Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I've had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Brian O'Neill from the IIHS, along with visiting his test sites on two occasions. There is no question that IIHS is substantially ahead of NHTSA. O'Neill is passionate and almost crazy about safety. Ths same applies to his second in command--Adrian Lund.
Especially with Bush in charge, NHTSA's funding is behind that of the IIHS, thanks to the insurers ponying up some big dollar support. IIHS's philosophy is to continue to push the envelope with testing methodology, so they force carmakers to progressively increase their own investments on behalf of safety. I wouldn't exactly compare O'Neill to Ralph Nader, but there are some similarities in terms of their tenaciousness in pushing for safety. Safer cars mean lower costs for insurers---so the industry has a vested interest in funding IIHS's mission.
IIHS is ahead of NHTSA in so many areas it isn't even close---offset barrier testing at 40mph vs. non-offset testing, rollover methodologies for SUVs, head restraint standards, side impact protection, anti-theft technology, and even improved automotive repair standards. IIHS is also directly connected with testing completed in other industrialized nations around the world, and it is a leading member of RCAR (Research Council for Automotive Repairs). IIHS does not work with other governments. Although he won't publicly admit it, Dubya is not a big fan of NHTSA because it's efforts ultimately add costs to business.
Back to our subject...
Here's hoping for an RL "double" when it is finally tested in the all important side test by the Institute. Then it will match the A6 and exceed the M35.
Our subject is the RL sedan. We have a News & Views board where in depth examination of the crash testing methodology is appropriate.
If you or anyone else wants to discuss this further, let's take it offline instead of continuing to keep this discussion off-track.
Thanks.
He also says that for the TL, Honda recommends changing the oil but not the filter (!) at 3750 mile intervals and both at 7500 mile intervals which he thinks is ridiculous.
This is a very reputable dealer.
Thoughts?
David B in CT
That being said:
If the oil says 7500 miles and you follow that guideline to the number I believe you will not have any issues. If you do have an issue, you will be able to produce evidence that you followed the guidelines.
I (and others at my dealership) use the 7500 mile intervals as a feature that seperates the RL cost of ownership from other cars in the same price range.
You are basically dealing with a disagreement between the people who designed, engineered, manufactured, tested and warranteed the engine and the person who sells it. I tend to agree with the former.
The reason is that the first initial oil fill at the factory includes a special oil additive to aid in the break-in of the engine.
??? Anybody have knowledge of that?
Also...I agree to the concept that oil is cheap enough to change on a more frequent basis. I subscribe to the 5k rule...as it is more frequent than the 7500...but not where it will not consume too much of my time.
I am a true believer in frequent oil changes, especially when you pay so much for a nice car.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just got back from dealer's service. I purchased my RL one month ago. I took it in this morning for a "sit in" appointment for the wiper. The driver side wiper is squeeking loudly over the windshield (louder when the windshield is wet). They replaced blade but same problem. They washed windshield with solvent but same problem. They asked me if I wanted to wait while they replaced the entire assembly but same problem. (they thought the angle of the current blades to the windshield might be out of spec causing the vibration).
The service manager is going to research with Acura engineering. I told him the blade noise is unacceptable.
I have put nothing on the windshield (raindance etc) I have only cleaned with Invisible Glass cleaner
Any ideas on what may be the cause.
I have also owned three Acura's (two MDX's and a TL-S). I am in the market for a new sedan and have been researching for a while and been on numerous test drives. I find the RL styling bland and the control layout to be less than optimal. One of the things I disliked the most about my TL-S was its large turning radius; it was way larger than my MDX Turning radius matters to me.
Regarding CR, I value their objective measurements as well as their subjective opinion - its just another research tool. Also I do not understand your comment about V8s - the entire comparison was V6s (all the cars were V6s) :confuse:
You can put my Celestial Silver RL in the middle of a plethora rainbow pack of M35's and to me the styling of that RL blows away the bunch (Inside and out)! IMHO
Of course M lovers wanting their egos stroked will pan Edmunds and RL owners wanting an attaboy will pan CR :surprise: :shades:
What a joke :sick: This line of BS is pure satire right?
Its amazing to me the folks who suggest that CR is not about cars :confuse: The guys who test hairdryers are NOT the ones who test cars Anyone who throws out that old strawman arguement is deluded. :confuse:
I trust CR who pays for the cars themsleves, buying them off the lot a whole LOT more than I do the "professional" car mags who have had the cars donated to them by the magazines biggest advertisers :surprise: At least at CR there is absolutely no conflict of interest involved in any of their reports!
If folks do not like CR then fine, don't read it. They are simply another independant research tool. Another thing that amazes me are the folks who trash CR's car reviews but laud thier repair record histories of cars.
By the way, read in Motor Trend that the RL will be getting a V-8. In 2011.
I have been a subscriber of CR for many years, and my observation is that CR gets an opinion about a particular line or model of car, and year after year says the same thing about the car, regardless of substantial changes in the car, which other evaluators recognize and give due credit for.
Another example of this is my wife's Chevy Suburban. We owned a '96, and it was unreliable, and not a very good car. CR gave a fairly brutal, but accurate assessment of its shortcomings. We traded the 96 in for a 2002, and substantial improvements had been made, which other evaluators lauded. In fact, the entire chassis was redesigned, and the entire ride was changed. We still own it and it's a good car--although it could never compare to my RL! When the CR report came out, all the black marks for various components in the Suburban had been changed to red, indicating above average responses and performance. It truly was a totally different and improved car.
If you look at the narrative on the 2002 Suburban from CR, they even continue to use the exact same wording as the 96 evaluation and make no mention of the improved performance or styling, instead choosing to focus on their preconceived notions of what they believe the car is and how it performs. That is all I am saying--CR appears to stick with its preconceived ideas of the car and does not allow the data to affect its conclusions.
About reliability ratings they are sometimes inconsistent. For example, when a new Japanese model comes out (e.g., Camry, Accord, etc) they say its predicted reliability is very good or excellent. But when a new AMerican model comes out, they refuse to rate its reliability and withhold recommendation of the car, saying under reliability: "new model."
•Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) - uses a grille-mounted radar unit, motorized seatbelt E-pretentioners on the driver’s and front passenger’s seats and an automatic braking system to monitor potential frontal collisions and help reduce the impact on occupants by alerting the driver, tensioning the seatbelts and slowing the vehicle.
•Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) – To compensate for changing traffic flow, ACC adjusts vehicle speed automatically by applying throttle and/or brake to maintain a consistent following distance.
•Michelin PAX Run-Flat tires - helps provide enhanced safety and security with continuous mobility of up to 125
Finally Acura is giving its flagship sedan more features. The 2006 Lexus GS/IS has all of these features already and is cheaper. This package is optional like on the Lexus and Toyota. Hopefully this helps Acura have better sales. Even the 2005 Toyota Avalon and Sienna have Dynamic Laser Cruise Control already and the Sienna even has run-flats on AWD models. Finally Acura gave it to its RL. But in its catergory, the RL and GS are the only car models that have radar cruise control and pre-collision system available that are known so far. The 2006 Acura RL will be better than the 2005 model.
We had an extended test drive - all weekend - and enjoyed it tremendously! It felt somewhat noisy and a little rough on a bad piece of highway, but otherwise it's wonderful. Our cell phones even paired with no problem.
One problem yesterday, we received a message saying there was no keyless detected and we would be unable to restart the car if it was turned off. We drove home, stopped the engine, got out and started all over again. It worked fine. In addition, the radio wouldn't come on. Nothing but "enter code". To make a long story short, we finally found the "code" on a little card in the glove box among all of the manuals, etc, and was able to enter it and the radio was immdiately operable. Has anyone had a similar experience? Not the best experience, but we're still buying! We will, however, memorize the code!
Thanks for any assistance with the interior colors.
It's a personal preference, so one person could like it one way, another an entire 180! Good luck.
Ebony looks excellent with it, too, but my wife thinks Taupe might be good, also.
It's some car! I don't know whether I like the car -- engine, SHawd, etc., or the toys more --navigation, XM or bluetooth. Great package!
It is all personal opinion, but the fact that dealers don't have this combination might indicate that it is more popular.
I also thought it was strange that they placed the Acura TL in the same test category as the RL? Does that make sense to anyone and so why not just buy the TL at 15,000 less if they rate it number 2 behind Infinity? Sounds like TL is the care maybe to get instead of RL if you read their report.
Anybody out there with a 2005 RL that can comment on night driving and if the lights are good or what?
Formula, you may have a point about the taupe being more popular since we don't see any of it. Black interiors seem to be plentiful.
CR did not test the TL with the same group of AWD cars that included the RL. CR recently changed the way they score cars; there is now a standard measure that allows for comparisons to other tests. The recent comparo was AWD Luxury Sedans (RL, M35, A6, GS300, and STS). However because of the standardized scoring the final list could include other luxury cars tested earlier (e.g. BMW, LS430, and the TL).
BTW, I really disliked the turning radius in my old '02 TL-S. Not sure I can live with the RL's either
The low beam headlights. A few of us have mentioned that there should be some kind of adjustment made because it seems that they are not focusing enough light and wondering what can be done about it. Anyone have the low beams adjusted yet? The brights are fine.
I actually adjusted mine myself. It was very easy. Under the hood there's a screwdriver hole in the plastic housing just above the headlight unit. It shows which way to turn the screwdriver for up or down. There is a rubber gasket in the hole, so a large shank screwdriver will fit snug enough into the hole to turn the dial. It took about 10 twists and now my low-beam xenons are terrific (without blinding on-coming traffic)! A must for all new RL owners. .
If anything, I'd probably say my comments were sarcastic. But my intent was to make a point and apparently I did. However, do you feel that this forum is an appropriate place to be insulting? "Deluded"???
As I said, for what it's worth, Consumer Reports will play no role in any decision I make regarding a new car. I continue to encourage everyone to seek other opinions as well. After all, how many times has CR been taken to task for making false statements about their test cars? I seem to recall at least two.
And while it's fine if Consumer Reports calls a product a piece of crap beware if they give something a glowing review. Why? Because CR refuses to allow anyone to quote them. Do so and CR files a lawsuit. Sorry my dears, I don't have time for such hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Note to Consuder Reports, it's only an opinion, not a divine judgment. Get off the cross, we need the wood.
Now, stepping down off my soapbox, y'all can harbor whatever opinion you want about CR. But please don't belittle mine simply because you don't agree.
Because other than its "God-like" opinion of itself, CR is a useful publication when it comes to paints, household products, and the like. However, to take its opinions regarding automobiles, as anything other than just another opinion, is laughable. It's frequency of repair records are tremendously skewed because of its subscriber base (unlike more objective reports than are still available via the internet and other consumer organizations). CR doesn't do objective surveys of the car buying public. It merely sends out "quickie" check off lists to those who already subscribe and buy into the CR mystique. (I know because though I continue to subscribe and get those little check off lists.) But also, over the years, people well acquainted with the publication have told me what sections to view with suspect eyes. If you truly believe CR knows automobiles that well, by all means follow its reports like dogma, like gospel itself.
But I strongly recommend that anyone investing in expensive automobiles draw from many sources and in the end, make evaluations based on his/her own personal experiences and preferences. You will be the one sitting in that car, driving on the highway, going to and from work, picking up the kids, and so on. CR's staff will not be in the car with you. CR is just one tool. Nothing more. (Though it is high on CR's agenda that you view it as the only source to go to; an important part of its funding drives and continued existence rests on your assumptions that it is virtually infallible.) But it is not the final source by any means, especially when it comes to automobiles.
This little diatribe was, of course, just another opinion.
My RL's V-6 is just purring along - never asking why it hasn't got two more sisters
We noticed a spot on the driver's side right front panel that looked sticky - but we were not sure whether it was the paint - or something else. After trying to remove it with a spray McGuires product that claims to remove different types of spots... we were convinced it was the paint.... not something else. We are wondering if this is a general problem...or just one confined to our vehicle...which in every other way has been quite wonderful.