Team-BHP - Acura TL and RL

So..i finally got around to driving the Acura TL. I took one out that was fully loaded....XM satelite radio..voice activated navigation system...5 speed auto..the works. The car is really fast...but it feels slower than it really is..so ur are deceived by how fast u are really going..its the same thing in my 6. The handling is great, the ride is supberb, road noise is minimal..leather is very soft and nice...bassically teh car kicks ###..for a price between 32-34 grand . Onto the RL; my dad drove it, i sat in the front seat..and the car is just WOW...so much high tech..so smooth..yet so willing to rev and to show grunt in the 300hp 3.5L V6. My dad gunned it on the freeway..that thing took off...and it handles like no other..the SH-AWD is really all worth it. The RL comes fully loaded...in one trim line..everything is standard. Adaptive lighting is standard and the RL is all keyless. Its just all wow...i wanted to really drive it and test out that SH-AWD..but i couldn't. The RL makes the BMW 5 series look like shit by comparison. All in all..both cars are really worth..now all u people in india really need to beg the govt to stop limitin all ur car choices..and to bring the prices down..so u can get all the cars the US gets...PICS:

Acura TL is a near-luxury competitor to the likes of Lexus IS 300 & BMW 3 series. It is a hot seller for Acura last year & this year. I see a lot of them in Atlanta, a pretty big market for new Japanese/German cars.
Acura RL (touted with SAWHD) has not been marketed well by Acura. Its design is very conservative & is a poor competitor to the likes of Merc E class, BMW 5 series, Lexus GS & Infiniti G/M series. This vehicle in my opinion demands the most makeover.

It's more than a near-luxury competitior. Do a comparison, and you'll find the Merc, BMW, Lexus and Infiniti alongside the TL / RL.

The cars are just too good, and I say this from personal experience. And the kind of technology they've put into the RL.

One thing that I have loved about these cars is the evolution of the styling - Havent seen a design, right from the days of the Legend, that I could complain about. Each new model has been better than the previous one, but each of the older models has held it's elegance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor

Well Condor,

Acura is a luxury division of Honda, in line with the likes of Lexus to Toyota & Infiniti to Nissan. But if you look at the price premiums enjoyed by these Japanese luxury leaders, Lexus tops them followed by Infiniti & Acura. Germans have always positioned BMW, Merc & now a days Audi as luxury offerings, even there Audi does not command the price premium of BMW !!
As this posting was titled Acura RL/TL, RL has not sold well in the US due to a relatively bland styling and a less-than earnest promotion by Acura. There is no doubt of its technical under pinnings like Super Handling AWD, Blue tooth enabled features etc. Its next version may be better, after these painful market lessons.
Acura TL on the other hand has enjoyed very good sales & I see a lot of them in major US cities.
Also I feel Acura & Infiniti tend to dilute their brand offerings with their regular Honda & Nissan cousins. A case in point the Acura TLS sold in the US is branded as the European Honda Accord !! Similarly Infiniti's M is sold in Japan as a Nissan product. One doesnot see this with BMW/Merc/Audi & of course the Japanese premier product leader Lexus.

i have driven the new TL and yes found it very impressive performance wise and price wise. but when driven with a lead foot the car torque steers and i could feel that really well. if the TL was RWD it might have been the best in its class.
As for the RL the 300bhp engine just dosent feel 300bhp powerful. Id look at the infiniti M35/45 instead. the navi in the RL is excellent with the live trafic updates.