LexFather

We are having a real good discussion on the new Accord vs the new RL. In summary, while the RL is a great car, most do not feel it is 20k better. What are your thoughts?
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3477178&page=1

shyguy16

the Acccord actually looks classier and more substantial than the RL.

encore888

Uh-oh that looks a bit scary close for the price difference...


...I chalk it up to the Accord being a brand-new design, and a similar job done to make the new Accord improved inside. Plus the latest RL being more mid-sized and less flagship large than others might have expected.

UDel

I just went to an auto show today and sat in the new Accord and RL. It is kind of amazing and maybe a little sad how there is not that much difference between the quality of materials and feel of the Accords interior and some of the much more expensive cars I sat in like Audi A4, A6, Mercedes C class, and S class. Some of these cars shocked me by some of the cost cutting that was evident. Although size wise and even power wise the new Accord and RL do not differ all that much the RL still had a much nicer interior, the layout looked much nicer and the material quality felt higher as well as operating some switches and ***** felt more precise in the RL. The leather in the Accord was surprising good, I felt it would be just cheap feeling and looking since it is just a family sedan but it felt just as nice and looked just as nice as the more expensive cars. The doors on the RL shut with much more a vault like luxury car sound and feel then the Accord. Look wise I think the RL is nicer and sleeker looking and looks more like a luxury car but the Accord looks much more like a luxury car then it ever did. The Accord is probrably a little quicker since it is lighter and will get better gas mileage but it willl not handle anywhere near as well as the SHAWD equipted RL. Rear seat room was similiar between the 2. I sat in the TL type S and was also very impressed and that is where the main question lies is the RL worth paying that much over the TL which that maybe harder to answer but I still like the RLs interior more. The RL felt a little higher quality and had a nicer interior layout but not by that much. The tactile feel when you press the Acura buttons is the best in the business in my opinion even better then Audi which made a cheap sounding and feeling loud click when I was pressing the buttons. Lexus also felt good but I liked the Acura a little better

I was also very impressed with the M35x interior and the sound the doors made when you shut them, very expensive sounding, The LS460 interior was very impressive too but the exterior was okay, the S class had a line with people trying to sit in it and has a very expensive looking eye catching exterior, no wonder they sell so well even with all the reliability and cost issues. I was able to squeeze in a Lotus Elise S which wraps around you once your in like a proper race car. They had a Bently Continental and Rolls Royce Phantom which were very nice, the Rolls had very nice leather and impressed people the most but neither of those cars felt like 100K plus cars when sitting in them aside from the Rolls being large. There was a silver Bently Conti GT in the parking lot with the light colored birds eye maple I like so much which looked very nice but the paint job was horrible with alot of orange peal evident.

As far as the question is the RL worth the price over an Accord, I think it is as much as any other car in its class like a Lexus GS or Mercedes E class when you figure all that it has and the high quality interior it has but most cars priced 50K or over do not really seam like they are worth 50K to me, you could say the same thing if the GS or M is worth 20K over the Accord, Avalon, Camry, etc. Sure you get a nicer car so it would be worth paying more for from a more prestigious brand but are they really worth 50K and over based soley on what you get, maybe or maybe not. The RL is certainly nicer and feels like a proper luxury car to me then the new Accord even though the Accord highly impressed me and I feel the RL is worth paying extra, but how much extra is the question to many people not just for the RL but also the GS, M, E class, A6 etc over say an Avalon, Passat, and Accord, I can see why many may not see paying 20K or more extra for those cars. The TL is still the car that I think does and will continue to steal RL sales because it offers so much and is a good deal less expensive then the RL. I don't think poeple are going to cross shop a RL or Accord much just like they are not really going to cross shop a Avalon or Camry and GS. I think luxury car makers need to step up their game with these new lower priced family and entry level lux cars offering so much and getting close to their 50K+ models.

encore888

I agree, the midsize, non-luxury market is improving a lot and frankly making many luxury cars seem like not a whole lot for the money. I suppose you do pay for the service and VIP treatment but that's only when you go to the dealer which shouldn't be a lot if the car is reliable.

Gojirra99

I sat in a new Accord(with fabric seats & the metal-looking interior trims instead of fake wood though) last week, while I agree it's interior is the nicest in it's class, I still think it's not in the same class as the RL's.
I think the RL has the best quality interior in the mid-size luxury class BTW.

mmarshall

UDel has summed it up pretty good. His opinion of the RL is more or less the same as mine was when I reviewed it. I was VERY impressed with it. If I had 45-50K to spend on a new car, either an RL or an AWD Lexus GS would be sitting in my parking space.

I just got done posting my review and opinions of the new 2008 Accord, so I won't go into that here.

UberNoob

new Accord's exterior is crude and unrefined IMO

which is far from RL

but interior wise, i think ill take the accord over RL according () to those pics

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I saw the new accord today. Fabulous interior. Exterior definitely looks higher quality than the previous generation.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

In my book it is worth 30k MORE vs the little Honda.
Does it really matter? Does anyone really care what my interpretation of worth really is when it is my money and choice? If I want to spend 50k on a RL I have my reasons and if someone thinks it is not worth 20k over an Accord means little to me the same as a few may not think a used Lexus GS at 9k is worth 8k more than a old Chebbie.
Worth is subjective to everyone.

mmarshall

The RL is more than I would care to spend on a new car, but IMO worth every penny. Ditto for the Lexus GS AWD. And.........ditto for the new $29,000 Accord EX-L coupe, a steal for the money.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

And?

Perhaps it is just me, but the new Accord interior appears to be an improved version of the BMW 3 series interior.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Comeon now.... 3 Series interior? Don't even insult the Accord like this.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Read...IMPROVED VERSION. Some would say MUCH improved. Never been a fan of the Bimmer interiors but the Honda interior looks good.

Och

iTrader: (3)

I just don't see any relationship of Accord's interior to BMW's. If anything, the interior is an improved version of the previous model's interior.

In any case, I think the RL is well worth the money, and if only it had a V8 option, I would already own one. And even the V6 version, IMO, is superior to GS350awd, except for the engine power.