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Acura RL

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Comments

  • 9482494824 Member Posts: 8
    My dealer kept the original steering wheel, which surprised me. I would encourage you to get the wood shift knob. It looks great, particularly with the new steering wheel.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Thanks. Still in the learning curve here. That's what I like about this forum and posts like yours.
    JJ
  • richardsrichards Member Posts: 4
    My current car is a 98 Lexus GS300 with 53k miles - a fabulous car but hopeless in the northeast this time of year. I have driven the GS300AWD and the RL - both great cars. I am looking for the most comfortable of the two - the RL seems to have an edge. Any thoughts?
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    I'm not sure you will get the best exposure to an objective opinion here but if you go to the "Luxury Performance Sedans" forum at
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef26837
    I am quite certain you will get some very good opinions immediately.
  • tleetlee Member Posts: 44
    Actually what Acura should do (at least from a consumer's point of view) when updating the RL is to put a micro drive (the 1-inch hard disk drive used in Apple's IPod) in the car. The micro drives only cost about $100 in retail (and much less when Acura buy them in volume) and hold 20GB of data (a DVD is about 7GB if I remember correctly). By having the micro drive, we can do what jjacura suggested: go to the dealer to update the Navi system w/o having to spend $185 for the new DVD.
  • dennis721dennis721 Member Posts: 62
    Actually you seem to be missing the point here, the DVD itself is not the high cost item, its making the new software revision that you are paying for. If you could get a copy of the new DVD from someone, you could make your own copy (illeagly of course) for about $3.00. Yes double layer DVD burners are now out, I have one.

    If you had a 20 Gig HD in the car and the dealer did updates you would still be paying the $ 185 for the software update plus the labor to install it at $ 90/hr. The software makers are able to keep the cost lower per copy the more copies they expect to sell, you have to pay the piper somewhere along the line.
  • algoodmanalgoodman Member Posts: 21
    The actual cost is not for the media the data is contained on. The cost is the effort to get and validate the data on new roads, points of interest, etc. and write, debug, and validate the software which displays it.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    I was about to tell Dennis that I have a DVD burner also....but was going to mention something similar to what you were saying. The updating of this information is time consuming ...so labor costs, material costs, and profit are all part of the equation. Going back to the original post though, paying $185 this soon is also unfair for anyone who has bought the car in Nov 04' and wants to update now.
  • dennis721dennis721 Member Posts: 62
    I agree that is what I was trying to say but did not state it clearly. The cost is gathering the new data contained in the update and incorporating the new items in the existing database, including debugging, ect.

    So the cost is not going to be saved by getting a car builder to install a mini hard drive, the dealer is still going to have to charge for the new update even if he only copies it to your car computer.

    I would however like the others have a problem with having to pay full price for a new update just 2 to 4 months after purchasing a brand new model like the 2005 RL!

    Dennis
  • tleetlee Member Posts: 44
    Yes, getting a micro drive will only address the issue of not needing the DVD. If Acura is still going to charge you $185, I guess there is no way around it (legally anyway). It certainly costs them money to update the database but I wonder how much profit they make on the DVD.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    There is so much Technology coming into fruition today and if you look at Navigation Systems, On-Star, XM Satellite, and telematic systems with Live Traffic updates ...many of us have purchased vehicles that have all of these products ...the RL being the current leader and even the RL doesn't have everything. But these are luxury car items today and in the immediate future your basic cars will all have options to add this stuff. Navi will become less expensive as sales progress and the technology will get more efficient and more dependable. DVD's will be replaced by something more efficient maybe updates can be automatically fed to a more sophisticated unit someday and the cost built into an annual premium....and maybe I'm in over my head...all for now,,, :-)
  • dennis721dennis721 Member Posts: 62
    I agree with you, I believe eventually most if not all cars will come with smart systems including navigation, smart cruse control, accident avoidence and no doubt live updates thru the cars onboard phone. All for a fee or annual subscription. When these features are more common, the price should come down too.

    On the positive side of the Acura's navigation system is the best there is out there today. Their map software supplier has the most comprehensive maps of any system offered in the USA. I have a 05 Porsche Cayenne S with Nav and the maps on that system pale in comparison to the Acura system in my 04 TL. Oh and I have not yet purchased the current update available for my 04 TL! I would gladly pay $185 if I could update my Porsche with the Acura DVD!! Of course its not compatible.
  • cove148cove148 Member Posts: 117
    Suprized that they haven't come out with some form of TIVO, so you can play your favorite sports program or early morning talk show on the way to work. Maybe I just missed it.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    They could easily do that but I believe there are regulations controlling FRONT SEAT video by our federal transportation dept...(It's OK for the kids in the BACK SEAT to watch "Dora" but if you had some gal coming down the street in your direction on her cell phone finishing her breakfast and making sure she watches the guest appearance of Sharon Stone on "The View" as she glides across the center lane.....well?
  • patrick3patrick3 Member Posts: 31
    jmatthe,

    I've finally got those pictures you've been waiting on. I'm not certain how to post the pictures on the forum. Either let me know or I can send them to you via e-mail.
  • cove148cove148 Member Posts: 117
    If the RL could follow the lead of the M35 & the GS300 and make the navigation and AWD optional, coupled with the Honda quality I think they would have an outstanding product. The car has an updated appearance and could be an outstanding value if it were not for its all or nothing packaging.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    I fully agree with having more choice over major options.
  • kennyg5kennyg5 Member Posts: 360
    That is a good suggestion, considering there is a $15k gap between the RL and TL. De-packaging some of the major gadgets would bring down the price so that those buyers who don't want or need these gadgets do not have to spring for more cash.
  • jmatthejmatthe Member Posts: 51
    Patrick3, You can just send them E mail if you want.

    E mail address is jmatthe@stargate.net. Thanks a bunch. I did see some pictures posted here but don't know how either. Thanks again, Jim.
  • jdhjdh Member Posts: 19
    JJACURA;
    I purchased the motorola V551 phone instead of the MPX220 after reading about the MPX220 from your post. I am able to get the signal strength to show in the car but not the battery strength. Do you know what I may have done wrong.

    JACK
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Jack, I have not made the transition to Bluetooth yet. I am waiting for my current contract with AT&T to expire so I can negotiate similar minutes on a new contract with Cingular. Then I will get the V551. When you say the signal strength shows in the car but not the battery strength, I'm not entirely sure what you mean. I hope it doesn't prevent the system from working, Are you able to make calls?
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    I agree in principle, but maybe they should leave AWD standard. 300hp/260 torque may lead to quite a bit of torque steer on a FWD RL. Make stuff like navi, sunshade, onstar, bose 5.1, and swiveling lights options.
  • jdhjdh Member Posts: 19
    JJ, I mean you can see the number of bars for the phone provider (signal strength), but the amount of battery life left before recharging the phone does not show in the cars dash display. I have been able to make and receive calls while the phone is linked to the car perfectly fine. The quality of the voice from the person I am speaking to is very clear thru the car speakers. I am totally satisfied with the V551 phone and cingular service so far.
    JACK
  • billfinkribillfinkri Member Posts: 4
    RE: E320 From Mercedes

    I was just about to purchase the 2005 AWD (4-Matic) 2005 Mercedes 320, but before I made my deal with my signature, I wanted to take a drive to think about one last time.

    To be honest I knew I needed to see a competing MB dealer to try and "haggle." ("My Dealer, for being a 3rd time NEW MB buyer wasn't treating me like the king they should've been.)

    The competing dealer owns an entire block of "other" cars. I ended up instead of the MB parking lot, the Acura lot.

    To make this long story short - I've been "In Love" with my new 2005 Acura RL for about a month now. (And I've not had ONE of these problems this thread is talking about.)

    While owning a new MB twice, and almost a 3rd time, I have absolutely no regrets about "switching" to the Acura RL.
  • billfinkribillfinkri Member Posts: 4
    In our (Newport, RI) area - AT&T/Cingular service is about as bad as it gets. (Trust me, I'm one of "those" who changes Cell Phones/Service like others change their socks.)

    I'm certain it's an "area" thing - not the PhoneCo's fault.

    I elected to go with T-Mobile and the Sony T610. _Flawless_ Service, And The Hands-Free-Link in my RL works like a charm.

    While I _thought_ I'd have horrible battery-life while using the BlueTooth; here are my results:

    The T-Mobile version of the same exact Sony/Ericsson model gave me half the battery life with Cingular's service versus T-Mobile technology.

    Cingular - 'bout a day if I sat in my car and used the phone. (The phone experienced some "link" problems too as you described.)

    T-Mobile - I'm (still) getting three days worth of _real_ standby, even while BlueTooth is enabled. The phone does indeed display batter and cell strength in the RL's MFD. (Multi-function-display.)

    Happy RL'n!
  • jmatthejmatthe Member Posts: 51
    In the center storage unit is a DC outlet that is a great place to put a charger. I hang the wire outside the lid and charge the phone when needed. The only thing is there is no power to the outlet when the car is off.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Unless the RL could be made to be EITHER RWD or AWD, I think decontenting by dropping the AWD feature as standard would quickly push this car into "also ran" status.

    Perhaps decontenting would make sense -- but at this point it would have to be done with great skill -- they've already produced the car optionless and apparently selling them isn't difficult.

    What purpose -- at this juncture -- would such decontenting achieve? Perhaps when demand begins to wane, this would work. However, it is also possible that the price of the car could slowly decline even with the current content.

    This latter progression has precedence from America, Europe and Japan.

    If I had a vote, I would NOT decontent the RL.

    I think it would hurt both image and sales (for the near term, at least).
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Jack, Because I plan to get the V551 I decided to check furthur into your problem. YOU MAY WANT TO DO SOME "RE-PAIRING"! On the website Acura Owner-Link, in My RL, Hands FreeLink Wireless Telephone Interface, click on phone compatability and it will give you phone pairing instructions. scroll to the Motorola V551. Here, I'll paste in the info now:
    How to pair a Motorola V551
    IMPORTANT: You must press and release the HandsFreeLink™ Talk button on the steering wheel and wait for the "beep" before you speak. This step is required before all spoken commands.
    1. Power on the phone and ensure Bluetooth® is ON.
    Press the center button of the joy pad (menu button).
    Scroll to SETTINGS and press SELECT.
    Scroll to CONNECTION and press SELECT.
    Choose BLUETOOTH LINK and press SELECT.
    Scroll to SETUP and press SELECT.
    If power is OFF, select CHANGE.
    Choose ON and press SELECT.
    2. Press and release the Talk button on the steering wheel and wait for the "beep" before you speak. Repeat this step before all spoken commands.
    3. Say "phone setup."
    4. Say "pair."
    5. Say any 4-digit PIN code for pairing. Remember it as you will need to enter it into your phone later. HandsFreeLink will now instruct you to begin the pairing process in the phone.
    *If you are in the main screen of the phone go to step 6. If you are in the Bluetooth Setup screen, press BACK and then go to step 10.
    6. Press the MENU button on the phone.
    7. Choose SETTINGS and press SELECT.
    8. Scroll to CONNECTION and press SELECT.
    9. hoose BLUETOOTH LINK and press SELECT.
    10. Scroll to HANDS-FREE and press SELECT.
    11. Scroll to LOOK FOR DEVICES and press SELECT.
    12. HandsFreeLink should appear on the device list. Choose HandsFreeLink and press SELECT.
    13. "BOND WITH HandsFreeLink"" will appear. Press YES.
    14. Enter the 4-digit PIN from step 5 and press OK.
    15. When prompted, say the desired phone name.
    16. You should hear "pairing successful."
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    MARK...Bigtime discussion taking place in "Luxury Performance Sedans" (The A6 is getting a pretty tough going over) Discussion needs your expertise!
  • jdhjdh Member Posts: 19
    JJ
    Thanks for following up on the phone for me. I did follow those instructions originally, but will re try pairing within the next couple of days to see if it makes a difference. Will also try and talk to cingular and the acura dealer here in connecticut where I bought the car. Will let you know what I find out.

    JACK
  • cove148cove148 Member Posts: 117
    "What purpose -- at this juncture -- would such decontenting achieve?"

    Mark, a lot of us on the West coast & Southern states don't need or want AWD; it adds cost, potential problems, more fuel & etc. Also would like to own the RL as the second car and don't want to become the family IT guy as they work their way through the Nav system. Again, the big point is Acura would have a product to compete with the lower end offerings on the M35 & the GS300
  • bucketsbuckets Member Posts: 6
    yes have had same trouble yr having re settings for seat memory door locks etc. also i get msg for no reason. other day i got about 1o msgs. had to delete them. one day it kept indentifying me has driver 1 when i am driver 2. has anyone tried to put black holder for oprs manuals in the space in glove box. it doesnot fit!also manual has svl errors . book says wait for beep when useing voice button. when i push my button it beeps immy. nice looking and riding car but electronics seem screwed up. dealer doesnot seem to have answers. oh, have had drivers side door handle replaced. locking/unlocking was not working. climate control doesnot seem to work properly i have put temp down to 60, still get heat. dealer says its ok. headlites were scarey . had them adjusted higher on low beam. going down an incline road almost lost what was in front of me. cud only see about 10/20 feet.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi buckets, welcome to our Forums.

    I'd just like to suggest that if you make your posts a little easier to read - spelling out words instead of using abbreviations, using proper punctuation, maybe a paragraph break or two - you are a lot more likely to get a helpful response. I'm having a lot of trouble understanding what exactly you are saying.

    Hope we can help you - feel free to email me if there's anything I can to do to help you find any of our resources.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    What is the relevance of being on the West coast & Southern states to SH-AWD?

    And, Acura would virtually instantly be escorted out of the Premium class if it offered a FWD version of its flagship.

    From Acura's point of view, it would seem, since selling these cars is not an issue (yet), why change? Some of the options and features on the Acura RL are probably more profitable than the "base" would be, since certian gizmos command a price based less on cost than simple "tang" value.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    with dropping AWD, is the car is basically a FWD platform with a transverse engine..

    If you want to compete with the Avalon, no problem, but if you want to compete with the M, GS, and 5-series, then you need AWD or RWD...

    How many people would buy the A6, if it were FWD only?

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    "And, Acura would virtually instantly be escorted out of the Premium class if it offered a FWD version of its flagship."

    Yeah, I agree...and the 300 HP V-Tech might be a bit much for the FWD to handle traveling south on US HY1 between Monterey and Carmel.

    As time goes by I have to admit that some options I did not think I would use much like Navi and XM Radio are great. Even used the power rear window shade the other night to help deflect someones Brights. A creative move that works well :-)
  • ferrelliferrelli Member Posts: 6
    Jack,

    It's up to the phone manufacturer what status information is sent over Bluetooth hands-free profile: some phones don't send any status, some send all possible items, others send some items but not others.

    It sounds like the V551 sends signal strength but not battery charge.

    ian
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Ian, You are correct. I asked a phone rep today about this. He handles Cingular and Sprint for Sam's Club. Coincidently his personal phone is the Motorola V551. He said vertually the same thing. ... that it would be the phone not sending the battery status, not the RL. (This is a minor glitch and would not deter me from buying it) I usually check battery status on my cell pnone anyway and if you go on a trip just plug it in to the outlet in your console.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    I'd have to agree with Mark on this one too. If they dropped the AWD, or decontented to any degree, TL sales would instantly shoot up.

    I think the RL will be competitive in the States. In Canada, I think if they dropped the price by $3 - 5 K, Infiniti would have cause for concern.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Acura just raised their RL MSRP $200. Sales are good and I don't believe they are too concerned about Infiniti. They do their own thing.
  • larry6larry6 Member Posts: 26
    Well, we received the 4 Acura updates for the 05RL but I am wondering whether others of you have noticed whether the MESSAGES (#1 on Information Screen) is still blocked out in terms of color and function. Is it the case, that it only illuminates -- WHEN there is a message waiting?
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    I was commenting more about the Canadian market, where there is a $10 - 12K price difference between the M35 and the RL. I think the RL has more sophisticated styling, more sleek. The M35 carries on the Nissan/Infiniti styling DNA, which means macho, but somewhat awkward-looking. I think in terms of features, it's 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. So the price difference may be hard to overlook. Not sure if the $$ difference is similar in the States.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    When you load EVERYTHING the RL comes equipped with to the M35 ...you are saying its still about $12K LESS THAN the RL.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    Well, it's difficult to make that analysis because there are some features on the RL that you simply cannot get on the M, and vice versa. But I think for most buyers, they won't get right down to the nitty gritty. They'll just call it a draw in terms of the techno toys, and decide based on style and price.

    The other thing is that the RL straddles the M35 and M45 in price, performance, features. So, is it a good thing for Acura that they take the middle road, or will they end up the loser because they couldn't compete at either end? I don't know the answer. Maybe only time will tell. Or maybe one can't go wrong with any of the 3 choices. Don't get me wrong. The RL is a classy-looking car. I applaud your choice.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    " The RL is a classy-looking car. I applaud your choice."
    THANK YOU...We alked before and I just assumed you had bought one or were going to...sorry.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    No, I'm not in that tax bracket yet! Just lurking here for now. I'm a TL owner.
  • courtney11courtney11 Member Posts: 77
    Does anyone know if there are going to be any changes to the 06' model. Will cooled seats be standard? I understand they are in Canada. Since I live in Florida this would be nice. Are there any changes to the engine, specifically to the low end torque. It is a little low and it takes a little pushing to get a feeling for the 300 horses. I hope they are working on some fixes to the problems I have read about. I am divided between M35 and RL. Am willing to wait until 06' Rl comes out.
    Anyone bought the extended warranty? How much is it? With all this technology it seems this is a must, especially when it comes time to sell or trade. Just my opinion.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    I'm thinking the name alone will bring you response in this forum. I'm sure Acura will include the ventillated seats in '06 as well as 8 way passenger seat. If you have been reading the posts then you know they have the ability right now to tweek low end torque. If you want more...I think they have to do something about the weight. Speaking personally from my own experience...it is one great car that gets better the longer I own it. Love the car.
  • steven9179steven9179 Member Posts: 36
    agreed agreed agreed ---once again jj you're on the money

    steve
  • houstonguy1houstonguy1 Member Posts: 12
    Well, I do get Consumer Reports, but I don't understand their blurb about the RL in their annual auto issue. They do not give the RL a "Recommended" rating because, among other things, that the car doesn't exhibit great handling (huh?), the back seat seems tight and the interior is nothing fancy.

    Ok, I think the handling is superb thanks to SH-AWD. And one would think CR, which loves safety, would have noted that the SH-AWD and the 5-star crash ratings on all three sides make this car very safe.

    As for the back seat, this has been noted in this forum. I don't get it, but there you go.

    As for the interior, they LOVE the TL interior (and the TL in general), but are negative on the RL interior?! Sorry, but this doesn't make sense. I drove the TL for 4 straight days: good car, but no where close to the RL in refinement and luxury.

    Thoughts, anyone?
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