Worth It?
Acura's full-size four door sedan is all new this year, and it's positioned in the market to compete with Audi, BMW, Lexus, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz. After driving the car for a week, we don't doubt the Acura RL belongs in this league of highly desirable cars, and its value just might make it a winner.
The car comes standard with the Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. At the front of the rear final drive unit is a planetary gear set that controls torque split between the front and rear final drive units. During cornering, electronically controlled hydraulic actuators operate a clutch pact to supply more torque to the rear.
The rear axle does not have a differential gear. Instead there is another planetary gear set with two electromagnetic clutch packs to control torque split side-to-side, and it can be continuously varied between zero and 100 percent. When decelerating in a turn, torque to the outside rear wheel is increased to reduce the tendency to yaw. When accelerating in a turn, torque to the outside rear wheel is increased to help push the car around in the direction of the turn.
The SH-AWD system.
On other stability control systems, the computer intervenes only when it detects a possibility of losing control. This car does that, too, but SH-AWD actually enhances dry-road control by allowing the driver to steer with the throttle, a satisfying feeling that's typically possible only in a rear-wheel-drive car.
The five-speed automatic transmission is equipped with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, allowing the driver to shift up or down sequentially (one gear at a time) with just the flick of a finger. In full automatic or when using the paddles, the transmission never snatched or hesitated for us; it just executed perfect, crisp gear changes every time whether poking around town or driving aggressively. In manual-shift mode, a gear indicator in the instrument panel shows that the car will start out in second gear if commanded, which can be handy in snow even with full-time four-wheel-drive (4WD).
The engine works just as well as the transmission. The new 60-degree 3.5L V6 with 11:1 compression and VTEC produces 300 horsepower at 6,200 rpm - a lower speed than we would expect from a Honda engine. Although the torque peak of 3,000 rpm is lower than expected, it feels like most of its 260 lb.-ft. is available as low as 3,000 rpm. This leads us to believe there's a lot more potential in this engine, but in this state of tune, it feels smooth and refined - well-suited to this car's mission profile. While acceleration was nothing special, the engine and transmission seemed perfectly matched, and there was always plenty of power available during urban highway "combat commuting" and on the open highway.
2005 Acura RL 3.5 VTEC engine cutaway
In so many of the cars we've driven, it's easy to overlook the brakes. That's because a design that is well thought out and properly executed achieves the right balance between power, ride, handling and brakes. Honda has long been known for achieving this balance in all of their cars, and in most of their motorcycles too. This has made some of their vehicles seem more like appliances: simple transportation tools that offer no driving entertainment at all. That's not to say it's a bad thing; it's exactly what many people want. The RL's brakes are like that too: there when called upon and there even more when called upon harder. No careful pedal force modulation is required, and no excitement is generated. Speed is simply erased, quickly, when asked.
The balance and sophistication of the chassis are matched by the cabin and the car's many features. Ours was equipped with the Acura Navigation System, which we have found to be the easiest and most informative of all that we've used. Like most other cars with a navigation system, the screen also doubles as the control panel display for the climate control and sound system. We consider using this one display for everything to be the least user-friendly design possible, but at least the RL's is more intuitive to use than any of the others we've seen.
One welcome feature is the button that turns the screen off, making it easier to see outside on dark roads. Another handy feature is the Active Front Lighting System. At first it was merely entertaining to watch a headlight beam move in the direction the steering wheel is turned, but we discovered that it's truly helpful in bad weather. Another useful feature is the Bluetooth communications link that links your own similarly equipped cell phone or Blackberry with the car's built-in hands-free phone system. The voice recognition allows you to verbally issue dialing instructions, as well as commands, to operate other items on the car.
The long list of features in this car is comparable to those of its competitors, but for some reason everything in the Acura seems easier to understand and simpler to use. Combined with the car's tasteful interior and excellent road manners, the Acura RL exudes an air of understated sophistication. It doesn't have quite the same stage presence as the German cars (what else does?), but it is a very desirable automobile that at least one owner we know described as tremendously satisfying to own, to use and to drive.
We describe it as being worth every bit of its $49,470 asking price.
Check out the 2005 RL's specs
