Blackraven

I'd rather they kill the ZDX over the RL though. The ZDX is just fail (it's like I'm driving an ugly-*** boat :P).

Indeed, ZDX is the flag*****

mmarshall

Mike, I greatly respect your view (always have, of course) , but count me in with at least some of those fanbois. I agree that some may have been over-zealous, but I don't see where anything I've ever said about the car was illogical. I correctly stated its good points and bad points. Some, like styling, of course, are subjective. A lot of people criticized it for its lack of a V8 and RWD...there is some merit to that view, but I don't entirely agree with it. Its build quality and fit/finish, not necessarily in terms of super-reliability, but in terms of material solidness, was, IMO, up at the very top of regular production cars. It was one of the very few cars you could sit in today, shut the door, and get a SOLID "Thunk" like with the M-B and BMW products of 20-30 years ago.

Yes, it had some faults....any car does. I didn't care for its dash-controller/screen syatem any more than I do in competing cars, but at least was solid and not a flimsy-feeling ****. The car was maybe a little smaller than I think a true flagship should be. The big V6 had more HP than it did torque...and the SH/AWD sapped some of the torque. The dash was a little over-styled, maybe, around the main gauges. And the parrot-beak grille on later models was, yes, abominable.

But, long after this car has been gone, I'm not likely going to be changing anything I ever said about it, good or bad. And I might, though not certain, be driving a CPO vesion some day....it was a little too expensive for me as a new car.


And, just to be honest, if you remember, I did a CL thread not long ago on the question of whether Acura should be dropped as an entire division or not. Opinion, of course, was mixed on that...as was mine.

mmarshall

I see the dropping of the gas-powered Civics is only for the Japanese market......I couldn't believe, as I looked at the thread title, that they would drop it in America. The Civic is easily the Corolla's strongest competitor here, and one of the most successful Honda vehicles of all time. It was also the first Japanese transverse-engine, FWD car marketed here, in 1973, and succeeded in America even more than the transverse-engine Mini did a decade earlier, in the 1960's.

mmarshall

Totally agree. Replacing the classy RL with this POS as Acura's flagship only adds insult to injury.

The ZDX is the vehicle they SHOULD be dropping. It's probably going to turn out to be the next Pontiac Aztek. Its own brother MDX is going to kill it in sales.

Fizzboy7

Many of us said early on what the RL's faults were. The current version is too small and too close to the TL. When they brought it out, it was plain to see there was going to be a conflict at hand between these two cars.
I find the whole outcome quite sad, when one looks at where Acura, the Legend, and first RL once stood. I just hope whoever was behind the decision-making with the RL is going to get punished for ruinning something good.

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Acura can get back on track if, and only if, they bring back the Legend name on a unique platform with a high output v8. Then followed by an resurrected Integra model aimed squarely at the Genesis coupe and The forth coming FT-86. Not sure if retro-styling can be applied to Japanese cars but the 91 Legend can be a starting point for them IMHO.

IS-SV

Yes, but sadly the ZitDX outsells the RL, not that it means much (weak vs. weaker sales). Both have pathetic sales numbers and uncompetitive designs not justifying place in product portfolio of a wannabe premium automaker.

Fizzboy7

You are on the right track. The potential to bring back an all-new premium large sedan with the Legend name is huge. I'd make it cutting edge modern, in the same tone as the original Legend portrayed. If there ever was an opportunity to hit big, this is it.

mmarshall

Problem is, in America, the Legend name is more associated with Acura than with Honda. The Legend, like Lexus's LS400, was Acura's first U.S.-market vehicle, and was followed by the smaller Integra just as the smaller ES250 followed the LS400.

Fizzboy7

What's the problem then? Or do you mean the Legend name and "premium" wouldn't work in other countries other than the US? If so, is it feasable for Acura to only sell a primo Legend soley for the US?

IS-SV

Yes, (we know all that) and don't see it as a problem???

Acura Legend was and should be an Acura, not Honda.

TripleL

Count me in as someone who was a big fan of the current gen RL (prior to the facelift ).

The car had everything I wanted and offered comparable options to my IS with an engine more comparable to the IS350 (or a 3-series etc). The car had one problem in my opinion.... Acura produced a fine car to compete with the IS or similar and then priced it to compete with the GS and others in that range. Disaster.

If I look at the specs on the car and the underpinnings of it, I really don't think that car was ever designed and engineered to compete in the high $40Ks and low $50Ks. It should have been in the high 30s and low 40s. I think someone decided that they needed a car in that price range and they would price themselves into that category without the goods to back it up.

I'm sure opinions will vary but that's where my head is at

KA8

iTrader: (1)

Not surprised but sad to see them go. Legends were very nice cars when they were out.

pvmike1

Hope this kills RL values. Reading mmarshall's positive reviews about the RL has made me consider it as a beater.

Honda is still a great company. If it takes the complete failure of Acura to bring them to their senses, then so be it.

jwong77

I don't see renaming the car the Legend as being a solution. How is renaming the car going to fix the following list of problems?

- No V8
- Its based off a Honda Accord
- Its not RWD
- Its too small
- Its engine is weak, yet gets V8 level MPG

So by renaming the car Legend, then Honda will magically be able to produce a competitive car after 15 years of fail?

I think not.