2005 Acura RL

The RL sedan is the flagship of Honda's upscale Acura division, but was a step behind rivals since its 1996 introduction because it lacked a V-8, and had forget-me styling and a rather dull interior.

Honda was Japan's first automaker to challenge the European luxury-car crowd in 1986 with its new Acura Legend. But no Acura ever offered a V-8, like its rivals (not to mention BMW and Mercedes-Benz V-12s). And all Acuras have had front-drive, except for the low-volume NSX sports car, when outfits such as BMW and Mercedes offered only rear-drive for better balance.

The second-generation RL is a 2005 model that has been deftly redesigned. It has such things as sharper styling, far more power, an advanced all-wheel-drive system that should come in handy in Chicago winters -- and additional safety and convenience items.

The second-generation RL comes in one trim level and has a $48,900 base price. It has enough advanced features to equip a spaceship. There is so much comfort, convenience and safety equipment that no factory options are offered.

Although sportier, the RL doesn't quite have the sporty feel of rivals such as the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Steering, braking and handling are good, and the supple suspension delivers a good ride, although it sometimes gets choppy. The RL feels more like a luxurious cruiser than a posh sports sedan.

The RL has a satellite-based real time traffic information system that's the first application of a system to offer personalized traffic information relative to a driver's location and destination. The car's navigation screen is utilized to display information, but is only available for 20 urban areas (including Chicago) and can only alert you to traffic snarls, not re-route you around them.

The RL is the first Acura to have a Keyless Access System, which lets owners lock and unlock doors, open the trunk and start the car without a key. The key fob has a transmitter that communicates wirelessly with sensors in the car when the fob is near it. Also, the engine can be turned on and off by turning a switch on the steering column.

Unfortunately, all that means more stuff to go wrong; for instance, a dead battery in my test car resulted from a previous driver who forgot to completely turn the switch to the "off" position.

Low headlight beams swivel up to 20 degrees in either direction in response to vehicle speed and steering-wheel input to illuminate a larger area of road surface through a corner, minimizing blind spots.

Acura generally has made the RL more of a sporty model to compete with rivals including the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Its dramatically sloping hood, forward-sloping beltline and short rear end contribute to a pronounced wedge look.

The RL's wheelbase (distance between axles) has been cut 4.4 inches and is 3 inches shorter at 193.6 inches, with shorter front-rear body overhangs. It's also 1.1 inches wider and 2.6 inches higher.

Despite the cuts, added equipment has increased its weight about 100 pounds to 3,984 pounds.

The second-generation RL still has a V-6 because Honda believes in sophisticated engines that generally have two less cylinders than rivals. But power of the smooth 3.5-liter, 24-valve engine shoots from 225 to an impressive 300, making it the most powerful engine ever in an Acura. The car now accelerates much like it had a V-8, with a 0-60 mph time of only 6.4 seconds. Moreover, Acura says, most rivals in the RL class -- such as the BMW 530i and Mercedes E320 -- have standard six-cylinder engines.

Estimated RL fuel economy is 18 mpg in the city and 26 on highways, which tops the 18 and 24 figures for the 2004 RL V-6, which had higher emissions.

The engine works with a responsive five-speed automatic transmission that lets gears be manually shifted using a lever on the console or with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

The new RL's advanced all-wheel-drive system should be a strong selling point because the large number of all-wheel-drive vehicles sold in the last decade has made the driving public much more aware of AWD traction advantages.

The RL's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) is the first and only all-wheel-drive system to distribute the optimum amount of torque between the front and rear wheels and also between left and right rear wheels to enhance cornering, steering feel, handling and stability during spirited driving.

During normal cruising, 70 percent of torque is at the front wheels. During hard driving, up to 70 percent goes 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.

Making the car safer is a new body structure, which helps disperse collision forces over a larger frontal area. Other safety items include anti-lock brakes, front side air bags and head-protecting curtain side air bags, along with an anti-skid system.

The interior is both sporty and luxurious, with leather, wood trim and a 10-speaker DVD-Audio system. Road, wind and other intrusive noise is neutralized through new noise-compensation technology, which monitors interior noise and adjust the sound balance accordingly.

The front bucket seats provide good long-distance comfort. Gauges are easily read and controls are within handy reach. Acura's navigation system, which recognizes spoken street and city names, is one of the best and not a nightmare to use, as are navigation systems in some cars.

The lack of a V-8 might still discourage some from looking at the new RL, but it now has plenty of power. And its all-wheel-drive system should satisfy those who were opposed to its front-drive layout. The car thus should be a much stronger seller.

2005 ACURA RL

PRICES
$48,900

LIKES
Deftly redesigned. Fast. Roomy. Posh. Advanced all-wheel drive. Well-equipped.

DISLIKES
No V-8. Gimmicky starting and lock-unlock features. Occasional choppy ride.