Acura RL

dennis721 · July 2005

I know I read the other post about the 18" wheel/tires improving ride and I dont believe it.
I have a 2005 Porsche Cayenne S and I have both 18" and 19" wheels for it. In fact my 19" wheels have 275/40/19 Perelli P Zeros on them and the 18" wheels have 235/60/18 Dunlop Gran Trek WT M2. The ride is much less harsh with the 18" wheels, very noticeable difference.

The tire design itself in the same size tire could be partially responsible, but It only stands to reason that with the larger wheels, the sidewall has to be shorter to make up the difference to keep the same wheel + tire diameter. A shorter sidewall on the tire means a stiffer side wall (less air space too) and less flex, therefore a stiffer ride.

dennis

jjacura · July 2005

Makes good sense. I wonder what kind of a ride you'd get with the 2005 RL ProtoType that was introduced in the spring of 2004 at the New York Auto show. I about flipped when I saw the 20" wheels and low profile tires on that introductory model. Looked great, but I'm wondering if you could get around a 90 degree corner with them? :confuse:

jmatthe · July 2005

Was looking at a few posts here and Acuraphile mentioned that some of us had disappeared from activity on this site. Thought I would mention that I traded the RL in on a 2005 BMW 545i a few weeks ago. I miss certain aspects of the RL, including all of the electronics, which aside from the Bluetooth software, are all superior to the BMW's current generation. While I Drive is much better than talked about in the mag's, the Acura system is the best out there, Unfortunately,. one doesn't drive the electronics, and the ride/handling/power of the 5 is just in a different league, even with 18" wheels, sport package and rear wheel drive, not to mention higher price. I will consider all Acura products when I buy other cars, but one thing I will not do is buy any company's new model within the first 6 months of production. The rattles and glitches of any new model regardless of where manufactured is a turn off, not to mention a hassle. George, hope your are healing up fast! Still enjoy the passion I find on this forum!
Jim

bodble2 · July 2005

Wow, you traded in a car less than 1 year old? Did you have to absorb a huge financial hit?

dennis721 · July 2005

JJ

I talked to my Porsche dealer about the 20" for my Cayenne and he said dont do it unless I was ready to accept a hard ride. Thats why I only went 19" for my summer high performance tires. So I bet the 20" wheels on the RL would be a really hard ride especially with the firmer A spec suspension.

dennis

jmatthe · July 2005

Here are the facts on the sale:

Bought it in 11/04 for $1500 off sticker. Drove it for 6 months and 8000 miles. Sold it to the same Acura dealer and worked the deal through the BMW dealer as a trade (so got the sales tax credit) for $43,000. So it cost me about $5000 to drive it for six months, about the same as a monthly lease cost. Good resale value in my opinion, but since then, RL stocks seem to have been climbing, so would not expect this kind of resale 6 weeks later. Also the dealer values my future business which he will get. I can't say the same about the BMW dealer however.

jjacura · July 2005

Good Luck with the BMW. (I always appreciated your posts!)

bodble2 · July 2005

Are the BMW and Acura dealerships under the same corporate umbrella? If not, I wonder how they managed the accounting gymnastics in regard to the sales tax since each end of the transaction would have been accounted for by separate entities? That's an unusual arrangement though. I've never heard of a trade-in worked thru 2 separate dealers. Did you involve the Acura dealer because they would give you a higher trade value?

jjacura · July 2005

Dennis
The 2005 Porsche Cayenne S is a beauty. Liked the looks of it a lot when it first came out. I have driven the MDX and if we ever felt the need for an SUV, we would check them all.. I like the VW Toureg as well. A buddy is driving his 3rd BMW SUV, the X5 and won't own anything else. He tried Mercedes a couple years ago and traded back to BMW a few months later. Said the Mercedes just doesn't compare. (Do you usually drive the RL and leave the Cayenne home for family?)

ravipenn · July 2005

I leased a 2005 Acura RL today:
Down (incl tax, first month, etc): $1520
Lease term: 36m / 15k per year
Monthly: $610
No trade-in

dennis721 · July 2005

JJ

Actually I have had 2 Toyota Land Cruisers a Lexus Land Cruiser and a 2001 MDX prior to the Cayenne S. I really loved the LC's and the Toyota-Lexus quality. Of course I was very pleased with my MDX too.

The Porsche though is a totally different animal, I really love the Cayenne S and like driving it but I still look forward to and miss driving the Acura RL at times. The Cayenne S is in a class by itself when it comes to overall capability. Being a Mechanical Engineer I really appreciate all the effort and thought that went into making it the most capable SUV on the planet. You know its funny though, after saying that I still have a hard time taking it out for a drive and leaving th RL at home.

The RL is technically my wife's car, you may recall I traded in a 2004 TL and while I liked that car when I bought it, I quickly developed a dislike for the harsh ride. My wife loved the TL and did not want me to get the RL, not because of the cost difference, but because she liked the sporty apperance of our TL with the ASpec body kit and wing spoiler. But to me the TL just did not come close to being in the same league as the RL. It is not the luxury sport touring car that I was thinking I had purchased when I bought the TL. The interior space was a little too cosey for my taste and the ride was just too harsh-stiff.

The RL filled the bill for me with the extra interior room, smoother yet firm ride, "ShAwd" and all the other tech toys like bluetooth, tire pressure monitoring, ect. Oh by the way, I love my Porsche, but the Acura nav system just ruines you for anything other than an Acura navigation system. Also I still cant get over how sweet the 300HP V6 is both in performance and fuel effeciency. The Cayenne of course has 340HP and it really sets you back in the seat, but it loves premium fuel 13/18 MPG city/highway and thats only if you drive normally. With my RL I am experiencing 16/26 city/highway.

Well enough of my ramblings. TOO MANY FINE CARS OUT THERE AND I CANT AFFORD ONE OF EACH!

Take care JJ, I would love to meet you sometime.
dennis

frisconick · July 2005

Well enough of my ramblings. TOO MANY FINE CARS OUT THERE AND I CANT AFFORD ONE OF EACH! LOL

My wife thought the ride of the TL was much sportier and exciting than the RL, her choice, her car. Now it's my turn

jjacura · July 2005

Interesting how our wives enter the picture and manage to do their suttle nudging into their man's precious domain. Ha Ha Ha. The 2004 TL came on to the scene in Oct of 2003 and I was visiting our daughter in Houston and grabbed my son-in-law and the 2 of us drove over to Gilman Acura to see the Brand New long awaited re-designed TL. I was ready to practically buy the car unseen. We looked it over. I think back now. Did I like it? (It was a little different from my old TL) I thought I did. Sure, I mean,,,I really think I did. To this day I don't really know totally what happened. I think it was my wife. It had to be. After all why would I have changed my mind after waiting that long?

So...OK ...she threw me a curve ball, or a slider or whatever it was and I changed my mind and waited for the 2005 RL. Best decision I ever made.

and she's lovin it!! :P

tayl0rd · July 2005

After all this time of people saying the RL looks like an Accord, I never really got what they meant, other than a very vague resemblance. Well, this morning I saw a previous generation Accord coupe from the front, and lo' and behold, it is quite similar looking to the new RL.

acuraphile · July 2005

jj:

My wife loved the car from the get-go. She took small note of the stiffer suspension, but it had little or no effect. She never before expressed such enthusiasm! I drove home from Amagansett Tuesday and she asked me several times if I wanted her to drive.LOL!

BTW, the car's sportiness and power washed away any criticism that I had expressed earlier re the stiffer ride. That was just the "geezer effect" surfacing!
That criticism aside, I've been wild about the RL right from the start, as you noted in a previous post. I've been averaging 24/18 mpg, which conforms to stats that have been mentioned here.

Did you take note of the new Technology Package that is going to be offered on the '06 RL? It'll include adaptive cruise control and CMBS.

George.

t94920 · July 2005

Hello,

I am looking to buy a 05 RL in Northern California. Being allergic to negotiating with a dealer, appreciate if folks could let me know if buying below invoice for RL is possible? If so, how much below invoice?

I am looking at a Black exterior with Toupe interior.

Appreciate the assistance.

Regards.

Robin

jjacura · July 2005

Taylord, Thanks for your sense of humor and for your opinion. I know you enjoy giving us a little something to mull over once in a while.

Acuraphile(George), Your wife enjoys free chauffeur service in a great automobile...(chuckle) so does mine!
Yep the new refinements will keep coming. The 2006 RL will have the Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) + E-Pretensioners, the world's most advanced system for accident avoidance. CMBS uses millimeter wave radar to detect a collision before it happens and alerts the driver with audible and visual signals and by pre-tensioning of the seatbelt. If an accident appears unavoidable, the system applies braking force to reduce the severity of the collision.
Enjoy the weekend my man...put your feet up on the ottoman and have your sweetie massage your toes.

JJ

otisnj · July 2005

Thanks for the info regarding the 2006 RL.
I'm debating going for a 2005 (at the end of the model year to maximize negotiation leverage) or holding out for 2006. Any more information on changes for the new year? What about cost?
Appreciate anything you can provide -

tayl0rd · July 2005

Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) + E-Pretensioners, the world's most advanced system for accident avoidance.

Yeah, that's a neat system. I tested it on an M45 Sport. It does a good job of snatching you into the seat and straightening your back.

bodble2 · July 2005

Will CMBS incorporate brake preview?

tayl0rd · July 2005

Yes, it has it. (On the Infiniti M, that is. Don't know about the RL.)

jjacura · July 2005

When you tested it on the M45 do you remember how fast you were going and what object you were approaching? (The snatching and back straightening experience sounds interesting)

By the way...Speaking of Infiniti, many of you readers of this forum may remember Mark Cincinnati. He posted in this forum for a while and eventually ordered an Infiniti M35 and as you may recall he had a longtime relationship with Audi having ordered 27 of them in a row. He changed his mind on Infiniti and was able to replace the Infiniti order with the help of Audi and has picked up his 2006 Audi A6. I actually enjoyed his posts in here while it lasted. An interesting guy!

frisconick · July 2005

Interesting how our wives enter the picture and manage to do their suttle nudging into their man's precious domain. Ha Ha Ha.

LOL :P

I told my wife you can by anything you want, and she chose the TL, and I love the car, but it's my turn to buy a car. G35 coupe has the inside edge

jjacura · July 2005

You said you love your wifes TL, but you want a G for yourself. If you go to the Infiniti line wouldn't the M be a better consideration or is the coupe your priority?

frisconick · July 2005

I much prefer the RL over the M, however the interior of the RL reminds me too much of the TL although I love it. We have a nice sedan, so you are correct, a coupe would be a nice alternative. Darn, now you got me undecided again, I really do like the RL.

jmatthe · July 2005

Acura was 3M higher. It is quite common here if you have a buyer at the time you pick up the new car, to work the trade though the dealer selling you the new car. The dealers have no affiliation, but both were cooperative to make the deal happen, allowing me to only pay slaes tax on the difference of the two cars.

tayl0rd · July 2005

When you tested it on the M45 do you remember how fast you were going and what object you were approaching? (The snatching and back straightening experience sounds interesting)

I wasn't aiming for anything. I was traveling about 50-55MPH and slammed on the breaks as hard as possible. I then swerved over the center line a little bit and the seatbelts cinched up really tight.

frisconick · July 2005

I drove the M and didn't like it.

I was ready to buy an M so I drove 3 of them and still didn't like them. The dealer told me "no more test-drives, buy or go home" LOL Now I am considering many different cars, it's so much fun to consider anything. :P

sgl1 · July 2005

Anyone know if there's a way to retain the last setting on the multifunction display under the speedometer? I like viewing the wheel-torque meter and the instant MPG screens, but everytime I restart the car I need to press the up/down button to select the option again.

jjacura · July 2005

Yes, I believe you can customize those settings ...check your manual beginning on page 69

cstiles · July 2005

I also like the SH-AWD wheel torque meter, but my beef with it is that the spokes of the steering wheel block your view so you can't see how the system compensates for the changes in yaw. I wish the display were higher up so that you can see it in your peripheral vision while negotiating curves.

sgl1 · July 2005

Has anyone had their headlights adjusted up to display a further distance? Is this an easy procedure, or will the auto-balancing feature of the headlights adjust the beam down again?

I've had the car for a week now and this is the only issue I have with it. Xenon headlights brighten the road very well, but Acura seems to have gone overboard with trying to reduce headlight glare for on-coming traffic. Anyone else notice this?

jjacura · July 2005

Yes I have had occassions where I flat out put the brights on, not in the face of traffic, but know what you mean. At times it appears there is almost a black shadow running across what you would like to view. :shades: It's not a blatant problem but maybe could be if you are outdriving your coverage.

jjacura · July 2005

Calling Acuraphile....
(George) How's it going?
JJ

acuraphile · July 2005

Pat (Host):

I posted a long message this morning in reply to jjacura....it appears to be missing. Second time this has taken place in last month. Simply gone.

George

acuraphile · July 2005

jj:

I sent you a very long post this morning...very long and detailed, but it vanished. I realize now that the host must have deleted it because it included my E-mail address.

I'm doing better: walking and driving, so I can't complain.
My son bought me the Polk XRt12 XM tuner for my living room. It was installed Friday. Now, "Frank's Place" is my place!

What is your favorite athletic activity? I've forgotten, though I know that you've made reference to it in the past.

Is it possible to send an E-mail to someone on the forum?

Regards,

George

kyfdx · July 2005

Go into your preferences, and put your e-mail address in your bio, or make it public... Then, jjacura can see it, and send you an e-mail...

That way, the spambots won't pick up your e-mail address from the message boards... Once he sends you an e-mail, you can go back in and remove it from public view, if you desire..

regards,
kyfdx

pat · July 2005

George - I sent the post to you for you to repost without your address. You didn't get it? That was about an hour ago.

Anyway, I just sent it again. If you don't get it, send me an email so I can look at your address (click on my name for my profile).

acuraphile · July 2005

Thanks, Pat. I did get the re-posts. It took me a while to comprehend!

Dan Rather once commented to a friend re a problem: "I can explain it to ya, but I can't understand it for ya!"

I never look at the links on the left and was thrown completely by your instructions.
I tried to copy my original post (deleting my E-address) but the entire message deleted rather than just the E-address. The post is a bit redundant by now, so I'll let my second one suffice.

I had a great party at my son's house in Armonk.Ellen had hired a fine pianist who knew all of the old standards and was able to transpose in all keys. She shipped her full keyboard to the party and everyone who wanted to solo was able to choose the key of choice - singers know the value of that!!

Thanks for your gentle inquiries and for your help. My E-address should be in my profile.

Regards,
George

pat · July 2005

>> My E-address should be in my profile.

Yep, you got it!!

Singers choosing keys is waay outside of my sphere, though, and everyone in my company is most grateful for that whether they know it or not ...

I'm really glad you're on the mend and participating again. Don't be a stranger.

jjacura · July 2005

George, Thanks for your reply. And I would agree with our host.. it is good to hear you are on the mend and participating again. I can't speak for everybody but the fact of the matter is your continued participation is very important to this forum and I personally would like to see your "stuff" in here on a regular basis. Not only are your posts entertaining but often insightful and lend a little class as well.

I'm glad to hear about the Polk XM tuner installation. I know how much you enjoy Frank's place. It's my favorite as well however my wife enjoys "Watercolors" more, so when she rides, we mix it up a bit. Tell me, is there an additional monthly charge to operate the Polk tuner or does it pick up the signal via your initial agreement that was established with the purchase of the RL?

My favorite athletic activity is racquetball and I am fortunate to have good health to be able to enjoy the game into the retirement years. I have played competatively for 30 years and when the back allows it, compete in national masters tournaments. The 2006 tournaments will be held in Canoga Park, Ca.(March) and Minneapolis in (July). Then in 2007 my home club here in south eastern Wisconsin area should be the host. The timing will be good because I will play in the 65 to 69 bracket for the first time.

The RL is running well and I grow fonder of it as time goes along. We expect to take it on some trips a little later on this summer and fall.

PS...I now have your e-mail address. Thanks. (Sent you mine as well)
JJ

jjacura · July 2005

There were recent postings on another forum about crash test comparisons between the Audi A6 and the M35 but no mention was made of the RL results which I will bring forward here as a reminder to RL owners that we ride in the very safest of vehicles on the road! The following is information from Honda months ago when tests were done on 18 different cars: The 2005 Acura RL earned the highest possible ratings awarded during the most recent frontal and side crash tests for all seating positions and rollover tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportations Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Among the 18 vehicles tested, the Acura RL was the only vehicle to earn the top rating of five stars in all three categories. The RL is only the third vehicle in the history of the program to receive such high honors.

msu79gt82 · July 2005

Clarification: The recent tests released for the A6 and the M35 were the Frontal Offset and Side Impact by the IIHS. Both the A6 and the M35 aced the Frontal Offset with the same score the RL received. The IIHS has NOT yet tested the RL for Side Impact. Also the NHTSA has not yet tested the A6 nor the M35.

So in the only test (only apples-to-apples test available) all three cars have been tested in, ALL three passed with the highest score possible. In the other tests performed on the cars ALL three did very well; but no comparisons are possible due to the apples-to-oranges nature involved.

Bottom line the RL aced all three tests its been in, and the A6 and M35 also aced the two tests they've been in. Can't wait to see the NHTSA tests on the A6 and M35 as well as the IIHS side test on the RL.

cstiles · July 2005

You can bet your bottom dollar that all 3 cars will ace all 3 tests. In essence, Honda, Nissan, and Audi have already completed simulated tests with test mules during the design phases for these models, to ensure that once real world tests are completed, each will score well.

I suppose it's possible that they may not all receive the absolute highest "best pick" ratings, since simulation isn't a perfect science, but it's close enough to ensure that these cars will all do relatively well. I'll be shocked if they don't all get the highest marks since it's the basic price of entry to succeed in the luxury performance category.

With unprecedented active and passive safety systems, augmented by superior handling and driver ergnomics (to prevent crashes in the first place), these cars represent paragons of safety.

jjacura · July 2005

"Paragons of Safety"....I like that. and as time goes by I like to think the RL will continue to set the pace and become the "Paradigm of luxury performance!

hendjaz · July 2005

"Bottom line the RL aced all three tests its been in, and the A6 and M35 also aced the two tests they've been in."

I believe this is true with the exception of the M35 which did not completely ace the side crash test. The A6 was given the double recommendation for front and side whereas the M35 received the recommendation only for the front test. As already mentioned, the RL has not yet been tested for the side crash but did ace the frontal crash.

Notably both Audi and Infinit invited (which means they pay for it and have some confidence for the results) the immediate testing for the side crash test. Since the RL and many others have not yet been side tested, Acura presumably did not invite the early testing nor wish to pay for it.

jjacura · July 2005

The RL was tested by the (NHTSA) back in Dec. for both frontal and side crash tests and received their highest ratings. More recently the (IIHS) tested the RL for frontal only and the side crash testing you say "Acura presumably did not invite the early testing nor wish to pay for it." You are saying a manufacturer can select which tests they want to take depending on whether or not they want to pay for them?

I wonder if anyone has an opinion on which agency is more credible or carries the most weight. The government or the insurance industry?

bodble2 · July 2005

"The government or the insurance industry?"

You mean who's the bigger crook? :P

hendjaz · July 2005

JJ, Here is a excerpted quote from the Insurance Institute"s 7-17 press release about the Audi/Infiniti test results that is on its website:

"Audi and Infiniti requested the front and side tests of these cars, and the Institute's policy is to grant such requests if a manufacturer provides reimbursement for the cost of the vehicles. "

Evidently a manufacturer can expedite the testing if they pick up the costs of it. Otherwise that testing will happen later or maybe not at all as there seems to be a number of vehicles that have not yet been tested for the side crash. The press release notes that the Audi is only the fourth vehicle to get its "double best pick" (for front and side) while the Infiniti gets a single best pick, the same as the RL at this point since the RL has not yet undergone the side crash test.

No idea which organization's testing is more reliable/credible.

jjacura · July 2005

"You mean who's the bigger crook?"

Well I'm not going to go there, since I am a Veteran and also worked for a major Insurance Co.
(Why do I get the feeling you are really from say... Chicago and established residency in Canada about 1967. (Just Kidding!)
JJ

Acura RL

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