The least Acura could do is load up the RL with little luxury touches that it doesn't have now, but are available on competitors. Vented or cooled seats, for starters. AFS should be std, not optional. (they do include blue tooth without nav, which is good). Illuminated scuff plates? (yeah, I know, it sounds stupid, but when you are making the argument as to why not just get an Accord...).

I will say that the leather in the RL is far and away better than the Accord and even the TL--much closer to the Lexus.

I agree with TwiBluG35's sales strategy--that was one of the reasons I bought the prior gen TL--everything was standard except for nav. You got a lot of car for the money. But, $50K can get you the RL, the M35x or the GS350 AWD--it's not quite a slam dunk. If I could walk into the Acura dealer and get an RL that had everything a GS430 or M45 had, for $5-8K less than either of them, without playing games as to "You must buy this option to get that option," I'd be much more inclined to do it. OR---just build a car that beats them all hands down....

Maybe they can follow the Infiniti strategy by dumping the RL and making
the next gen TL spectacular with SH-AWD.

To all the people who are advocating a V-8 engine in this car, I want to remind you that the weight distribution in this car with a V-6 is about 60/40. If they stuffed a V-8 in there, the weight distribution would be horrendous! Plus they would would have extend the front overhang, and it would look all messed up!

Simply put, they messed up on the basics of this car, but got alot of the details right. If they base they're engineering on a proper luxury platform next time, it will be vastly improved. Stuffing a V-8 in there now would just produce a car with terrible handling.

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I dont think anyone is suggesting the take the decent, but conservative and boring, current car and drop in a V8. I think that most are suggesting they go back to the drawing board and create an entirely new RL which is a true flagship model.

I think it's a unique and great vehicle. The interior just has too many buttons though, I wish it incorporated that dial thing everyone has now like on the JDM Odyssey. I'd LOVE to own one. I don't care that it's a V6, it still delivers 300hp with SH-AWD, CMBS, AFS, and ACC. More power would be great, but I'm sure Honda has a logical reason why they didn't.


^hotness.

wooow, I like this one.

They are not really based on the same platform. They are based on what Honda calls the Mid Sized Global Platform. Honda Specifically created these global platforms to be easily modified into whatever chassis they needed within that mid sized range. They also have a Light Truck Global Platform which the Van and SUV's use. The Global Platform in itself is not the chassis for any car and can't be used in itself. It has to be modified and configured to what is needed. In the end, the Global Platform turns into an Accord Platform, and/or it can also turn into the RL Platform. Thd RL and Accord at the end are NOT the same. RL is an aluminum chassis, AWD, longer, wider. It is not a simple stretch and pull. That is the beauty of the Global Platform. Honda can make it into anything it wants and needs. FWD, RWD, AWD, whatever.

In the old days Honda used to use two chassis for the Legend. One for the Coupe and one for the Sedan. It was the KA7 and KA8 chassis. This ends up being expensive. I think it is great that companies can share platforms if it works with another car. Keeps cost down and they can put the money saved to other areas of the car. This is evident in the RL. It has one of the most luxurious and plush interiors in its class. People may not like the styling of the car, but very few can legitimately find fault in the materials used, quality and fit and finish.

On the current RL maybe. However, have you driven an RL lately? With SH-AWD that negative 60/40 weight is NON Existent. The RL even though it may look like a front heavy pig on paper drives more like a RWD car than many actual RWD cars. If you didn't know it was a FWD based AWD car you'd think it was a RWD car. Now, I'm not praising the cars chassis and suspension here, I'm praising SH-AWD. It really does make the car behave in a manner it should not (Meaning neutral RWD).

I don't think Acura should put a V8 in the current KB1 RL. However, I'd love to see it in the next generation RL, or keep the RL a V6 and introduce a new higher model over the RL with the V8.

IMHO, one of the reasons why Honda has been reluctant to get into the HP war until very late in the game is because I believe that had a philosophy to build what the car needs, not what the people think they need. For example, 300HP is more than enough in reality to drive any car around on US roads. In fact, 200 HP would probably get the job done. All these high HP cars are really just statistical bragging rights. We don't really need 300 HP to drive on the freeway or to work. All these cars are capable of well over 100 MPH and under 7 seconds 0-60.

In the late 90's, when Honda send out the engineers that built the original NSX to NSX owners homes to discuss what owners wanted in the next NSX, most owners obviously said more HP. The response was that much more HP is NOT needed because the majority of buyers can't handle much more power. They use what works for the car, and don't put more HP just because it looks good on paper. Anyway, that thinking was probably why it wasn't until the last few years that Honda/Acura started putting higher HP into their cars just to match their competitors.

I don't particularly believe that old Honda philosophy myself. I believe you should simply give the customer an engine choice. A V6 standard and a V8 option. Just lilke with other cars that have this choice like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, the V6 version would outsell the V8 option by a wide margin, but at least you give the customer the choice, and you **** the critics up.

I read somewhere recently that both the RL and TL were due for complete revisions in 09. Might have been Edmunds. If I can find the article, I'll post a link. The anemic powerplant is what kept me from buying the latest generation when it was released. More oomph would = more sales IMO.

Leave it and keep doing R&D because eventually they will nail it. The thing is they are already five years behind the rest of the luxury ball game so I'd love to see what they have up there sleeves.

I have to agree with you here. A lot of people always say the RL lacks in power department (290hp), but then later question why do car nowadays need that much power when 200hp would get the job done.

The power is enough unless you want bragging rights. And if you want bragging rights, get a mercedes E55.

Sorry all, I misunderstood, I thought people were advocating putting a V-8 into the current RL. I'm sure if they engineered a new platform with a V-8 in mind, it would be much more balanced. As for SHAWD, I have not driven it, I'm just basing my opinion on the data available to me.

I don't see too many criticisms of Lexus or Infiniti for using the same "platform" for the IS/GS or G/M, so regardless of how similar the TL/RL platform is, big deal?

RL = rebadged Legend

I think 300 HP is enough for a car like this, but in this day and age in America, it's not always about horse power. Carmakers like Lexus, MB, BMW, etc. know that a lot of people relate bigger engines with prestige. Honestly, does any car really need a V12? It's all about status.

Then again, Honda/Acura may be sticking with a V6 to help keep fuel consumption down. Hey, they aren't the most fuel efficient car company in America for nothing!

To make the RL sell in the US, I think it would have to be a little bigger with V8 power.