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Acura RL

17475777980141

Comments

  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    Just browsed through JDM Legend info and found many options that are available on Legends that are not on RLs.
    - backview camera (dealer-installed in Japan)
    - lane keeping
    - night vision
    - pre-crash(pre-safe)
    - laser cruise control

    I dislike the fact that Japanese always keep the best in JDM and let US have the 2nd rated cars.
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    Backview camera is available in MDX for two(?) years, so it shouldn't have been a big deal in the RL. Perhaps it will be added as an MMC as could couple of other things (Intelligent Cruise Control and CMS).

    As for night vision and LKAS, they could potentially push the price quite a bit.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ...... That must be some math course your taking, except they forgot a few Itsy Bitsy items .. the cost of "doing and staying" in business.

                 Small stuff like workmans comp, the lights, the heat and air, property taxes, parts inventory, payroll taxes, office staff, gas, water, security, service building, employee benefits, salaries, commissions, liability insurance, floorplan, advertising, property maintenance, inventory control, service costs and lets not forget the price of the property and the mortgage payment, etc etc.com .. most dealers are trying to survive on a 3/7% net net profit ~ 41/410% ..? .. maybe on Saturn, tell me when the next flight leaves ..l.o.l....

                   Most import stores are not high volume stores .. so they survive on what they have, being a Ford/Chevy dealer and selling 400/450 units is a big difference than the average Acura store that sells 90/110 vehicles a month - new and used ............. ;)

                               Terry.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ....... The back-up beep beep should have been made standard on the RL's, they been standard for years on the big SUV's and a superb feature .....

                                     Terry.
  • sjohnson11sjohnson11 Member Posts: 37
    What about the ventilated seats? Has anyone heard if they are going to be offered in the US?
  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    I agree. I guess Acura reserve some "extra" to introduce into RL as standard in a couple years. Mid-model refreshing. However, it always makes it tough to decide whether to wait a couple years or jump into it now.

    Have you guys seen the Mugen RL? The body kits and wheels are pretty nice.
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    To me, the biggest oversight on the RL is the lack of height-adjustability on the passenger seat. A $50k luxury sedan should have at least an 8 way power passenger seat. Heck, just put in manual controls at least. The ability to control the height of the seat could make a huge difference in comfort for the passenger, especially on long trips. As far as I know, every car in this class has or will have this feature. Even the $35k ES330 has it.

    Also, does anyone know whether the passenger seatback heats up? It does not heat up in any new Honda/Acura out there. They cite some interference with the side airbag, but apparently every other company has found a way to work aroudnd this problem. Instead of "heated front seats", they should call it "1.5 heated front seats."

    Just personal annoyances with an otherwise fine car.
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Other manufacturers "get around" the issue by not using the extra airbags. Hondas and Acuras at this price point have both seat-mounted bags and curtain style airbags. Most other manufacturers use only the curtain bags.

    I agree that it's annoying, but my personal preference is to place safety above bun-warmers.
  • legendmanlegendman Member Posts: 362
    >Also, does anyone know whether the passenger seatback heats up?<

    If you you mean the front seat, yes. That's noted in the new '05 RL brochure.
  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    Or, here:


    Mugen Legend M1
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    I thought all the other manufacturers (Infiniti, BMW, MB, Lexus, Audi) all used both seat mounted and curtain airbags.
  • legendmanlegendman Member Posts: 362
    Nice write-up on the RL by Automobile Magazine. It's on their web site.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    I just watched a review of the RL on the PBS show MotorWeek. http://www.pbs.org/mpt/motorweek/carofthemonth.shtml

    Man the new RL is some car. According to John Davis…it has a new kind of all wheel drive system that Acura calls &#147;Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive&#148;, or SH-AWD. It has active headlights that steer light around corners and the hi-tech 3.5-liter V-6 five-speed automatic (with manual mode) puts out an even 300-horsepower, 75 more than before.
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    Their first statement reads:
    The Acura RL now becomes one of those unanticipated wonder cars from Japan.
    ksso
  • legendmanlegendman Member Posts: 362
    "Sure there were BMWs and Mercedes at the rally but the two most interesting luxury vehicles were the all new Land Rover LR3 and Acura RL. I was more impressed with the RL because of its power, handling and refinement but the LR3 is a greatly improved vehicle and is one of the quietest and best driving SUVs I&#146;ve tested.

    We&#146;ll start with the RL and its total overhaul in 2005.

    The first question a lot of people will ask is if it&#146;s as luxurious as the Germans or even Lexus. The answer is yes. I found the RL nicer than most Lexus models and it has more of a plush feel than the Germans. Everything was nice to the touch from the rubberized buttons and shift paddles on the steering wheel to the iDrive-esque center stack. But my favorite part was the ice blue glowing gauge cluster that seemed almost front lit. The effect was drastic, unique and attractive. Did I mention the car handled like no other?

    All the hype about the SH-AWD or Super Handling AWD is well earned. On one great twisty suburban road (which would be a staple in every test for the rest of the day) the RL shined. The roads were wet but the tires never lost an inch of grip and I couldn&#146;t feel any body lean. As a luxury car the RL has an excellent feel for the road and I think offers a real option for those who dislike the looks of the new BMWs and Mercedes."
  • shotgunshotgun Member Posts: 184
    Legendman - Your impression of the colors..?
  • hadhad Member Posts: 32
    Well.

    I will le you know on he colors this or next week.

    Delivery date.... 9/14

    I have a pearl White (which I had on the previous RL(2000)
  • legendmanlegendman Member Posts: 362
    Hard to say -- cannot tell much by the brochure -- it was heavily airbrushed. Of course I will have to see it in person but as of now I am leaning toward the silver -- perhaps the celestial.

    I guess we don't have long to wait ... they arrive this week!
  • aclcaclc Member Posts: 20
    How effective are the backup sensors? Has anyone driven a TL with the backup sensors?
  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    Ultrasound does not travel very far. I have one installed on Odyssey. They work within 4 to 6 ft. They give false alarms in icy weather (with a thin layer of ice on the surface of sensors). Mud or dirt on them would also trigger false alarm. I prefer backview camera personally.
  • proeproe Member Posts: 157
    Man, I like that M1 a lot, but I know we will not get that upgrade in US:-(
  • shotgunshotgun Member Posts: 184
    A well respected auto enthusiast on another web site gave his initial impression on driving the RL and he felt the car didn't have enough "juice" when it came to straight line acceleration. It seemed to him the car would, most likely, clock in the low seven second range when it came to the 0-60 sprint. This, of course, caused some degree of consternation and concern among many, including your truly! I'm pasting my response to the author below with the intent of generating some discussion on this board. Specifically, I want to know if I'm demanding too much to expect the RL to pull a 0-60 time in 6.5 seconds.

    --------
    Jeff - I personally appreciate your candid first impression and am trying to keep it in that context, a "first impression". Although 0-60 times should not be the ultimate arbiter of what a car is all about - it is, never-the-less, one of the ultimate automotive benchmarks and is highly revered in this country. As such, if your predictions turn to reality and the RL posts 0-60 times in the mid to low seven second range...the car is in trouble! My $50,000 demands that the RL executes it's 0-60 duties, at minimum, in 6.5 seconds or less. Is this wishful thinking? Am I expecting too much? Am I being reasonable here? Your thoughts..?
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    Without measured run, and using the same standard to do it as would be true otherwise, there is no way you could discern a 6.5s car from a 7.2s car. The power to weight ratio and the gearing point to a 6.5s car (Acura&#146;s claim). C&D estimates it at 6.4s, and AutoExpress (UK) puts it at 6.4s. MT thinks (I believe) 6.0s. I&#146;m going with 6.5s for now.

    Sometimes, cars could be too smooth and quiet (the new RL is supposed to be both), to transfer the feel of a fast car. While that might work against it in the world of perception, measured test results could prove it otherwise. We should see a flurry of road tests soon.
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    Frankly, every other car in this class-- E320, 530i auto, A6 (V6), GS300-- are all low to mid 7 second cars.

    Even if the RL pulls a high 6, that would still be class leading. The only car I can foresee besting the RL is the M35, which is due out it March 2005.
  • steveaccordsteveaccord Member Posts: 108
    Ok, my take on the subject is based on the following consideration of 0-60 performance by the top league vehicles.
    Namely if you were to compare the new RL with:

    Audi 8L
    BMW 745i
    Jaguar Vandan plas
    Lexus LS 430
    MB S430
    VW phaeton W8

    you would come up ( I am taking the 0-60 times reported in an automotive magazine that ran the comparo for the above models) with only the BMW 745i getting a better time then the RL (6.1 sec vs. 6.4-6.5).

    We could say some of the models may have been showing age (MB for example) but after all they are all powered by V8 engines and truly represent the top tier for their respective brands (except for MB again).
    That still leaves me impressed very positively by the 6.4-6.5 reported for the RL.

    Truly,

    Steve
  • dogface5dogface5 Member Posts: 87
    The RL doesn't really compare with those cars, but rather with other luxury performance sedans such as: E, 5, M, GS. And by the way, Lexus claims that the LS can do 0-60 in 5.9s.
  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    Well, Lexus' claim of 5.9sec apparently was very aggressive. No automag can reproduce their claim, at least I haven't read one. C&D put it around 6.2-6.3sec with 745 at around 6.0sec flat. With G35 at near 6.5sec range, I don't expect M35-AWD to be any better than that. M45 could be near 6.0sec if the gear ratios are spaced toward that goal.
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    The reviewer in the other forum who said that the RL felt a bit sluggish did drive the S2000 right before and after the RL test drive. That could've had an effect. If you've ever driven an S2000, it feels and sounds like a motorcycle on four wheels.

    I expect the RL to be a mid to high 6 second car, same with the M35 AWD. The M35 RWD may be a couple ticks faster.

    This is basically a high 6, low 7 category. If you want low 6, probably gotta go with the V8.
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    The goal four decades ago with carburetors that 0-60 times be under 0:10. My, how times have changed with people complaining of anything over 0:07 for luxo-cruisers. We must still be dragsters at heart!
  • reallegendreallegend Member Posts: 28
    Two different television ads for the Acura RL appeared tonight on CBS (9:30pm eastern) and on NBC (10:10pm NBC). The first highlighted fast action road control with a pan of the center console. The second was also fast driving with emphasis on the NAV system. Both were done with class, style, speed, and a great closing. I only wish I knew what color that silver was on the 2nd ad. It looked light blue with a splash of silver.
  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    In SF bay area, a few entrances to highways are very short. You need to get up to speed around 75mph (yes, Californians drive at average of 75mph) very quickly. It is almost dangerous to drive a vehicle that runs more than 9sec. People who drive slower vehicles tend to avoid those entrances.

    You just may say that it could be dangerous to drive a weak vehicle in SF bay area. On the other hand, with so much congestion on highways here, it makes more sense to drive Prius since it will be allowed to use HOV lanes starting on 01/01/05 (pending fed approval).

    Seriously, if RL disappoints me, I am getting a Prius. Being able to ride on HOV lanes is priceless. Not to mention to the extra $25K I could put into investment.
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    We've got a few of those here, too. What makes some of them extremely dangerous is their proximity to some following off-ramps. We also don't have any stretches with speed limits over 60 mph. There used to be some at 65 mph until the "double nickel" lunacy of a few decades ago.

    Since the '05 RL will beat the pants off my '96 RL, I don't believe I'll have to choose a Prius as my next car. Not that I wouldn't mind having an extra $25K to invest, but I gotta have fun in my life, too. And, a fine automobile qualifies to be in that equation. I do not choose to practice self-denial to those lengths.
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    Will the Accord Hybrid be allowed to use HOV lanes as well? If so, why not get that car?

    It'll be faster than the RL, great mileage, and $20k less to boot.
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    >>Seriously, if RL disappoints me, I am getting a Prius. Being able to ride on HOV lanes is priceless.

    Be careful counting on that, though. Unless Congress acts, the provision for alternate fuel vehicles in HOV lanes expires in 2006.
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    But you would be saving $25K for different reasons (and valid too). 0-60 in low 6s or not, RL also has something that will help you maintain a better entry speed and that is handling. I wonder how it would be like to deal with those short ramps in a Prius.
  • cericceric Member Posts: 1,092
    Well, forget it. Just read today's newspaper. The fed didn't act on it. It won't be passed this year. (Domestic makers must be lobbying very hard against it...) As a matter of fact, "it won't be anytime soon" as they put it in the newspaper.

    BTW, only vehicles with combined mpg of 45+ are qualified. There will be 75,000 units allowed. Today, there are 20,000 vehicles that are registered in CA and qualify. Just FYI. Only, Honda Civic Hybrid, Insight, and Toyota Prius qualify as of now. EVs already are allowed on HOV lanes as we speak.
  • hadhad Member Posts: 32
    The RLs are close to delivery. I hve a White and will take delivery ASAP. Stay tuned, hope others will share info on delivery too!
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    I'm happy for those of you who are now very close to actually getting this vehicle, but I'll be ever so sad when we have to close this discussion. This has been such a great gang!!

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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    Share your vehicle reviews

  • hipreckhipreck Member Posts: 67
    Motor Trend had the RL at 6.5 sec 0-60.
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    The MT time of 6.5s is an estimate, not a real test.

    It might as well be 6.5s, but no one's really done a timed test yet. That'll change soon though.
  • shotgunshotgun Member Posts: 184
    What was the color of the RL introduced to the world at the NY Autoshow?
  • josheeljosheel Member Posts: 73
    i just bought a lakeshore silver one smaller than i thought it would be but very nice so far
  • hadhad Member Posts: 32
    So you have it now? Great!
  • tls02tls02 Member Posts: 20
    Celestial Silver at the NY Auto Show.. We could not see the interior as the windows were blacked out and the door was closed. I thought that the car looked great from the front, OK from the side and I wasn't sure from the back. I'm going to take a real long look this week with my wife. I'm still not sure. If not, I'll buy a TL right now.
  • monet5monet5 Member Posts: 32
    About 6 weeks ago I put a deposit down on an 05 RL and at the time the dealer didn't have color examples other than the names. So I just picked Black on Black figuring it was the safe choice. Now that I have the brochure I called by dealer to see if I have the option of switching to another color for deliver about the same time (1st week of December). The only option they have that's not pre-sold is the Carbon Gray Pearl (taupe interior).

    Anyone see the Black or Carbon Gray on the RL to have an opinion?
  • adamar1adamar1 Member Posts: 14
    Your start our your message with the following comment to which I want to take some exception:

    "I'll be honest, i'm not a honda/acura fan. I do envy the quality, craftmenship that go into these cars, but i despise their lack value for the price or extra price for name tag philosophy."

    I don't understand your comment about "lack of value for the price" or "extra price for name tag philosophy". With respect to the RL, I don't think this has been true. In fact, Honda has been selling or leasing the RL at good discounts for several years now compared to other cars in the same or higher price ranges (probably to entice and introduce new buyers to the Acura RL in hopes of building up future sales momentum). The 2005 RL might just do the trick! The RL has, however, been notching up in price each year and the 2005 may be in the high $40,000 range (hopefully it has not hit $50,000). I am not happy that my beloved RL is getting to be so expensive to replace.

    I leased a 1997 and now a 2002 at what I considered a very good discounted deal for the top notch car I have (i.e., your point about envy for the high quality and craftsmanship is right to the point). That alone should justify the price. I have had no problems to report to the dealer with either my 2002 or 1997 Acura--they were problem free since day one. When I bought American cars prior to becoming an Acura owner, I always had to return them to the dealer to fix all sorts of annoying problems because of poor quality control.

    Now that you have been exposed to the 2005 RL with your many comments of praise, perhaps you will be a convert to Acura (I hope so!) and recognize why Acura fans like me are totally committed to one of the finest cars built today. I don't need to drive a BMW or Mercedes to impress anyone. The daily joy I get from driving my RL is all I need. I have never driven another car that has made my this happy behind the wheel. I am anxious to drive the 2005 RL, but will probably stay with my 2002 (with only 38,000 miles) for many more years.
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    I think this would be the carbon gray.

    Looks good, IMO.
  • shotgunshotgun Member Posts: 184
    ...Should be in my driveway tomorrow afternoon...
  • readyformyrlreadyformyrl Member Posts: 70
    I saw a few different colors on the RL as soon as it came off the truck today....I honed in on the Carbon Grey since I have a deposit on one....the black and black looked good, but I really like the Carbon Grey, unfortunately this one had black interior, another vehicle sported the taupe which looked very classy, as long as you don't have young children I think this would be a great color choice. Note, the film and packaging was still on the car, but I was still impressed with the Carbon Grey, I have had two TL's back to back with black exterior, and my two previous cars before that were black, but from the looks of things Carbon Grey will be it for me, it's just a matter of what interior I'll end up with. I did like the taupe though, it looked lighter than the brochure's depiction. Hope this helps, it's probably a matter of personal opinion, but I don't think you can go wrong either way.
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