These guys (mmarshall & JLSC4) truely know stuff.

What's your home address so I can pay a visit and shake hands?

Don't let these awesome posts slip by. Read above quotes from mmarshall and JLSC4 again..... and again, and again. i told ya the RL uses some crazy stuff. This car is no joke. And yes, both the exterior and interior are top notch in craftsmanship. I ain't no Honda fan boy but the truth needs to be spoken. Why hide it....?

lolz....


I was strictly talking in terms of build quality about the RL, not the styling or horsepower/torque performance. Give credit where it's due..... meow meow.

 

No, I have never driven the latest gen RL, but I have driven an 04' RL. It was very nice. I do not doubt that the new RL is a fine car either. I am sure the new RL is very nice too and I love the styling of the car. I may have made my point come across the wrong way- sorry. I guess what I was trying to say is the car should stay "as-is", but they need to come up with a totally different car to compete with the Lexus LS460 and the Mercedes S-Class. I assumed since it was their largest/most luxurious car available that it would be in competetion alittle with the LS and S-Class. RL should stay competing with the models you mentioned - but they should design and sell a much larger RWD car, with a V8 engine. Something to compete directly with the LS, S-Class, 7-Series, Phaeton, etc. Call it the " Acura PL" (for premium luxury) or something. ??

 

Yes...it is obvious, from the photo, that the current-generation non-U.S.-market Legend is the same car as the U.S.-market RL, in the same manner that the Infiniti Q45 was the Nissan Cima.

The Lexus LS460 has a Toyota-badged equivalent in Japan, too, but I don't recall the name of it (it's not the Cressida or Century).

 

Celsior?...

 

no......... ls460 is ls460, everywhere else in the world, including japan.

it's only the previous LS (ls400 and ls430) that were named celsior in japan

 

Thanks, meowCat.

The arguement is often made (with at least some merit) that Acura should have a V8, RWD/AWD flagship like Lexus and Infiniti. I partially, but don't entirely, disagree with that....there would be a place for a car like that.

But, as it may, there is simply no getting around the RL's superb workmanship, build quality, materials, and the sophistication of the SH-AWD system....it is one of the best modern cars I've seen, and a refreshing change from the cheapness and flimsiness of the materials used in so many cars today, especially the interiors. I look at, and review, a lot of cars, both at auto shows and dealerships....and not much else on the market today has the solidness this car does. And the V6, even with the drag of the automatic and AWD, will get out of its own way.......though not a Mercedes AMG-type torque monster, it has enough power for all sensible driving. If I had 45-50K to spend on a car, an RL would be in my parking space. 35-40K, though, is usually my limit.

It's not just the RL that sways me either. The Lexus LS460, another superb car, is the RL's equal or better....but for different reasons. It has different strengths and weaknesses than the RL. The LS460's interior material solidness and RWD winter traction aren't quite up to the RL's (though the LS460, granted, is very plush and polished inside). But the LS460's tomb-like quietness, insanely good Mark Levinson stereo, abundant power, mirror-like paint, excellent reliability record, and Self-Park system (if you can figure it out) are all benchmarks.

 

Mike, I really don't understand why you think the RL is so well built. TO me its on par with its class, it didn't blow me away at all. I hated the center console, the wood seemed odd and the area around the gear **** was full of plastic to the armrest (they added much needed wood in the 09 model).

The LS issuperior, IMO, the one thing I can't understand about the LS is the IS door feels heavier than the LS door. That always freaks me out

Is the RL a fine car? Considering its based on the FWD global Accord platform, its pretty amazing how you wouldn't know that. However, I find the competition way to intense and the RL just gets lost one way or the other.


I haven't sat in it yet but I prefer the 09 interior


I like it with this wood option.



I find this so underwhelming its not even funny. It does not look 50, 40, or 30k.




For all intents and purposes, I find the new Accord interior 90% as good at 50% the cost.



My favorite Acura is the TL interior.

 

There has NEVER been a Toyota-badged equivalent of the LS460 in Japan or anywhere in the world. The LS460 was launched after the official introduction of the Lexus brand in Japan, so it's strictly a Lexus anywhere in the world.

OTOH , the LS430 & LS400's before were Toyota Celsior's in Japan.

 

mmarshal and I are not the only ones who think the RLs interior is fantastic and best in its class, most say the interior is the RLs best feature. I think the way the wood looks and arcs around the front dash and how the door handles are integrated is spectacular and everything felt very high quality and built like a tank in all the RLs I sat in. I loved the precise feedback from all the buttons and switches and you can certainly tell there was alot of attention paid to the interior of this car to be among the best available. I found the RL interior to be in a league above its competition and the only other car I have been in that is in the same league was the LS460 and Audi A8 but some may disagree.

Sick, do you like the current GS interior better? If so what do you like better? I was disappointed with the new GS interior and found quality lacking in some areas, the dash material felt cheaper then what is on the 2nd Gen GS, it felt hollow,harder and not that durable. It did not feel as well put together as the current GS and there were noticeable squeaks and rattles on my test drive. It had less headroom and felt more confined then the 2nd Gen GS and RL, the RL has bigger interior dimensions. The buttons and switches in the 3rd GS did feel higher quality then the 2nd Gen and some of the other details were nicer like around the shifter area then the 2nd GS and I like the speedometer gauge design in the 3rd Gen was much better and upmarket looking then the 2nd Gen GS. After sitting in and reviewing the both of them I just can't see how someone would say the new GS dash/interior looks better then the RL. There is not enough wood trim in the GS nor does the wood look that impressive and the whole design just looks kind of plain to me with not much that stands out.

I was very disappointed in the new 5 series interior and it could not hold a candle to the RLs or GSs and I am surprised more people don't complain about it. The new Audi A6 interior surprised me in that it was not as nice as I was expecting, the buttons gave off a cheap feel when pressed and made a cheap sounding loud click, I was pretty turned off from the A6 interior and I was expecting to be very impressed. The look and layout was not all that great to me either when I sat in the car. I have always found the E class to have a very nice design and it just looks expensive although there are some cost cutting evident in some of the plastics.

The added wood on the 09 refresh and some of the other interior details make an outstanding interior look even better, unfortunately the same can't be said about what they did to the exterior which is a big dissapointment. I am holding out some hope that it will look better in person but I kind of doubt it can look much better although I did not like the RL from pictures until I saw it up close in person in black, dark gray, gray, silver, and white. The one thing I would want in the RL interior would be the option of a light birds eye maple wood trim like what was featured in a RL A Spec concept a few years ago that also had baseball glove stitching in the leather and is available in the Audi A8.

The TL interior is very good looking and has a very high quality feel and I really like it but when you touch the surfaces and examine the RLs interior it is pretty evident the RL is still in a league above the TL.

The new Accord interior, although looks very good, best in class in my opinion and has a high quality feel for its class, you can still tell it is in a league below the current TL and especially the RL. There is a clear difference between the new Accord interior and RL interior especially when you feel the materials and see the build quality up close and the RL interior is just so much nicer then the Accords. Maybe in pictures they may look similar but when you sit in them and compare there is really no comparison.

 

I don't like the exterior of the new RL at all, looks too similar to the Accord, though the interior looks great.

 

Maybe someone can photoshop a photo of a current RL with an "extended wheelbase"?

 

Mike, (1SickLex) you have to sit in the new Accord. It doesn't feel upscale at all IMHO. It feels like a Honda/Toyota range. It looks great in pictures, but feels nowhere near Acura/Lexus class. I'm with you on the new 09 RL exterior looks. I think it looks like crap now. The 05-08 may have been bland and understated to some, but at least it wasn't ugly. Seriously though, go sit and test drive the new Accord with leather and then compare it to the RL. No comparison at all. RL is immediately noticeably more upscale. It feels better, leather is softer and more plush, better options. Again, the Accord looks great in pictures, but in real life you can tell it is in the Honda line and not Acura line.

 

UDel, you truel know stuff, LOL.


That's a very powerful statement. Your statement is correct and well agreed. Let me add some to that. The RL's interior is a "mile" better than the TL's interior, not just a league... or you could say one FAT WHOLE league.... I own the '06 TL 6MT, identical to the picture 1SickLex posted above. It "looks" good but it feels cheap when you touch the material and closely observe it.

And yea, the new Accord's interior is slightly worse than the TL, so yea, I agree with you and CK6Speed.



You nailed it.

 

You're welcome!

All your words, I agree. Your expression and thoughts, all agreed.

 

Yes, that's what I was thinking of...the Celsior. I thought there was an LS460 equivalent. If not, I'll stand corrected.