"It was to be the year its flagship was transformed from a car for older drivers to a sport sedan. Not only did it represent a dramatic change in the luxury sedan's styling-it went from being nondescript to one with angles and more attitude-but it was by far the most revolutionary redesign since the RL replaced the Legend. That, plus the addition of 75 horsepower, steering-wheel-mounted paddles, and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), made this a no-brainer for the Motor Trend long-term fleet.
Our Car
Base price: $49,470
MSRP, as tested: $49,470
Total mileage: 26,624
Avg fuel economy: 20.0 mpg
Problem areas: Accessory fuse, cigarette lighter, nav system
Maintenance cost: 0
Normal-wear cost: 0
Current value, wholesale/retail*: $31,410/$41,559
Recalls: none
excellent Acura Tl Repair Manual
* source: intellichoice.com
The new RL was slightly scaled down from the previous year. The wheelbase decreased by 4.4 inches, and the sedan 3.0 inches shorter overall. Combined with the wider track and overall width, though, this gives the Acura the potential for being sporty, at the expense of interior space. And though horsepower went from 225 to 300 and torque from 231 to 260, the peak rpm of both also increased (horsepower from 5200 to 6200 rpm, torque from 2800 to 5000), it led us to question the accuracy of the resulting power numbers. It certainly never felt like 300 horses-entries in our logbook described the V-6 as being somewhat lethargic and just adequate. Regardless, behind the updated 3.5-liter engine is a five-speed manumatic automatic transmission with paddles, a setup that combines smooth shifting with quick response."
