- I am one of Audi's biggest FANS and most concerned citizens -- that Acura and other Japanese companies can build excellent cars. I must tell you however, no one has EVER shared such a customer appreciation tale that rivals Audi's.
Despite this, the new Acura remains on my shopping list, as I have grown weary of even the smallest of issues relating to auto ownership. My impression after participating in this town hall for these many many months is that with an Acura, I will virtually only have to buy gas, insurance and new license plates and only visit the dealer for service with relative infrequency.
I have wondered here and elsewhere if either those who have had Acura and Lexus cars have had great experiences or low expectations.
Despite my extreme prejudice, I am willing to "buy into" the notion that Acura will treat me better than Audi.
I hope I don't have to eat these words.
I have owned Nissan/Infiniti cars for 16 years now. Not nearly as many as you have had nor the amazing Acura/Honda poster in an earlier post.
I can say that I, for the first time in 16 years, am very intrigued by Acura. At the same time, I can tell you that I am writing this post because of your words re: ease of ownership of an Acura re: just regular maintenance. I can say that this has been my experience with Nissan/Infiniti. I'm not looking at Acura because of a lack of reliability of Infinitis. I'm looking in this direction for additional (and equivalent, in my opinion, in the reliability department) offerings primarily in the RL or possibly TL.
I'm not sure the G35 is what I'm looking for (kind of smaller, TL seems a bit bigger at least on the inside) and the new RL is very interesting and will need to be lined up side by side the the new M35/45 from Infiniti.
It is a great time to be looking at cars!!!
Does Acura have a similar program? I don't think so, just checking...
My brother-in-law's (he has the MDX) parents bought a 1989 Acura L because they liked my sister's '87 coupe. That car was eventually sold to my other sister in 2001.
We have also enjoyed a number of Nissans. My brother started it 35 years ago by convincing my parents to trade-in MY '61 Ford Falcon for a new '69 Datsun 510 wagon. He promptly modified it with headers and other parts to race it - he's an ASE certified mechanic today.
My other sister replaced her gas-guzzling Camaro RS (350 V-8) with a Datsun 240 SX in the late 1970s. My father-in-law (not driving at age 89) still has his '87 Maxima GXE (40K miles).
We also had a used '88 Maxima and a new 1993 Quest GXE which was traded for the Odyssey with 164K miles after eight years.
ksso
I'm still driving my "96 RL, with 104K miles on the odo. Going to be hard turning it in.
Why do think that Honda/Acura will offer those features in Japan but not here? Why don't we get the air cooled seats - but supposedly Canada does?
Oh yes, can you tell us what "CMS" and "LKAS" mean?
Thanks.
Last I knew there was no formalized, corporate inspired (or augmented) loaner car program. However, my experience has been that if you are a regular service customer, who gets their major service performed at the dealership, chances are good the dealer will set you up a with a loaner car, or a free rental car -- if you make an appointment in advance.
Having moved cross country several years ago, I called the local Acura service manager, introduced myself, and said to him that I was interested in developing a relationship with his dealership. I told him that I had gotten free loaners at my former dealership, as well as a 10% discount on service (to compete with independent garages who send out discount coupons) and he said "fine", he would be happy to match that discount, and to provide me a loaner car.
I've done that at two Acura dealerships, and have always found that when approached the right way, the service manager is willing and indeed happy to do what it takes to get a new customer on-board and to keep those service department dollars flowing in. Giving out a loaner car is usually no sweat for them.
Ask and ye shall receive!
LKAS (Lane Keep Assist System) and HiCC (Highway Intelligent Cruise Control) are parts of “HiDS” (Honda Intelligent Driver Support system). HiCC is a no brainer as it does what any adaptive cruise control does. Excerpt on Honda’s LKAS from a IEEE cover story
“A lane-departure system alerts the driver that the vehicle is drifting toward the edge of the lane by playing a rumble-strip noise through the speakers. If the driver fails to respond, the system progresses to generating a vibration in the steering wheel that mimics the feel of passing over road-edge rumble strips.
Now, suppose the driver still doesn't rouse from blissful slumber, or look up from the hot coffee that has tumbled into his groin. That's when the Honda LKAS shows how it isn't just another lane-departure system: it actually takes over the steering of the car, at least momentarily, to keep the vehicle in its lane—something no other such system now on the market can do.”
You can read about it here (scroll down)
Honda has offered LKAS and HiCC in Japanese Accord for couple of years. It was also offered in Inspire when that car was launched last year (FYI, Inspire is “American Accord” with TSX-like interior and some cosmetic changes). BTW, Inspire was also the first Honda to use VCM with its 3.0/V6 as well as active control mount (standard in Odyssey w/VCM and in RL) and active noise cancellation (standard in Odyssey w/VCM and in RL).
CMS (Collision Mitigation System) was introduced with Inspire. It utilizes a radar and brake assist to serve its purpose when called for. CMS is designed to evaluate potential of collision with a slower (or stopped) object in front. If the car is traveling too fast, it starts with a warning to the driver. If the driver responds, CMS continues to assist the driver in braking effort. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system will slowly apply brakes, and continue to warn. If the collision is imminent, full braking is applied to reduce the intensity of impact.
E-Pretensioner was also offered in Inspire. It is designed to work with or without CMS. With CMS, if the collision is imminent, the seat belt will tighten up before the collision.
I think Legend will have these features simply because they are offered in lesser models in that market (Accord and Inspire). We do get keyless ignition, something even the Fit gets over there. :-)
When I purchased my Infiniti I was told by the management of the dealership that I'd get a loaner as long as I came there. After a few years new ownership came to the dealership. I was very friendly with a few of the service write up guys and they (one of whom no longer works there) would tell me about the new management's focus on profits. They started, for about a 6 month period, renegging on the loaner car, especially for oil changes.
I reminded them that I was told I'd always get one and since these guys had known me for years (it was still the same management, just different owners) they were cool about it and gave me one anyway. Funny thing is sometimes the routine oil change can turn into a bit more like changing belts, etc. when they see them worn.
Anyway they seem to have gotten away from the "Not going to give you a loaner" line, at least with me. Every service for the life of this car over 7 years and counting has been at this one dealership.
My relationship with these guys is great but that being said I told myself that in the future I'd get the loaner deal down in writing...Glad to hear Acura also provides...Thanks again all!
Sorry for going off the RL topic....
An acquaintance of mine bought an '04 RL, guess a few months back....$10K off sticker..I just found out today...like I said, he's just an acquaintance : )
How many years/miles after purchase will they do that?
BROWSERS
Acura.com was developed for use with the following Internet browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer (5.0, 5.5, 6.0) and Netscape Navigator (4.7). If you are experiencing strange occurrences on screen, please download the supported versions of these browsers, and chances are the problems will be fixed.
PLUGINS
You will also need to download the latest version of Macromedia Flash to view the index and QuickTime 4.0 to view the movies and 360º Views (QTVR`s).
-----------------------
Note (from Legendman):
For Mac users, Explorer 5.2 worked for 99% of the new site. Netscape 7.2 did not work properly. Surprisingly, AOL 5.0 (Version 10.3) for Mac seems to be working, though I have not gone through the entire site again.
Some of the RL "Interior" Quick-Time videos don't seem to work on either the Explorer or AOL for Mac browsers; for example "BASIC CONTROLS". All I got for that one was the endlessly spinning sprocket. Maybe Acura is not done with it yet as of this posting time and date?
----------------------
Still no palette of exterior or interior color choices! Harrummph!!!
Now, having said all of that, do you guys think an Opulent Blue Pearl, with 18-20" chrome wheels, and taupe interior will pass muster?
I agree with your assessment. However, Motor Trend's history with the COTY award suggests that they favor trendy designs with lots of buzz. For that reason, I believe that while the RL will be a serious contender, the award will most likely go to the Chrysler 300.
I liken these new innovations to those of modern day fighter aircraft, where computers assist the pilot by reducing work load and fatigue, freeing the pilot to focus on the mission.
Indeed this will be a safer car for a number of reasons, not only due to the SH-AWD, but also to the steering wheel mounted controls and eye level gauges which will allow the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road. They are too numerous to mention, but I would like to include one that while not unique to Acura, will nonetheless improve overall safety and that is the tire pressure monitoring. This feature alone will save countless lives.
Turning to your question of color choice -- Blue Pearl -- we get back to a matter of subjective taste. Indeed it looked beautiful in those photos taken on the track. However, seeing the dark Blue RL at the new website makes me think of Accord, Accord, Accord -- and a smaller one to boot (was that Blue Pearl or another color Blue on the web site main image? I don't know -- it wasn't a great photo from a lighting standpoint).
I think that Black is a stately color (though difficult to take care of), but based on the limited color choice views to date, I am leaning toward lighter metallic colors, as I think they make the car look bigger, more elegant -- more of a luxury car. Again, color is such a subjective thing -- I guess that's why the car companies having been offering color choices ever since people got tired of Ford's color palette, which as you all know consisted of Black or Black.
I do think that Taupe is a handsome color for the interior. I have it in my Legend and I have never, ever tired of it.
I wish to heck Acura would either update their website with the '05 color choices or get that new brochures into the dealerships. I called a dealer today and he almost laughed when I asked if they had the brochures yet ... then he reminded himself aloud that the car is due in showrooms in mid-October. This seems "no way to run a railroad", or a car company for that matter.
BTW, your added assessment on the safety and other technological features found on the RL was right on the money and furthers the case for the RL being designated "COTY" by MT, a superb post...indeed!
To my eye, the car that we saw drive on to the stage at the NYC auto show was kind of a very light gold champagne color (we must remember that there were a lot of incandescent spot lights on the car which was inside a buildig and not out in daylight -- thus the color may appear different in the real world). I have seen a similar color on a Mercedes E class and it looks pretty good. Doesn't Acura call this Champagne Mist, or something like that? Where's a brochure when you need one?
It may be worth mentioning that the color that a car company choses to use as their most often seen image may be the one that the designers felt best exemplified the styling strengths of the car.
>It had a greenish silver appearance that looked, as the young people say, "Phat"...<
The young folks also say "it's the bomb". How that phrase is the modern day equivalent of "cool" I don't know, but I suppose that our parents thought "keen" was "neat" and as for our grandparents, perhaps it was simply "splendid."
My grand-daughter, when IMing, writes "Kewl!"...a variation on a theme.
I agree, so where ARE those brochures?
I hope you are right since the exterior showroom at Acura's website shows the RL in, I believe, carbon grey pearl; which is the color I have ordered (with the taupe interior).
1) on Oct.14, there would be one demo available for test-drive
2) brochure would be available BEFORE that. But he is not sure when that would be.
3) first batch would arrive around 22nd time frame. The number of units depends on how large your dealer is (from 5 to 20 units).
The Carbon Grey Pearl does, indeed, looks very good! However, the car (prototype) Acura introduced at the NY Autoshow was that of a silver variety. Yes, I know, and remember the phrase "...as their most often seen image..." but it could be argued that the one introduced at the NY Autoshow is/was the most often seen image. Am I rambling here? If so, please forgive me. I WANT THOSE DARN BROCHURES...NOW!!!!
My daughter never cared for blue until she saw the "eternal blue" on the 2003 RSX. which is her current ride. Till then, she preferred "hunter green" and its derivitives.
Me, I'll probably look at Pearl White with ebony first (as in my '96 RL), but a dark blue with parchment also appeals to me. Black on black? Nyet! I also have better things to do with my time than washing the car 3X/week.