Howdy, Stranger!


Acura RL



  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    Wondering if anyone reading this forum has Bluetooth technology in their car and also use a Blackberry with it? Pros and Cons?
  • larry6larry6 Posts: 26
    Dear Reallengend,

    Actually, my wife mentioned to me that she is having the same experience with our door locks -- ever since the updates were installed. So,your experience is not just a single, isolated instance.
  • l943973l943973 Posts: 197
    I prefer the styling of the last generation RL as well. The new one does resemble an Accord to me.

    I just don't think AWD and more hp is enough especially since all makers are now building powerful AWD cars, even BMW now with the 530xi.

    Even Traffic-Nav isn't enough now that the same software (from the same vendor Acura uses) is available on the 06 Cadillac CTS.

    The RL hasn't been the run away success Acura was expecting. From Oct 04 onwards...

    00 RL 05 RL
    Oct 971 1310
    Nov 1298 1941
    Dec 1485 1967
    Jan 1121 1371
    Feb 1265 1412

    Obviously, Oct sales were strong for a new model compared to a previous gen already 3-4 years on the market. But if you look at Jan on, its starting to drop down to numbers seen from the previous gen. Acura needs to sell 1667 RLs/month to meet their sales goal. Currently I don't see that happening.

    Also, the fact that the Acura press bad mouth the last generation RL shows politically that they really don't care about their previous customer base.

    Now I can't compare the Accord with the RL just because they aren't in the same class. A person looking at an Accord isn't going to cross shop an RL.

    I'm sure the new RL is head and tails better than the last gen RL, but at $50k, you would have thought they would come up with something bolder.
  • getakeygetakey Posts: 23
    I have same problems (door locks and mirror) and Dealer refuses to acknoledge that there is a problem. Regarding the mirror issue, the Driver 1 settings actually get disengaged after backing up, i.e., the light in the door for driver 1 is off.
  • getakeygetakey Posts: 23
    I am surprised that the AM/FM radio does not display the station name, artist, and song - similar to XM. This technology has been around since '98. I have it my 1999 3 series BMW and almost every new car has this except Acura. What gives?
  • fmcgirtfmcgirt Posts: 4
    We will be in Lumberton/Fayetteville area when our 2005 RL is due for its first oil change. Anybody have a dealer recommendation in that area? Any dealers to avoid?


  • mungoacmungoac Posts: 16
    The Jan/Feb numbers are not conclusive. Any car dealer will tell you that January and -- to a slightly lesser extent -- February are the weakest months of the year for car sales.
  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    We have been reading some good opinions in this RL forum and the previous forum for a long time now. Well over 7 months. In my opinion, it's the 2005 RL OWNERS that continue to come through with meaningful comparisons between the old and the new RL. It's the owners that I pay particular attention to now. It's too late to change anything on the current design and performance and there will always be critics out there no matter what. IMO Acura did a great job bringing this product forward. I'm extremely satisfied with this car and plan to drive it for a long time. What is the big rush build "bolder", faster, more luxurious machines.
  • jhinscjhinsc Posts: 399
    I'm sure the new RL is a great driving car. While I can agree the new RL is far better than the old one, it stands to reason by the press the new one has received that Acura sort of missed the mark. When the previous RL first came out, is was a leap above the Legend. It was bigger, more luxurious, and established itself as the flagship of the Honda/Acura lineup. The mistake Acura made with the old RL during it's 9 model years was not giving it more HP, a 5 speed auto, a restyle and other tech updates along the way to keep up with Lexus and Infiniti. Now with the new one, they've taken a step sideways vs a leap forward. They've taken the platform the Accord and TL are on, stretched and widened it a little, and then filled it with all the stuff that should be there to begin with. So instead of an LS, Q, or possibly an S class or 7 series fighter, we have a GS, 5 series and E class fighter. Not bad cars to be up against, but not exactly what a lot of people were expecting.
  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    "Now with the new one, they've taken a step sideways vs a leap forward"

    You are entitled to your opinion. But I still don't know exactly "What a lot of people were expecting" and I saved every PRESS article from every major Auto magazine and it was overwhelmingly favorable on this car! I was really impressed with what Acura did in size, over all precision crafted design inside and out, and in particular with the addition of the SH AWD and 300 HP 212 CI V-6. Anything much larger and they wouldn't have me as a customer. This is the perfect car for me, and apparently through February there are 8,000 more new owners that like it too.
  • bodble2bodble2 Posts: 4,519
    The new RL is everything I expected, and then some. Unfortunately, so is the price, which may be the achilles heel of the RL. I emphasize "may" because only time will tell. But the current MSRP is a $15K jump from the old RL, and, perhaps even harder to reconcile, $25K more than a fully-loaded TL. Including taxes, that's a $30K difference! For the extra dough, what do we get? Roughly the same interior room, arguably inferior styling, a touch more refinement, 30 more horses but similar performance, a few more electronic toys (honestly, is the keyless access a huge improvement over the regular fob? Is the adaptive headlights the raison etre?), plus, of course, the AWD. Are all that worth $30K more?
  • jmatthejmatthe Posts: 51
    Thanks for posting. I beilve the correct link for the 1st on is:,1413,200%7E32640%7E2757740,00.html?search=filter#to- p

    All praise for the most part here.
  • jhinscjhinsc Posts: 399
    I agree with your assessment. As I've stated before, I think the RL is probably a great car (I haven't driven the new one). But did Acura go far enough with the new version? I think if they were going to price it at around $50k, why didn't they just go a little further and make it worthy of a flagship car, even if they had to price it in the mid $50's to go up against the big Lexus, Infiniti, Jaguar, Mercedes, and BMW's? It's target market is now the smaller names of these brands, and even then it doesn't come out on top. It scores well against it's competition, but it will be topped too soon in it product cycle unless Acura uses hybrid technology to increase performance and efficiency. But the one thing I really have liked about Acura with it's Legend's and RL's is that were "sleepers". Undiscovered great cars at great values, and you didn't see yourself in the mirror driving down the street everyday. Maybe that's slant that Acura is wanting to maintain, but it doesn't make for high profits so they can keep improving the car during it's life cycle. If AWD wasn't a necessity for some, a fully loaded Toyota Avalon can be had with almost all the same bells and whistles for almost $20K less. That's what Acura has to worry about, losing sales to lesser makes that produce very good cars to begin with. Who knows, maybe my assessment may change if I drive the new RL, but so far I'm not compelled or drawn to it considering the competition available.
  • l943973l943973 Posts: 197
    Acura says that their target for the 04 TL was the BMW 530. Then they come out with a flagship that competes with the same car. How can that be a step up when Acura initially stated that their previous generation RL targeted the LS430 and Infiniti Q45 but for 5-10k less. You could tell it competed by the features and dimensions of the car. Later in the years, when other brand models continued to evolve, Acura lowered its target said the RL competed against the GS300 and Volvo S80 2.9. Those were the new competitors on their website.

    If they used the same formula, the 05 RL should have competed against the LS430, BMW 745i, Audi A8 and Mercedes S430 but sold for $10k less. Thats what I was expecting in the new RL.
  • dennis721dennis721 Posts: 62
    I have driven the new 05 RL several times and I sugest you try driving one before you complain any more about the car. Not everything can be decerned from a paper specification sheet and pricing sticker.

    I don't need a big V8 like the Lexus 430 or the M45 and I don't want a car in the price range of the Mercedes. I dont need or care about shaving the next .9 second off of the 0 to 60 time as much as I like getting 27 MPG. I believe the 05 RL fills a nich for people that want a combination of the SH AWD, 300Hp range performance and yes V6 fuel effeciency and some of the other neet tech features, plus the Very Best Navigation system on the planet.
  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    "I have driven the new 05 RL several times and I suggest you try driving one before you complain any more about the car. Not everything can be discerned from a paper specification sheet and pricing sticker."

    Dennis, You have pretty much nailed it. Speculation and Hypothesis from the non owners and people that have never driven the car basically cause me to smile. It's a best kept secret they don't no what they are missing!

    Also Acura has never in my mind gone after the Luxury Performance car leadership. Why should they HAVE TO become an overgrown Lexus, BMW, Mercedes wannabe bumping the price tag much higher, when they have carved out their own perfect niche.
  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    "they don't no what they are missing!"

    correcting my own grammar: no s/b know
  • washdcguywashdcguy Posts: 17
    I thought the purpose of this site was information especially from owners or experts on the RL. But I have been informed that just about anyone with an opinion can post. Thus we get comments from people who've never driven the new RL, even people who've never seen one in the flesh. Well, to each his own, but I will continue to value only those opinions from people with "tactile" experience. It is one thing to drive an automobile and test it and come away with an opinion of it. It is entirely another to read about it in magazines and look at pictures and photographs to form a viewpoint.
    I drove the 4-Matic Mercedes E Class, the M35 and M45 and the Audi A6 and I can tell you none of them have anything over the RL. That's one big reason I purchased the car. And when my friends decided they needed similar transportation, I even took them to Cadillac and BMW dealers. And guess what? They bought the RL too (though thankfully in a different color).
    As to the automotive press, it almost never speaks with one voice, but you would practically think it did when the new RL was introduced. Rave after rave including Car & Driver's pick as one of the 10 Best Cars (best luxury sedan). And the raves continue to pour in. Check out two of the latest:

    And about those sales figures that several people have mentioned...guess what? Each month, including those "low" January and February numbers, represents an Acura sales record. That's right; the new RL has set a sales record every month it's been on sale, records that no previous RL or Legend ever reached.
    While I welcome all the favorable comments my new RL receives from onlookers and passersby, I genuinely don't mind if you criticize the car. It's not perfect. Everything about it is always fair game for discussion. (The recent update some owners got appears to have been less than ideal, for example.) Nonetheless, I will continue to believe that the best way to evaluate any vehicle is old, tried-and-true "hands on method". Pictures and stories can only impart so much information.

    To experience how the 2005 RL feels like it's taking a corner "on rails", you really have to be inside the vehicle, making the turn.
  • Later US posts (where the car is better priced at about US$50K, or just under CAD$60K) comment in 'support' of this car that "Acura is NOT trying to compete with BMW, Lexus and Mercedes" - but that's the only conclusion you can reach if you see the Canadian pricing - they took a nice pedestrian (and yes, I DID test drive it) CAD$50K car and put a CAD$70K price tag on it. Would YOU want your neighbours to know that you're putting some dumb Honda Canada manager's kids through school because you'd rather overpay for a 'nice' car? I bought a loaded M35 AWD this month - 10K less, has more in it and beats the RL in every metric (including resale value - a general early bane of Inifinti products) except 20 horses under the hood. That's why I'm 'Valuebuyer', and why Acura isn't going to come close to making its sales numbers on this model - even with the modest targets set for it. Not exactly a 'riproaring' success here in Canada....
  • bodble2bodble2 Posts: 4,519
    My opinion always has been that the car will be competitive in the States, but will struggle for market share in Canada, especially with the introduction of not 1, but 2 M models from Infiniti to compete from below and above.
  • mungoacmungoac Posts: 16
    Interesting post. I particularly like your insistence that yourt new M beats the RL in "every metric, including resale value."
    But I'd like it even better if you explained what you mean by that. Nobody knows what the resale value of anything is going to be in a few years, least of all cars. I traded in a Lexus after 2.5 yrs ownership on this RL that's sitting in my driveway and found it had depreciated $660/month.
    Neither you nor any of these auto writer geniuses know these numbers. Unknown factors are how many Chinese people who'll buy cars, how much oil coms out of the ground and what kind of technology are in the cars launched as early as this summer. It's all a crap shoot now.
    As for resale value, if our Infinity beats the Acura, it'd be a first. Could happen. I don't know. But neithern do you or anyboidy else. Meanwhile, I hope you have a blast with your new M. Looks like a sweet car...
  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    Bravo. An excellent post. You expounded on my comments very very well and then some. I just want to ask if you could please double check the 2 URL addresses once again for accuracy. I could not access either site. Sorry.
  • Recently I got a chance to take the RL home overnight for a test drive. Thanks to that test drive and the insightful information gained from forums like this, I hope to have an RL by May.

    That being said, I have some comments about the "sideways" step.

    To start, the RL is NOT a flagship. If you look at Acura's web site, their printed information, and interviews with their corporate staff, you will never see the word "flagship." Of course, that implies that another car higher than the RL is in the works, but no information has been released yet. In the meantime, it is unfair to compare a mid-sized car with a V6 engine to full-sized V8 behemoths like the Lexus LS 430 or the Infiniti Q45. In fact, I think the previous RL's largest shortcoming was that Honda tried to convert the sporty Legend into an imitation Lexus LS. That didn't work, so Honda's taking a different direction this time. As sales and press reviews show, Honda's new approach to the RL is working.

    Regarding people who preferred the previous RL to the current generation, there is a legitimate reason why you feel this way: the new RL was not designed for you. The new RL, in my opinion, was designed with drivers of the 1999-2003 Acura TL in mind. The purpose of the new RL is to get those TL owners to upgrade, not to get owners of the previous RL to make a lateral purchase. That is why the new RL looks more like a descendant of the older TL than the new TL does. Also, Honda/Acura has made it known that they are looking for a slightly younger driver for the new RL, just as they seek a younger driver for the new TL than they did with the previous generation. Perhaps soon there will be a true flagship that will appeal to owners of the previous RL so that they will also have an upgrade path. In the meantime, enjoy!
  • cove148cove148 Posts: 117

    The LS430 at 290hp is less than the RL and only 10 more than the Avalon & M35. I give the 6 speed transmission a majority of the credit for the performance numbers this car is able to produce and the very good fuel economy. Car is only a few thousand more than the RL, which I think you will recoup on the resale.
  • satiresatire Posts: 71
    "Is it just me or am I missing something?"

    No, it ain't just you. My credentials:

    1997 CL
    1999 TL
    2002 RL

    And two Hondas prior to that.

    While the 2005 RL is a great car, two things truly annoy me. I am what they call "portly" at 6 foot 1 inch. Would it have killed Acura to add another cubic foot or two to the passenger compartment? Think about it. What car under $50K can truly be called spacious? I want some elbow room in my car. Am I going to have to buy a Ford 500?

    My second complaint is the driver's seat. The seat in my 2002 RL is the envy of every Laz-y-boy chair ever made. It's wide and it is very comfortable. The new RL's driver's seat...not so much. Too narrow and the seat cushion doesn't give the same comfort level as mine. Not even close.

    So while Acura took a giant leap forward with the new RL, they apparently forgot to focus on the issues they had down perfect. And making the new RL's interior the same size as the TL is simply unforgivable.

    Plus don't get me started on the exterior styling. I swear I have to take a long look to determine if it's an RL, a TL, a TSX or even an Accord. They all look too much alike. Why don't the automakers bring some style to their new cars? What the heck is wrong with fins (asked the proud owner of a '57 Chevy)????

    Stepping down off my soapbox now.

  • dennis721dennis721 Posts: 62
    Fins and laz-y-boy seats, OH MY GOD am I ever glad Acura did not satisify you. I am suprised you dident include the lack of an 8 track tape player in your list complaints!

    You have got to be kidding saying you want a drivers seat to feel like a laz-y-boy!!!! Tell me your kidding!!
  • bodble2bodble2 Posts: 4,519
    "how many Chinese people who'll buy cars"

    Well, this one we know ---6.52 billion. And that's in Vancouver only! :)

    But the LS430 is a VERY different type of car than the RL. Comparing the two cars is like comparing apples and oranges, even if the prices of the two cars are similar.

    Of course, if you prefer a full-sized car, then the Lexus LS is an excellent choice. For those people who actually want a smaller car (and they really do exist in this country), then the mid-sized RL is an excellent choice.
  • jjacurajjacura Posts: 808
    C'mon Satire, I agree with Dennis. Your credentials are great but if Acura followed the ergonomics necessary to satisfy your requests...WOW! You want room and fins? My immediate thoughts were of this bouncy '59 Cadillac pulling to a stop and letting 8 people exit. No harm really are a good guy! (By the way, I owned a 56 Chevy Convertible ...that was the year before your '57 "Fins" appeared!) JJ
Sign In or Register to comment.