2012 Acura RL

Very good value

By DRM (Madison, WI) on Sunday, February 10, 2008

"An excellent drive, very smooth, AWD is exceptional in the dry and wet/snow. Interior is very well appointed, the leather seats are to an excellent standard, the maple wood with the technology package is a nice touch and I really like the dash look and layout. Also the high tech gizmos are great fun, and in many cases enhance the utility of the vehicle. This is my third Acura (two TL's previously) and I can honestly say I'm glad I stuck with the brand. Before going for the RL I did visit Audi and BMW, and it is totally impossible to get anywhere near what you get with the Acura for anything close to the same price. I will also say that the local Acura dealership goes out of its way to be friendly, courteous, informative and efficient. I have heard criticisms of the power of the V6 but actually I think it is totally acceptable. The car is heavy so I thought it would feel sluggish in comparison to the TL's but this is not the case. When you get the revs up the power is pretty impressive. In addition the AWD makes cornering a joy, you can really throw it in and accelerate out with total confidence. Great job Acura. In terms of improvement I am hard pressed to come up with anything, perhaps the exterior could be a little more edgy in design, but personally speaking I like the look. Classy without too much brashness is the way I would put it."

58 people out of 58 found this review helpful

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First Acura

By LAX2HNL (CA) on Sunday, March 18, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 54,000

Pros: "Exceptional fit, finish, quality"

Cons: "Could use more power"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"This was my first ACURA purchase. Car, delivery, service all exceptional. Only drawback is need for more power for passing; and tighter handling. Otherwise everything is top notch."

26 people out of 26 found this review helpful

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Acura RL delivers the whole package!

By mugsy (Philly) on Wednesday, November 21, 2007

"I am an admitted car junkie...who finally got sick and tired of German car repair bills. I shopped carefully 2 years ago and purchased the Acura RL. My requirements were power, driving pleasure, styling, phone/tech interface (Bluetooth and hands-free), and reliability. Now having owned the care for 2+ years, I can honestly say that the car has delivered on ALL of these qualities. Great car that is also incredibly reliable. Be prepared to have many strangers stop you in parking lots, asking "How do you like your RL?""

13 people out of 13 found this review helpful

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Overall - Excelent Vehicle

By EY (Honolulu, HI) on Friday, August 14, 2009

"Overall this is one of the best cars I have owned. It combines a good mixture of luxury and sport, although a little more power would be nice. I really like the SH-AWD as it improves the handling of this nearly 4,000 pound vehicle. The car does have more than adequate power but it will occasionally leave you wanting more low-end grunt that a V8 could produce. In regard to creature comforts, the navigation is very simple to use yet it doesn't require a lot of work to actually utilize it. It would be nice to have rain-sensing wipers on a 50K car as well as a power closing trunk. However I'm willing to look past that when you look at the vehicle overall. This car is loaded on the inside including heated power leather seats (plus cooling seats on the newer models), power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, moonroof, one touch windows, auto on/off xenon headlights with adaptive headlights that swivel, a keyless entry system (the key only needs to be in your pocket to get in and start the car), an outstanding stereo system, a rear back up camera now standard, power rear sunshade... just to name a few! Compare this list of equipment to the RL's german counterparts where a majority of these features are options you need to pay for. I've been averaging about 19-21 miles per gallon which is mixed city/hwy. My highest mpg average was 25 mpg with a little over 400 miles on one tank of gas. One of my gripes would be the rear seat room. It is a little short on legroom for the rear but I rated comfort as 5 stars as I'm rating the drivers comfort. As stated above, overall, this is an excellent vehicle. It is often overlooked and not given enough credit which can be good for the consumer as these cars are sold well below MSRP. It's offers a lot of bang for your buck. It would be well worth it to look at an RL when considering cars such as the 5 series, E-class, A6 or GS."

9 people out of 9 found this review helpful

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I'm having a hard time justifying a new ride

By Casual (PA) on Sunday, January 13, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 96,300

Pros: "SH-AWD, build quality, runs like a champ"

Cons: "19 mpg, console components wearing"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I bought my 05 RL certified used almost 6 years ago for a reasonable price relative to all that it has. Now close to 100k miles I face the dillema of putting $3k into it for the tune up and new tires or trading it in. Thing is, I'm having a hard time finding a new car out there that matches what this car offers, particularly as I'd likely get another 100k miles out of it. The combination of 300hp, SH-AWD (why this system is not in every Acura including the upcoming RLX is a mystery, it works like magic), roominess, and bullet proof reliability is practically impossible to find out there. My one dissapointment is the failing of some of the interior trim pieces around the console including bubbled leather on the arm rests. This is a minor inconvenience when everything else looks as good as the day I bought the car. The greatest complement I can give is that I have considered just buying another used RL with fewer miles, assuming I can find one that is. Honda hasn't sold that many. Too bad, it's a great product."

7 people out of 7 found this review helpful

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