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Acura RL

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Comments

  • tomdoggie43tomdoggie43 Member Posts: 7
    Took Delivery on Shoreline Mist Today.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Very nice color and a real improvement on the gold that, I thought, was rather frumpy. Enjoying the ride?

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • tomdoggie43tomdoggie43 Member Posts: 7
    GREAT LOOKING CAR. PRICE WAS 39,950, INCLUDING WINDOW NET. NOW I AM SECOND FIDDLE TO A CAR.
  • tomdoggie43tomdoggie43 Member Posts: 7
    That was of course a trunk net lol
  • jeff88jeff88 Member Posts: 94
    19 in the city and 23 on the highway are pretty darn good numbers. Not much room for improvement there. Best highway mileage I've gotten was cruising around 70 mph and it came in at 25.

    Mostly see 23 on trips and 21 combined city/highway.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    In the lease board, when a couple of us asked Car_Man about the new lease program for the '02, he suggested that there may be some more "room" in the new cap cost figure. Of course, if that is true, it will depend on how the program is organized.

    Does anyone have an avenue to find out how the deal is structured? Dealer cash? How much? Interest rates? Any ideas?

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    belaboring a point to death, but something I just read brought it up in my mind...the 2002 Nissan Altima (ALTIMA, mind you) will have a 3.5L V6 with 240 HP; add that to the 260 HP TL-S, the 260 HP Infiniti I35, and any expected increase in the Lexus ES300, and, probably, the GS300...can the Acura RL really hope to compete at 220 HP, when it may be the largest and heaviest car of the bunch???

    Bob
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    not to pick a nit, marsha7, but it's actually 225hp this year. And of course that doesn't change the fact that you're still right. But to answer your question, just from my pov obviously:

    1) numbers are important. Alright: VERY important. But in the final analysis, it's about the car, not a number, unless that number is so terribly important to you your whole experience is polluted when a car doesn't meet that number. But many people will continue to like a fine car such as the RL, and buy it as a result of liking it for ALL of its attributes.

    But I know what you mean: some people can find a single number a real factor. The purchase price would be a good example of why a person in the market for a Civic might not look at a car such as the BMW. My wife is obsessed by the room available in the rear seat and, when I was shopping for her car, the Audi A4 (an exceptional auto, most would agree), was ruled out. Your hot button I guess is horsepower.

    But my point is that you can give an Altima as much hp as you wish. People who like cars like the RL still won't be interested, not because they're snobs but because the Altima is a different kind of car and the hp still won't change that fact: it's about the car!

    2) Honda isn't staying with the 3.5, as you know from your earlier posts. Most knowledgeable people agree that in '03 they'll move to a V8 rwd. Perhaps there'll be an AWD option (I hope so). It would be reasonable to assume it will be quite a bit more expensive. I just hope they don't screw it up.

    Meanwhile, I love the car as it is currently configured ... the car, not its numbers necessarily. I drove everything from $30k on up to find what I liked. My three favorites, at the end, were the Jaguar XJ8, the Audi A6 4.2, and the Acura 3.5 RL ('02 version). I've chosen the Acura, and am waiting for it to be delivered, because: the Jag is magnificent but is rwd & I can't use it where I live; the Audi is a beast and, while it is AWD, it is useless where I live -- in NE there is way too much traffic to use more than the bottom end of its wonderful engine and I don't want to pay an additional $8k (vs. the Acura) for power I'll never get to use.

    So there y'go ... whaddya think?

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • malikjbmalikjb Member Posts: 10
    Well said Joe
    When I was buying mine, the power was not a major consideration. I bought it for price, comfort and the styling. I felt it was a much better by at 35K versus ES300 at 32K or an I30 at 28K. It has plenty of power as far as I am concerned. So it all depends on what you are looking for.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    you have every right to pick at nits...I should be corrected at 225 HP...yes, my hot button is horsepower...as an aside, Jaguar and Audi might sell fewer cars if the 2.7T (Audi) and the supercharged 4.0L (I believe it is 4 liters) only put out 127 HP, then all the quality in the cars, the luxury, the handling, etc. would not sell one car...bounce it up to 250, 300 or 370 Hp, suddenly we have something worth buying...while I have commented in the past, does anyone have any REAL idea of what Honda minds are up to???

    PS: if I forgot something I posted earlier, it is just my age catching up with me...the mind usually goes first...:):):)

    Bob
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    and is followed by the ....... I forget.

    Actually, marsha7, I once had a Jaguar with even LESS than 127 hp. My father bought me a Jaguar when I was only 14. An XK140. I was an abosolute car nut. This was around 1960. He brought it home tied to the back of his ride, parked it in the yard, and told me that I could have it IF I could get it to run!

    I picture him in the house looking from some window and laughing while I, in my ignorance -- the most sophisticated engine I could work on even minimally was a flathead Ford -- tried to make that #$%@& thing run. The fastest we ever got it to go was on the downward slope in the back lawn when my friends would help me push it across the yard.

    Actually, I'm still a car nut. But it made an indelible impression on me and the value I place on reliability in a car. One more reason I'll enjoy my RL!!

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • sburke7sburke7 Member Posts: 37
    I currently own the vermont green 3.5 w/o navi,,,45,000 one owner miles (road) on this jewel of a car,,,am giving serious thought of trading for 2002RL with navi,,,do not know if the newer model is worth a trade in,,,test drove one,,,minimal difference in the two cars,,,but like the 225hp,higher torqued engine and the navi,,,any thoughts?
  • qwallsqwalls Member Posts: 406
    I've been lurking here a while, and am currently considering purchasing a used RL - probably a '99. The RLs seem to depreciate a lot in the first couple years, and yours has high miles, so unless you just have money to burn, I'd say keep the one you have. There will be a new one for 2003, and you wouldn't want to take the depreciation hit twice after you fall in love with the new model. :-) You may want to check out the "Real World Trade in values" discussion. There are a couple of very helpful dealers there, Bill and Terry who give people an idea of what their cars are worth wholesale based on what they are selling for at the auctions.

    Quentin
  • sburke7sburke7 Member Posts: 37
    Would like to believe I could get $30.0 towards a trade in on a 2002,,,depends on how badly a dealer wants to make a sale on new one,,,as well as the appeal of selling the one I am driving now as "mint condition" 2000. The 2003 will be different indeed. I can wait if no dealer is willing to work.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I don't know where you live, sburke, but in this area (w/low mileage) you should be able to get at least $29.5k, and up if it's really in great shape and a good color.

    Good luck!

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • sburke7sburke7 Member Posts: 37
    Joe,

    live in NC,,,the color is vermont green,,,condition is near perfect,,,still smells like new. I think only 3 people have even set in the back seats,,,never a smoke in the car as well,,,garaged when home,,,all road miles thru-out the SE,,,great car!
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    I'm afraid that you will be disspointed, but see what your dealer will do

    I was looking at used RLs last week (A TREMENDOUS, if not the best value in car buys). The 2000's were about $31,995 retail, and the '99s were about 29K retail. You can bet they paid about $6K less for them. They were all immaculate.

    If you can handle it, you will do a lot better selling the car yourself. I keep my cars in immaculate condition, and usually sell them off just before the lease runs out. I get about $1-3K over the lease buyout. One important factor I have found is to only place your ad in the expensive paper, not the cheap ones or the Auto Trader, etc. People only read the cheap ones for bargains.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Automophile, where do you live? I could save about $2k over what they go for in my neighborhood. Worth a trip!

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • tomdoggie43tomdoggie43 Member Posts: 7
    HEY j Wilson,Is replacing the shift knob on my RL
    a do it yourself job or must the dealer do it? thanks.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Hmmm, now why do I look like I know about shift knobs?

    Actually, I've never checked out an RL, but if you check the base of the knob, perhaps beneath a rubber cover, there should be an allen screw ... or there is on many cars. The new shift knob will have an allen wrench in the appropriate size. When you put on the new one, just remember to snug it up. (If you don't see the allen screw, ask the parts guy at the Acura dealer as he'll know immediately, or I'll certainly check as soon as I think of it.)

    Good luck.

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    I am in the Los Angeles area. Beautiful RLs seem to be plentiful here! I am sure that I could have bought the '99 for $26-27K. The owner was even more a fanatic than me! He put brand new tires on the car and had it detailed before returning it to the dealer! The trunk looked like it was never opened, and he had every single key, gadget and scrap of paper that came with the car! Amazing.
  • adamar1adamar1 Member Posts: 14
    I leased a 1997 RL (my first on-American car) and it is the best car I ever owed (after owing General Motors cars for years). I was reluctant to lease a 2001 because I considered it essentially the same as my 1997. I finally succumbed to leasing a 2002 RL principally because of the great happiness with the 1997--quiet as a mouse, never a rattle to be heard and mechanically about as perfect a car as you can get. It has been pure pleasure to drive it--it almost drives itself! I was, however, very disappointed that the 2002 RL had not been re-designed--it is getting dated after five years both inside and outside.

    The thing that really galls me is that the DC changer is now in the trunk (what a pain for a close to top-of-the-line car), whereas in my 1997 it was in the armrest compartment and the 2002 finds it in the trunk. Even the less expensive 3.2 TL has a single DC unit on the dashboard. I don't know what the Acura designers are thinking about--total regression here.

    I have noticed more than one posting here indicating that those who have tried the 2002 RL don't see much difference. I am no "Motor Trend" type of test driver, but there is a decided difference in the 2002--more horsepower, tighter steering for better handling and the ride is a little stiffer compared to my 1997. I would conclude that the 2002 RL is getting to be a little more European in feel compared to the pre-2002 RL's. If it were not for these changes, I don't think I would leased another RL at this point. I am looking forward to taking delivery next week and only hope that I am as happy or happier with this one than my 1997 which I hate to part with, but the 2002 is more advanced and has more safety equipment.

    My lease was about $519 per month before taxes (with -0- down payment) which gave the dealer about a 4% profit. If I wanted to shop the market in my area, I am sure I could have done better, but this dealer is tops in service and has done us more than one favor.

    The bottom line is that the RL, dollar for dollar, is one of the best values in the market today in its price range! It is a car for those of us who either cannot afford or do not want to own a Mercedes, BMW, etc.

    What more can I say!
  • goralgoral Member Posts: 145
    I am with automophile - you will be unpleasently surprised when you try trading your car in.
    As nice as RLs are, they have horrific trade-in value. With your relatively high miles, you are looking at probably ~$25-$26K. No dealer is going to give you $30K when they were giving them away for ~$33K couple years earlier...
    I have a '96 w/ 82K miles, and realistically the car's trade-in value is ~$11-12K!!!
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    Age has caught up with me! A long time ago, as evidenced by my being complete enamored with my immaculate 1996 Pearl White 3.5RL, purchased seven months ago for $20K with 36.8K on the odometer. A doctor was the prior owner and he took the depreciation. I don't worry about the "trade-in" value of this car as I got off the "new-car-every-three-years" merry-go-round quite awhile back.

    This car is greatly under-valued as a new vehicle, so you'd have to expect its price as a "used" car to be impacted. Some of us can also "afford" to NOT have to buy a Mercedes, or even a Lexus, to validate ourselves. An LS430 at MSRP is $15K more than the 3.5RL: that's a hefty price difference for two more cylinders.
  • phil4vers4phil4vers4 Member Posts: 18
    Just got back from a 1,000 mile cross country trip and have to say that the RL ('00) is made to gobble up the highway miles. What a pleasure to drive for an extended distance. It also handled exceptionally well during a 4 hour intense rain storm.
    As far as the styling being dated, during one of my stops I was parked next to the same color
    LS 430 and it seems Lexus took quite a few cues from the RL for their "new" body style. Actually, I prefer several details better on the RL, such as the grille and rounded rear deck.
  • autoiautoi Member Posts: 10
    Looked at a 98 RL Premium in a clean condition, had 33K miles on it, Pre-leased. Delear asking 24960. What wold be a good price for this car?
    Located near Boston, MA.

    I appreciate you valueble comments.
    Thanks in advance.
  • goralgoral Member Posts: 145
    Go to Real World Trade-in values board (in Smart Shopper section) and ask one of the resident dealers (Bill or Terry)... They will give you an idea what these cars sell for at the auctions.
  • autoiautoi Member Posts: 10
  • chloe6chloe6 Member Posts: 38
    Hi!

    I'm looking for a leftover 2001 RL at a good price. I'm flexible about the color, but if black is available, I'll be thrilled!

    If anyone knows where I might find one, I'd really appreciate the info! I'm in NJ, but I'm willing to travel if necessary.

    Thanks for your help! (By the way, I decided on an RL after reading the postings on this board. I'd been looking at several different cars and hadn't thought about an Acura until I started snooping around the Edmunds Town Hall boards. I really appreciate all of the information I have found here!)

    Regards,
    Chloe
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    Sorry, you may be a little late to the dance. Most of them are gone. I'm showing $4,000 dealer cash so there's plenty of discounting to be done if you can find one!
  • qwallsqwalls Member Posts: 406
    Good luck. I started looking for a black 2001 about a month ago, and didn't have any luck. I'm in Ohio, and a dealer did a search for me, and said at that time, there were only five 2001 RLs left in Ohio and the neighboring states, and none of them, were black. At this point, I'm considering a '99 if I can find a clean one, or maybe the new 2002 Camry or Altima when they arrive in September.
  • tgif888tgif888 Member Posts: 351
    Where are you located? If you are in S. Cal. you are in luck. I just search the S. Cal Acura dealer inventory. One dealer, Tustin Acura, it had a 2001 Acura 3.5 RL BLACK in stock.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    I'm not looking, Chloe is. I locate cars for a living.
  • phild_masonphild_mason Member Posts: 99
    How far??? Jay Wolfe in KC Mo has 2- 2001 Red and Silver. There are also 3 dealers in Stl that have web sites that one can check out inventory.
  • chloe6chloe6 Member Posts: 38
    Hi! It sounds like there are a few 2001 RLs out there -- does anyone know of any in New Jersey? I would also consider a 2000 or 2001 demo.

    Thanks everyone!

    Chloe
  • chloe6chloe6 Member Posts: 38
    Hi again!

    I'm hoping to find a 2001 RL in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, or Connecticut if possible. If I have to travel more than that, I'd have to get a GREAT GREAT deal!

    Thanks again for everyone's help!

    Regards,
    Chloe
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Folks, let me remind you that your Terms of Use prohibits you from advertising anything you have for sale here in Town Hall.

    An appropriate response to chloe would be one where you could suggest a source in which you have no financial stake.

    If you have an RL (or any other vehicle) for sale, please check out Edmunds.com's Used Car Power Shopper - you are welcome to list it for sale there.

    And chloe, you might also want to check out that link to see what is available.

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
  • chloe6chloe6 Member Posts: 38
    I'm heading over to the Used Car Power Shopper right now!

    Regards,
    Susan
  • phil4vers4phil4vers4 Member Posts: 18
    Does anyone at this board actually drive an RL or do you just talk about what price they are selling for? I listed a post a few weeks ago commenting on the ride of the RL both during dry and very wet weather and noone had any personal comments of their experiences with this very fine automobile. IMO,That's pretty boring! C'mon and share your insights both good and bad. We all should be able to relate to one another other than just how much we paid.
  • sburke7sburke7 Member Posts: 37
  • sburke7sburke7 Member Posts: 37
    I do drive one,,,,had a 2000,,,traded for 2002,,,both great driving,,,2002 has more punch(mojo), and the suspension is tighter,,,quiet ride indeed,,,
  • hoolickhoolick Member Posts: 16
    i've owned 4 acura's since 1990 so you may guess that i'm sold on them, quality wise they can't be beat and the dollar value is excellent. my wife is still driving her 1990 legend coupe that has 28k miles and i'm thinking of getting her the new rl. what do you think my asking price should be on the 1990,it's still has the new car smell. also when do you think the price will get soft on the new rl
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    Owned Acuras since they opened the dealership in 1986. Four Legends, three Integras. Still have a Legend ('87 coupe, 171K), Integra ('93 Special Edition coupe, 114K),and RL ('96, 47K). The RL prices aren't as depressed here (no competition as there's only one dealer), but I bought mine "pre-owned" for $20K eight months ago, about Edmund's trade-in value, $3K under retail. I have no complaints about it - I'm no street racer. The RL gets me where I want to go in comfort, style, and the power is there when I need it. They are price-to-value leaders without being "cheap" cars.
  • l943973l943973 Member Posts: 197
    I own a 99 non-nav RL and have put 60k miles on it in roughly 2.5 years. I enjoy driving the car a lot and its very comfortable on long distances. I can go several hours without readjusting the seat. I bought when I was 28 and was made fun of a few times by my younger friends for driving an "old person" car. They just can't appreciate all the technology that goes into this car.

    I really like the sound of the engine. Its very smooth when accelerating. I can't comment on the Bose system. I rarely listen to the radio and when I do listen its for traffic and weather or background music that low enough so I can still hear the engine.

    I bought it over the boy racer looks of the Lexus GS and the LS400 didn't look that nice. Test drove the BMW 3-Series and wasn't impress with the car. I guess all the hype is just hype, or I didn't drive it hard like was suppose to be driven. My second choice as the Audi A6 Quattro and third choice the Volvo S80.

    Acceleration is ok thanks to the low end torque. You really don't need to rev the engine past 3k to get decent speed. Coming from an Integra 5-sp, it was a good improvement.

    I average 20.2 mpg in 70% suburb/ 30% highway driving.

    I got a flat on the road and tried the Acura TLC just to see how they responded. They seemed nice enough to talk to, but since I already past my 50k warranty service, they would bill me for the tire change. I declined the service and just changed it myself.

    Outside any recalls, I has an oxygen sensor go bad at 30k. Replace under warranty. Also around 48k, my front passenger door lock was sticking and by chance the dealer manager was able to reproduce it (otherwise, they won't fix it). They changed something called an actuator. Thats about it in terms of problems. (Oh, back trunk hinge sqeaked and regreased at the dealership). No major problems.

    The back seats are extremly comfortable. Sometimes I just sit in the RL back seat in the garage. My wife looks at me funny, but she doesn't understand. :-) The front seats are stiffer much like seats in a Mercedes.

    Gripes about the car. The stock tires are noisy. Replaced them with Yokohama AVS db. Tire noise gone. The armrest can't close when using the ac adaptor. 00 model fixed this problem. The fuel light comes on too early. I usually go about 310 miles before fill ups. The fuel light goes on even before you use up 15 gallons in an 18 gallon tank. I would have preferred gas-assisted shocks over hinges for the trunk.

  • rdharamsrdharams Member Posts: 17
    I bought my RL in Nov '00 and I truly love my car. It has the power I want, good sound system (except the FM reception) and the elegance.

    As far as rides in dry / wet weather, I can actually feel the car tighten up in rainy weather. In Houston we get a lot of heavy rains and the RL holds on to the road pretty tightly.

    Gripes about the car :

    1. The stock tires are noisy. I will probably change them soon. (How much do the Yokohama cost?)

    2. FM reception on some stations is bad. Our Nissan van has better reception. The dealership has no suggestions other than the FM station is weak!

    3. Sometimes the transmission does not shift smoothly between 1st and 2nd. I will probably talk to the dealer ship.

    4. Fuel economy is bad. I get about 15 to 16 miles a gallon. 80 % suburbs / 20 % hwy.
  • l943973l943973 Member Posts: 197
    I ordered my AVS db from tire rack (I believe something like $92/tire). It took 3 days for the UPS to drop them off and had them installed at a local tire shop recommended by them.
  • mkbrown87mkbrown87 Member Posts: 15
    I am glad to see that others are experiencing relatively poor fuel economy. We are getting about 15-17 mpg on 100% city driving, but only about 20 mpg on 100% highway driving. It isn't what we expected (which would have been about 17-18 around town, and about 24-25 on pure highway driving). It has improved some from when we took delivery, and 2000 RL now has about 7K on it. Maybe it will continue to improve some as the break-in continues. Only other gripes we have are about the fuel tank and low fuel light (wish the tank could have been a gallon or two bigger) and the trunk--in addition to the button on the driver's door and the one on the remote, why couldn't the trunk itself have had a push button to release the trunk (like the M-B E320, for example).
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I'm awfully glad I waited and I just can't say how pleased I am with my '02.

    I'd boiled my choices down, like the post above, to the A6 and to the S80 (tho that was eliminated by virtue of its poor reliability). The A6 was a wonderful car and I enjoyed the quattro. At the time, it was about a month until the '02 RL was to be released and, while I liked the Acura just fine, I wanted more steering feedback, more responsive braking, and flatter cornering ... if I could get it. But I was ready to go on the A6 if the '02 didn't satisfy me.

    When they came in I drove one and got excited about the car! But the rates were high at the time, and no local dealer had one in the Vermont Green, non-nav. So I waited and, for a change, got lucky. The interest rates came down, way down, and when the green one arrived at the local dealer, I took the plunge -- what a car!

    It has all the power I want or need. (The Audi had a V8 and so had a lot more grunt.) The cornering makes the car as much of a pleasure to drive as it is to sit in with its perfect ergonomics. I have the basic OnStar and don't know if I'll ever use it, but it's nice to know it's there and gives me a good reduction on theft insurance.

    So far the only glitch has been that the service dept dropped a fastener into the frame and can't retrieve it while they were installing a cargo net -- another is on order (would you believe the fastener is so unusual!). For the inconvenience, they're not charging me for the install.

    For those who don't like the tires, I can tell you that the new Michelins on the XL are very quiet.

    So far -- with the new hp rating on the engine -- I'm getting 19 mpg, combined city/hwy (about 50%). I hope it goes up a bit as the engine gets seasoned.

    A couple of my friends have some more 'exotic' machinery and like mine enough to comment -- they both paid over $60k. Now I feel real good!

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • tomdoggie43tomdoggie43 Member Posts: 7
    Dont look for it. its not there. dealer told me it was a misprint but acura is still listing it as standard equipment. I feel cheated. love the car otherwise.
  • malikjbmalikjb Member Posts: 10
    Who are those lucky people who are getting 20 plus mpg. I have a 2001 RL with 2000 miles on it. I have never got more than 17 mpg(combined city and highway0. I live in Houston which is very flat, the weather this summer has been good, so have not used much AC, don't ride on the breaks. So what else can I do. The published values are 18 and 24 mpg. Other than that, it is a nice car. It is fun to ride it to work everyday.
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