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Take care.
Joe W.
Mostly see 23 on trips and 21 combined city/highway.
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.
Bob
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 $8k (vs. the Acura) for power I'll never get to use.
So there y'go ... whaddya think?
Take care.
Joe W.
When I was buying mine, the power was not a major consideration. I bought it for price, comfort and the styling. I felt it was a much better by at 35K versus ES300 at 32K or an I30 at 28K. It has plenty of power as far as I am concerned. So it all depends on what you are looking for.
PS: if I forgot something I posted earlier, it is just my age catching up with me...the mind usually goes first...:):):)
Bob
Actually, marsha7, I once had a Jaguar with even LESS than 127 hp. My father bought me a Jaguar when I was only 14. An XK140. I was an abosolute car nut. This was around 1960. He brought it home tied to the back of his ride, parked it in the yard, and told me that I could have it IF I could get it to run!
I picture him in the house looking from some window and laughing while I, in my ignorance -- the most sophisticated engine I could work on even minimally was a flathead Ford -- tried to make that #$%@& 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.
Quentin
Good luck!
Take care.
Joe W.
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!
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.
Take care.
Joe W.
a do it yourself job or must the dealer do it? thanks.
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.
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!
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!!!
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.
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.
Located near Boston, MA.
I appreciate you valueble comments.
Thanks in advance.
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
Thanks everyone!
Chloe
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
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
Regards,
Susan
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.
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.
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.