Acura RL- A rare flop

I think Honda/Acura are suffering from bad word of mouth about their warranty claims and how they leave you out to dry.

You should model Toyota's Service stations, Honda/Acura.......

And the Infiniti M series, with its proliferation of models, was up 1262% from what? ZERO? Yet the Autospies writers practically wet themselves every time they mention that car's name, and proclaim the M to be the biggest success in its class. Even though BMW still sold twice as many of the highly derided 5 series last month as Infiniti sold of the supposedly hotter than hot M series.

You'd be a lot more credible if you'd be a little less obvious about being Infiniti's little paid cheerleading squad.

"enough can't be said about its poor performance (relatively speaking) and poor dynamic feel. The RL definitely has the worst balance and weight in its class and despite the interesting AWD configuration, handling scores are nothing especially stellar."

Well, I guess you know more than the staff of Car and Driver. To them, the allegedly "poor dynamic feel" translated into "the steering is deliciously slick and direct, and the car handles with aplomb at speed". Its "unremarkable braking score" ended up besting the A6, STS, GS and E330, tying with the 5 series, and being bested only slightly by the Jag and the M45.

"handling scores are nothing especially stellar."? CD's skidpad scores placed the RL second after the M45 (with stability control on, and why would you turn it off on an RL?), and its lane change MPH bested all but M45 and A6.

"It lacks the performance of the 5 and M"

The tested M was a V8, but vs. the 530i, the RL bested it in most acceleration figures, matched its braking scores and beat it both in the skidpad and lane change.

lacks "the quality of the GS"

CD gave the RL the highest score in the group for fit and finish, higher than even the GS.

As for lacking "the refinement of the GS", well, that's subjective.

The other interesting thing is that only the M45 was given a higher score in "fun to drive". So according to CD, the RL is more fun to driver than the A6, 530i, STS, Jag S-type, GS430 and E330.

Not a bad showing for a car that you dismiss as being not "much more than a glorified Honda Accord wrapped in more attractive sheet metal." This so-called glorified Accord held its own very nicely against the very cars against which it was designed to compete.

My local Acura dealer is very happy with their RL sales and with its massive improvements in performance and luxury. According to them, it's bringing in people with expensive tastes who would have never shopped Acura before.

So just because Autospies continues to fulfill its contract as the official shills for Infiniti week after week by dissing all of the M's competitors doesn't mean that the vague and unsubstantiated claims that they make about how disappointing it is to the dealers are true. Seems that, coming from them, such statements are suspiciously self-serving.

I agree w/you 100% on this. Read your post and you hit the bull's eye!!!!! Nice job! I think its one of the best lookin sedan out there!!! Truely technological marvel also backed w/rock solid reliablility!

I agree w/you 100% on this. Read your post and you hit the bull's eye!!!!! Nice job! I think its one of the best lookin sedan out there!!! Truely technological marvel also backed w/rock solid reliablility!

Even though I've been defending the RL from some of these (what I consider) unfair criticisms, I'm not blind to its faults:

- The snug back seat and the smallish trunk were not a good call. It doesn't have to be a limo, but a car in this class should be able to transport two in the back with adequate room and luggage for 4. The RL struggles here. But to a perhaps lesser extent, so does its most obvious inspiration (A6).
- As nice as the SH-AWD is, it makes the RL too "porky". And it would be nice if it was a little less front heavy... even the A6 with its similar design philosophy isn't as front heavy.
- Either more torque, less weight or both, but the RL would benefit with a bit more grunt off the line. Just about everywhere else, the engine has ample power. And "nose in the air" purists notwithstanding, pitching a fit about the lack of a V8 is much more of a case of penis envy that a real problem.
- It's almost a crime that with all of the standard equipment this car has, it saddles the front seat passenger with a low lux 4 way power seat just like the Accord EX V6. That's inexcusable for a $50000 car, and whoever made that product decision should be fired at once. Heck, even a $26000 car like the Accord EX V6should have 8 way for the passenger, IMO.
- Styling is so subjective, but I can understand that some people may interpret the "simple and elegant" RL styling as bland. I myself prefer the "simple and elegant" approach to things like the weird banglisms of the BMW, the bottom feeder grille on the A6 and the way overstyled taillights on the M.

Back to the M, regardless of all of their posturing and claims that they're getting their interiors back to being competitive, the M's dash is an overstyled and ergonomic disaster. And the wood grain... oh my god. The damn thing is so loaded with wood in such weird places that it channels rec rooms circa the 1970's. Someone teach those people something about having a little restraint where it counts. Sometimes Infiniti's motto of "edgy for the sake of being edgy" works against it, and this is definitely one of those times. If the M is any example of the "new and improved" Infiniti interior, Lexus, Acura and Audi still have nothing to worry about... Infiniti still has a long way to go.

How the "stretched Accord" beat out the 5 series and Audi A6 in the opinion of the experts at Car and Driver. At least they actually see and drive all these cars, rather than hiding behind the bigotry of "it's gotta be V8 and RWD" like some of the posters here, and of course the "paid to have a particular opinion" staff at Autospies.

As shown by Audi first and now Acura, not every single car in this class has to imitate the BMW template. There is room for alternatives.

And they sure aren't giving the RL away in my market, and the dealers aren't pissed here. I guess there must be enough buyers here who are astute enough to realize that the mid luxury market doesn't have to be an endless stream of BMW 5 Series clones/wannabees.

Glad to hear that you're so happy with your RL. At the end of the day, that's what really counts, right? Not the biased comments of these posters and Autospies writers who wouldn't know an original way of thinking if it fell on them. Who (as I said earlier) wet themselves repeatedly whenever the M is mentioned, because it's the latest in a line of BMW wannabees that follows that "nothing but a V8 and RWD" mindset that they just can't get beyond.

Anyone who says that the RL is a nothing but a stretched Accord should perhaps either drive one themselves, or at least if they must test drive cars by review, read something other than what appears on this sorry website. Then maybe they'll realize that there is life in the mid sized luxury car market outside of blatant ripoffs of BMW concepts like the M.

And I still haven't seen any proof of these so-called pissed dealers that have to give the RLs away. I wouldn't be a bit surprised that they are a figment of the imagination of the Autospies staff, and this figment just gives them one more sensationalistic article to write.

In other words, show us the money or shut up about these "dealers".

I have to laugh... here we have this article that starts with a diss of the RL from the notorious Infiniti sycophants and apologists that make up the so-called "editorial" staff on this site. And what's just above it? The constant whirling and twirling of the Infiniti M, compliments of the ad from Infiniti Scottsdale.

Yeah, you're sure getting objective journalism from this site. My ass. But Infiniti fans sure know where to come when they need an empty praise fix, because they get it here all the time.

RL sales up up 225.7% 6,867 sold <------Bloggers..what's your point of debating here in relation to RL??????????? Its doin awesome!

RL sales up up 225.7% 6,867 sold <------Bloggers..what's your point of debating here in relation to RL??????????? Its doin awesome!

American Honda Reports May Sales Results
American Honda light truck sales and Acura Division set new May records

TORRANCE, Calif., June 1, 2005 – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted sales of 122,169 Honda and Acura vehicles in May, with record May sales of light truck models. American Honda light truck sales rose 14.3 percent to 52,032 units. American Honda year-to-date sales totaled 565,948 units, up 0.9 percent on a daily selling rate basis.

Honda Division posted May sales of 103,484 cars and light trucks, down 10.1 percent against last year’s all-time best May. Record Pilot sales for the 12th consecutive month helped push Honda light truck sales to a new May record of 47,272 units, a 15.3 percent jump over the previous year’s record results.

Pilot sales rose 17.9 percent to 10,107 units, while Odyssey sales increased 6.6 percent to 16,412 and CR-V sales increased 5.4 percent to 12,627. Total Honda sales for the calendar year of 479,747 reflected a slight decrease of 0.4 percent compared to last year’s all-time record results. Year-to-date Honda light truck sales rose 15.8 percent to 217,664 minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks.

Record Acura Division May sales rose 9.1 percent to 18,685 cars and light trucks, including a 225.7 percent increase of the RL sports luxury sedan with 1,404 units sold, and a 6.1 percent increase in sales of the TL with 7,032 units. Acura year-to-date sales of 86,201 rose 8.7 percent versus a year ago.

American Honda Reports May Sales Results
American Honda light truck sales and Acura Division set new May records

TORRANCE, Calif., June 1, 2005 – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted sales of 122,169 Honda and Acura vehicles in May, with record May sales of light truck models. American Honda light truck sales rose 14.3 percent to 52,032 units. American Honda year-to-date sales totaled 565,948 units, up 0.9 percent on a daily selling rate basis.

Honda Division posted May sales of 103,484 cars and light trucks, down 10.1 percent against last year’s all-time best May. Record Pilot sales for the 12th consecutive month helped push Honda light truck sales to a new May record of 47,272 units, a 15.3 percent jump over the previous year’s record results.

Pilot sales rose 17.9 percent to 10,107 units, while Odyssey sales increased 6.6 percent to 16,412 and CR-V sales increased 5.4 percent to 12,627. Total Honda sales for the calendar year of 479,747 reflected a slight decrease of 0.4 percent compared to last year’s all-time record results. Year-to-date Honda light truck sales rose 15.8 percent to 217,664 minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks.

Record Acura Division May sales rose 9.1 percent to 18,685 cars and light trucks, including a 225.7 percent increase of the RL sports luxury sedan with 1,404 units sold, and a 6.1 percent increase in sales of the TL with 7,032 units. Acura year-to-date sales of 86,201 rose 8.7 percent versus a year ago.

T Thompson... while you have the right to your opinion, the fact remains that this "sad bland flop" beat all of its competition in the Car and Driver comparison, with the exception of the M. That includes BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Cadillac and Audi. That's certainly a far more credible assessment of the car than a 5 minute look on a dealer lot from someone who had already decided that he didn't like the car before he saw it, and only did so to placate his son. As if we could expect any remotely objective or positive comments from someone who approaches the whole thing with such a negative attitude.

Uptopic, rlguy went to the RL after owning several Lexus models and has nothing but good things to say about it.

As for me, I'll take the word of the experts and the owners over that of someone who had such a case of prejudice that he didn't even want to bother looking at the car.