jhr3uva90

Based on what I've seen around the Web, it seems like the reaction to the new RLX is a big, collective "meh." Does anyone love this car? Does anyone "really like" this car? It seems like the second-generation RL garnered more passion than the RLX.

KeithL

I wanted to like it because I wanted to come back to Acura from Infiniti, but as hard as I try I just can't love it, but I have been bitten by the RWD bug after years of FWD or AWD. I would be interested in the SH-SH-AWD, but between what is likely to be a Hugh price premium and just conservative styling I am either going to stay Infiniti or gamble on a 4G AWD TL for next 18 months and see what they do with TLX.

getakey

I bought my 05RL for the technology, not the styling. Right now, I like the RLX for the technology except for the FWD. I might love the Hybrid RLX.

wstr75

I'm with Getakey. I'm not interested in the FWD version and am hoping the AWD hybrid is the ticket. Otherwise, no more Acuras for me when my present RL is put out to pasture.

I sat in a RLX last Saturday but did not drive it as it was closing time at the dealership. The car looks good in a Lexus LS kind of way, which is in a manner of speaking is saying that it has a more sedate appearance, less of sporty look than my 2006 RL.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

It's hard to love it when it does not really inspire much passion. It feels a little too calculated in some of its execution. I have yet to drive it, so that may influence my ultimate thoughts about it, but for the moment, I believe that the collective "meh" is appropriate.

That said, I did get to sit in it and that back seat is enormous. I see this being a very comfortable sedan to be driven around in.

Sonor Kid 2

The styling just doesn't inspire anything but "ok"...
It's roomy and has some of the great technology features you would expect but there is nothing special about this car, the front end with those LED's looks cheesy and overall there is nothing that inspires that feeling of "class".
The 3rd gen TL was Acura's last great sedan, there's a reason they sold so many.
I was really hoping to buy this car, first they screw up the TL and now the RL, I hope the new TLX get's it right.

acuralvr1

I really like the FWD RLX. I test drove it and wrote a long review in another post. I'm waiting for the Hybrid RLX to come out too. Want better gas mileage and need AWD.

The hybrid RLX will look almost exactly the same as the current P-AWS version. The technology is better than most anything out there. I don't think hardly anyone else has Lane Assist. This is amazing stuff- the car drives itself when you add CBMS and ACC. You can take your hands off the wheel and the car steers itself and will break by itself when it senses barriers in front; i.e another car.

Yes, it's a bit conservative, but so is the Lexus GS/LS, Infiniti M, BMW 5 Series, MB C/E's and Cadillacs.

g37guy01

Maybe what you are saying is the issue with sales. People who buy a BMW want to drive the car. People who buy an Acura want the car to drive them.

ostrich

I cannot love or dislike this car when I have not even seen it in person, let alone driving it.

Shotgun

Wall Street Journal's Dan Neil "may" have put the nail in the RLX's coffin. His review was devastating. Anyone heard from TampaRL? Would love to hear his views...

JonFo

The majority of the target market A) does not read car reviews in WSJ, B) does not hang out on automotive enthusiast forums C) does not drive cars aggressively enough to even notice FWD vs. RWD Vs. AWD

Therefore, extrapolating possible sales success from the enthusiast bench reactions is probably not as indicative as one might think. Directional maybe, but not predictive.

Personally, I'm not 'in love', and I'm waiting for the Sports Hybrid. If it is what I expect, basically the NSX drivetrain wrapped in a nice four-door, then I'll be a happy camper.

The styling is inoffensive, with a few nice touches (the lights) but not anything that will ignite the car-lovers passions. Now the NSX sure can, but not this RLX.

neuronbob

+1

Probably on another cruise. Hope so, he deserves it.

g37guy01

That's what's keep saying. I could care less what's written in the automotive press, good or bad. The only thing the press is good for is talking points on Internet forums.

jhr3uva90

1. The majority of the target market does not read car magazines/sites, but many do read the Wall Street Journal.

2. After reading the Wall Street Journal for many years, I have come to the conclusion that their car reviewers generally think Asian cars are inferior to European cars.

3. The majority of the target market cares most about BRAND. Why spend $50K on a car if the whole world can't tell it's a $50K car? Or as a friend of mine said when I told her about the new Hyundai Equuis, why spend $50K on an Hyundai?

4. If Acura really wanted to be "tier one," they should have started spending billions on world wide brand building back in the 1990s.

5. I think Honda is well aware that the Acura RL/RLX will never be a big seller. I think their purpose for the RL/RLX has been to use it as a way to test out new technologies in a production model. If the technologies prove popular and can be produced more cheaply, they will end up in the next TL/TLX.

Jerzyboi

As a whole both companies are conservative so as someone said most points about the RLX were calculated. If anything, all the negative remarks to the P-AWS model is actually fueling people's interest in the "SH2-AWD" (Calculated decision?). Idk if they felt p-aws would be overlooked if both came out at once but i wouldn't be surprised if that kind of thought came in discussions here and there.

TonyCD

It's worth mentioning that Dan Neil showered the previous-gen RL with praise when it came out for 2005.

I've checked out the RLX at an auto show. I have not driven it. The sense I get by comparing the 2005 intro of the RL with the launch of the RLX is that Honda itself was much more juiced about that car and more passionate about trying to make it exceptional. The sense I get about the FWD version of the RLX is that it's explicitly a placeholder until the more technically interesting hybrid AWD version arrives in a year or so.

And when its own maker appears to feel "meh" about the new model, one can't be surprised that neutral observers and consumers come away feeling likewise.

JM2010 SH-AWD

I like the car. Haven't driven one, but spent a lot of time looking at one inside and out. It's stylish (but conservative) with a very nice and spacious interior containing all the necessary features at this level, with Acura reliability and value retention.

If I were looking for a car in this class, the RLX would get serious consideration.

At this point, I prefer something a little more driving oriented. As some have said, the SH-AWD version may well be that car, combining a detuned NSX drivetrain (turned backwards) with the comfort features and space of this car, all while returning 30 mpg. I wonder what potshots Dan Neil will find to aim at that car.

neuronbob

Now that the first full month of sales is over, apparently 336 people like the car which is almost as many as bought the 2G RL all of last year.

Colin

What? That's only two weeks of sales.

silver3.5

I wonder what was the sales number for the same amount of time for the 2G RL when it first came out? That would be an interesting comparison!

tat28170

iTrader: (1)

Having sat in one at a car show, I can without a doubt say "meh". I personally like the Lexus LS, but the RLX left me kind of cold. I did however like the looks inside, and out. The technology was nice, although some of the features seemed like they would get a little old with ownership. I did however really like the headlights.

ostrich

Interestingly, Mr. Neil did not think that the RL was like a "compulsively over-equipped Honda Accord". In fact, he seemed to love the RL when it came out in 2004. In fact, it was on his "car of year list" (see below). However, he now thinks that BOTH the RL and the RLX are tarted up Accords. Inconsistency is not a good thing in journalism, especially when what you write can always be found again... ;-)

Expert Reviews
By Dan Neil
Los Angeles Times November 24, 2004

I was an audiophile in college. Incorrigible, really. I shouldn't have been allowed within 100 yards of an audio.

My stereo system comprised a 400-watt McIntosh amp and preamp, four Klipsch speakers, an anvil-heavy Thorens turntable and a Tascam reel-to-reel four-track recording deck. I remember standing outside my burning apartment in worse-for-wear BVDs and hearing - as if they were Clarice's bleating sheep - these components shriek and sizzle and puddle together with some 500 albums and tapes.

So much for that hobby.

After the fire, I bought some consumer-quality stereo equipment and settled down to a life of aural mediocrity, never again to savor fully the depth and nuance of my Black Oak Arkansas records.

But in the last decade or so I have monitored, with what I like to think is a fairly accomplished ear, the changes in car audio, not all of which have been positive. The self-deafening fetish of kilowatt amplifiers and seismic subwoofers loud enough to cause cattle to spontaneously abort ... well, that's not so great. When enough kids lose their hearing or develop tinnitus, the aftermarket manufacturers of these systems are going to get slapped with the mother of all class-action lawsuits.

Other technologies are just gimmicks. Programmable DSP (Digital Sound Processing) essentially increases reverb levels to mimic the spatial acoustics of different rooms, for instance, "club," "concert hall" or "stadium." That's just what I want: Mozart at the Meadowlands.

In the Acura RL, however, I think I've found the perfect car audio system. It's transportation for the soul.

Like its sibling the TL, the RL is equipped with a Bose DVD-Audio sound system. DVD-Audio is a recording format that contains some 500 times the amount of information of a standard audio CD. These DVD-A CDs - remastered from original recordings - create a superb spatial illusion by putting individual instruments and voices across eight surround-sound channels, so convincingly that you will find yourself checking the back seat to see if Milli and Vanilli have their seat belts on.

Even with ordinary CDs the system's processors helpfully divvy up the two stereo channels into a fairly convincing surround-sound experience, using what Bose calls its Centerpoint processing. The lowest frequencies are parsed from the other channels and pumped through the woofers.

So it's super hi-fi surround sound with exceptional audio imaging - Lionel Hampton sounds like he's playing vibes on your ribs, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan warbles at the edge of the afterlife. Amazing.

A car, however, is not a living room. It's a cramped space full of hard, reflective surfaces and soft, absorbent materials, so each car's cabin has its unique acoustic features. Meanwhile, cars are noisy. Mechanical sounds from the powertrain, road noise and wind noise all compete with an audio system.

Most of the automakers that use Bose systems, including Acura, make use of the company's Audiopilot noise compensation system, which monitors cabin noise - say, the whistle of a partially opened moon roof or the churring white noise from rough pavement - and boosts amplitude in certain frequencies to compensate. Audiopilot can be found in everything from Corvettes to Maseratis to Maybachs.

Unique to Acura is its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system. In principle, it works just like Bose's noise-canceling headsets (which makes me wonder why Bose doesn't market a system like it). ANC monitors low-frequency cabin noise (around 100 hertz or lower) and then reproduces the signal 180 degrees out of phase, which has the effect of muting the booming low-frequency sound in the cabin. Call it the sounds of silence.

ANC operates whether or not the audio system is turned on. As soon as you turn the ignition switch, the cabin fills with a cottony, comfortably numb quiet above which the richer and more pleasant sounds of the car and stereo can be heard.

The rundown of the RL's audio system goes like this: a 10-speaker, 260-watt surround-sound audio system, with six-disc in-dash changer, compatible with DVD-Audio/CD/MP3/WMA formats (Don't know what they are? Ask your kids), as well as XM satellite radio with a free one-year subscription.

The RL is a veritable landslide of in-car technology - including a surprisingly lucid voice-recognition system parlaying with the audio, climate, Bluetooth phone and navigation systems (560 voice commands, such as "Find nearest Vietnamese restaurant" ... and later, if you fall ill: "Find nearest hospital"). It even recognizes spoken addresses, so you can say the address - "Two-Oh-Two West First Street" - and the system will find it for you without your spinning and punching in letters as if you were working a Dymo tape machine. The nav system also includes a Zagat restaurant guide - it will dial selected restaurants for you - and split-screen 3-D route guidance.

Brace yourself, Angelenos: The RL offers real-time traffic information. Using data culled from Caltrans and other sources and put up on the XM satellite, the RL's nav system displays traffic slowdowns, road construction and SigAlerts. The system will even route you around these arterial blockages if you ask it.

Of course, if it means another 30 minutes in the virtual presence of Alison Krauss or Elliott Smith, maybe you are not in that big a hurry.

At some point this car gets to be so accommodating it's funny. The keyless access system, for example, uses a transmitter key that you keep in your pocket. When you approach, the car recognizes the key and will unlock itself. When you leave, you need only wave your hand over the outside handle to lock it.

Retractable rear headrests? Check. Power rear sunscreen? Check. Retractable rear window sunscreens? Road-following headlamps? All right, already.

Oh, yes, it goes like a bat out of heck, too (no FCC fines for me). Powered by a purling 3.5- liter V6 putting out a thoroughly overachieving 300 horsepower (and getting 18/26 EPA mileage to boot), the five-speed RL also features Honda/Acura's new "Super Handling" all-wheel drive system (feel free to laugh at the name). What's so super? Simply put, the electronically controlled rear transaxle accelerates the outside wheel in a corner - according to traction, load and yaw rate compared with steering angle - thereby helping the car turn.

You have to drive this car pretty hard to notice the effect; most of the time it simply drives with effortless and unremarkable élan, like a 300-horsepower Acura with a hall pass from Professor Isaac Newton. The steering is perfectly weighted and lively. The car feels utterly at ease on its double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension. Even though it lacks the baroque suspension engineering of some of its rivals - the Lexus and Audi air suspensions, the Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control - the ride is well damped and locked down, an impression amplified, as it were, by the car's electronically derived quiet. Fresh snowfall, anyone?

Beautifully styled inside and out and built with a precision that Rockwell might envy, the Acura RL is now on top of my car-of-the-year list. It's a real-world list that excludes my drugs of choice like the Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz E500 wagon. The RL comes in one trim only - loaded like a drunken Shriner - and costs $49,470, which may constitute the best dollar-to-feature ratio in the luxury sedan segment.

For a lot of car shoppers, the price will be music to their ears.

2005 Acura RL

Price, as tested: $49,470

Powertrain: 3.5-liter, SOHC, 24-valve V-6, variable-valve timing and lift, electronic throttle control; five-speed automatic transmission with sequential sport-shift and manual paddle-shift mode; all-wheel drive

EPA mileage: 18 miles per gallon city, 26 highway

Horsepower: 300 at 6,200 rpm

Torque: 260 pound-feet at 5,000 rpm

0-60 mph: 6 seconds

Wheelbase: 110.2 inches

Overall length: 193.6 inches

Competitors: Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic

Final thoughts: So complete, only failure is not an option

Automotive critic Dan Neil can be reached at dan.neil@latimes.com.

jshaw

Once upon a time, the RL was competitive. It's not anymore. When a car is great, it doesn't matter what it's based on. It could of been built in a Ford Pinto, as long as it was better than anything else out there, no one would really care.

At the time, being based on the best midsize sedan was a great thing, and the RL was an even better version of great. Then the accord got bloated, and the RL was severely outstripped by even it's home competition less than a couple of years later (5 speed V6 300HP vs 8 speed V8 380HP... with identical MPG on the massive Lexus, too - some may point out the LS is a whole class up, and that's the point, isn't it? At any rate, the RL stood no chance vs the updated Infiniti M and Lexus GS - both of which had more powerful V8 and similar MPG).

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yup, the only year the RL has ever been competitive was in 2005 and the 2g RL first launched. Like you said, its powertrain was overshadowed within a year as its power wasn't all that impressive while being a bit of a gas guzzler. Not only that, it was relatively cramped inside, especially rear space. Its styling was too conservative for most people as well (although I'm still a big fan of that styling, especially with either a Mugen or Amuse kit!). It also didn't help when the RL had very limited trim levels.

The new model seems to have fixed a lot of these issues. First, its interior is on par with everyone else, especially rear space. The power output in the FWD version is average but its mpg is top notch. There are several trim levels to choose from so buyers now have choices. Its styling is still relatively bland but it's more elegant than before I'd say.

a35tl

I happen to like the RLX. I probably wouldn't buy one for myself because I'm more of a TL guy but I would love for one of my parents to own one. I think it would serve either of them well. It isn't the most dynamic vehicle out there for sure but I think it's a fine car that should suit its target customers very well. Haven't seen one in person yet but from the pictures I think the interior is beautiful, especially in lighter hues.

rsx2rdx

I agree the light-colored RLX's look pretty nice...particularly in white. I think the RLX will be more successful if it differentiates itself from the TL/TLX. So while Acura calls it the "flagship" and advertises it with some younger looking old-rich dude on there commercial, the real target is the retirement/baby-boomer crowd..say late 40, 50+. This group may overlook some of the style and performance aspects of the car for one that emphasizes comfort, safety and reliability. Some of those can not justify paying 70K for the Lexus LS so the RLX provides a nice alternative.

JM2010 SH-AWD

Wow, quite an about-face from Mr. Neil on the RL/RLX merits.

The new car is vastly better in all ways (putting aside styling, which of course is subjective) except for lacking AWD, but the forthcoming AWD car will address that.

He indeed seems to have forgotten the praise he abundantly heaped on the "over-equipped Accord."

Adding further to the grains of salt with which I read car reviews.

4thaccord

In my opinion there is actually no "about-face" from Dan Neil at all. The RLX truly is a "compulsively over-equipped" version of the CURRENT Accord. However there was a much bigger gap in all facets between the original RL and the 2005 version of the Accord. The Accord itself has come farther than the RL/RLX has, and thus the gap between the 2 has closed considerably.

H_CAR

Which makes me ask the question, is an Audi A6 or BMW 5 series that much nicer than the RLX? I didn't think so. Is the Accord THAT much less nicer than the RLX? I also didn't think so. But because of the experience of having a luxury car and the added features I still think the RLX is worth a serious look over something like an Accord. The RLX competes well in it's class IMO. So have mid-size cars gotten too up-scale?

JM2010 SH-AWD

^^Interesting question. For example, the '13 Accord Touring is quite a nice car. Really no one would ever need more than this car offers. I understand the difference b/t need and want, but yes, the everyday brands are really upping their game. The competition in the mid-priced sedan segment is white hot, and it's pushing these cars ever closer to near luxury or even luxury status, depending on how you define those.

KES

The RL does not have enough "want" for me. Seriously $55k+ for the RL there is not enough to drive me to move beyond the TL. That said the BMW 5 to me would drive me above the needs to the want. I actually like the Accord better than the RL. I was in one in the showroom yesterday and it was nice...just not nice enough for the price for me. That said I will definetely look for one used in a couple of years. With the low sales of the previous RLs there are very few of them out there in the used market.

KeithL

I would not say the Accord is less nice, it just has less features and lower quality materials. The leather is not as nice, less sound deadening materials, the touch screen is smaller and lower resolution, shorter warranty, no free loaners, etc. sure you could argue is is $25K less quality, maybe not, but is a BMW justified at more?

Sonor Kid 2

+1

jhr3uva90

Let's see. The RLX has more horsepower and torque than the TL, is more fuel-efficient, is quieter, has more advanced features, and is made in Japan. I probably wouldn't pay MSRP for an RLX, but I think it is a good deal at close to invoice price. I would definitely pick it over the TL, especially since the current TL is basically the US designed and built variation of the 2005 RL.

ScottBjorn3D

We love our RLX. We got a white one with the Krell package. They gave us 1500.00 off MSRP and gave us 9500.00 for our 2006 RL that had 136,000 miles on her. She was a good car but had two rear end bumper hits and my daughter ran the passenger side down a tree. Did not break the paint but creased the car up.

I was amazed at the deal they gave us.

KeithL

When they take $5K off the Advance I may become interested.

neuronbob

Welcome to AZ. Don't forget to post in the new owner sign in at the top of the forum.

It looks like you go a pretty good deal. Don't let your daughter run this one into (or near) a tree, k?

H_CAR

I get free loaners from my Honda dealer, even the ones I didn't buy the car from.

ScottBjorn3D

Thanks I will. Also the car does really get 30MPG+ on the highway. My wife drive 100 mile round trip to work and back, 85% is on 4 lane highway the rest is in-town driving. Everytime I fill the car up it says it is averaging 30.xx MPG.

4thaccord

I don't mean this sarcastically at all: do you mean the amount they gave you for your old RL was a good deal? Because I saved way more than $1,500 on my new Accord, even though the model had just come out. So saving that on a very expensive car doesn't seem that much to me. And considering the market for the RLX, they should be discounting it WAY more than that IMO.