2006 Acura RL

Honda's Acura division was the first upscale Japanese luxury car unit when it debuted in America in 1986, or four years before posh cars from Nissan's Infiniti and Toyota's Lexus luxury vehicle divisions arrived.

American automakers scoffed at Acura, saying that car buyers in this country thought of Japanese autos as mainly economy vehicles -- certainly not as luxury autos. Acura soon proved them wrong.

Acura pulled ahead of Infiniti in the first 11 months this year, but trailed Lexus by a large margin.

However, Acura sales rose significantly to 190,989 units in the first 11 months this year from 178,773 units in the same year-ago period.

The mid-size RL luxury/sports flagship sedan was an Acura highlight, more than doubling in the first 11 months this year to 16,294 cars from 6,786 in the same year-ago period.

The RL was thoroughly revamped for 2005 with sharper styling, far more power from its V-6, an advanced all-wheel-drive system and extra safety and convenience items. It had so much comfort, convenience and safety equipment that no factory options were offered.

The same is true for the solidly built 2006 RL, which is virtually unchanged. Besides nearly every comfort and convenience feature you might think of and a great stereo system, safety items include front side airbags and head-protecting curtain side air bags.

There's also anti-lock brakes, an antiskid system with 17-inch wheels and steering-linked swiveling headlights.

The keyless entry and ignition system is gimmicky, but the voice-activated satellite navigation system is one of the best.

The RL's styling isn't radical, but indicates a rebirth of inventiveness at this Honda division.

One wonders how well the RL might have done if Honda had given the car a V-8. Honda insists six cylinders are sufficient.

The 2006 RL lists at $49,300 and costs $53,100 with a new technology package that combines run-flat tires with Acura's new Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).

A set following distance is maintained by the radar-activated ACC by applying the brakes and adjusting the throttle. Radar signals are used by CMBS to provide audio/ visual warnings with a dashboard light and beeping sound when approaching obstacles within a 330-foot range. If CMBS finds a collision is unavoidable, it applies the brakes and slows the car to 10 mph, besides tightening front seatbelts.

The 4,000-pound 2006 RL has a stout 3.5-liter, 290-horsepower V-6 that's smooth but sounds thrashed when revved hard. The new 130-mph RL has the same engine as the 2005 version and provides the same performance (0-60 mph in a brisk 6.7 seconds). But the horsepower figure has been lowered from 300 because of a more realistic rating system from the Society of Automotive Engineers.

The engine works with a responsive five-speed automatic transmission that can be left in drive mode or manually shifted with paddles on the steering column. However, the paddles are small, and the console gearshifter notchy.

Fuel economy remains the same, at an estimated 18 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Premium fuel is recommended.

Acura luxury/sports sedans suffered in comparison to Lexus and European rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz because they had front-wheel drive, instead of rear-drive systems that gave those competitors better weight distribution and more balanced handling when driven hard.

The 2005 RL's sophisticated Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system partly solved that problem.

The all-wheel-drive adds weight and complexity. But it's the first and only all-wheel-drive system to distribute the optimum amount of engine-generated torque between the front and rear wheels -- and also between left and right rear wheels to enhance steering feel, handing, cornering and stability during lively driving. It takes curves as if on rails with the traction-enhancing SH-AWD system.

During normal driving, 70 percent of torque is at the front wheels. During hard driving, up to 70 percent shoots to the rear wheels. If necessary, all torque is transferred to the outside rear wheel in turns to help "rotate" the car around a corner. The system also was a huge traction plus in recent snowy Chicago weather.

However, the 2006 RL I tested lacked the ultrasporty feel of, say, a rear-drive BMW 5-Series luxury/sports sedan.

Steering is precise, although it needs more on-center feel, and the car has a wide curb-to-curb turning diameter. Braking is strong, but some similarly priced luxury/sports have shorter stopping distances. The ride is plenty supple for short or long drives.

Large door handles make it easy to enter the eerily quiet, elegant, wood-and-leather interior. The illuminated gauges can be easily read, but it takes a while to sort out the numerous controls in the center of the dashboard, which has a large screen on which such information as radio station selection is pictured.

Four six-footers easily fit in the supportive front seats and large rear bench seat.

The trunk is roomy, but the rear seatback doesn't fold forward for more cargo room. Also, the trunk's rather high opening won't be appreciated when loading or removing heavy objects. The lid has space-eating sickle-shaped hinges instead of compact strut-type hinges, although the hood rises smoothly on hydraulic struts to reveal easily reached engine compartment fluid filler areas.

The Acura RL is an easy ride with solid all-around competence. Acura could have built a bigger, flashier, rear-drive RL with a V-8. But Honda's habitual restraint led it to build a sensible, technically impressive, well-integrated luxury/sports sedan. 

2006 ACURA RL 

PRICES
$49,300-$53,100

LIKES
Fast. Roomy. Refined. All-wheel drive.

DISLIKES
No V-8. Gimmicky starting feature. High trunk liftover. Notchy gearshifter.