Overview & Reviews
The RL is completely redesigned for 2005, and now sports a 300-horsepower V6 and standard all-wheel drive.
- Quiet cabin, handles well for a large sedan, excellent build and materials quality, unique all-wheel-drive system, innovative navigation system offers real-time traffic information.
- Lacks the low-end grunt of a V8, still lacks the prestige of its European competition.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 208.00-
A hidden gem. - 2005 Acura RL
By D del - November 5 - 2:58 pmI traded an 05 Lexus GS300 for this car. I found the GS extremely comfortable, quiet, and with solid build quality. But I wouldnt go back to that because it was just a bore to drive. Now to the RL. I could care less that this looks or is often mistaken for a Honda Accord. Ill readily admit Acura doesnt have the prestige factor of a Lexus or Audi, both of which Ive owned. Its not why I buy cars. The RL is really a hidden gem, a sleeper of sorts. It might not look special, it might not be the fastest, most luxurious nor the best driving car. It ccomplishes what I both need and desire in a car - AWD (sh-awd is no gimic, this system should be the AWD standard. Ive owned a few Audis and while Quattro is great in its own right especially in snow, Honda has something great in SH-AWD), reliability, sportier driving dynamics, luxury features, decent style in/out (nothing flashy, not overstyled, something that will age well, which conservative styling typically achieves) And honestly, I think its a great looking car. There are a couple things Id change which I know Acura has in newer models. The 5 speed tranny is slow to shift in manual mode. It also seems more geared toward fuel economy over sport, which Id get but the fuel economy isnt the greatest. There are bigger cars with V8s that get better mileage. I dont like that I have to switch to a different menu to control the climate. The voice commands are helpful but not always practical (like if a passenger is trying to sleep)
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Very Happy - 2005 Acura RL
By fargin - September 9 - 2:00 amOne of the best cars I have owned and the Acura dealer is always nice. I have had Audi and Bmw and Acura is so much better overall in every category.
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170 K miles and still running great - 2005 Acura RL
By ejet - August 18 - 12:46 pmI have put 170K+ miles on my 05 RL so I can confidently say I know this car. Still looks new and draws attention. Front tie rods replaced twice, once under warranty. Two sets of brakes and on third set of tires. Front head light adjusting warning light has been on for the last 100K, cant be turned off and I am not paying to replace the head lights. A few minor electrical problems but that has been it. I runs like new. I have driven 12 hours staight, great seats, quite, comfortable and reliable. Not good in snow even with AWD. Buy four Blizzak snows if you drive in the white stuff. Dealership service has been A+. The BEST GPS system made on earth. Waiting for the 2011. Best car ever.
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Great Cat - 2005 Acura RL
By paul4sure - August 13 - 10:56 amGreat car, had it for 2 years and no problems at all. I was looking at Lexus, as i had Es300 for 6 years when i went to school, but wanted something more sporty. G35x was another possibility, but it was too small for me. Car is very reliable and comfortable for long rides. This is the car you can take for skiing trip in the winter and feel safe during any weather. Its 5 years old now, but i still get compliments how nice it looks. Mine is blue metal, tinted. I drove my roommates Mercedes E550 many times, and RL is very similar to E550. It doesnt have as much toque but picks up speed as quickly as E550. Its a keeper for the comfort, AWD and BOSE system sounds great with XM by the way.
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The Best car overall - 2005 Acura RL
By Kim - August 5 - 2:24 pmI searched for a luxury used car after my BMW 525 totaled by an accident. Acura rl was the answer. Its interior is beautiful and comfortable. I wasnt impressed by exterior first but it keeps growing on me. Navigation system is the best so far. My wife and baby daughter love back seat sunshades. It doesnt drive like a BMW but its awd really works. The cabin is Lexus- quiet and stereo sound is the best I ever heard. RLs unpopularity, price is more reasonable which was good for me. Unfortunately, fuel economy is pretty bad in city. For luxury used car for a price, rl just cant be beat. Last, I am happy with acuras reliability which I had suffered from BMW.
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Dissapointed with my RL - 2005 Acura RL
By John H - July 21 - 8:03 pmI have purchased my last few cars (all used) and Ive tried to move up with each purchase. I traded an Infiniti I35 and purchased this used RL (which had 16.7K miles on it). The car has been a pleasure to drive, but the amount of money that I have had to put into repairs has been a major disappointment. In the 16 months that I have owned the car Ive had to replace the drivers side power mirror, a major repair to the air conditioner and replace one of the motors in the passengers side seat. The total repairs cost $3,000 and the car has 50K miles on it. Ive owned used Mazdas and Infinits and never had these type of major repair issues. I am very disappointed in the RLs reliability
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Great car but needs more quality control - 2005 Acura RL
By Fritz - February 15 - 9:34 amThe SH-AWD is very fun to use around turns, but I doubt most people will ever push this car hard enough to experience it. When you go into turns you really just have to push it and let the computers take over which is a bit unnerving at first, but you can really feel it pivot as the car overdrives the outside wheels. The dash is controls are very easy to use and pretty intuitive and I love that everything can be done through the Navigation screen which is large, easy to read and sits high in the dashboard. My biggest complaint with this car are the rattles and creaks. That is a deal breaker for me, but fortunately it doesnt bother my wife who drives it.
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Ecstatic About My New Car - 2005 Acura RL
By Bruce H - December 10 - 2:56 pmAfter researching and driving the German cars in this class, I had no problem picking the 05 RL as my new car. It has everything the Germans have plus the reliability that they dont. Handling and the comfort of luxury features are as good as any other car available, and my family feels safe and secure no matter what the weather or road conditions.
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Near Perfect Car 9.5 out of 10 - 2005 Acura RL
By Arthur M. - December 4 - 1:50 amHandling The best I have experienced. I have not driven comparable G35 and E320 for longer then 30 minutes (test drive) nor, can I claim previous luxury car ownership. What I can say, however, is that entering a 120 degree, very sharp corner at 55 mph and exiting at 40 effortlessly impressed me, it impressed me even more, when the next morning I saw 15 mph speed limit on the same road coming from the opposite direction - I can only wonder why the sign was available only one way. Steering is extremely precise, the car goes EXACTLY where you point it, coupled with SH-AWD. Comparing that to my slightly wobbly jeeps steering - night and day.
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Dependable but boring - 2005 Acura RL
By Chris - November 14 - 6:53 amI wish the Acura RL could use "real looking wood" like my 05 Acura TL did... its so plastic looking. It is a great car though. Seems not as sporty as a car like a 5 series, but reliability is its strong suit. 80,000 miles on it and plan on keeping for long term... only issue is it is boring (true disclosure most cars after a while bore me:).
