2005 Acura RL Road Test
Whoa!
What's going on here? An Acura car that attracts attention?
A
couple guys even stopped, got out of their vehicle, and
walked over to inspect my 2005 Acura RL test car as it
was parked on the side of the street.
This
has never happened before. Despite their reputation for
long-term durability, Acura vehicles have usually looked
rather plain and unremarkable. Until now.
Redesigned
and re-engineered for 2005, the RL sedan is arguably Acura's
most stylish car ever. Its sleek lines and sporty look
might even be characterized as masculine.
But
there's more to the new RL flagship sedan than looks.
There more power, sportier handling and a high level of
luxury features on this five-passenger, mid-size car whose
starting price is more than $49,000. (Yes, this is up
substantially from the $43,000-plus starting price for
a 2004 RL.) The 2005 RL is the first Acura car with all-wheel
drive. And it's standard.
The
'05 RL is the first with a five-speed automatic transmission
and paddle shifters at the steering wheel - a feature
that's reminiscent of race cars. There's also a lot more
power. The '05 car is the first RL with a full 300 horsepower,
which is more than any other Acura, even the exotic-looking
Acura NSX two-seater.
There's
only one engine, though, for the RL, and it remains a
V6.
Competitors in this luxury sedan segment include the 2005
Cadillac STS, which has a starting price of more than
$41,000 for a V6 model. The 2005 Audi A6, which like the
RL comes standard with all-wheel drive, starts at more
than $41,000, too, for a V6 model. Same thing for the
2005 BMW 525i.
Keep
in mind that the RL comes so well stocked with standard
items - everything from sunroof and five-speed automatic
transmission to heated front seats and Bose surround sound
system are standard - that there are scarcely any add-ons.
The first thing I noticed about the RL test car was how
the doors closed with a solid "thud" and how
quiet the interior was reminding me of a Mercedes or a
Lexus.
The
engine, which has a confident note, sounds almost
far away and faint. The engine does
its work reassuringly and without a lot of noisy fanfare.
The '05 engine remains a 3.5-liter, 60-degree V6, like
the one in the '04 RL. But now it's a new design and can
develop 75 more horsepower than the six-cylinder in the
predecessor car. Torque is up, too, to 260 lb.-ft. at
5,000 rpm and compares with 231 lb.-ft. at 2,800 rpm in
the predecessor RL.
The
new engine still surprised me as it moved the RL powerfully.
I found myself traveling at highway speed while I was
still on a short highway entrance ramp and had yet to
merge into traffic.
Note
that many competitors - the STS, A6 and BMW
5-Series - offer V8s as well as six-cylinder
powerplants. But Acura is aware that while V8s
help a luxury car's image, they account for
only 15 percent of the sales in this vehicle
segment. Besides, the RL's V6 has more power
than the 255-horsepower STS, the 255 horsepower
A6 and the 184- and 225-horsepower BMW 5-Series.
The RL isn't exactly thrifty with fuel, though, and premium is recommended for optimum performance. Rated at 18 miles a gallon in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway, I averaged only 20.1 mpg during a mix of city and highway driving.
The RL is more than a luxury car with good power. There are technology features, too, many of them used by the driver inside the car. For example, drivers of the RL don't need keys to start their cars, get inside or open the trunk. Instead, the RL has keyless access that means all a driver has to do is have the keyless fob with him or her — in a pocket, purse or in a hand. Then, a driver just walks up to the car and with a touch of the door handle, the car door opens.
There's no usual ignition key, either. The RL has what looks like a stump of a key that's permanently in the dashboard and needs to be turned, like a key would. In the event that fob should fail, Acura includes a backup, mechanical key. Since there was no need to remove a key from the ignition, I often forgot to turn the car off when I parked. I shifted into park, gathered my belongings and started to leave the RL, with the car still running!
The RL is the first car in North America to put real-time traffic information about construction zones, congestion and crashes on the navigation system map. The system uses XM NavTraffic and is available for freeways in 20 major metro areas including Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago. Another highlight: The car's information system includes Zagat ratings of restaurants.
But the RL voice recognition, which can be used to control interior temperature, radio, and phone, didn't always understand me, no matter how clearly or loudly I delivered my requests.
The RL's all-wheel-drive system does more than transfer power between front and rear wheels. It can modulate the power between the left and right rear wheels to help make cornering more precise and stable and thus contribute to sporty handling.
The all-wheel drive doesn't need to be activated by the driver.
In any event, the RL moved through a slalom without fuss, took curves and twisted mountain roads confidently and had a pleasant highway cruising demeanor.
Note the RL has Honda's Active Noise Cancellation in the interior which is designed to neutralize low-frequency booming sounds.
The interior of the test RL was pampering and pretty. The seats have perforated leather on them, and the audio system's surround sound is awesome.
A soft bluish light illuminates the RL's floormats and joins map lights in offering a welcoming interior. A pale blue light also shines down on the center console, and the instrument gauges have a blue light that seems to emanate from the center of each one.
Safety is noteworthy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the 2005 Acura RL is only the third vehicle in the history of the agency's crash testing program to achieve the top rating of five stars for rollover and for all seating positions in frontal and side impact crash tests.
The car comes standard with a new body structure that's designed to keep crash forces away from passengers. There also are standard curtain airbags, antilock brakes and stability control, among other excellent features.
For More Information Click: Acura RL
For the Acura 2005 Model Guide : Click Here
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