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Comments
OK Hoosier...by the way "GO BADGERS"...they play Illinois this weekend! :-) I know Hendjaz... you're just waiting to get back to the hoops season.
I am interested in Acura (the TL and RL), as well as the Lexus GS300 and BMW 330i. I must tell you that CR's tests and reliability data do influence my buying decisions. Example: If it were my heart speaking, I would buy the "ultimate driving machine" (BMW 330). But the reliability of the BMWs and the cost of repairs (after 4 years) has pretty much put the kebosh on that (especially a new model). In the abstract, I would also like to buy a GM or Ford product (for patriotic reasons, if nothing more), but the poor reliability of American cars, reported over the years by CR, has turned me off. I can't be in the charity business with my car purchases, but what's happening to the U.S. auto industry is tragic for American workers and the entire midwest region. I am obviously impressed, as is everybody, with the reliability of Honda, Toyota, and Lexus, but I must admit I'm a bit mystified (and concerned) by the only "average" reliability of Acura's recent TL and RL. I am curious to see if the reliability of the '05 TL has improved, and I would bet it has. I can't imagine Acura not correcting the problems that arose on the new '04 model. On the other hand, I am not a slave to CR ratings. CR panned the GS300, and on that I think they are completely off base.
I have said many times that there is no such thing as a perfect car. Therefore ALL car buying decisions involve a compromise between what the buyer NEEDS, what they WANT, and what they can AFFORD. Lets face it in our affluent society most of us want and desire much more than we really need, yet we all must yield to the budget at some point. And that is where Reliability Ratings play a major part for a lot of us.
I'm sorry but I can't afford to pay needlessly extra for an unreliable car; I do not care how many "thrills" it may provide when it is working. My heart can't take the frustration and aggravation of having my expensive car in the shop at the rates some of these so-called "fine luxury" autos apparantly need to be there
Keep in mind that the CR average is for a each model year and reliability has been increasing steadily for decades. Cars CR rates this year as "average" are equivalent in absolute terms to the ones rated "above average" 10 years ago.
Similarly, some cars rated "below average" this year have the same absolute reliability as others rated "above average" 10 years ago. Average reliability will soon be at the level of the current Honda Accord -- a model most people consider very reliable now and 10 years ago when it was less reliable than it is today.
Other things equal, higher reliability is obviously better; but other things are rarely equal in the real world. So, be careful not to chase diminishing reliability returns at the expense of other priorities.
Interesting how folks judge people :confuse: From what I can gather some people could care less about reliability, all that matters is the heart passion. Others appear to crave reliabilty above all else; for some reason you think that is me :confuse: Others, myself included, look at what I need in a car (seats, space, featuures, etc), what I want/desire (more luxury and bells and whistles that I really need ),and what I can afford. I can get more bells and whistles for my money if I choose reliable over troublesome. For most of us I suspect, our decisions are a compromise that best meets ALL our criteria. :shades:
I suspect the CR survey included a pretty small number of 05 RL owners and the "good" rating may not be indicative of the broader RL owner's experience which I suspect is really more "very good". I would call it excellent but that is not within the CR jargon. Best of luck in your choice and I don't think you can go wrong given what you are considering.
1. The transmission logic is slow to shift, then shifts abruptly when it does shift. This is inexcusable. The TL transmission logic works marvelously. Why is the RL so bad?
2. It is really noisy over sharp road impacts. Tar strips which I did not even notice in other cars come through with a loud jolt on the RL. Some coarse surfaces have the same effect. It turns out that the active noise cancellation technology is NOT an adequate substitute for full sound proofing.
Does anyone know what changes were made for 2006? I am curious as to whether either of these problems have been rectified. The Acura web site does not say what changes were made.
In answer to an earlier question, the web site does list a backup camera as an option. It costs $500 plus installation. Unlike the camera on the M35, it does not show you an outline of where your car will go.
In answer to an earlier question, the web site does list a backup camera as an option. It costs $500 plus installation. Unlike the camera on the M35, it does not show you an outline of where your car will go.
I believe that there are no changes (other than a Tech Package option) for the '06 RL. The issues you complained about are more than likely unchanged for the '06. However you may want to test drive several RLs - your concerns have not been a complaint for most on this board.
The optional RL Backup Camera is essentially the one on my '04 MDX and does not compare to the one on the M35. I think the cost is outrageous, since virtually everyone else in this price range ($40k+) makes the camera standard with Navi (as Acura does on the MDX).
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef4f332!make=CATS&model=Audio&ed_makeindex=.- ef4f332
As JJ remarked, I was concerned with the OE tires, as well. I didn't have much opportunity to see how they behaved on snow last winter. With less than 8,000 miles on the tires, my "depression-baby" mentality just won't permit me to trash them and buy the Michelin Ultras. At the first hint of instability, though, I won't hesitate. I still can't accustom myself to the HID lights - I am outrunning my coverage and the dealer obstinately drags his feet when I ask them to raise the lights. I'm going to contact Acura directly abd introduce the safety issue - my safety - to lay the responsibility on them. That might spur them to call my dealer and authorize adjusting the beams.
But otherwise, each time I get into the car is like the first time!! It has all the comforts of home. How do you all feel now that a year has elapsed? Content?
LMBRL
My last comment to you before I trek off to my friday racquetball match is...."Enjoy the weekend in your RL and...
also George..Did you know you are a modern day LEGEND?...The reason I can tell that is because of the car you own!"
LMBRL
1) I really like the automatic headlight setting that turns it on when it dark. However I would think that the car should know that when I turn off the car at night that it should not have to beep to let me know the headlights are on. I've got the car set so that the lights will go off after 30 seconds. Having the car beep every time I am getting out a night is a minor annoyance. Can this be fixed?
2) Can the legal disclamer about not using the nav while driving that shows up every time be turned off?
3) Is there a way to delete addresses from the address book?
4) Can the I-pod controls on the 2006 be dealer installed on the 2005?
5) Why doesn't my wife like dance music and XM Channel 81? Do I really have to put with the "Sunny" station (i.e. Hey Jude instrumental?). Dual zone radio controls would be nice .
Any help is appreciated.
1) No. Apparently, Acrua are the only ones on the planet that think an alarm for no reason is "normal".
2) No. I haven't seen a hack for this yet.
3) Yes. But this one is really hidden. Go into the setup (button on lower right side of console) and on the third screen there is an option for personal settings. You can delete addresses from here.
4) Don't know. A lot of us are awating an anwer to this one.
5) Uh, you're on your own on this one.
XM radio has been unbelievable and I will never be without it again and I agree with the previous poster that Ch. 81 is a must. I wish I could use the traffic advisory feature but being in Nashville, TN my city didn't make the cut. Any news on markets 22-40 being brought in?
Some question the styling of the RL. Not me. I simply don't care who else likes the way it looks. I do. And when I catch it at certain angles I think it is one of the most impressive looking cars available, regardless of cost.
Also, first Acura, or Honda for that matter, that I have ever owned. Bought my wife a 2006 MDX three weeks ago. As you can tell, I'm sold on the brand.
I need to buy a new phone for the car. Please tell me which phone and service you are using, since it apparentley works fine for you. I have an old Sprint phone now, not Bluetooth. Are you using the feature which allows Acura to send your car information about service, recalls, etc.?
Thanks very much. Phil
I recently picked up sprint's new Samsung a940. Since I am in Hawaii right now I have not been able to test the data function. Battery life and signal strength do not show up. But other than that it works fine. The caller id shows up and people tell me that I sound clearer than with any of the plug in headsets that I used to use with my old sprint phone. I don't know why the Acura website says it does not work because it works just fine in my 2006 RL. If you do plan on staying with sprint I recommend the a940 or the maybe even the new a900 that just came out. Haven't had a chance to try the a900 yet but I plan on it as soon as I can get my hands on it. From reading the posts it looks like Verizon and Cingular do have more compatible phones, but sprint is starting to come out with more bluetooth phones as well.
I tend to keep my cars for 10 plus years or 150,000+ miles. So, it's helpful to know what's the demand/availability of parts for a particular model and that usually depends on how many other cars of the same model are out there cruising the roads.
Does anyone know how to get these and other kinds of numbers for RL production and sales in US?
http://www.theautochannel.com/
If you click on any of the manufacturers' links along the right side of the page you'll get news articles, including press releases with sales figures.
There are quite a few in the Seattle suburbs but can't say about the rest of the State. Last Saturday at our local grocery store, which is located in an isolated residential area with no non-resident traffic passing by, three of them including mine were parked in front of the store at the same time. Two blacks and my lakeshore. One of the other owners came up to me to talk about our RLs and he too has had his for about 13 months.
I hope you enjoy your RL as much as I have over the past year.
Thanks for your update on the local level. The other reply directed me to a web sight were I got solid figures for the 2005 RL sales, 16,000+ here in the US.
Comment about bluetooth technology in the RL: We have Sprint cellphones and while an upgrade to bluetooth is possible, Sprint presently doesn't provide bluetooth models without a camera. (In our line of businesses, cell phones with cameras are sometimes prohibited.) So, it might be a while before Sprint realizes not everyone needs or wants a camera with their cellphone. In the meantime, I'd be interested to know about your experience using RL bluetooth connection to your cell phone. Any surprises?
Comment on the RL navigation system: I was only mildly impressed with this system until my wife turned right a little too soon after being told to do so, while riding in unfamiliar territory at night on Bainbridge Island. About 2 or 3 seconds later, just before I was about to suggest we turned too quickly, the navigator announced "make a U-turn in about 50 yards". We both laughed, duly impressed with the detailed accuracy of the navigation system.
Anyway, today I actually saw two RL's, both black like mine.
I am looking to purchase a 2005 Acura RL in Dallas, TX area. Want to know what kind of pricing I should expect at this time of the year.
Any current owners shed some light on the price they bought the 2005 Acura RL and when did you make the purchase.
Thanks,
Bakwas
I went from a 99RL to an 05 RL. My 05 RL is definitely more comfortable than my 99RL. I don't recall whether the interior of my 99RL felt bigger, or not. I've been extremely happy with my decision to "step up" to the 05 RL.
The lumbar support in my 99 RL was always an irritant. I'd pump the little handle, and always wonder "can I do one more pump", then I'd do one more pump and that would be the one that would deflate the pillow and I'd have to start over. The lumbar support in the 05 RL is great.
I bought my 2005 RL in Sept. Prior to this car I drove E320 1997 till I got RL. I enjoyed my previous car immensely. Now I've fallen in love with my new RL 2005.
Before buying this car I had tested Lexus GS300 AWD, Infiniti M35, and Benz E350.
I liked the E350 but MB's reliability is not what it used to be thus I didn't feel like taking chance.
GS300 fell way below my expectation. I felt squeezed in drivers' seat. Nothing in car impressed me. When shifting manual gear no matter at what gear/speed your car was it always bought you to the 5th gear... Not acceptable from a luxury car company. This is just my opinion.
Infiniti has done a great job, many nice features but somehow I couldn't convince myself to buy this car.
When it came to RL, I loved it. Plenty of room for the driver. All the needed accessories were included without additional cost and salesman hassle. Instruments are laid nicely. Everything inside the car is first class with impressive taste. After driving the car for 3 months I still look forward to driving the car. Navigation system, Radio system, Climate Control, Audio Control etc... All are well designed. My 6 cylinders RL is giving me 22 - 24 MPG literally same as my wife’s 2005 4 cylinders Camry. XM Radio is very good but adding traffic reporting with Navigation system is very impressive. Looks like I'll renew my XM contract. I enjoy the surround sound system.
There are some short comings - trunk has to many curvatures - losing precious space in the trunk. There is no net. I had the net installed, costing around $75. Net is placed across in middle of the trunk. Not very practical. Net should be close to the end of the trunk.
Right after the car passed 2500 mile marker (last week) I notice an Engine vibration when the RPM is in the range of 1600 - 1900 and shifting from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. Same when shifting from 4th gear to 5th gear. I hope Acura will be able to explain and fix the vibration when I take my car for the first service in a week or so. This is bothering me a lot. If this is taken care of by Acura then I think I'll keep this car for 8 years as I did with my previous car because everything else is great.
MitchT.
Friends,
I bought my 2005 RL in Sept. Prior to this car I drove E320 1997 till I got RL. I enjoyed my previous car immensely. Now I've fallen in love with my new RL 2005.
Before buying this car I had tested Lexus GS300 AWD, Infiniti M35, and Benz E350.
I liked the E350 but MB's reliability is not what it used to be thus I didn't feel like taking chance.
GS300 fell way below my expectation. I felt squeezed in drivers' seat. Nothing in car impressed me. When shifting manual gear no matter at what gear/speed your car was it always bought you to the 5th gear... Not acceptable from a luxury car company. This is just my opinion.
Infiniti has done a great job, many nice features but somehow I couldn't convince myself to buy this car.
When it came to RL, I loved it. Plenty of room for the driver. All the needed accessories were included without additional cost and salesman hassle. Instruments are laid nicely. Everything inside the car is first class with impressive taste. After driving the car for 3 months I still look forward to driving the car. Navigation system, Radio system, Climate Control, Audio Control etc... All are well designed. My 6 cylinders RL is giving me 22 - 24 MPG literally same as my wife’s 2005 4 cylinders Camry. XM Radio is very good but adding traffic reporting with Navigation system is very impressive. Looks like I'll renew my XM contract. I enjoy the surround sound system.
There are some short comings - trunk has to many curvatures - losing precious space in the trunk. There is no net. I had the net installed, costing around $75. Net is placed across in middle of the trunk. Not very practical. Net should be close to the end of the trunk.
Right after the car passed 2500 mile marker (last week) I notice an Engine vibration when the RPM is in the range of 1600 - 1900 and shifting from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. Same when shifting from 4th gear to 5th gear. I hope Acura will be able to explain and fix the vibration when I take my car for the first service in a week or so. This is bothering me a lot. If this is taken care of by Acura then I think I'll keep this car for 8 years as I did with my previous car because everything else is great.
MitchT.
I am looking at exactly the same cars and I have similar comments about them. However, the ride in the RL seems to me a bit choppy and not refined compared to the GS300. I have not tried yet the M35.
Can you please comment about the ride comfort on rough surfaces ? How about highway noise in the cabin ? How about the traffic info on the nav display (people complained about it in the forum) ?
Also, thank you for the mileage report, I was worried about 18-25 rating from Acura. GS300 is 21-26 and people in the forum report good mileage as expected.
Regards,
Fred.
-=-
I have owned exclusively MB for the last 10 years but sold my S500 to buy a Porsche Cayenne in 2003. The MB's were wonderful cars but they were not as reliable as I had hoped and were very expensive to maintain. Because I drive a lot, they also depreciated very quickly. I have been used to seeing a true $1000 a month average depreciation on cars I keep between 2 and 3 years. The decision to buy the Porsche was impulsive, I like the looks. I married my first wife with the same decision process and that too got me into trouble.
The Porsche was fun to drive but it was one of the worst service experiences I ever had. Porsche dealers made you beg for an appt less than 4-6 weeks from when you need it. You never go once to the Porsche dealer, the first time you go they tell you what's wrong and then order parts, you must come back a few weeks later. It was infuriating. Once, they broke more items than they fixed. The car was quirky and the ride was harsh, to say the least. It is a powerful car but not as fast as a sedan. Finally, after about 2 years with it and having lost my usual $1K per month in depreciation, I was getting tired of 15 mpg and new tires every 15K miles. Not to mention the $400 battery and the $65 windshield wipers. Oh, by the way, no spare tire so I was stranded 2x by this vehicle.
My friend Steve had been driving Audi's for 2 decades. His last two cars were A8's. He too reached a point of being sick of the expense and the quirkiness. After driving the GS300 and the Audi A6 (he didn't like the increased size of the A8) he traded for a new RL 05. I thought he was crazy at the time but as time went on, he told me this car was better than his Audi's but in sheer power, he thought the A8 was faster (not that important of a measure but that's what he mentioned)
Finally, I decided (as the odometer was about to click into the no-warrantee zone) that it was time for me to shop again for a new car.
I test drove the MB350 4matic, the BMW 530ix and the GS300 AWD. For good measure I also tested the M35x. The hard part was that I liked individual things about each, wishing I could combine the heated steering wheel of the BMW, the shoulder level seat-mounted stereo speakers of the M35x and the quiet interior of the MB into a single package.
On Steve's prompting, I drove the RL. My heart started to pound and I realized this was the car I would buy. It was $20K less (I paid $45,300) and added the wood wheel and shifter and the backup camera as well as the auto bond (plastic bonded to the nose).
I was totally blown away by the electronics in the RL, I thought they were easier to use than the M35x and the system understands my speech every time first time. I love the ride but it's not as quiet as my big benz. I love the acceleration, faster than my Porsche Cayenne. I love the price: I walked away with a $36K check and a lease payment of $675 with 20,000 miles/yr 3 yr lease. I am really only paying about $375 since I will use 33% less gas than my Porsche and the interest on my cash back is added too. I can even deduct this from tax returns since I am a "consultant" so my acct tells me.
The RL is gorgeous, the other cars are nice too, the MB is the best looking of them all, the BMW is the ugliest. The interior is flawless, fit and finish is as good as the Lexus and better than the benz and the infiniti. I was a little miffed by the cost of the backup camera and surprised it was separate and very expensive.
While I am a new owner I must say this is about the best automobile I have ever owned. If it's reliable and if I really do get an average of 23 mpg like my friend Steve, and if I can figure out how to quickly mute the stereo, I will love all 3 of my years to come with this car. I already know friends who have wondered what happened to me going from expensive german iron to this smaller japanese car, but I can only say "follow me" since there's no harm in getting a lot more for your money.
For what it's worth, I have seen just two other RL's in the metro-west Boston area and both were black. Mine is meteor blue with the taupe interior.
I am a verizon subscriber and I have to decide on an blue tooth phone, I am considering a RazR phone (no analog service?) but would be open to suggestions. Do any of these phones have the data transfer capability mentioned on the web site?
When is the 1st service? Usually I get an oil change at 1500 miles, this car too? Has anyone gone to Mobil One?
Anyway, I love my car and I am look forward to getting to know all the systems better as I prepare for a very busy 2006.
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukka to all!
thanks
Thanks, very helpful! My wife drives it and I keep makiong excuses to trade cars for the day. fantastic, and very safe rude!
Have a great new year.
KA