2011 Acura RL Sedan
MSRP:$47,200
The Acura RL is a midsize luxury sedan. It is in a pretty competitive market; the RL isn’t even the only Acura midsize luxury sedan. As is often the case with Acura, there is really no iconic product or presence here, and sales could be a lot better. Could that be turned into a buyer’s advantage, and if so, is it worth pursuing?
The 2011 Acura RL has a 3.7 liter V6 engine that produces 300 horsepower. It has 18-inch alloy wheels, Acura’s patented “SH-AWD,” which stands for “Super Handling All-Wheel Drive,” and a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual override paddles. It is rated at 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.
There are a lot of conveniences and features included with this car. It has keyless entry, keyless ignition, a power tilt-telescope steering wheel, heated 10-way power seats in the front with driver memory, automatic 2-zone climate control with rear controls, leather upholstery, a sunroof, automatic xenon headlights, side and rear sunshades, and a voice command module for the climate and audio systems.
The audio system is a Bose surround-sound with 10 speakers, AM/FM/HD radio, CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, a USB/iPod interface, an audio jack, and Bluetooth. You can also upgrade to the Technology Package, which gives you a supreme sound and electronics system, and the Advance system that gives you Adaptive Cruise Control and accident mitigation system.
The Acura RL also comes with anti-lock brakes with brake assist, traction control, stability control, side curtain airbags, side front airbags, and active front head restraints. In tests under 2010 standards, it aced every government test with 5 stars out of 5, and got highest scores of “good” on every test done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, except for the “marginal” rating for roof safety. The good news here is that ESB, or stability control, makes you less than half as likely to have a rollover accident as you would be in a car that doesn’t have it.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
The interior is a typical luxury interior. The materials are all very high-quality and soft-touch, and the Bose Surround-sound stereo is as good as most drivers would ever want or need. The design is very nice, and more traditional than most cars. There is plenty of headroom and legroom in both the front and back seats. Cargo space in the trunk is a bit small for this market segment at 13.1 cubic feet.
This car does a “magic trick” that was once the sole property of European cars: it drives like a sport car and rides like a luxury car. The steering is very responsive, as is the suspension. The acceleration is very nice, and the car easily travels at highway speed without a hint of labor. The SH-AWD allows you to more easily navigate corners and slippery pavement. Somehow, the ride still feels like a pure luxury car. This car is a great compromise for a driver who wants to be engaged and a passenger who wants to be detached.
The main negatives here are the price and the lack of updates in the design.
The verdict: this car would be a great bargain for about $5,000 less. You might be able to find it for that price toward the end of the year as dealers purge this year’s models.
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