Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
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
Eight years later I purchased a 1993 Accord. Then a 1997 Acura CL. Next up was a 1999 TL. I now have a 2002 RL. My next car will be another RL but probably a 2006 (I want me those air cooled seats that Acura will have to eventually offer).
So again, Acura/Honda, where's my loyalty bonus????
Do you think dealers ever consider such issues or is it "make money now" d*** the consequences?
As far as "loyalty bonuses" go, you have to get in line behind me: 1986 Legend; 1987 Integra LS; 1987 Legend L coupe (2); 1988 Integra LS; 1991 Legend LS; 1993 Integra LS Special Edition; 1996 RL; 2001 Honda Odyssey EX; 2002 Honda Accord EX-L V6; 2003 RSX.
With all the referrals from me (over 100), they should give me a free 2005 RL!
RL has more technology choices so new cockpit is a lot "busier" than last generation 5 series.
Interior sound is less in BMW.
Tough call...
I test drove an Acura TL -- and got to look at but not keep an RL brochure (reason: salesperson only had one). No RL's to test, all presold. I get in a leftover last gen (but new) RL. I decide I like the TL a lot (but didn't care for the torque steer); but the TL's sound system is the best I have ever heard in any car, period.
I test drove an A6 4.2 -- but as much as I liked it, it was $56K and I am really only interested in a 3.2; I did get a brochure to take with me however (woo woo!). I asked about a 3.2 test drive -- they have 1, presold 3.2, about 6 4.2's, 5 of them presold. I'll wait to test the 3.2.
Note: I ask my sales rep (at Audi) are these cars selling at MSRP, less or more. I've known this guy for 20 years -- he says, "we've been taking off $1,200 on the presold ones (4.2's that HE knew of), so far." He didn't know about the 3.2, since the car had been presold by another sales person.
Note2: The Acura rep said MSRP, period (I though, well at least there was no MARK-UP!)
Drove to Chrysler dealer -- asked for 300C brochure with AWD version described, no brochure period on this model was available. Gave sales manager my card and asked to be called when there was a 300C w/AWD that I could test drive. He claimed 11/15/2004 (was that production or availability? I don't think he really knew so he said it both ways once each).
Conclusion: frustration at the process, but "patience is a virtue."
Conclusion2: not knowing anything other than what I have read about SH-AWD, it would seem that the Acura TL w/SH-AWD would be sold at a pace equal to or greater than its production -- what a great car, and a great sound system (yea, I know I already said that).
The A6 4.2 had 18" wheels with Ultra High perfomance seasonal tires -- the XM radio was slightly less good than the Acura, but the power and responsiveness of the car belied its size.
Can't wait to try these three cars back to back to back (the Hemi engine may be sweet, but power alone will not seduce me).
Oh, post script: A6 dealer rep, said "money factor is 'artificially high' right now, I would expect it to decrease in November or December."
He who goes first, apparently, pays the most.
I wonder if Acura and Audi will begin some "normal" discounts first quarter 2005?
The current 300C, BTW, is now being "normally" discounted plus $1,000 off from Chryco.
On another note.. how is the new Audi dealership? I haven't been by there since they opened.
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Minor quibbles: conservative styling (naturally), no more interior room than the Accord, faster cars available for less money.
On balance, however, a rave.
So high 6's, just as we've been thinking all along.
Not as high as you hope for when you hear 300 hp, but still best in class. 530i auto and E320 are about 7 secs I think.
The only car that may better it is the M35.
We know that the 245 hp GS300 isn't gonna get there.
"Minor quibbles: conservative styling (naturally), no more interior room than the Accord, faster cars available for less money"
The only real quibble is conservative styling then. No car in this class has more room than the Accord, and the cheaper, faster cars quibble applies to every other car in the luxury performance category.
The new Audi dealership is a palace (for $7MM it should be). The Acura dealership is dated and is dualed with Hyundai -- isn't that ODD?
We have several Acura dealerships and two Audi dealerships in our area -- the new Audi dealership reminds me of the factory in Germany it is so pristine and perfect. What counts is the treatment and the cars. Both the Acura and the Audi seem to be fine cars, the last time I owned a Chrysler it was a Cordoba with fine Corinthian Leather (that was, hmmm, the 70's?) Anyway, I sit patiently waiting -- I can "go" anytime in the next few months and I'm fine. My 2003 allroad has 37K miles on it and a new set of tires.
For once, time is on my side lease wise. Let's hope that both the Fed pauses and that the build up of inventory (of cars) causes some "liquidation" incentives to, once again, kick in -- for all cars.
Stimulus anyone?
In terms of the handling, .87 g is same as s4 and m3. I do not think rl's new chassis is stiffer than neither s4 nor m3, so I think that tells a lot about shawd. I think with better tires, rl will achieve .90 g or better.
I will wait until m35 comes out to see if rl is the winner.
BMW's brake performance comes with a cost. You need to replace pads and rotors simultaneously as they are designed to wear out together. Therefore, a lot of brake dust from pads and rotors.
The TV commercials were great. Ricardo Montalban "A luxury name and luxury feel, with fine Corinthian leather interior, along with a normal car price" 1975- 1983
Check out the Nissan Altima
Maybe the STS has more room, but not the A6, 5, or E. Not sure what the specs will be on the new GS and M, but I'd imagine their similar to the RL, but with bigger trunks.
HEY DOES EVERYBODY HAVE ACURA RL (FORUM) BOOKMARKED?
Last few hours at this URL.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
On the contrary, the GS is a smaller car, coupled with what might be a better transmission. It also has DI so...we should at least wait until specs are released before we make assumptions
Nice looking car, but for me one major flaw. I found the seat to be downright uncomfortable because of how it narrows at the base of the seat, and, the very strong and unforgiving bolsters. Try as I might to get comfortable I always got a backache.
Now I know that some women found the seat to be very comfortable, and for some men as well, but for a 200+ guy with a 44 waist I simply didn't fit.
So now I am in quandry. I want a new car but I certainly can't plunk down $50K (sticker at the show was $49,700!!) for a car that gives me a backache.
Is there anyway to have an uphostery shop loosen up the bolsters? Is a special ordered seat a pipe dream?
The Lexus GS I sat in was much more comfortable, but the styling is not great, IMO. The Infiniti Q45 is comfortable but it's a big car and more money. The 2006 M45 was at the show but you couldn't sit in it.
What to do? Any suggestions?
I'm 5'10", 207, with a 38" waist. I know, I know, I should get on some serious exercise routine. My doctors want me to get down to 190, which I almost did in the summer of 2003 at 194.
Then why do you mention the Accord at all..it is certainly not in this class....
"For what it's worth, I think the purist engineering community at Honda believes that
A) A V-6 makes enough power, or at least that Honda can make a V-6 that's powerful enough and,
Counterweighted crankshafts, required to offset an inherent secondary imbalance in a V-8, are inelegant! They'll race with 8s or 10s, but they'd really prefer a nice inherently balanced
12. I recently had a Honda engineer (not the source for our Acura info) explain to me at length why V-8s aren't good for smoothness, and indeed, the V-8 is the only common engine configuration with free forces out of balance, UNLESS you use counterweights. So, I said, continuing to argue that the NSX would quadruple sales overnight with two more cylinders, Honda has made 3s and 5s, which have greater inherent vibrations (though they're not "forces" but "moments" that are out of balance). He just got exasperated with me, in part because the language barrier was significant. It's good to know the exasperation cuts both ways, though."
Interesting? Agree? Disagree?
Nice seeing some familiar faces!
There had to be a better way to move the comments from the 2005 RL future car discussions.
When I checked in today to see if there were any new messages your site said there were over 1800 messages that I had not read. I guess this is because it was combined with the existing RL thread/discussion.
It seems like a no brainer, but would it not have been better to have made the comments "read only" and left them as a separate discussion.
It takes a lot of time to clear out 1800 messages that I have already read.
It there a "trick or secret" to get those message to no longer show as new/not read. Some of them go back to 2003.
There had to be a BETTER WAY.
Prophet2, there's something screwy about using the Recent Msgs link to catch up. If it actually worked for you (i.e., caught you up completely), that's a new thing. Usually it just takes you to the last page, but doesn't update your "last read" mark ... which is ridiculous, yes.
Kirstie and I talked about this earlier today. We agree that this could have been handled better and will be handled better in future situations.
Sorry 'bout that. FWIW, this was my fault, not Kirstie's. We didn't want you to lose your very active conversation and thought this would be a good way to keep that from happening, rather than close the new model discussion altogether. Live and learn, eh?
If anyone needs any specific help on how to straighten this out, feel free to email me.
I have been looking at both of these and have some questions. I really like the C55 and feel that some of the toys on the RL are a bit of overkill or things I probably would not really appreciate. The SH-AWD to me is not that important nor is the real time traffic info. nor the the navigation. For the price of the RL I can add a few dollars and get a car that can fly. It has all the things I need. As far as handling, engine performance, braking and styling I feel the C55 has the advantage.
Any thoughts on the comparison would br greatly appreciated.
This time, I just jumped ahead and the next time I logged in, the rest of them were disregarded. As an analog dinosaur in the digital world, have no idea what happened.
The other thing is that I had previously read all the Acura RL messages in the SEDANS board. So, I was surprised at the change-over that I was supposedly "thousands" of posts in arrears.
The reason I went with OBP is because the grille is highlighted so nicely. On the other, lighter colors, the grille outline gets, for a lack of a better word, "lost". Acura did a very poor job with their brochure lets hope they'll revise it soon.