You know, as a 3 time Legend Coupe owner, I was one of the loudest critics of the 1996 RL. I hated the name change and I hated the fact that it seemed too my at that time like they were abandoning use Legend owners. I mean, we had a 230HP with an available 6-Speed manual transmission. 210 from a 3.5L V6 was unacceptable too me. With an increase in displacement, I was hoping for 250+ HP. Anyway, it took me a really long time to start to appreciate the RL. It probably wasn't until the 2000, mostly the 2002 RL were I actually started to appreciate it. The 225HP while nothing ground breaking was actually more than adequate. Power felt good, even if you could do record breaking 0-60 runs. The one thing I always appreciated about the RL even in 1996 was that the interior is top notch. I was still more into sporty cars, but the RL interior was much more luxurious than the Legend I would have to admit. 2002 RLs still go for about $12K where I am so they are not dirt cheap. It seems like since 1996, all the Acura cars come just a tad short. They are not bad cars at all, and in fact I really like the 2005-2007 RL alot. For me, I think they hit a home run with the 2004 TSX and TL. Competition is getting tough though.

 

They NEED to stop thinking that a hideous, attention-grabbing grille is a "unifying design element". As others have pointed out, this new RL is not as pleasing to the eye as the current one, but it's that monstrosity up front that totally breaks the deal. I can even tolerate the tail lights, as I see that they are similar to the MDX and RDX, and we're now getting a unified look across the product line. And although the RDX does have a grill that looks too prominent (particularly with dark-colored paints), it's not nearly as horrible as the one on the MDX.

Could it be that Acura has their "A team" of designers working on the next generation of cars, and the recent product roll-outs and refreshes have been done by the "B team"?

 

I thought the grill on the mdx looks pretty good.

 

i like the way it looks. i would have liked to see them put a v8 or a turbo v6. it needs more power.

 

If they lose that grill, then they may have something.

 

I don't know what to say...that is completely laughable. They've destroyed a perfectly good looking car by making it look like a transformer cartoon. It looks like a car that has been created by a committee constituted of the mediocre.

I never thought I would say this but I really mean it, I would rather be seen in a Hyundai.

 

i love how acura makes their cars look downmarket.

 

coz' the parent company honda also carries the same "saturn" like accord

i still remember when i first pointed the new accord to my wife and how she questioned me "huh? you sure that's not a saturn and some ricer put on the honda badge?"

 

I went from an SC400 to a 2000 Acura 3.5 RL that I own now. They updated the front end for 99-04 which makes a big difference in looks. I wish the interior was a bit more luxurious but overall its a nice car and I enjoy it. Smooth power, nice exterior design. It does everything well. It doesn't stand out in any area though and so sales of the RL have always been poor.

I'm throwing a little VIPstyle at my RL now so I hope it turns out nice. Anceltion coilovers, Weds Kranze, ST115 tires, Garson shifter, HID fogs etc

I'm not a fan of the 05+ RL or the newest design.

 

00-03 RL looks more luxurious than 04+

 

The best looking Acura Legend below.. You can do better Acura.

 

Get you years right, its 99-2004, and 05+.

 

Actually the coupe looks even better.

 

either the coupe or the sedan. arguably i think they are the best acura sedan throughout the years, from exterior to interior

(and that shows how sad the recent ones are)

 

Yeah, I like both the coupe or sedan for that ^^generation the best. The first generation coupe is pretty good too.