jracerlmn

congrats on your purchase, but the car must die.

KevGS460ML

Being an owner of a '02 Type S, I posted on Acurazine that I will definitely buy the '09 TL SH-AD when it comes out. And, when the regular one came out, I was one of the first to show up to test drive it. In person, this car is hedious, and drives just like my '02, which is good, but why should I pay $40k for a car when it feels just like my current vehicle.

Also, it's 2009, so why does this thing only have a 5sp auto, especially when it proclaims to be a high-tech car???

UDel

I certainly had a very different experience with the RL then you and I don't feel it is a 35K car unless you put all its competition E class, GS, M, 5 series at 35K also. The RL drove just as nice as the competition although it did not offer the feedback and sporty drive as the 5 series or M45. The RL certainly drove better then the 3rd Gen GS430 and GS300 I test drove or my 2nd Gen GS430 and has a nicer more solid high quality interior. As far as looks the RL is a very nice elegant looking car but yes it does not stand out much but neither does the GS,A6, or M. The only thing I don't like about the RL is the rear end which could have been done better. The 5 series just does not look good to me and the interior is terrible. The E class, especially with the update and in black is a beautiful car and looks expensive and elegant inside and out but once you start feeling some materials inside and pressing buttons you can tell their was cost cutting but I would have to say the E class is the best looking car in the segment. The A6 did not really stand out much in the drive interior department and was not any nicer then the RL.

I have not sat in the Genesis yet or test drove it. I am not all that impressed with the looks of the interior design from the pics and many areas especially the center stack do not look all that upscale, I have seen a few on the road and they don't really stand out much and look like a mish mash of several cars but it has a nice unoffending look to it, the grill is a bit odd though but I am impressed Hyundai offers a car like this at a fairly low price but it does not seem like the buying public has really got into this vehicle. Reviews on how the Genesis drives/handles have been mixed but I am sure they are fine for most needs. The Genesis is a vehicle I would put on my list to consider as it offers alot of car for the money but the RL has better detailing and a much nicer interior and I know the RL drives very well from past experience.

I don't know how you can say the RL is a disgrace as it is a very nice and well done vehicle, it has proven well built, reliable, and safe and aside from rwd and a v8 option offers pretty much everything its competition offers at a lower price and many feel has the nicest interior of all its competition. It gets very good reviews from most auto sources. It was not as well received as the last Gen Legend nor has the classic looks of the last Legend coupe but it is still a great car. It's lack of sales have more to do with marketing, lack of drivetrain options, styling not standing out enough, and most importantly the last RL being a letdown and lackluster then the RL being a bad car or not able to compete.

shyguy16

what does it have that the G and IS dont?

shyguy16

this i agree.

ffpowerLN

iTrader: (1)

Some kind of satellite A/C system. The system uses GPS (I think) to determine which side the Sun is relative to the car in order to adjust the A/C.

Totally pointless if you ask me, might as well save the money for a RWD platform, new automatic tranny or better V6 engine....

tex2670

As compated to the GS and the M, I agree, the RL cannot be classified as a 'disgrace'. The refresh made an otherwise unnoticable car more noticeable in that it's ugly. The RL may not stand out above these other cars, but it's certainly competitive.

Added to this is now you can by an AWD TL with more hp, and the car is about the same size (or bigger maybe, I forget), for $8,000 less than the RL. That certainly is a disgrace. You can argue that the RL has finer interior materials, etc, but I just don't see how you let your mid level sedan creep that far up the ladder to potentially gobble up buyers from the RL.

Where the RL is labeled (at least on CL) as 'disgrace' is that the RL is the Acura flagship, and we are comparing it to the GS, M35, E Class and 5 Series--all of which are mid-level models for the other makes. Acura just doesn't compete on the true flagship sedan level.

Threxx

I drove the FWD model only and even then I never came close to driving it at the limits of traction where SH-AWD would have made a difference.

I'm simply referring to steering response, lean, chassis behavior, etc.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Acura does have a few tech bits that aren't available in the IS/GS. There's that AC thing that you mentioned along with the satellite traffic thing. I personally don't like the **** controller that Honda/Acura uses.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Congrats on the new TL. I see a lot of them on the streets of NYC. I must test drive this car for myself to assess..

Lexwang07

l saw a some asian housewives drove new Acura TL. My thought, so dame ugly. I dislike Acura TL new grille.

FKL

TL has no direct injection,no lane departure, no park assist, not even adaptive xenon lighting. There's also a 5 speed auto. Hardly "advancing" on any sort of innovation/ technology front.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

I hear the grill does something magical during a full moon. Is this true?

ffpowerLN

iTrader: (1)

Yes, it'll become a Unicorn...

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I'm one of the few that happen to like the new TL...sans the front grill. It looks like a toothless grin. The rest of the car is sort of muscularly stylish with a combination of hard creases and round surfaces. It's kinda weird having that combination but I sorta like it. Someone will make an aftermarket grill and the car will look a whole lot better.
It's no speed burner but it has good power. I probably would not buy one because of the FWD but you never know.