2008 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW: Is The New Acura RL A Stud Or A Dud?

I'm sorry, Acura.



Dud.

what has happened to acura? 3rd bad design in a row... time to think about a big shakeup in the design studio
. it took a while but even bmw admits when their design chief stinks.. maybe you need to promote the guy.

Yeah! Fire Dave!

Right on, it's an Unbelievable DUDDDDDDD!!!!

Wow, a $50k car with headlights swiped from the new Subaru Impreza (also a major DUD), overall styling stolen from a $20k Accord meets 2001 Acura TL and a grill that doubles as a retractable snow plow (perhaps a feature for us in the snow belt?). Pretty futuristic styling guys, probably would have wowed the crowds in 1987 certainly not in 2008. If I want a computer on wheels, I'll plug my laptop into the cigarette lighter, if I want a "Advanced" driving experience I'll be buying the competition.

As a past and current Acura owner (3 vehicles so far) it is shocking to me at how far Acura has lost it's way from the 'Hay Days' of the Integra & Legend franchise.

Bye, bye Acura - call me when you want to be serious car company again.

DUDDDD why did they do this to that poor RL?

How many times do you want to embarrass Acura 009?

DDd U U DDd
D D U U D D
D D U U D D
DDd UUUU DDd

DDd U U DDd
D D U U D D
D D U U D D
DDd UUUU DDd

I wish acura did this years and years ago.

sry acura. dud.

Why are people apologizing to Acura...DUD and I'm not sorry...I'm sorry for considering it as a car...glad I didn't wait and went with a CTS!

Dud. They replaced bland with ugly.

Well said.

Coming: dud
Going: stud

Total 100% DUD !!!

This car has really made Acura's future look sketchy.

It went from not bad to not relevant. DUD.

DUD!

why are they having so much trouble designing this thing??

acura apparently thought the shield look is in? next thing they will be selling lances as side mirrors.

This is an over 40 grand car.What does it offer over the Cadillac CTS other then AWD. I can't imagine the handling is any better. Exterior wize it's a Dud. Infact the new TSX will be a dud as well because the styling is to bloated and rounded. I think they need a new stylist.

Five reasons the RL is complete dud.

1. STYLING, the most obvious. They’ve taken a mediocre design and made look like a mediocre Saturn.
2. ENGINE questionably competitive 300 BHP out of a 3.7 L. bested by Infiniti, and torque figures are low for and engine of this size. A single over-head cam is nothing to brag about. NO V8
3. TRANSMISSION, 5 speed automatics are antiquated, good Lord even the Chevrolet Malibu has a 6 speed in it, pathetic.
4. SIZE, still smaller in side than a Accord.
5. PRICE, Acura has delusions of grandeur that this competes against the M, 5er,E, or GS, it doesn’t, people look at this car then look at G, 3er, and ES’s, and buy them. This car is grossly over priced at 50k and about right at 35K.

The previous RL was a joke and so is this one, it’s just not funny anymore

Good luck Acura, you’re gonna need it.

"The previous RL was a joke and so is this one, it’s just not funny anymore"

LOL. I had to laugh at that.

Super Dud!

Super Dud!

I had high hopes for the redesign, but sadly: dud.

Didn't Acura learn anything from the last RL??????

What a POS

Dud

Makeup on a pig is still makeup on a pig.

Truth be Told,

It's Been Down Hill For Acura Since the Minute The Legend Became The RL...

And at least the Phaeton was attractive and ultra-luxurious.

Acura was trying to do a re-fresh on the styling to spark new interest.

So, if you're measuring based upon intent...DUD.

hella dud.

so far the score is Dud 25, Stud 0.

Honda, are you listening? Who's your target market, Acura? Transformer fans with $50k to drop on a car?

If this car were $45K loaded, maybe. Otherwise they should pull the RL from the market until they can make a real car.

DUD!

If Acura screws up the styling of the new TSX and TL, then the company is done. I want to like them but you just can't compete with duds.

total crap, looks like a honda accord. i think im one of the few guys on this site that likes the accord.

for a Halo car, the RL does nothing to enhance the luxury image of Acura. makes them look like a 2nd tier brand.
i think volvo s80 is better than this in evcery way. i wont even start with a6, m35x, 535, e350. those cars trounce the RL.

The thought process must have been: "Well, Americans favor vehicles like Cadillacs, Hummers, Dodge Rams, and the F-Series, all of which have prominent or shield-like grills. So if we slap one on the RL..."
Huge Dud because can you believe that no one within Honda/Acura put a stop to this madness?

Definite DUD!

Allow me To Quote - Myself,

"Ok,

This, IMO, marks the unquestionable 'Beginning Of The End' for the Acura brand.

With a full appreciation for them having started the Premium Japanese market (in the U.S.), I feel that it's finally time for them to prepare their concession speech, and allow Infiniti and Lexus to carry out the mission at hand... Because with (lack of) efforts like this and the new TSX, they apparently have neither the talent nor the desire to truly compete in this market any longer.

Acura 1986 - 2010 R.I.P."

Enough Said!

we have yet to see the new TSX.
and RL has never brought much profit for Acura anyway.

I saw the next TSX, it is the Euro Accord and from the side looks like a Ford Fusion.

Its a DUD! doesnt look like it changed much...

DUD!

I think they should let the Japan designer design the RL.

....hope i'm not being too opinionated.

Wow going through the comments, it appears that we can all agree on something.

LOL!

Thats a 1st timer for sure!

LMFAO!!! coz its true

Amazing DUD!!!

Dud.

This is really sad.

I don't know what's going to happen to them. But IMO, Honda should fire the whole company. Every. One. Of. Them.

Start fresh. We know Honda has the engineering right... but they need DESIGNERS. That's what sells luxury cars above all else--they look good inside and out, thus they make the driver feel good.

Acura had it. Now, I'm losing hope for Acura designs..Acura is giving honda a not so great name.

Acura needs half of infiniti's designers talent in them.

This RL is just a New Accord on Steroids!!!!...Boy did they shit the bed on design!!!

Honda should be ashamed of themselves for designing this pile of $h!t!!!

DUD
DUD
DUD
DUD
DUD

DUD!

An absolute piece of crap. It reminds me of the plastic body cladding used on GM vehicles from the late '80's thru the early '00 (especially Pontiac). I would be more than happy to purchase a loaded Hyundai Genesis and pocket the $15K.

...Hell, I wouldn't even drive it if I won it in a raffle! This is probably a sign that the new NSX will suck, too.

BTW Agent 009: fix the pic link. I had to go onto worldcarfans just to see this abomination.

dud da dud dud......DUUUUUUD!! A face not even a mother could love

Acura has lost relevance. I'm not sure what they are trying to accomplish. Unless it's Bankruptcy and complete brand failure, they are doing an awful job. The RL, definite DUD!!!

It is Dud !
Acura is incompetent for putting that cheap-look grill on the Rl, TL or TSX. Time for flushing.

Also, they need to fire the guys that made the center stack on the MDX and new Accord. Very poor.

it looks better than the 5er and the GS.

Have you ever seen a 550i Sport or a GS450h???

Everyone for the first time was ALMOST in agreement. Then you had to f%!* it up with a dumb post. There always has to be one idiot in the bunch...

I would add that the prototype Honda Pilot was very ugly. Honda-Acura have some real design and ergonomic problems lately.

I predict their sales will drop like a Zeplin.

Hey I resent that... Zeppelin rose on 10 Dec 2007 and everyone said it was fantastic!!!! However for Acura to truly compete they have to get the wheels out to the edges more, with the engine in front of the font axles it makes for an unwieldy front overhang and negative affect on the handling... the overall styling is rough as well... no real elegance... Interior looks like they are stealing ideas from a number of other car makers and maching it all together.. Volvo/Infinity/Mercedes?

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
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DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
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DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

^^^Rosko!?! Are you blind!?!

maybe rosko feels sorry for it?

it is a DUD tho

Iam so sorry but everytime I look at this car i feel like I want to throw up. Its a DUD

It's not much different from the '08, but that grille has to go!! Dud!

I kind of like it. Stud.






NOT!

Definitely a DUD. Acura...are you listening to this feedback?!?

Put me down as another guy who REALLY WANTS to love Acura, but this is bad. The RL was bland before, but not offensive. Now it's actually hard to look at.

Sales are bad now. Watch them plummet. No one who's buying in this price range will be interested.

This is almost a rhetorical question.

DUD DUD DUD
Something is really wrong with Acura these days.. They completely screwed up the four door TSX, I pray the rumours of a TSX coupe and a TSX convertible are not based on the 4-door design.. Hopefully a radical difference like the 4-door and 2-door civic.. The 2door looks like it was designed well, the four looks like crap.. fingers crossed that this is what they did with the TSX.

Now the RL.. the previous design, not generation, was great in my opinion, tons of technology, decent design, decently powered V6 engine and SH-awd.. A great step with the new designed RL.
Now what has happened here? Rumour has it that they are working on the next generation RL as well as the replacement NSX.

It looks like they didn't pay any attention to improving the current gen RL at all, in fact they did the opposite.. they handicapped it by doing nothing their target market asked for! In a MMC (mid-model-change) you should contour the car twords the errors/flaws made in the original design.

Customer: The car needed a little edgier styling

Acura: Ok, we'll give it a horrid grille and sharpen some of those smooth curves making it "boxier"!

Customer: The 5 speed transmission is archaic, more gears please!

Acura: Ok, we'll put the same one in the 09RL-MMC. Too much research to put more gears into this current MMC, remember the last time we added more gears to a tranny? The TL problem we had in the 99-03 TLs... extended transmission warranty to all almost all TLs in that year, too much heat was causing the gears to fry and ruin your tranny.. maybe next RL.

Customer: Nice V6, but the V6 is not a V8, we want a V8 option.

Acura: Here's 10 more horses, is that what you meant?

Customer: Love the SH-awd, wouldn't the RL sell a little better if the SH-AWD is an option, or at least allow the consumer to adjust the front/rear power ratios, allowing the car to feel like a rear wheel drive car (like the R8 - RS4 comparo here on autospies, the R8 feels like a RWD and the RS4 feels like it is a FWD, R8 - 80% power to the rear wheels and the RS$ gives 60% to the rear. Both are still AWD, but the feel is different. Agreed the engine placement had most of the reason for the handling difference, the front/rear ratios did play their role.

Acura : We have said the SH-AWD will be a staple in the Acura brand, therefore you will have it and enjoy it.


Bottom line seems like Acura has taken all their design team and got them working on the future acura line up, not caring about the current line up. It was upsetting to see the MMC RL so bland whilst hearing the VP chat about how technically advanced it is.. Ok, so you made a technically advanced piece of cr**, and are holding it up like a trophy for the world to see... "look everybody, we made a piece of crap, that can tell you what the weather is going to be like on the drive home!!"

DUD.

Come on Acura. The grille just looks stupid!

I drove the original RL when it first came out then drove the Infiniti M and was stunned by the difference. The Acura was a dud then and this looks no better.

where are the pictures ????

DUD!!!!!

As a Acura CLS owner, This is my 3rd and last Acura... OMG, what is Acura thinking.

Gee and it's not even April yet, are the Acura exec's also trying to "Advance" April Fools Day to February now? What a joke. Hope Dickie C. has a nice golden parachute, if Honda corporate has any sense they should drop him like a bad habit.

VOTE HERE:

http://www.vtec.net/polls/vote?poll_id=739669

I agree that front grill and nose is not good. However keep in mind this was just an MMC. Pretty agressive changes for an MMC, but they are still redesigning it from scratch in 2010.

The car is already a sales flop so it can't hurt them much. I'm more worried about the TSX and TL being redsigned this year. Are they going to have that ugly buck tooth grill? From the spy shots it appears so! Fire the design team

I was thinking the same thing, but then I think that they did such a bad job with this that no one will come back to look at the RL again when it DOES get redesigned.

Acura would have been smart to copy Infiniti's strategy with the original Q...when they realized they were really, really way off the mark, they just stopped making them, until they had time to do their homework. Of course the follow-up wasn't a big sales success, either, but it was definitely a stronger 2nd attempt, and did not insult the intelligence of their customers.

This is not only one of the ugliest cars that I've seen lately, but I seriously think this is damaging to the whole brand. Luxury buyers definitely care about brand image and the messages it sends...it's part of the luxury "experience" that justifies the higher prices...and I would be embarrassed to drive *ANY* Acura, after seeing this thing.

Their going to need a 10k rebate right out of the gate.

you guys see a DUD?!?!?

look at the car head on..........

I SEE A HAPPY FACE!!!! :)

Shameful dud. Why bother!

I wouldn't even take it for free!!

Dang! I'm sad to say but its a dud. Looks to much like the current Honda Accord to me and the wheels give it a cheap feel. Just is too much Honda and not enough Acura. They could learn from Nissan how to do their luxury brand right and give its own character like they do with Infiniti.

Yeh like the men looking like a Maxima or the QX looking liek an Armada is that what you are refering too?

Well, their RL sales can't get any worse, can they?

well,the interior is great.but the exterior..DUD>

What can I say here? I billion times the motion with everyone else's thoughts here and agree it is a complete DUD!! OMG Acura, you have lost your way that's for sure. I can't fathom the ideas they have had there at the design studio. It looks like a bastardized, last generation Accord. And what is with that hideous front grill? It's like they took Saturn/Opel's front grille and made it hideous! Acura you may need to rethink if you are wanting to play at the segment you created. So sad considering they were the first of the premier Japanese luxury divisions. Now they are left in dust. And not even the RSX anymore!

Acura u need to give this up or come up with a more aggressive awesome body style, and market toward a 30 something 40 something crowd! Leave lexus to the aging baby boomers and go after me!! LOOL! however i don't forsee a young educated person driving this vehicle perhaps a TSX, but a dud for the RL! Please revamp and start fresh, with an attitude and edgy more style! Use Newbalance as and example the company hired more young people to style their shoes, check out the menst collection goodbye black, brown, and blue shoes! U need young, smart, educated people to style u cars!

Congratulations, Acura...who would have thought that anyone could make Bangle look like a genius?

I have never seen so many buttons and knobs on a car. The steering wheel has about 10 it looks like...and I lose count when looking at the center console...its ridiculous.

ACURA = EDSEL. Bye bye Acura. Good riddance. Proof that the bean counters are alive and well in Japan too, not just at Chrysler.
ACURA= A CUR (meaning a mongrel dog)

The last one was a dud...barely if ever saw it on the road...this is a dud too. Go to RWD Honda/Acura! Interior electronics are nice though.

How sad! As a former Acura owner, the great Legend and then 6 TL's this company has fallen on hard times. When my last 2 TL's (03) came off lease I made a decision and went to Hyundai and now own an Azera and Sonata LX and I have never been happier. The new TL's became smaller and I would never buy an RL which was a bland, overpriced dud. So sad!

Listen....I could use your help!

I have leased a 2005 Acura RL. I really loved the handling of the
car, but feel it has become sort of bland to me after three years.

Looking to get into a 2008 RL Tech.

Test drove a LOADED Cadillac CTS yesterday. Looks far more hip
than the RL, but missing a few "perks" such as bluetooth and backup
camera.

The CTS actually costs $30 more per month lease wise (still negotiating
for a better lease price with Cadillac).

Do you think I am better off leasing a 2008 RL since I know what I
have already, or go for the LOADED AWD Cadillac CTS (V6 DI 304hp)?

Thanks!