WSJ:Acura Flagship Performs Well, But Doesn’t Inspire Lust
06-17-10, 09:18 AM
#46
Pole Position
roger, it looks like you have gone through tough time here making arguments with the members that are bashing the RL. You need a back up. I can help. mmarshall is our ally too, he can back you up.
Hang in there and don't let these guys get to you.
You are correct, RL is nothing like the Accord. Accord has crap build quality nowdays, especially the ones made in the states. RL is definitely higher class than the Lexus ES. RL should be in the level right between the GS and LS. The problem is most people don't appreciate how well the RL is made, things like build quality, precision, fit and finish, and attention to detail. Just getting in a car for few minutes isn't long enough to find out about the car. I personally think RL is beyond the GS in this department. It's close to the LS. mmarshall agrees with this as well.
However, anything outside of build quality and high quality rich materials, the car is ugly, the current gen that is. The previous gen looks GREAT! RL is the car attracted by people that want "HIGH QUALITY" and those that know more about the car. It's not just an quality interior either, the RL has Magnesium cylinder head covers and seat frames as well as Carbon fiber reinforced composite drive shaft. Door gaps are even and tight. The TL and Accord are completely the opposite of RL in this department.
The downside is that it's:
- 5-speed transmission
- ugly exterior of the current gen.
If I was in the market for buying an Acura based sedan it would be the previous gen Acura RL with very low miles on it because it looks sharp, very handsome.
Acura RL and NSX is what I respect, not the Acura company.... The RL is a good car.
Case closed, LOL!!
.
Hang in there and don't let these guys get to you.You are correct, RL is nothing like the Accord. Accord has crap build quality nowdays, especially the ones made in the states. RL is definitely higher class than the Lexus ES. RL should be in the level right between the GS and LS. The problem is most people don't appreciate how well the RL is made, things like build quality, precision, fit and finish, and attention to detail. Just getting in a car for few minutes isn't long enough to find out about the car. I personally think RL is beyond the GS in this department. It's close to the LS. mmarshall agrees with this as well.
However, anything outside of build quality and high quality rich materials, the car is ugly, the current gen that is. The previous gen looks GREAT! RL is the car attracted by people that want "HIGH QUALITY" and those that know more about the car. It's not just an quality interior either, the RL has Magnesium cylinder head covers and seat frames as well as Carbon fiber reinforced composite drive shaft. Door gaps are even and tight. The TL and Accord are completely the opposite of RL in this department.
The downside is that it's:
- 5-speed transmission
- ugly exterior of the current gen.
If I was in the market for buying an Acura based sedan it would be the previous gen Acura RL with very low miles on it because it looks sharp, very handsome.
Acura RL and NSX is what I respect, not the Acura company.... The RL is a good car.
Case closed, LOL!!
.
Good post. I agree, the RL is severely underrated. It's a shame, really. I wish more people would actually drive it to fully understand how solid the car is. The interior, as you say, has no equal in its class and wreaks of quality and detail. The exterior, again, looked better before the refresh.
06-17-10, 09:43 AM
#47
Lexus Fanatic
mmarshall is our ally too, he can back you up.
mmarshall agrees with this as well.
mmarshall agrees with this as well.
06-17-10, 10:27 AM
#48
Lexus Fanatic
As for the wheelbase, you don't want it too long. It will hurt the handling department for spirited driving (in the twisties or cornering), or track racing. Maybe it was intended by Acura to give up a little bit of leg room space and offer you some handling performance as well and try to keep the weight down as possible. Maybe it wasn't meant to compete with full size cars like LS600 or BMW 7 series for space... As for the dash-screen controller it's your personal preference.
You're right.....that's my preference. I've never liked dash-controllers, particularly those used by BMW and Audi. I also strongly dislike BMW's lightweight, cheap-plastic, electronic shifters. I'm a strong traditionalist when it comes to controls, though I wouldn't want to go back to the way they were designed on some of the cars I grew up with....for instance, foot-operated headlight high/low beams and dash-***** for the wipers/washers.
06-19-10, 08:14 AM
#49
Lexus Champion
I don't think it's totally ugly. If they changed the grill, it would look acceptable at best. Overall, it's pretty bland, but I actually like the style of this car over the current TL (although not that I'd buy either). Proof positive that good engineering alone will not sell cars.
06-19-10, 09:15 AM
#51
Lexus Champion
The bottom line is that actual buyers are not considering the RL for a variety of reasons.
06-22-10, 04:25 AM
#52
Lexus Champion
As for the wheelbase, you don't want it too long. It will hurt the handling department for spirited driving (in the twisties or cornering), or track racing. Maybe it was intended by Acura to give up a little bit of leg room space and offer you some handling performance as well and try to keep the weight down as possible. Maybe it wasn't meant to compete with full size cars like LS600 or BMW 7 series for space... As for the dash-screen controller it's your personal preference.
.
Last edited by KILLERGS4; 06-22-10 at 04:29 AM.
06-22-10, 07:47 AM
#53
Guest
Posts: n/a
sure it wasn't bulit to compete with S,7 or the LS. RL suffers the same lackluster sales as the GS because both brands offer cars with similair dimensions cars for much less. I'm willing to bet most/half people can't tell wither the GS is level up from the ES just by looking at the outside. This might also be true with the RL and TL agurement. Both RL and GS would sell a lot better if the TL and ES wasn't offered. But that would be a very stupid move to discontinue the TL and ES since it's the bread butter of there lineup. If BMW and MB made cars that were practically same size as the 5 and the E for 10-15k less for little less styling, less tech, and less power, I think that would also kill the 5 and E class like the GS and the RL to a degree
It sold 32,000 cars in 2005. The RL never hit its 20,000 sales goal, its best year being 2005 where it sold 17,000.While I agree with you there is cross shopping between the TL/RL and the ES/GS there are stark differences. The TL/RL are based on the same platform, are the same size, with pretty even performance where it completely makes the RL look redundant. They drive similar as well. They have the same engines. The TL is also 4 years newer. You can argue the TL is just as good as the RL. You can't make that argument with the ES/GS, the GS is clearly the superior car.
The ES/GS are based on different platforms, one is FWD, the other RWD with AWD as an option. The ES is about luxury, the GS blends sport and luxury. The GS offers a hybrid and an optional V-8, the ES is V-6 only. The GS offers F-sport parts. The ES is substantially slower and handles worse. One debuted in 06 the other 07. Lexus has differentiated the two models where they attract different buyers.
No one will ever touch the 5/E class in sales. They are simply the dominant sellers in this class.
06-22-10, 12:44 PM
#54
Lexus Fanatic
In recent months, the RL has managed to accomplish monthly sales approaching zero, the stats are amazing.
But if you look at how slow and how fuel-inefficient the RL is compared to the more successful competitors, it's no surprise this car sells poorly. And this substandard performance and gas mileage is not due to AWD weight and drag alone, much is due to the lagging technology spelled out above. Advanced technology or a lack of it shows up clearly in performance and gas mileage comparisons (instrumented testing and EPA figures) shown by major publications.
But if you look at how slow and how fuel-inefficient the RL is compared to the more successful competitors, it's no surprise this car sells poorly. And this substandard performance and gas mileage is not due to AWD weight and drag alone, much is due to the lagging technology spelled out above. Advanced technology or a lack of it shows up clearly in performance and gas mileage comparisons (instrumented testing and EPA figures) shown by major publications.
06-22-10, 02:23 PM
#56
Lexus Fanatic
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
