The RL provides a sumptuously comfortable interior, with a high level
of standard equipment to erase your cares and ease your spirits. We tested
the Premium model ($44,435), which adds a short list of extras to the basic
models extensive list of standard features: interior walnut trim, heated
seats and outside mirrors, a Bose audio system, and traction control (as
well as the aforementioned ski sack).
Entering and exiting the RL is eased by the automatic steering wheel
that glides up and out of the way when you turn off the ignition. Upon
start-up, you can use one of two memory settings to restore the wheel,
mirrors and seat to your preferred positions. A power moonroof is standard.
The leather seats are soft on first contact, and remain supportive over
the long haul. The long seat cushions support the thighs, and side bolsters
on the seatbacks hold your back in place.
Rear seat comfort is particularly high, a carryover from Japan where
cars like this often are chauffeur-driven. Extra kneeroom has been carved
into the front seatbacks, and the broad track under the front seat leaves
plenty of foot room. The undersides of the front seats are even carpeted
to prevent shoe scuffs. Rear-seat passengers can adjust the temperature
with controls at the back of the center console.
Acura claims its climate control system has the quickest draw in the
West, or at least in its class, with an air conditioning system that can
cool the car from 100 degrees to 70 degrees in 15 minutes flat, faster
than any of its competitors. Since our visit with the 3.5RL occurred in
the dead of a midwestern winter, we can't vouch for the a/c claim, but
it reflects the intense refinement that went into every detail of the car's
comfort quotient.
The Lexus-like illuminated instruments convey necessary information
clearly and elegantly. Controls are intelligently arranged, pleasant to
touch and operate, and comprehensible without recourse to the owner's manual.
The speed-sensitive windshield wipers adjust their rate to the car's speed.
The headlights turn on automatically. Even the leather has been treated
to reduce the amount of oil that evaporates in the sunlight, and Acura
claims that RL's leather seats produce 90% less window fogging than conventional
leather.)
Our only complaints are aesthetic quibbles. The wood trim could have
been laid on a little more generously. And the center dash console, with
its high-tech trapezoidal shape and materials, looks a little hard-edged
in this otherwise soft environment.
On the other hand, that high-tech look seems exactly right when the
optional satellite navigation system is installed. The six-inch screen
is linked to GPS satellites and a database of maps. Enter your destination
and your route will appear on the screen. A pleasant, reassuring female
voice gives you turn-by-turn directions.
The navigation system is a $2000 option on the Premium model. The map
database covers California and Las Vegas, and (as of April 1997) the Eastern
Seaboard from Maine to Florida.
The standard audio setup includes an eight-speaker AM/FM/cassette system
with a rear-window in-glass antenna. The Premium model is fitted with a
Bose audio system that has an extraodinarily rich, full sound. It includes
a six-disc CD changer that can be mounted in the trunk or in the center
storage console--a location that eats up some storage space but that we
find more convenient than the trunk.
The RL's performance matches its interior appointments: exquisitely
well-executed in an unobtrusive way.
The RL is powered by a smooth and silent 210-horsepower 3.5-liter V6,
the largest engine Acura has ever produced. Even more impressive is its
torque: 224 pound-feet at an unusually low 2800 rpm. That helps give the
V6 the aggressive launch of a V8 and plenty of available power at most
speeds.
The V6 is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission that has rather
firm shift points for a luxury car. The transmission incorporates Honda's
Grade Logic Control, which tells the transmission to stay in lower gears
on hilly roads. This reduces hunting among gears while climbing hills and
makes the most of engine braking on downhills.
The RL's ride and handling are fully in step with its luxury goals.
The ride is silky, without the slightest harshness or wallow. The speed-sensitive
power steering provides good road feel at higher speeds and plenty of assist
at low speeds.
Safety is a high priority at Acura, as seen in the lengthy list of safety
equipment. Dual airbags, big disc brakes with ABS, seatbelt tensioners,
side-impact protection (although not side airbags), and innovative padding
to increase head protection are all standard. The Premium model has traction
control--less critical on a front-drive car but still provides some welcome
control enhancement on slippery roads.