Whether you want to call it a delusion of grandeur or pulling one over on the man, there’s something immensely appealing in the thought of buying a heavily depreciated flagship luxury sedan. After all, you’ve worked bloody hard, so why not get yourself something nice as a reward? However, flagship luxury sedans usually come with problems. They’re often too complex for their own good, made worse by how they eventually end up owned by people who don’t give a hoot about maintenance.
The Acura RL SH-AWD is a bit different.
This four-doored sanctuary is a case of the Honda Motor Company doing what it knows best, and thanks to the magic of depreciation, it can now be had for genuinely sensible used car money. It’s less obvious than a Lexus LS, comes with a killer all-wheel-drive system, and best of all, this flagship luxury sedan is unlikely to let you down, provided you stick to its factory maintenance schedule. Daily driver duty? Bring it on.
Welcome back to Beige Cars You’re Sleeping On, a weekly series in which we raise the profile of some quiet greats. We’re talking vehicles that are secretly awesome, but go unsung because of either a boring image or the lack of an image altogether.
Pulling on the door handle unlocks an artfully designed wood-clad cabin with a waterfall-style center stack being the absolute centerpiece. Even today, this is a great-looking interior, and one that holds up rather well thanks to Acura’s focus on quality. And it’s hard not to mention the sheer number of toys on offer here – we’re talking navigation, 10-speaker Bose stereo, electric rear roller blind, power-adjustable steering column, GPS-linked solar-sensing automatic climate control, active noise cancellation, and a proximity key system. Even in today’s era of gadget bloat, the RL still feels luxurious. However, the biggest, best gadget lies beneath the skin.
The party piece of Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive was and still is a fancy torque-vectoring rear differential. In the Acura RL, a set of electronically controlled clutch packs paired with a planetary gearset could overdrive the outside rear wheel when accelerating out of a corner by sending up to 100 percent of rear axle torque to one wheel. Further, cross-axle torque split could also be varied on deceleration to ensure cornering stability, and up to 70 percent of the engine’s torque could be sent to either the front or the rear axle. The result was a two-ton transverse-engined all-wheel-drive sedan that didn’t handle like a two-ton transverse-engined all-wheel-drive sedan. As Car And Driver discovered, it’s actually a fun system to play with:
Our 0.87-g skidpad performance reveals a system working miracles to keep 4030 front-heavy pounds aimed in the right direction, especially on the RL’s standard 17-inch wheels and 245/50 Michelin all-season tires–pretty tame shoes by today’s standards (an 18-inch wheel and summer-tire package will be sold by dealers). Out on the road, the RL glides through bends without a trace of plow, the steering wheel a taut linkage that is lightly weighted but alive with information. The more stupid the corner speed, the more the system shows its stuff. Stomp the gas, and the back end starts pushing, the rear rotating, the smiles widening. It’s not silly oversteer–it’s Super-Handling!
While fine details may have changed in Acura’s latest SH-AWD systems, the brand is still using torque-vectoring tech to make the vast majority of its vehicles more engaging. Speaking of engaging, there’s also lots of highbrow stuff going on beneath the Acura RL. Aluminum front and rear subframes cut weight, while double-wishbone front suspension allows for better camber curves throughout travel than a MacPherson strut setup. While we’re looking at the front axle, aluminum monoblock four-piston fixed brake calipers clamp onto beefy 12.6-inch front discs, providing ample stopping power. Nice.
As for propulsion, these RLs started out with a 3.5-liter J35A8 V6 making 300 or 290 horsepower depending on whether we’re looking at a 2005 model year or a 2006 to 2008 model year car. You won’t notice the 10-horsepower difference, as it’s not really there – the gap is merely the result of a revised testing procedure for horsepower calculation.
Yes, the J35 V6 will require timing belt replacement and valve adjustment at some point, but so long as you stick to the recommended maintenance schedule, it won’t leave you high and dry with unexpected problems as you may find in the German competition. Remember, BMW’s N62 V8 eats valve stem seals, early Mercedes-Benz M272 V6s had balance shaft gear problems, and the 3.2-liter FSI V6 in the Audi A6 of the time can occasionally eat timing chain guides.
For 2009, the Acura RL got an engine upgrade in the form of a 3.7-liter J37A2 V6 making, well, 300 horsepower. Sure, a gain of 10 horsepower doesn’t sound massively impressive, but an extra 15 lb.-ft. of torque and the addition of VTEC on the exhaust valves proved more useful in the real world. Speaking of useful upgrades, bigger anti-roll bars and faster paddle shifter response further enhanced the driving experience, while the addition of cooled front seats and deletion of the pesky Michelin PAX run-flat tire option made ownership a bit more pleasurable. However, the facelift came with controversy.
Around the turn of the 2010s, Acura was taking a big styling risk with something it called the “Power Plenum” grille, see above. It looked a bit like a vegetable-slicing implement and every model it was applied to drew the vitriol of critics and consumers. Of the 2009 Acura TL, Automobile wrote “Not even a mother could love this car’s face.” Perhaps this odd facelift was part of the reason why the 2009 RL wasn’t exactly a best-seller, with just 2,043 sold that year, less than half as many as in 2008.
The beak was revised for 2011, but the bigger story was the six-speed automatic transmission that replaced the old five-speed. Not only did the new gearbox deliver a handy fuel economy boost, it added a sizeable dose of modernity. However, it’s not the coolest thing about the 2011 RL — that would be the set of noise-reducing wheels, with a polypropylene Helmholtz resonator in each unit targeting resonance between 100 and 500 hertz. Acura claimed these wheels helped contribute to a 1.3 dB decrease in cabin noise, and since decibels sit on a logarithmic scale, that’s significant. If you can get around the styling, the 2011 to 2012 models really were the best of the breed.
So, if you want a slice of flagship life that won’t make you car-poor, how much outlay are we talking? Well, it varies considerably based on model year and mileage, but it all works out to be fairly reasonable. If you’re cool with a relatively early car, here’s a 2006 model with 90,412 miles on the clock up for sale in Florida for $7,882. Sure, the headlights could use a polish, but this is a lot of car for less than $8,000.
If you want a nice low-mileage 2012 model, the last of the breed, here’s one with 86,015 miles on the clock up for sale in Salt Lake City for $16,995. That’s pretty much the top of the market, and it’s still less expensive than a gently used Honda Civic. Except it’s not a sensible economy car, it’s a flagship luxury sedan.
So, if you want a winter-ready depreciated slice of the good life but find that unexpected repair bills aren’t your sort of surprise, why not take a good look at an Acura RL? Smooth, punchy, traction-abundant, and well-appointed, it’s a left-field luxury pick with a promise of rock-solid dependability.
(Photo credits: Acura, AutoTrader sellers)
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Having owned a whole mess of Hondas/Acuras, I’ve sniffed around these a few times. Really good cars and I’m glad to see them getting some attention. When it came time to pull the trigger on a depreciated flagship sedan, I went with a Lexus LS460 because V8.
Hey Sam- I owned both. The RL was a fantastic car- great handling. But it was barely in the same league in terms of luxobarge as my ’08 LS460. Night and day. You made the right choice.
Hey thanks, “luxobarge” is exactly what I wanted as I was looking for an interstate cruiser. No doubt the RL is the better driver’s car, though.
“polypropylene Helmholtz resonator”
I’ll stick with my Turbo Encabulator, thank you very much.
I knew a guy back in 2010 who made partner at his law firm and splurged on a 2011 RL. The thing was nice. It wasn’t super fast, but it was reasonably quick, handled city and highway commuting like a champ, and was WAAAYYY more competent in the twisties than it should have been for its size. He eventually traded the RL in for a 2016 TL SH-AWD which was objectively a better car, but for some reason the RL felt a bit more special.
The TL is just an ugly car. I had one as a service loaner for a few days and I rather liked it. Almost made me rethink whether I should have gotten one of them used instead of a new TSX… but I did like the smaller footprint of the TSX when I got it back so I stand by my decision.
Yeah, the TL just got unfairly hit with the ugly stick. I have seen some TLs with the chrome beak either wrapped or painted body color and it helps a surprising amount.
Also, the TSX was a gem, especially in wagon form.
Show of hands for everyone who devastated to see the gorgeous 91-95 Acura Legends replacement, the 96 RL.
Really cool AWD setup but a bit of a waste of a good capable system, they should’ve paired it with a manual.
I see way too many of these for sale under 200k miles with bad transmissions. Maybe the later 6 speed auto was better. This car really deserved a manual.
I ended up with a 2008 RL last year after my FiL finally picked out a new car. It wouldn’t be my choice of car, but free is free, and I needed something for the winter after trading in my X5 for a Z4. 200k miles, but my FiL took good care of his shit, so feels like new.
Everything written in this article checks out. It’s a giant car, but can be thrown around like a much smaller car. It’s my first automatic since high school, so maybe I’m just out of practice, but I hate this 5 speed. I’m sure the handling is great, but it’s not helpful when the transmission drops down 2 gears, dumping you into vtec territory because you gave a little bit of gas mid corner.
The other thing I quickly discovered as a DiYer is that this car does not share a lot with other Acuras (besides the powertrain). Adding to that it being a 15+ year old model, certain parts are not cheap. The trunk latch switch failed over the winter – $90 for replacement. And the 4-pot brakes are bad ass; however, since this was the only car that ever got them, good luck finding many brake pad options.
Not sure how long I’ll keep this for, since it doesn’t really fit my lifestyle. But it’s the best beater I’ve ever had!
4000 lbs.
Just for kicks I looked up the weight of the 82 Accord I had: 2300lbs.
New M5 weighs 5400lbs
That’s true, but I’d rather crash the Acura or Rabob’s M5 than that 82 Accord… 🙂
I had what I believe is the same torque vectoring system in an ‘05 MDX. I wasn’t rock crawling or anything, but that thing was a monster in the snow.
Th RL is actually unique in how the SH-AWD works, and how it can allocate power to the different axles and wheels, we had an MDX, ind the SH-AWD in it is great, but in the RL it is another level.
Open diffs with brake discs on the inside near the differential is cool, but its still subpar compared to a real limited slip differential in the rear. Those brakes heat up and lose performance whereas a mechanical limited slip differential wont and can also be setup to do different behaviors on deceleration. Lookup 1.5way diffs for example.
4050lbs…..
Ill pass.
Wat? It’s not an open diff in the rear and doesn’t have inboard rear discs, either….
I’m on my second RL, I owned an 06 RL A-Spec (I loved this car), that my son got T boned in a few years ago (he was unhurt except his pride) super safe car, but that totaled it. I decided I was not done with the RL and bought an 2011. Several little things that the 06 did not have including the Adaptive cruse, folding mirrors, cooling seats, 6 speed trans, V-Tech on exhaust, blue tooth for Audio playback and the wheel harmonics. All of this add to a very nice step up from the 06. I own 6 cars and this is my favorite daily driver and possibly favorite over all, and one is a 91 NSX, fantastic it its own right. This thing is a 4K car and the SH-AWD will effortlessly pull you around corners at almost any speed you want to take them. It is an effortless blast to drive. Test drive one at a car dealer if you can find one, and go find some fast corners. You will soon be an RL owner. One last thing the Bose system (on all 05-12 RL’s) is a noise canceling device (like there headphones) and monitors the cabin noise and cancels out road noise making it an incredibly quiet cabin.
I saw one of these in my office complex parking garage yesterday and was astounded. I haven’t seen an RL in a very long time.
Were these available in Canada ? I look but only see TLs
They were available but not stocked. I went to our local dealer in 2006 or 2007 to look at one and they didn’t have one (and weren’t getting any) but they were available by special order with hefty non-refundable deposit. Needless to say I wasn’t going to commit to a car sight unseen.
Had a girlfriend whose sister bought a Corolla from a brochure, she was pretty tall and had issues fitting in the thing, she was not the sharpest light bulb in the litter
My family had one of these! It was great: Fast, nimble, well equipped, reliable, attractive. More presence in person than in pictures — it really did look fantastic – purposeful, and high end, without being overstyled. Just a wonderful vehicle all around – Acura at its finest.
I bought a heavily hail damaged 05 RL almost two years ago, after doing diligent maintenance and upkeep, timing belt, control arms, brakes, etc it’s been absolutely infallible. The car itself is absolutely as good or better than it sounds like it would be on paper, it’s an absolute joy to drive and out of 8 cars I own currently, it’s the only one that doesn’t ever make me want to drive something else tomorrow, even after a 10 hour long road trip. These cars treat you good when you treat them good. A friend of mine bought an 06 based on how happy I was with mine, after he rode in it one time.
My boyfriend previously had a string of Acuras with SH-AWD, except, he called it SHAWWW-DEE. So every time we pull up behind an AWD Acura, I think he’s cosplaying as a cat caller in the 90’s. It’s kinda cute.
I always read SH-AWD as Shawed, and on the Nissan side a Rogue (or Murano?) SL AWD is Slawed.
I’ve always wanted one of these. As a Honda person, this is like the culmination of everything I’ve liked about my family’s Odyssey (J-series V6) my grandma’s Accord (good FWD sedan proportions) combined with the X-factor of SH-AWD. Now the only problem is that they didn’t offer a wagon…
I used to have an 06 RL, the SH-AWD was positively magical. Once in a ski parking lot I had to make a seemingly impossible turn, so I just cranked the wheel an blipped the throttle and the car just about did a tank turn. I switched from an RSX, the handling in the RL was obviously heavier but the SH-AWD made it feel a lot lighter than it was. Got a lot of speeding tickets in the RL, I’ll just say that lol.
I used my RL mostly for long highway drives and skiing. It was unbeatable for the long highway drives; quiet, (relatively) fuel efficient, fun. For skiing, with the benefit of hindsight, I probably would have been better served by an MDX. Same engine and SH-AWD but with more headroom in back and two extra seats, for the tradeoff of slightly worse handling and slightly worse fuel mileage.
Ultimately I sold my RL because my wife bought a Prius Prime and the two cars were far too similar in role and capability.
Funny how Acura\Honda can build a system that can turn a sedan / crossover into a snowcat but Tesla can’t build a “truck” that can drive in the snow
and like 20 years ago! lol
I won’t even mention how GM used UPP Toronados with the bumpers removed as snow plows in their parking lots in the 60’s and early 70’s with no traction control.
I can’t say that I would expect someone with a Prius Prime to cross shop an RL (or vice versa).
I scrolled through this whole article to try and figure out why Acura’s flagship looked so dated.
They were going for an understated look. Most people don’t even know what an RL looks like because they’re so conservatively styled.
The designs of the older ones now seem so plain and inoffensive compared to today’s designs.
That nose in 2009 is a deal breaker for me. I would definitely go with the earlier years. The RL is an intriguing option. Good find!
Not an expert but I remember a lot of Honda transmissions from that earlier era had kaboom problems.
I’m considering one of these for a family member. The beak is easily tamed by a visit to your local vinyl wrap vendor. Wrapping just the chrome in black would be a huge improvement.
UNRELIABLE!!!
Acura was really killing the sedan game in this era. I remember one of my college professors had the performance version of the TL and I thought it was so cool and understated. The also had the TSX, which was entry level luxury done right, and of course this. Simpler times, my friends. Simpler times…
Anyway I’d love to get my hands on SH-AWD at some point and I wish Acura would crank it up to 11 and make a truly serious sports sedan of their own. The Integra Type S is cool, but at the end of the day it’s a $50,000+ CTR and front wheel drive. The TLX Type S is…cool enough, but it’s very expensive for what it delivers, has very little interior space, and is ridiculously heavy (4,200 goddamn pounds!) for no good reason.
Oh well. This was a great era for them and I wish manufacturers were still putting this much thought and engineering into sedans.
Oh the manufacturers put some thought into it.
Ford thought about it and decided they didn’t need sedans anymore and killed them all.
GM thought about it and decided they didn’t need sedans anymore and killed them all.
Mazda thought about it killed the Mazda6.
Who will be the next domino to fall?
Believe it or not, you can still buy three different brand new sedans (four if you count the Bolt, it’s dubious) from General Motors.
I’d say the Chevy Malibu is living on borrowed time.
I sure loved my TL
Remember: AWD does not necessarily equal All-Weather. With the proper tires, it definitely does.
That silver plastic on the center stack is so jarringly awful in an otherwise nice cabin.
I remember the choice to stick with a V6 was not well-received at the time. Honda is stubborn though.
Yeah, that’s kind of jarring isn’t it? Looks like the front panel of a no-name/off brand stereo you’d see for sale by the front service desk of a supermarket, ca 2003.
The rest of the interior does look very nice, would have really been best to either keep the same wood trim flowing down the center stack, or at least make it out of real brushed aluminum instead of silver plastic
I perversely kinda like it, in that way of a early ‘2000s hi-fi deck or something. It’s very ‘Japanese’.
it feels super retro-futuristic, almost a little cyberpunk. would have been better in black plastic imo
I think you can apply the same vinyl wrap they use on exteriors to smooth interior surfaces with good results. Not sure, though.
The last gen RL is one of my favorite cars. Thanks for reminding me to look around for a score.