Acura RL needs Help

[Mariner]

For those that have RL experience and/or Lexus experience,

I'm looking to pick up a new daily driver, and I want to spend in the low teens/ high 20s. Looking between the 99-04 RLs and 98-01 GS400s. Looking at the prices, I'd be spending about 5K more for a GS400 in similar condition and miles as an RL. Is it worth the premium? performance isnt my first priority, since the car will just be for commuting, but it would be nice. I've driven an RL of that vintage and thought it was a very nice car. Is the GS400 that much better? I'm driving an 03 Accord now, want something a little more powerful and luxurious.

Do the 2001-02 RLs have the same transmission problems as the TLs of those years?

 

[nchopp]

For the $20,000 range you can also look at an '02 M45 or '02 Q45, as well as a '97-'98 750.

 

[White92]

For those that have RL experience and/or Lexus experience,

I'm looking to pick up a new daily driver, and I want to spend in the low teens/ high 20s. Looking between the 99-04 RLs and 98-01 GS400s. Looking at the prices, I'd be spending about 5K more for a GS400 in similar condition and miles as an RL. Is it worth the premium? performance isnt my first priority, since the car will just be for commuting, but it would be nice. I've driven an RL of that vintage and thought it was a very nice car. Is the GS400 that much better? I'm driving an 03 Accord now, want something a little more powerful and luxurious.

Do the 2001-02 RLs have the same transmission problems as the TLs of those years?

I've never heard of the RL's having any transmission problems. 01-02 RL's are very reliable cars. I can't think of any common problems for that car.

 

[Hothonda]

Lowered w/ASPEC Suspension....

 

[Osiris_x11]

Used GS400 is win-win...

For those that have RL experience and/or Lexus experience,

Looking between the 99-04 RLs and 98-01 GS400s. Is it [GS400] worth the premium? Is the GS400 that much better? ...want something a little more powerful and luxurious.

Do the 2001-02 RLs have the same transmission problems as the TLs of those years?

I'd advocate going for the GS400. Much sportier and sharper handling, as well as much more ample & robust power in comparison to the 3.5RL. The steering-wheel mounted upshift/downshift buttons make highway passing fun! I'd like to add that I'm actually a big fan of the 3.5RL. But, it's more on par w/ the comfort, refinement, and incognito approach of the LS400 ("a plush cruiser").

The aforementioned Honda/Acura transmission problems were limited to the V6 Accord and 3.2TL as far as sedans go, from what I recall (no pun intended... :tongue: )

For the $20,000 range you can also look at an '02 M45 or '02 Q45, as well as a '97-'98 750.

The discontinued Infiniti M45 (not current M35/M45) is a powerhouse! If the aesthetics/styling don't scare you off, it'll give you a ride that hardly anyother sportscars can even try measure upto! It's a rocket w/ a steering-wheel, and packed w/ alot of technological wizardry...

 

[SilverStone05]

I could have told you that.

 

[SilverStone05]

I've got a GS400. I'd recommend it hands down. It surpasses the RL in performance and looks much better I think. The engine is silky smooth and just pulls and pulls. Plus you've got the rock solid reliability of a Lexus not to mention the world class customer service.

Navigation, Nakamichi sound system (which in my opinion is the best i've heard besides the Levinson offered in the LS430) a slew of airbags and classic rear wheel drive handling. Spectacular car in my opinion.

You can pick up one hell of an example with 20K, too.

 

[Ninous]

I'm on my second LS and they are by far the best "luxury" sedan you can buy as far as reliability and comfort goes, the RL doesn't even compete in the same class..when Lexus introduced the LS in 1990 they raised the standard for japanese luxury cars and Honda did nothing to compete..the legend did not compete, and the RL does not either..RL?.."sporty"? sure, "luxury"? not so much....as far as the grey hairs driving the LS Lexus?...I bought my first one at age 26:tongue:

You obvioulsy have not been in/owned an S500/S600

Not to mention LEXUS steals EVERYTHING from mercedes.

an example: Mercedes has S500 and the sporty SL500

Lexus has LS430 and the sports SC430...
Dont mess with Mercedes.

Also the current LS430 model looks identicle to the previous gen S500, look at the shape/ design, taillights. I dont really hate lexus.. its nice, its just that Lexus is annoying.

 

[Ninous]

I've got a GS400. I'd recommend it hands down. It surpasses the RL in performance and looks much better I think. The engine is silky smooth and just pulls and pulls. Plus you've got the rock solid reliability of a Lexus not to mention the world class customer service.

Navigation, Nakamichi sound system (which in my opinion is the best i've heard besides the Levinson offered in the LS430) a slew of airbags and classic rear wheel drive handling. Spectacular car in my opinion.

You can pick up one hell of an example with 20K, too.

Isnt the GS 350/300 in the RL's class, I maybe wrong tho. GS is hot.

 

[Ninous]

Re: Used GS400 is win-win...

I'd advocate going for the GS400. Much sportier and sharper handling, as well as much more ample & robust power in comparison to the 3.5RL. The steering-wheel mounted upshift/downshift buttons make highway passing fun! I'd like to add that I'm actually a big fan of the 3.5RL. But, it's more on par w/ the comfort, refinement, and incognito approach of the LS400 ("a plush cruiser").

The aforementioned Honda/Acura transmission problems were limited to the V6 Accord and 3.2TL as far as sedans go, from what I recall (no pun intended... :tongue: )
Dont forget the CL, Honda admitted they dont know whats wrong with their V6 Accord Tranny's.

 

[Ninous]

I've never heard of the RL's having any transmission problems. 01-02 RL's are very reliable cars. I can't think of any common problems for that car.

One problem ONLY. that is the rear driver window regulator. Taken care of by the warranty.

We owned an 03 RL, it was very nice. Tranny was so smooth you couldnt even feel it.

Sorry for the multiple posts:frown: I suck at foruming.

 

[zahntech]

You obvioulsy have not been in/owned an S500/S600

Not to mention LEXUS steals EVERYTHING from mercedes.

an example: Mercedes has S500 and the sporty SL500

Lexus has LS430 and the sports SC430...
Dont mess with Mercedes.

Also the current LS430 model looks identicle to the previous gen S500, look at the shape/ design, taillights. I dont really hate lexus.. its nice, its just that Lexus is annoying.

Yes I have driven and ridden in the 500 class Mercedes and they are very nice but not even in the same price range as the Acura RL or Lexus LS the E500 starts at 59k the S500 starts at 86k! ...You Ignored the part where I said "Reliability"....Mercedes are very nice cars but the long term cost of ownership does not compare with the Lexus product.

 

[Ninous]

Yes I have driven and ridden in the 500 class Mercedes and they are very nice but not even in the same price range as the Acura RL or Lexus LS the E500 starts at 59k the S500 starts at 86k! ...You Ignored the part where I said "Reliability"....Mercedes are very nice cars but the long term cost of ownership does not compare with the Lexus product.

Price wise you have an extremley good point. IMO E class is the ugliest mercedes ever. Mercedes is just as reliable if not, more than Lexus.. The only thing is that you HAVE to take car of the cars health more than yours, but in the end it pays out. I get escorted by mercedes guys I dont know what they are called, but they pick u up to get your car from the dealership. I met a guy who has a 99 S500 with 629Kmi yes 629.. why? he serviced it ever single time, never late. You also ignored the part where Lexus copies everything from Mercedes.

1 problem as u stated is the price. Now that they have the new S550 that'll be up in the 100K area I bet. S600 starts at 127K (Im gonna faint) But yes price wise Lexus is the better choice, but if money was no object Mercedes for the win!

 

[zahntech]

I met a guy who has a 99 S500 with 629Kmi yes 629.. why? he serviced it ever single time, never late.

your Joking right?..that would be 104,833.3333333333333333 miles per year or 287.2 miles every day of the week..gimmie a break..

My LS is a 96 with avg miles for a 96...ask any 96 Full sized Mercedes owner and they will say it's the best car ever..while in the glove box hides dozens upon dozens of receipts they have forgotten about....

I have met many Fiat,Saab,Mitsubishi,Peugeot owners they all say the same thing .."oh yeah it's very reliable"...

 

[CanadaCraig]

Hi Guys!!

As it is - I for one would feel like a moroon if I payed $70,000 CDN for an RL. That's just WAY too much money. No matter how you look at it - there just isn't $28,000 worth of extras in the RL over a base TL. But how much would I pay? And what features would I be willing to give up?

I think Acura blew it. But not just with the latest RL. The mistake began the day they dropped the Legend. The RL has been a slow selling, inferior automobile ever since. [competitively speaking] Seriously - do any of YOU have the RL listed on any of your 'dream cars' lists?! And will a 'lowered content' version of the RL sell? Sure - probably to a few people. But what do they give up? The DVD-A player? The SH-AWD? Most people who buy $70,000 cars want something to brag about. The RL has nothing insofar as that goes. SH-AWD you say? Really? SH-AWD only comes into play if your accelerating around a corner. It's not going to make for a more enjoyable drive to Walmart. The RL is also SLOWER than most cars in its class. [if not every car] So the fact that it doesn't have a V8 is more than just about status. It's also SMALLER than the previous RL. [and most - if not all - of its competitors] So IT can't even brag about ROOM. So it's got no ROOM or ZOOM. What exactly does the RL have going for it? Sure... if it was only $10,000 more than a top TL - than one could argue in its favour. It IS - I think - a very nice $56,000 car. It is NOT - however - a $70,000 car. [but I said that already - didn't I]

If I were Acura - I would forget about adding a 'discontented' version of the RL and turbocharge the one they've got. At least then the RL would make it back onto the pages of some enthusiast magazines. [and maybe find its way onto at least a few 'dream car' lists]

Then again... maybe what Acura should REALLY do is drop the price of the RL [by 10 to $15,000 CDN] and create a SUPER FLAGSHIP. Call THAT model the 'LEGEND'. [as in 'The Legend Returns'] Make the all-new LEGEND a V8 RWD [with optional SH-AWD] super sedan and price it slightly above where the RL is now. Acura has to do something dramatic. And fast. Before you know it - there is going to be a V8 RWD [if not AWD] flagship Hyundai on North American streets. And believe you me - it will be one hell of a nice car.

Craig!!

 

[Da Hapa]

You obvioulsy have not been in/owned an S500/S600

Not to mention LEXUS steals EVERYTHING from mercedes.

an example: Mercedes has S500 and the sporty SL500

Lexus has LS430 and the sports SC430...
Dont mess with Mercedes.

Also the current LS430 model looks identicle to the previous gen S500, look at the shape/ design, taillights. I dont really hate lexus.. its nice, its just that Lexus is annoying.

I was going to respond to this but then I paused and figured that anyone who was rationale enough to actually participate in a thoughtful discussion will see right through this post as the rubbish that it is.

 

[nchopp]

You obvioulsy have not been in/owned an S500/S600

Not to mention LEXUS steals EVERYTHING from mercedes.

an example: Mercedes has S500 and the sporty SL500

Lexus has LS430 and the sports SC430...
Dont mess with Mercedes.

Also the current LS430 model looks identicle to the previous gen S500, look at the shape/ design, taillights. I dont really hate lexus.. its nice, its just that Lexus is annoying.

Well, Mercedes is just stealing all of THEIR ideas from Ford. Internal combustion engine, four wheels, all that stuff.

 

[White92]

your Joking right?..that would be 104,833.3333333333333333 miles per year or 287.2 miles every day of the week..gimmie a break..

It could happen. My dad drives about 80k miles per year. And no, he's not a long haul truck driver. He just has to travel alot for his job.

 

[zahntech]

It could happen. My dad drives about 80k miles per year. And no, he's not a long haul truck driver. He just has to travel alot for his job.

I suppose it is possible, however Full sized High $ luxury sedans are not the type of cars that get massive miles put on...a 99 civic that is driven by a pizza delivery person sure, but a 500 class Mercedes?....and has your dad driven 80k+ per year for 6 years straight?....just sounds a little far fetched to me:smile:

 

[White92]

I suppose it is possible, however Full sized High $ luxury sedans are not the type of cars that get massive miles put on...a 99 civic that is driven by a pizza delivery person sure, but a 500 class Mercedes?....and has your dad driven 80k+ per year for 6 years straight?....just sounds a little far fetched to me:smile:

Are you calling my dad a liar? :wink: My dad can beat up your dad.:smile:
He's driven that much for about 12 years now. Luckily he's retiring soon. He doesn't drive Civics, but has driven Chevy and Ford full size trucks.

 

[zahntech]

Are you calling my dad a liar? :wink: My dad can beat up your dad.:smile:
He's driven that much for about 12 years now. Luckily he's retiring soon. He doesn't drive Civics, but has driven Chevy and Ford full size trucks.

No, Not calling your dad a liar!!..That sounds rough driving that much for that many years..he must have some pretty cool tatoos!!..I'm sure he could beat up my dad:wink: ....

but driving a truck or high gas mileage car for that many miles per year is not that unusual ...Gas guzzling Luxury cars?...not so much...:smile:
104K per year for a non commercial vehicle is pretty far out there...

 

[Ninous]

your Joking right?..that would be 104,833.3333333333333333 miles per year or 287.2 miles every day of the week..gimmie a break..

He ran a premium taxi service in new york, kept the car running for about 20 hours a day.

A guy from the acura legend forums has driven his car 113K mi, and it hasnt even been a year yet.

All you have to do is just take care of the car, not put cheap crap in it, and any car, yes even ford will last a life time.

 

[Ninous]

Are you calling my dad a liar? :wink: My dad can beat up your dad.:.

LOL my cousin and I used to get into those arguments all the time when we were little.:biggrin:

 

[Osiris_x11]

styling influences...

IMO E class is the ugliest mercedes ever.

Why stop at Mercedes? :biggrin: I think Lada & Daiwoo would join it [E-class] on the podium!

Mercedes is just as reliable if not, more than Lexus..

No way. Nope. Never. Nada. Mercedes Benz may be safer, use higher-quality materials & components, feel more solid & premium, and be engineered to a greater degree... but quality & reliability is very far from where Lexus is. Lexus is currently the at the zenith of the automobile industry. Mercedes Benz isn't even in the same tier, sigh.

Lexus copies everything from Mercedes.

I concur, the LS400/LS430 emulated the Mercedes Benz S-class throughout it's production run. My one uncle who worked w/ Daimler Benz (Corporate) in Stuttgart use to tell us of the angst they had towards the Lexus LS400... :tongue:

However, the forthcoming LS460 has found another icon to focus on: BMW 7-series.

Mercedes Benz S-class:

1981-1991 S-class {W126}

~ 1989-1992 LS400 {UF10 I}​

~ 1993-1994 LS400 {UF10 II}​

~ 1995-1996 LS400 {UF20 III}​

~ 1995-1997 LS400 {UF20 IV}​

1992-1999 S-class {W140}

~ 2001-2006 LS430 {UF30}​

2000-2006 S-class {W220}

~ N/A​

BMW 7-series:

2002-2009 7-series {E65/E66}

~ 2007-2009 LS460 {UF40}​

 

[Ben]

Mercedes is just as reliable if not, more than Lexus..