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2009 Acura RL

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Comments

  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    I believe you-I know for sure the TL has the fake wood.
  • vavavavolvovavavavolvo Member Posts: 110
    Clarification on my previous post....I am referring to other cars in regard to the leather showing cracks and aging, not an RL. I have no experience with an aging RL.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    My nephew lives and works in Charlotte and I know what you were going through. Interesting that today we are in Arizona :shades: where he used to live and work. Plenty of gas here in Mesa and @ $3.30 per gallon we are enjoying it (My rental is a Mazda 6 and I'm burning regular.) I miss the comfort of the RL.though. We have 2 years to wait for the major changes that will come on the 2011 RL. I'm going to wait.
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    The RL does not have real wood its "simulated" (plastic).I called Acura when I read the "simulated curly maple wood grain trim" in the brochure.

    I just got around to looking at my RL brochure. The bottom two models have simulated wood. However, the CMBS model has real wood. I'm not sure I really care either way.
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    We have 2 years to wait for the major changes that will come on the 2011 RL. I'm going to wait.

    Yes, I'm going to wait too. I was at my dealership last night for a roll-out party for the new TL. A salesman was talking about the 11 RL. It sounds like it will be a totally different car. It will be interesting to see what they do to it. Btw, the 09 TL is a gorgeous car!! Especially the Tech version.
  • desert_ratdesert_rat Member Posts: 23
    Wonder what's going on with the 2009 RL. Nobody has any.
  • vavavavolvovavavavolvo Member Posts: 110
    I think Acura thinks that there is a subset of potential RL buyers who want the car so much that they will pay full price. They know that there is a larger population of buyers who will buy the cars for, say 3500 to 4500 below msrp. In the past everyone was able to buy for the lower figure, so I believe the current strategy is to cut production back to a trickle in hopes they can hold on price.

    I see problems with this approach in light of the current economic meltdown and the availability of the TL model in AWD at a much lower msrp. But time will tell.

    One of the first 09 RL's in my area sold at a $2500 discount from msrp per a salesman I know.
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    I see problems with this approach in light of the current economic meltdown and the availability of the TL model in AWD at a much lower msrp.

    The TL Tech I saw a week ago had an MSRP of $40k. Once the AWD is added in, will it really have a "much" lower MSRP than the RL?
  • vavavavolvovavavavolvo Member Posts: 110
    Good question.

    The Acura website lists msrp on a TL with sh-awd and Technology package at 42,235.
  • ocimocim Member Posts: 45
    There have been a lot of folks that have paid around 41-42K for a 50K MSRP 2008 RL. The few subtle changes Acura has made cannot possibly make folks want to pay 8-9K more for it. The way I see it, the TL-SHAWD is just about the same size now. The rear leg room, which a lot of people look at, is now identical. The new TL is somewhat lighter, slightly more HP and has better fuel economy. Why would you want to pay 50K for something old when you can have something new (and better) for about 43K.
  • vavavavolvovavavavolvo Member Posts: 110
    Your question is a straw man; they are different cars. Each has its own circle of people to whom it may appeal, and while the circles may overlap somewhat, they are not the same. I've sat in both 2009's and the RL definitely has more polish and elegance than the TL, while the TL has a more sporty, edgier interior that--in its own right-is very well done. Different cars. Most people would say that the new engine, retuned awd system, cooled seats, new sheetmetal and trim,shifter, etc. is a significant change. Acura says it is the most major MMC it has ever made. Also, the RL (now including the 2009 model) has five star crash test performance in every category in IIHS tests. While I'm sure the new TL will be good in this regard, its performance in crash testing is undocumented for now.

    That said, I did think that the TL had a nicer nav screen, I think they changed the technology to create a crisper, brighter VGA display. Also, the TL has an option for uploading CD music to a harddrive....nice feature if you don't already have an iPod, which both models now have native USB support for.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    It's Early...but I had a black 2009 RL go past me yesterday, first one I have seen on the road. I followed it in my rear view mirror and it pulled into a parking spot so I did a yoyo and caught the owner before he left the area. (Would never have taken the time to do this during my busy working years...retirement is great :D ) The driver was a 45ish dapper dressed executive looking man and when I rolled down the window of my 2005 he immediately knew what I was probably going to say. He smiled and said he just bought it and traded in his RL like mine. Said he really liked it a lot. I told him before he went away to just leave his key fob so I could check it out. We laughed and as he walked away I went over and checked it out. It's a great car but it makes sense to wait 2 more years to find out what comes with the MAJOR changes to the 2011.
    (don't know why you use the ID Desert Rat but we recently returned from a trip to Arizona and while there we toured the Desert Museum in Tucson... really getting to appreciate that part of the country... especially after the crazy winters we've had in Wisconsin in recent years.)
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    Your question is a straw man; they are different cars.

    Yes, I agree. While I've always liked the TL styling and really like the 09 TL, it just doesn't have the feel of a luxury car, in my opinion, and the RL does.
  • desert_ratdesert_rat Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for visiting. We love it here.(still working)
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Howdy Nebraska Guy! In Oct 2003 the redesigned 2004 TL was unvailed and my wife and I were visiting our daughter in Houston. My son-in-law and I drove to the nearest Acura dealer and stood in the dealer showroom checking out the all new design of the new TL. I owned a 2000 TL and was excited to see what the 2004 had to offer. I don't think I was quite ready for that body style, or that interior, and the way it felt sitting behind the wheel so we waited another year for the new RL...We heard it was going to be "All New" but for several months before the 2005 arrived, many long time potential buyers and many curious auto enthusiasts gathered in the Edmunds forum to post their thoughts on the emergence of this all new RL and it was an amazing collection of auto buffs of every kind of background; engineers, Canadians, lawyers, braggarts, car guys from all backgrounds, salesmen, jerks, gentlemen, blah blah blah. I loved coming into that forum because you could usually read 20 to 30 new posts everyday more or less and there were brilliant contributions. (Some not so brilliant :sick: ) I have never been exposed to that kind of thing before but it was truly a worthwhile experience and those of us who stayed with it learned a lot about the car and were able to make a decision whether or not it was the right luxury performance sedan for us at the time or not. In another 15 months or so I expect there may be a new RL forum that could possibly take off like the 2005 but until then I will be content to drop a regular e-mail to my good friend ACURAPHILE in New York (Whom I met in here) and compare notes on how well we are doing with our 2005's. and our lives. And I expect George will be back in here again posting supurb contributions..... after all he is only 84! ;)
    JJ
  • pellucidpellucid Member Posts: 5
    JJACURA and I have been good friends since the early Forum days in 2004. The excitment that attended the yet unknown 2005 RL was at fever pitch. We Acura buffs waited nine years for a model change, and our excitement could barely be contained. I hope that we can resurrect that enthusiasm while waiting for what has been described to be a real 'flagship' RL.

    George
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    Hi jjacura, I grew up in Wisconsin, graduated from the U of WI in Madison, and one of our cars is a '99 TL. It's been excellent, and we're happy with it, but I'll amplify on how I feel about Acura below.

    I think the styling of the 09 RL is improved over the '05-'08, but my main disappointment regarding the RL is that Acura didn't take the opportunity to convert it to rear wheel drive for '05. I think Honda-Acura should have followed the Nissan-Infiniti business model in terms of drive wheel architecture; FWD for Honda and RWD for Acura, with optional SH-AWD for whichever models of each brand is appropriate. AWD makes sense in Wisconsin, but doesn't make much sense in most of the sunbelt, for example.

    I think that Honda, even more than Nissan or Toyota, is the most promising Japanese company, from the standpoint of engineering resources and corporate culture, to take on the German luxury brands. To do that successfully, in my opinion, the Rl and TL must be RWD, and since the TSX is now a larger car, they might as well make the TSX a RWD direct competitor to the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class.

    From what I've read, the next generation RL will probably be RWD. That's good, but also disappointing that it took so long. It suggests that Honda has lost some of the entrepreneurial spirit it used to have, and has been playing it too cautious, hoping that SH-AWD would trump RWD and RWD based SH-AWD. Or maybe they were counting on the fact that most drivers neither know nor care which set of drive wheels move the car.

    Incidentally, FWD made perfect sense for the first two or three generation Acuras, when luxury cars had significantly less power. The game changer was when, several years ago, horsepower and torque rose dramatically. That amplified the shortcomings of FWD.

    My conclusion is that each drive configuration involves various tradeoffs. That means that one or another is better for certain applications. Of the Japanese manufacturers, I think that Nissan-Infiniti has done the best job of sorting out the tradeoffs.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    Hello Wisconsin Native ...Congrats on graduating from UW Madison..a great University...
    What is going on with our Badgers this fall? :cry:

    Your thoughts regarding the RWD based SH-AWD platform are consistent with much of what we have read in the Car Mags. It suggests that you have gone deeper into the competitive engineering aspects of performance based luxury sedans and comparisons are important to you. How do you feel about Acura adding a 420 Horsepower, 4.8 liter, V-8 to the mix? We have seen Spy photos of the 2011 but indications are that the designers have gone back to the drawing board. Many of us really count on THIS one to be designed exceptionally well with show stopper distinction. Acura has an opportunity to knock 'em dead with a true flagship leader this time. I look forward to it. :)
    Good Luck to you.
    JJ
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    Well, the badgers aren't doing as well as last year, when they won 69% of the games versus only 43% so far this year. However, there's time left in this season, and one can hope that they'll turn it around.

    Regarding a V8 for Acura, just this morning I read in Automotive News that...

    " Acura dealers: A V-8 engine is on the way - Acura dealers say they have been told that Acura will offer a V-8 engine option within 18 months. 'It's confirmed,' says Dave Conant, principal owner of the multibrand Conant Auto Retail Group in Cerritos, Calif., which includes one Acura dealership."

    Since I'm not a subscriber I was unable to access further details, such as which model(s) will get the new V8, its size, power, and features to be relatively fuel efficient. I'm sure more details will come out soon.

    This will be a big opportunity for Honda to establish Acura as a credible competitor to the German luxury brands, plus Lexus and Infiniti, and Cadillac. It'll be interesting to see how Acura balances the need for a flagship and the increasingly stringent fuel economy requirements. In the meantime, the RL is merely a place holder. That doesn't make it a bad car, but "not bad" isn't good enough in the current environment. With auto sales as weak as they are, the consumer has too many choices and too much power for anything less than an excellent product to succeed. For this reason, and the fact that there's insufficient differentiation between the RL and the new TL to justify the price differential, means that RL '09 sales will be weak, and the cars will be heavily discounted.
  • rv65rv65 Member Posts: 1,076
    Yes a v8 will be coming out in 18 month. The v8 is still unknown. It might not be 4.8L but depends. It will probably have A-vtec, VCM, but no IMA. I could see a DSG gearbox instead of a 6 speed Auto. Maybe Honda is skipping a traditional 6AT for a 6 or 7DSG.

    The v8 has been well rumored for the past couple of years. It's really no secret but the actual specs are. The v8 could be a 8 cylinder version of the NSX replacement's v10.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    According to Automotive News, Honda has cancelled plans for a rear wheel drive V8 Acura.
  • RussHCRussHC Member Posts: 3
    My RL is less than 2 months old and the XM dies after 2-20 minutes. Generally, it just stops. Changing the mode and channels doesn't help, but turning the ignition off and on cures the problem...for 2-20 minutes and then it dies again. AM and FM work fine. The display will say the name of the song that was playing, or XM, or Loading, or Updating, but nothing more happens.

    It is back with the dealer and they have witnessed the problem multiple times, updated the software, installed a new system, re-updated the software and now are scratching their heads.

    The only other problem was one episode of all of the idiot lights going off (CMBX, S
    H-AWD, Antilock, Active head lights...).

    Any ideas from anyone??

    Thanks,
    Russ
  • jensadjensad Member Posts: 388
    You are not the Long Ranger. Same thing happened with xm and also the channel selection on the radio was always changing or just not working.

    After six time to the dealer, and my irritation, they ordered a NEW radio and now it works just the way it was supposed to and no more lost channels et al.

    Good luck to all and stay safe.

    jensad
  • desert_ratdesert_rat Member Posts: 23
    I got my RL last Friday. What a car! It's looks great and drives even better than it looks.
  • desert_ratdesert_rat Member Posts: 23
    I am trying to import the Phone book from a Razor and the Acura Bluetooth system is lying, telling me the phone doesn't have this capability. Well, I know better. This procedure work very well between this phone and my wife's TomTom.
    Does anybody have suggestions on how to get this working? :cry:
  • RussHCRussHC Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the condolences! My 09 RL is back in for the fifth time. The dealer has had it about as long as I have. They replaced the radio to no avail. Now they have replaced the cable to the antenna and the shark's fin antenna. Again, to no avail. Well, not to no avail: The XM came back on after changing modes.

    It seems to have them and the XM people stumped. And now that I think about it, it has me stumped as to what to do as well.

    It is good to know that they fixed yours and to know that I am not alone (misery loves company),

    Best,
    RussH
  • RussHCRussHC Member Posts: 3
    Well, after the fifth visit and 25 days in the shop the XM is working beautifully. It was apparently two bad controllers.

    Bottom line, I love this car! The AWD is awesome. The cornering is flat without the loss of a quiet and smooth ride. I wasn't that impressed when I bought it. (I bought it for the 5 star rating, collision mitigation, etc.) But now, I won't buy anything else.

    Get one!

    RussH
  • vavavavolvovavavavolvo Member Posts: 110
    Wow...so they replaced the first bad controller with another bad controller? No wonder it took so long to figure out. One must wonder whether they screwed up and put a bad one back in circulation through an inept checkout procedure. Or maybe there was a batch of bad ones and you got two!

    Glad you got straightened out and :) are enjoying the car.
  • carolinabobcarolinabob Member Posts: 576
    Based on customer service from Hyundai Corp. for my present Hyundai, I will probably rule out the Genesis. Acura TL and RL have been in my top 5. Would prefer an RL, but for me it needs to be larger and up to date technologically. Also, AWD and V-8 have no attraction for me. Perhaps Acura needs to offer a car substantially larger than the TL, better equipped and with FWD or RWD and a V-6.
This discussion has been closed.