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2009 Acura RL
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Hi to NebraskaGuy! - and Pat.
Regards,
George
OMG!!!! This wasn't planned!!!! ACURAPHILE!!!!! :surprise: AMAZING!!!!!!
JJACURA
George
I'm definitely curious to see it, but possibly interested as well. I love my 05 - just put 8,200 miles on it for my Midwest trek, but I want to see what the 09 brings. I know big changes are coming for the 2010 or 2011, but I doubt I'll want to jump right on it like I did the 05. If I do like the 10 or 11 when it comes out, I'll probably wait a year or two.
(Are you and I the only ones left from the hot '05 forum days?)
If not the only ones, one of the few, definitely. Good to see you still posting.
And it's good to see you again, whatever you call yourself!
1st is 2008, 2nd is 2009
Length - 193.6 -- 195.8
Turning diameter - 39.7 -- 36.1 (great)
HP - 290 @ 6200 rpm -- 300 @ 6300 rpm
Torque - 256 lbs-ft @ 5000 rp -- 271 @ 5000 rp
Displacement - 3.5 -- 3.7
Compression ratio - 11.0:1 -- 11.2:1
In addition, both driver and passenger have 10-way power seats (this corrects a common complaints on these boards)
With the tech package, there are now ventilated seats (corrects another common complaint)
I was disappointed to see there are no new colors, despite a report to the contrary on these boards.
There are probably other differences, but the above are what I noted.
Can you tell us what the rear seat legroom is for the '09, this was the biggest disappointment for me in the previous version and if it is improved would definitely get me into the showroom for a test drive.
Unfortunately, despite the slight extra length, there is no more legroom in either the front or back seats. Sorry.
Check out the RL commercial and video on the website.
I wonder if anyone knows if they improved on the very low mileage that this sedan had or improved the styling for 09'. It looked so much like the accord (just longer).
The listed mileage is slightly less than the 08 model. However, I've always gotten better highway mileage than the listed mileage. I recently took an 8,000 mile trip and got a low of 25 mpg and a high of 30 mpg.
The styling hasn't been changed much except for the grill and a little in the trunk. For those of us who never thought it looked much like an Accord, it still doesn't. Those of you who thought it looked like an Accord will probably not change your mind.
I like the refresh look but come on, in this day and age, five gears will not cut it for this segment.
I will compare with the new TL pocket is leading towards the GS350.
That's very disappointing. All of the previews stated that that was an area that they were going to address. I read yesterday that they redesigned the seatbacks of the front seats to provide more leg room. Unless they went with carbon fiber seats, I don't see how that could make any significant difference.
If the new TL is based on the Accord, then it seems like it would have more rearseat room than the RL. How will Acura reconcile that with customers?
In the case of TL's V-6, the difference is not significant, particularly if you compare hwy mileage. I frequently get 29-32 mpg when cruising at 65-75 mph on the hwy when driving the TL. With respect to the RL, the mpg is around 25-27. Not too bad for a car weighing close to 4k pounds.
For reference, see this link about real world RL mpg:kamdog, "Acura RL Real World Fuel Economy" #1, 28 Mar 2007 12:24 pm. The 09 RL has a bigger engine, and is supposedly tuned for quicker pick up and acceleration. Thus, mpg is likely worse than 05-08 models.
Combined with the requirement to use premium fuel, its poor fuel efficiency and the styling, i doubt that anyone looking at other members of its class will get the RL (and you should even look at the Jaguar XF which is $49K and 18/26MPG).
I always loved Acura but i think that i may skip this generation. But you do get more amenities/options for less that the other brands (but do you really need them)
What does "need" really have to do with any car in this category? Can any of us really say we need the things luxury cars offer?
Just the other day, I received an e-mail from Acura and one of the improvements touted was increased rear leg room. This despite the brochure I received earlier which listed all specs, including rear leg room that was exactly the same as the 2008. So, someplace there's a disconnect.
Wonder what kind of price discount are being offerred on the 2009 RLs to make them so attractive.
JJ
It now looks great, front and rear end.
One could predict that Acura will remain stingy on rear seat accommodation if we accept that the brand is being developed to attract young (at heart at least) clientele that favors the Sporty set up of the vehicle. In pursuing such a philosophy of performance over comfort they are merely following leaders in this area of the automotive segment. I can speak more specifically about BMW because that is what I have tested when shopping recently. A series 5 has marginally more leg room than a series 3 as I found out. The reason for that is that for a car best enjoyed under a 'spirited' driving the fun is for those sitting in front so there is where the prize for this premium vehicles is placed. At least that is what I suspect is going on. Certainly Lexus plays by other standard (and benefits from a much larger offering) but I doubt that Acura will depart much from the current philosophy.
Truly,
Steveaccord
P.S. due to a change in my garage lineup I should now change my nick to SteveBMW
Exterior styling: I really liked it. From the pictures, I wasn't sure I'd like the grill, but it works. The rear styling is a marked improvement. One thing I never particular liked about my 05 was the "pushed-down" look of the front end. This has definitely been improved.
Noise level: it's very hard to tell whether it's quieter than my 05, but I did feel it was somewhat quieter.
Ride: I didn't feel it was any smoother than my 05.
Turning radius: definitely much better than my 05.
Rear legroom: definitely no better than my 05.
Interior styling: mostly unchanged from 05 with the exception of the wood insets on the steering wheel and the shift knob.
Back-up camera: definitely very nice and didn't have any significant delay like I've read about some models. I think I like my back-up sensors better, but some people (especially those with kids and things in the driveway) might really like the camera.
Heated/cooled seats: I never felt the lack of cooled seats was a major deficiency like some on these boards. However, I have to admit I really liked this feature. Another improvement - electronic switch instead of rocker switch. I really like this since it turns off when you turn the car off instead of always being on until you turn it off (ever wondered why you were getting so warm, then realized you'd turned the seat warmer on that morning when it was cold and never turned it off).
Verdict: if you have, and like, your 04 or earlier RL, I'd definitely give the 09 a serious look. If you have an 05 or newer, you might still want to give it a try.
I think I'll stick with my 05 for now. I've always been very happy with it and I didn't see enough of an improvement to upgrade now.
"Simulated curly maple wood-grained trim" is.
Its not wood !!! Wow.
The RL does offer quite a bit for the money but one would think real wood would be a given.
JJAcura
I'm not sure I understand correctly what you wrote, but my interpretation is that you're saying the RL does not have multi-position heated seats. If that's what you said, it's not correct. The RL does have multi-position heated and cooled seats.
Have you considered Infiniti M, Jag XF, or Audi A6?
If you like the drive of E350...you might want to wait till Jan/Feb when revamped model hits... and you probably will be able to get #350 with leather around 40K...my guess.
I assumed it did since the RL always has had real wood. However, the RL page on Acura does not say it's real wood which is suspicious.
The M does look nice,will have to se about that as well.
Technology Package - "Upgraded genuine wood interior trim"
CMBS/ACC package - "Genuine curly maple wood trim"
I used to feel this way too but I changed my mind when I noticed that after a number of years--despite using the best leather care products--I found that the seatbacks and seat (the leather parts) were showing a lot of unhappy aging with cracks, delaminations and an overall discolored, shiny appearance, while the "leatherette" parts of the seat still look fine. This has happened to two of my cars including one I currently own. Interestingly, the passenger seat looks fine, but nobody usually sits in it.