dseag2- how much did u pay for ur RL and what options did u get put on?


If im getting an RL, I would get the base RL how it comes with the wood shifter and wood steering as the only options being added on. Im getting 2 yrs free maintenance. Right now my best price on the car is 46000 + ttl. (rememeber this is with no haggling or negotiation at all..i just physically went in after my phone call and asked him what he cud do and thrown in for me)

Pretty much - im sure if i was dead serious and went in there again today or tomorrow in the next week or so i could easily get the car for 45K with how it comes AND including wood shifter and wood steering and 2 yrs free maintenance, pinstripes (if i wanted it AND spoiler). I ma more than confident if i walked in and was ready to do sumthign with this dealership today or in the next day or so - theyd do all that , and give it to me for 45K.

Do u think all that for 45K plus ttl is an awesome buy?

 

there is no question that the RL is a better value when compared with the GS300.
it comes down to which car do you really want and how long can you go knowing you should have gotten the GS when you are driving the RL.
i could not stand looking at the RL's center console, it looks odd, cheap and ugly to me, i would not buy the RL. for that reason alone, with the GS, the layout is so elegant, and simple.

 

GS,

How much do you make? How important are cars to you? How important is it to get exactly what you want?

I don't want you to answer those questions on the forum, but I think they are things you should answer for yourself. You said that the GS is really the car you want. If a few thousand more for a car you'd keep for X number of years isn't a big deal to you, then I say wait and get the GS now for MSRP or in five months at a couple thousand off MSRP. If a few thousand saved is more important than getting the car you at this point really want, then get the RL. The price you're saying for the RL is very good, the best I've heard to this point, and there's no way you'll get a comparably equipped GS for that much for at least a few more months, if even within a year. Both cars are excellent, and like dseag2 said, you need to take a couple test drives of both, back to back. Wait a week, think about it, take another set of test drives, and then make your decision. Maybe after your test drive, you'll find that the GS isn't as good as the RL for your needs. Maybe you'll find the RL more sluggish than the GS. Either way, test drives are the only way you'll find what really floats your boat.

 

Going to the Lexus dealer tonight to see & talk about the GS300 AWD, will provide feedback later.

When I went to the Acura dealer, I was looking for a TL. My girl has a TL so I said, let me get the RL. I asked the salesman what are the prices for both the TL & RL. He said $33K for the TL w/ Nav and $46.9K for the RL, he also mentioned the RL is a limited production model. Didn't haggle, those were the prices he provided. I sat in the RL, but didn't test drive. He asked about financing and stuff but I told him, I am waiting for the GS to come out and test drive that first. Then I'll come back. He never called back, no big deal.

I live in Northern NJ / Metro NYC, where there are as many E Class & 5 series sedans as there are honda civics.. Actually, I counted about 50 2005 E Class on my way to work today. People really like there Mercedes. I have only seen 1, just 1 2005 Acura RL. Very weird indeed. Sales are at 1300/month for the RL, but its just weird. People love those German sedans or Acura has terrible marketing.

 

Ur right. To be honest i have see only 2 RL's on the road since october of 2004. I know iv seen only 2 cuz i rememebr the colors. A beige whitish color and the other was black.

Incredible that since october 2004, i have only seen 2 on the road. I drive almost 50 miles a day which is average considerable driving. I see way too many benz E's on the road in the sport luxury segment. Acura's marketing may need to start pumping. As for the GS commercials - iv seen more GS commercials than RL commercials!

 

Went to the Lexus Dealer, Only 2 GS300AWD one was in the showroom. The other on test drive and everything else was GS300/430 RWD. The "larger" GS300AWD shipment was arriving later this week, so they say... So instead of waiting I went to the Acura Dealer for a RL Test Drive.

I'll make this quick..

Engine = You need to punch it to get going...If you drive Honda's than no big deal, if not, you will want more low-end torque. I got the car up to 85mph on a Interstate, its quick for 4000lbs. Engine noise a bit loud though when hard acceleration.
Interior = Top Notch, approaches Lexus. Ride is very quiet.
NAV = Simply unbelievable. All the voice commands work. Birdseye NAV Screen is awesome.
Trunk = Average size.
Back Seat Behind Driver = little cramped with my driver's seat position configured. I'm 6'1".

Need to test drive again after GS300AWD Test Drive.

FYI on the Acura RL. They are only making 15,000 for MY 2005. Current allocation for U.S. is 800/month for this calendar year. They will not increase production. This dealer had only 3 RL's, one in showroom. 8 arriving on Wednesday. I guess somebody is buying them, at least in NJ.

 

You definitely need to test drive the two a few times before making the decisions. If you like them equally then you might be better off getting the RL because 45,000 sounds like a great deal. I like how Acuras include everything that should come with a luxury car in their base price and not have expensive options like other companies. You may go into the Lexus dealer and start to ask yourself if I really need to pay all this money for all these options and come out with a nicer deal but regret it since the RL comes with all these options at a still lower price. I like the interior on the RL a little more but that is my opinion and if you go with an AWD GS then the RL will be a little faster. Another thing to consider is that if enough people complain about the GS300 only having 245hp and why it did not get the new Avalons 280hp v-6 then Lexus may release this engine in a year or two and your going to be dissapointed that you did not wait and have the lowest hp engine. An accord and altima v-6 are within 5 or so horsepower of the new engine and the TL and G35 are even more. All articles I read about the RL have been very positive and they all state it is a better value and sometimes better car then its expensive European competiton. I do not think that people don't want the RL it is just dealers ordered alot more after they sold the first batch at or above MSRP and there is alot more competition now with new models and refreshes on exisisting models so they feel they may need to be more negotiable on price. Can't go wrong with either car but the RL is starting to look better at the prices your getting.

 

Getting RL at a good price is certainly a good starting point. But you need to look at the residual as well.. I puchased a Cadillac once with about 8000 discount off the MSRP and you can guess the rest of the story. Unless you are planning to drive the car to the ground, the residual and maintenance cost become a factor . May be leasing is an option since Honda is famous for giving low money factor and high residual for car that don't move particularly well... When you spend so much in a car, it is important to enjoy the whole ownership experience (the driving experience, show off to you family and friend, reliability, the design, the build material etc.) . You are the only one that can rank the relative importance of these factor.. Good luck . Take your time to decide. With so much competition, time is on your side. The longer you wait, the better deal you will get....

 

Yeah, when the new car smell goes away the payments do not.

Good Luck

 

I'm not doubting you or your source, but that seems a bit hard to believe. Acura stated their targets were 20k per year, and they've sold >800/month for the past four months now. Something's not adding up here. Maybe they're now downward-revising their estimate because based on the past few months' sales figures, they wouldn't have met the 20k estimate? Audi looks like it's going to be even further off their target sales...

Anyway, best of luck to all of you choosing between RL and GS, and those who've also thrown the M into the mix. They're all great cars, and you honestly cannot go wrong with any of them. However, if you have no strong leanings one way or the other, the RL is probably the best bet at this point in terms of price. Four months down the road, when discounts on the M and GS can be had, maybe I'd recommend something different, but now is now...

Enjoy the test drives, all!

 

I paid MSRP for my RL, just like many have done with the new GS, because I purchased in 10/04 when the car was first introduced and dealerships were only taking orders at that time. It took 30 days to get the combo I wanted.

It took a while for me to see other RL's on the road, but now that a few months have passed I see them more often. I saw 3 others this past weekend... black, white, and another silver. Since it is a $50K car, people are not going to ****** them up as quickly as a TL or 300C.

And, yes... I think $45K is outstanding for this car.

 

The RL is a great car and has everybody has noted, chosing between the GS300AWD, M35x, RL is more a personal preference. These cars are all from the same book. A very fine book.

Also, I mentioned earlier on the RL having a U.S. alotment of 800/month for 2005, salesmen told me that. I forgot to mention that the salesmen also mentioned that Acura pre-sold their alotment from Sep - Dec of 2004. That accounted for like 5,000+ cars. They are targeting like 15,000 for the first year, not bad.

Not sure what the Lexus or Infiniti alotment will be. The germans allocate about 40,000+ of the E Class and 5 series. Not sure about Audi.

Word will get out on all of these fine Japanese Luxury Cars...its a buyers paradise. The german cars will be in for a fight this time around. Lexus/Acura/Infiniti did a good job on these new models. Each has their distinct points, with all presenting great quailty and setting a new standard.

 

Well put. I'm with you all the way You can't go wrong with ANY of the Japanese choices--what it comes down to is personality type. All three of these vehicles are along the same quality line, have the same reliability ratings, have great technology, and will be sure to offer one heck of an ownership experience.

 

WOW Mike, I can only imagine what you think of the AWD GS300!!!!

 

i too almost purchased an rl in october/november. if the pricing was anything like it is now i would be a (proud?) acura owner by now. Luckily my local dealership flaunted the fact that this vehicle was revolutionary for acura and the fact that they only receive 5-10 vehicles a month so full msrp will be required to take one home. msrp=50500-approx. i was taken back a little bit by the pompousness of the dealership when with a 750 credit score they offered me a lease for 640/month with 7000 down. 7k down, are you kidding me. i already knew the gs was coming and even though i liked the RL visually the test drive was a slight let down considering them parading 300hp potential in my face. it felt fast after the car was past say 50, but no neck snap of any sort and their much ballyhooed traffic indication system wasn't even available in most areas(at the time it was only avail in two major cities). i will not deny that it is a very good car but after driving my new gs for a couple weeks and getting a similar lease pymt(almost 700) with no money down i am much happier with my decision. although i guess i have acura to thank for helping me make my mind up.