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Over the first few hundred miles it became clear that the OE tires passed along road noise that was unacceptable to me. Every time the road surface changed (about once every mile) the noise from the tires changed from virtually silent on new asphalt to loud on textured concrete.
I replaced the tires with the Michelin Sport A/S and have noticed a noise reduction on all surfaces. We can speculate as to why Acura selected the MXM4 tires, but it's most likely a pricing issue. That's the same tire they have used for years on Acuras and it is a loud tire in most applications. For sporty cars like the TL and CL it's less of an issue.
However for a luxury car like the RL it's not an appropriate tire. The best choice may have been Michelin's Pilot PS 2, but it's not available in the odd size of the RL's wheels.
If I had known it was an issue before I bought the car I would have either negotiated an upgrade in tires with the Acura dealer or I would have contacted a Michelin dealer to make a deal. Once you have driven on the tires it's usually too late. In my case I negotiated a concession from the dealer and sold my OE tires. Net cost for the new tires was under $100 for the set.
With the new tires the car is fantastic.
Your mileage may vary.
JJAcura [Mostlygray ]
Having said all that, I would definitely buy the Pilot Sport A/S again, only I would not wait till I had the 500 miles on the car. I drove the OEM's that much because I was considering keeping them and buying another set of winter tires and extra wheels. I could not see at the time how the Pilot Sport A/S could improve on the non-winter issues that are rated on the Tire Rack; but I am happy that I went with the A/S as there was a marked improvement in all aspects reviewed. I havent experienced snow yet with the A/S but I expect to be pleasently suprised because the way the tread looks :surprise: it cant help but be a winner on snow compared to the Pilot MXM4.
Good luck to you.
Dennis
The actual installer (rather than sales person) at the local tire store, after mounting the Sport A/S (so it wasn't a sales pitch), confirmed that they thought the MXM4 was not a good wet traction tire and that I had made a good choice in replacement. The Sport A/S in my very short term experience so far does seem a bit quieter/smoother and definetly is more responsive in the corners. I wouldn't necessarily put down the MXM4 but do not think that it allows the RL to achieve its capabilities while the Sport A/S appears to be a better match for the substantial capabilities of the RL.
Take care.
JJ, enough periodic snow in Seattle to make one want to have decent A/S tires on an AWD car. For heavier snow storms or nearby mountain driving though will probably bring out the MDX for the heavy duty. We also escape to Scottsdale enough for short visits during the winter to minimize the snow risk a bit. Wish I had the RL there as that is some fast driving around the Valley of the Sun.
Enjoy your trip to Madison in the RL...tell you what, it's a great campus....if you have time (Navigation System :shades: ) take the Bascom Hill Drive road west from Park Street (Just north of where State St. ends) (Its the closest road to Lake Mendota) drive it focused and use your flippers...you will definately enjoy the ride, the scenery(be alert for bikers and coeds on foot), and the lake views.... guaranteed! You will end up not to far from good parking north of University Drive and Camp Randle Stadium. Don't injest too many beer soaked brats but if you do I hope they are Johnsonville's. :P Indiana will have their hands full Saturday! Go Badgers! (Wish I could post our war chant but it would never get past Pat! Have Fun
Go Hoosiers!!
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our Bucky Badger welcomes the Hoosiers to Camp Randall in Madison.
"XXXX 'EM BUCKY"
Drive safe now you hear.....
As a native Hoosier, long displaced to the great Northwest, I will have to second that. Driving in the snow in Indiana and around Chicagoland growing up was relatively easy since it is so flat. No awd, no chains or even snow tires. Just plan your slide when coming to a stop and seemed to be no problem. In Seattle, everything is hilly so with anything more than 1" snow, one definetely wants awd, good a/s tires and still plan your slide if you are going down a steep hill. Much fun.
But, my wife is an IU graduate (which is a constant sore spot), and her cousin is the new head football coach there... So, I feel compelled to at least root for the football team..
So, back on topic... Does all of your tailgating gear fit into the RL?
regards,
kyfdx
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I could second this too but I think you have a typo and meant KU. :-) As I am a KU grad and avid Jayhawk fan (and yes Hoosier bball too) we seem to have a lot in common. Whether it is IU, UK or KU, we just sort of kill time during football season waiting for basketball season to roll around. At least the Badgers get to enjoy both seasons, usually.
Back on topic, for those who have not yet had the TSB services done and their RL is eligible it is highly recommended. Had these done about a week ago and then along with changing out the tires this week to the Pilot Sport A/S I feel like I have almost a new car. The transmission works even better, acuralink and XM interface is improved and the RL has a new feel on the road with the "stickiness" and smoothness of the Sport A/S tires. All in all a nice way to refresh a nearly year old car that I have been very, very pleased with and now even more so.
BTW, KU over UK by 12 on January 7th at Lawrence.
Actually I have huge respect for UK. Coach Al McGuire's Marquette Warrior's record against them was 2 and 3. (But that was during Adolph Rupp's and Joe Hall's tenure.) I can't think of any coach who lasted longer than Rupp, he coached 42 years with a winning pct over .800
*just kidding
Southern drivers should remember that the Acura folks gave the RL system the name sh-awd, not just awd, and this is signficant and not just some advertising deal. In everyday driving and cornering this system plays a role in improving the cornering capabilities and taking away the front torque steering that comes with most front wheel drive cars, including Acuras. Thus even though there is a front wheel bias, the rear wheels help move the car around corners in dry weather, every day conditions for noticeable cornering/handling improvement. So it is not a system like in other awd sedans where the importance of awd comes out most significantly in wet or winter driving. Southern drivers should be interested in the RL just as much as northern drivers as this is just as much a summer car as it is a winter car, the sh-awd comes into play every day, rain or shine.
No, but I do like them, the RL in particular because it is so well thought out. I loved my 03 BMW 530 that I traded in for the RL, but when winter came around it was usually left in the garage a lot due to absence of winter traction abilities. They have addressed that now with an awd version so like the RL it is more of an all season, all climate car. But the BMW is still much behind the RL in electronics and reliability, imho.
So yes I am an Acura and RL fan but definetely dabble in other cars including our recently purchased Lexus RX 400h, which has great accleration performance along with better than respectable gas mileage. My perfect car might be an RL-H, hybrid version that Acura just has to do.
As mentioned, us Hoosiers/Jayhawks/Huskies just try to get by through the football season until basketball gets going in a month or so.
Yes, I'm discontinuing Onstar, even though two guys here in DC were just rescued because of their Onstar. The rescue personnel couldn't find them from their cell phone, but tracked them through Onstar. I figure that's a fairly unlikely occurrence.
Our RL is pushing 7K miles and it's soon time for the first service. We've had no major problems at all, and although I usually don't get to drive it since it's the wife's car, have been very pleased with the couple thousand miles I've put on the car. Looking forward to the 1st service and various TSB updates on the software, which we'll do in the next couple weeks.
LMBRL
George, .(I think you would be all right with or without the On Star) Your comment also brings to mind the classic '56 Paul Newman movie "Somebody Up There Likes Me" In your case I'm sure that's true!
"The three current TSBs are Service Bulletin 05-027, the PCM Software Update, Bulletin 05-028, the Onstar Control Unit update, and Bulletin 05-022, the Acuralink control update."
Sorry if you already knew about these resources, but a lot of times folks aren't aware of them.
Just a quick story from my dealer yesterday regarding the RL (They are not getting the 2006 's in until later this month and have only 3 new 2005's left.) also I was talking to a young service attendant about the car and he asked me if I had driven the car through snow yet. We talked tires and all wheel drive and he told me about a guy that came in for service on his TL last winter and took out the RL for a drive in the snow while he was waiting. Upon returning he was so excited about the way the RL handled the snow and loved the way it looked he ended up trading for one on the spot and drove home in a new RL.
I'm ready to replace my 2002 BMW 530i which Iove, but really want AWD for the snowy/rainy winters we get here in New Jersey. I've driven both cars, and really up in the air on which one to get....
The local Acura dealer quoted me 43,200 for an 05 and I'm still waiting on the BMW price, but looking for that car with sat radio and navigation. The Acura has my attention simply because the price is probably going to be 10K less than the BMW. I'd really like to hear from others what made you select which car and why. With my family growing, this is the last luxury car purchase I'll be making for a number of years, and want to get it right.
Thanks!
L3
I am deciding whether to wait for the 2006 RL with less issues but more money or buy the 2005 RL. I got a slamming quote from the SoCal dealer. $40,800. Talk to your dealer about the $2500 the manufacturer is giving them.
Like Hendjaz I too paid full MSRP with no regrets and the 2005 RL has been flawless.
You could be right, but I doubt it. There are NOT enough changes in the '06 to justify $5000 more. Acura began heavily discounting the RL in April to boost lagging sales. Sales rose in August and September due to agressive discount pricing. It will be interesting to see November and December sales figures.
IF the rumors of greatly reduced production volumes are correct THEN upper $40s may very well be the case. Many RLs are being sold today to folks who will pay $41 but NOT pay $47+
Fewer RLs could very well mean higher prices for those who truly want that car.
As a reminder, there seems to be considerable geographic disparity in pricing so I would not take the above statement as the gospel for all locations as some still have pricing in the mid to upper 40s. The low 40s may be available in SoCal and TX, and perhaps other locations, but readers should of course check their local dealers for "real" pricing in their region rather than relying on what they see in forums such as this and then have unrealistic expectations. Its actually a nice time of year to go to SoCal or TX, pick one up there and have a nice road trip home in a great RL with a few extra $$ saved in your pocket/purse.
Let me first say I'm a die-hard BMW fan. Always have been. My wife drives an X3 and I have an 02 530i. I'm ready to replace my 530, as I really want an AWD car and SAT/NAV.
My last AWD vehicle was an 01 Audi A6 2.7 which was arguably the worst ownership experience of my life. Not only was the car a mechanical train wreck, but the local dealership was awful. I drive a lot for work, and although my RWD 530 hasn’t really let me down in rain and snow, I still like the idea of AWD... After making the emotional decision to plop down between 45-55K for a new car, I set about creating my short list. The BMW was a natural, as I've always loved them. I found the Lexus AWD and Infiniti unappealing and have never liked Mercedes. Then, along comes this RL... It's pretty amazing, loaded, drives great and it's 10K cheaper than a comparable 503xi with SAT/NAV! But, I'm not sure it's quite a BMW in terms of performance and handling. Yes it drives great, but there is something missing. I'm just not what’s missing is worth 10 grand...
Is the RL a 5 Series killer?
I will visit my daughter in a suburb north of Houston next month and out of curiosity will check on the inventory at Gilman, a brand new state of the art dealership nearby, actually one of 5 Acura dealerships in the Houston metro area. (No wonder they have so many extra RLs.) Here in the entire state of Wisconsin we have a dealer in Madison and another here in a Milwaukee suburb and that's it. (I believe another dealer is coming to the Green Bay Fox river valley area next year.) I am very familiar with both dealers as they are owned by the same person. Both do extremely well and know how to take care of their repeat customers. It's a good sign when you see familiar faces at a dealership year after year after year.
Should I buy the 7 year/$120,000 mile warrantee? I got a price of $1815. It seems like so much money for something I migh not use. I was also told that if I don't use it at all I can get some money back. Is this true?