2010 Acura Rl
It is such a basic component of what makes a luxury car appealing that you would think more automakers would get it right. I am talking about exterior styling and most specifically the concept of balanced visual proportions. Take the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Lexus LS luxury sedans and you can see the problem I am talking about: too much junk in the trunk.
Thankfully, the 2010 Acura RL has been hitting the gym and doing its cardio so its trunk is pertly tapered while still managing to give the top of the line Acura luxury sedan a cavernous and sensibly shaped trunk. The best part of the exterior styling of the RL is also that all of the lines neatly integrate into each other so that (shock!) it looks visually pleasing from each and every angle.
Seriously, what is it about the Acura’s competition that forces them to give their top line luxury models these grotesquely oversized rear ends? Is it so they can get bragging rights as to how many sets of golf clubs their luxury sedan can carry? Guys and gals, no trunk should ever need to carry more than four sets of golf clubs (which I think the RL could) because if you need room for more than that you probably just robbed some store called The Golf Emporium. And that’s just not right.
Interior
The cabin of the RL is definitely a unique entity in the Acura lineup especially when compared to the interiors of smaller sedan siblings TL and TSX. The TL and TSX interiors combine flowing non-angular lines with modern metallic trim and soft touch plastics to convey what I like to call “Organic Modernism.” With that said, the interior of the RL is a bit more angularly retro with dark, rich wood dominating to such an extent that it feels more like a comfy old English Drawing Room than the inside of a car.
Controls have the same modern feel you get in any Acura product but it is all present much more formally as if to say, “I am a traditional luxury sedan so don’t slouch, sit up straight and put on a proper suit.” To be honest, the interior of the RL was so nice I usually felt under-dressed for driving it. Perhaps I felt it was silently judging my jeans and Nike T-shirt. It was probably right to.
All materials choices used are, of course, top notch and that is quite something considering how much less the RL costs than pretty much all of its competition. Despite it lacking a V8 engine option like many of its competitors, the V6 is more than capable of handling any accelerative needs you may have (although a V8 is rumored to be coming for the next generation 2011 or 2012 RL replacement).
The RL is also better equipped than any other full size luxury sedan with my tester even featuring an advanced collision mitigation that helps brake the car if it senses an impending accident and adaptive cruise control that senses how fast the vehicle in front of you is going so that it can brake and accelerate itself to maintain a safe following distance at cruising speeds. Essentially, the RL really doesn’t need you as it also can also find its own way via the in dash navigation and entertain itself with the awe inspiring 10-Speaker Acura/Bose DVD-Audio system. It’s a little bit daunting when you realize that the car you are driving is smarter than you are.
Value for Money
The Acura RL is easily the best value full size luxury sedan on the market today barring the Hyundai Genesis which, to be brutally frank, is from a brand that is about as close to being seen as an “upscale carmaker” as the planet Venus is in light years from the asteroid-rings of Saturn (again, the planet not the car company).
So if you don’t want to have to explain to your friends, family and co-workers why you spent all that money on a luxury Hyundai the obvious choice is the RL. And to be honest, the quality of materials used and overall mechanical refinement of the RL is leagues ahead of any similarly priced and sized competition. And if you MUST have a German V8 expect to pay about double for a similarly sized feature-laden model. Yes, double. That’s a lot of extra money for two extra cylinders and a little blue-propeller badge.
Performance
You might look at Acura’s RL and TL SH-AWD sedans and think that since they share the same engine, transmission and AWD system that they must at least drive similarly. You could not be more wrong. Whereas the TL SH-AWD feels set up for the techno-loving gear-head speed freak (me), the RL is meant as a soothing executive express with a ride so smooth you could be excused for thinking the car was floating on a magic carpet.
But while the RL has a truly soothing ride it never falls into that “big American luxury car” trap where they confuse comfort with soft, nausea inducing undulating whenever you hit a bump. The Acura is merely absorptive: it takes in the stresses of the world and cocoons you in lavish comfort. Tire, wind and engine noise is similarly muted.
There is one big difference between the TL SH-AWD and the RL and that is in how their steering racks feel. The TL SH-AWD feels taut and precise much like the steering in a BMW whereas the RL is light and low-effort much like the steering racks you find in Lexus and Cadillac models. While I prefer the TL’s steering set-up I have to say that although the steering is light I never had any trouble handling even tricky parking or high speed handling maneuvers.
Would I Buy One?
The only reason I wouldn’t buy the RL would be because I absolutely adore the slightly sportier set-up of the TL SH-AWD. But if you are in the market for a high value, sexily styled full size luxury sedan that puts the accent on comfort then I highly recommend the RL.
Highs:
Value
Styling
Interior Comfort and Spaciousness
Interior Materials Quality
Sound System
Plenty of Power
Lows:
Steering too Light for My Taste
Navigation Screen Hard to Read in Direct Sunlight
Base Price: $46,830
Price as Tested: $54,250
Economy: (16 city/22 highway)
Engine: (3.7 liter 300 horsepower V6)
0-60: 7.2 Seconds (estimated)
