Introduced at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, the Acura RL is all-new for the 2009 model year. Acura’s flagship adds more power, more luxury, more safety and more technology.
The RL is one of those cars that’s relatively non-descript. It’s not overly sexy, but neither is it a snore. The bold brushed silver grille and sparkling diamond-shaped taillights add a little something to the otherwise standard sedan design. That plus the optional tech features hurtle this car ahead of other large luxury performance sedans … at a price that’s significantly less.
The base price for an RL is $47,040. But, the best thing is, if you add all the technological whistles and bells, like adaptive cruise control, navigation, real-time traffic, weather, backup camera and the Acura Collision Mitigation Braking System, you’ll top out at $54,460.
When you’re looking at the base RL, I was very impressed with the amount of features that are included as standard fare. In addition to a well-appointed interior with leather seats, you’re looking at heated front seats, Bose surround sound, Acura’s Super Handling all-wheel drive, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, integrated sunshades, USB interface with iPod integration and side-curtain airbags, to name a few.
If, however, you want to compare the RL to other large luxury sedans, namely the BMW 750i, Lexus LS460 and Audi A8, you’ll notice quite a price difference. The LS460, which is the least expensive of the trio, costs $15K more than the RL, and the 750i, which is the most expensive, costs $30K more than the RL. And while the RL matches decently against the trio in size – give or take 3 to 4 inches in length – the engine and horsepower ratings are the major difference. The trio all come standard with a V-8 engine, and their horsepower ratings range from 380 (for the LS460) to 350 (for the A8). Surprisingly, their EPA mileage estimates, even with the extra horses, still beat the RL’s city/highway figures of 16/22 mpg.
I like to think that the cost benefits of the RL outweigh the horsepower and mileage estimates, but I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Personally, I think horsepower can be overrated, but I do have to admit I would like to see a little better fuel economy out of the V-6. Perhaps utilizing the Variable Cylinder Management technology that appears in the Honda brethren would be a nice solution. Hint. Hint.
The RL comes equipped with a 3.7-liter V-6 engine, which replaces the previous 3.5-liter, 290-horsepower V-6 engine. For all the hullabaloo over V-8 power, I think the RL is nicely powered with the V-6. Delivering 300 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, the V-6 is downright sprightly and more than suited to a vehicle of this size. Acceleration is immediate whether from a stop or in passing mode, and I never felt as though I needed more power to deal with the daily drive.
The ride and handling of the RL was very smooth. Rather than feeling heavy and lumbering as a large sedan, I thought the RL was relatively agile. The turning radius was decent, and there was a little bit of sporty pizzazz to go with overall luxurious feeling.
The test vehicle came as the top-of-the-line RL, and it included all the up-level technology options that make this car more than just a standard luxury sedan. The AcuraLink real-time traffic was my favorite feature as I had a couple of long highway commutes in the Chicagoland area during the test week. With this feature, I had a good idea of where I was going to hit traffic and how long it was going to take me to reach my destination.
Even better, I loved being able to program streets to route around when setting a destination. For example, I knew there was one road on my way to Volo that was going to keep me stalled for hours, and all I had to do was choose that street to avoid, and voila! I also avoided a massive headache. Taking the traffic features one step further, the RL automatically re-routes if it detects a significant traffic delay on the route. This kicked in a couple of times during the test week, and I have to say it must have worked because I don’t remember any significant unexpected traffic delays.
Also a part of the Technology Package, AcuraLink weather is a nice feature to have. But … it didn’t quite measure to the Sirius Travel Link utilized by Ford Motor Co., which not only serves up weather but also a radar weather map, gas prices on your travel route and sports scores.
Overall, the interior of the RL is very comfortable, and I had an easy time finding a good driving position. For being such a large car, I didn’t experience any real blind spots, and I really appreciated the optional rear backup camera.
The center stack “control panel” is a little intimidating at first glance. There are a lot of buttons and dials that leave your hand hovering over the center stack the first couple of times you try to change your radio station or adjust the volume. But unlike other complicated technology included in manufacturers like BMW and Audi, all the buttons and dials are clearly labeled. And, once you know where to punch or twirl, it’s easy.
Driving an Acura RL isn’t going to send double takes or salivating stares in your direction, but you do get a lot of luxury for $54K. So, unless you crave attention associated with higher-end brands or the machismo associated with a V-8, the RL is a nice option in the luxury performance sedan category.
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