From any of its seats, the 3.5RL has the look and feel of an expensive car. Camphor wood trim is polished to a satin luster. Plastics are finished with a spray that contains pearlescent flecks and mica for a rich, durable finish. Leather surfaces are supple, with the appropriate, no-doubt-it's-leather scent.
RL's cabin seats five in comfort, and interior dimensions are competitive with cars such as the LS 400 and E-Class. The front seats are firm enough for good support, but never hard on the backside; computer-designed seat springs are intended to dampen any vibration rising from the floor pan. There's adequate rear headroom. Rear passengers can adjust the register on the back of the center console to direct airflow toward their feet or face. A pass-through portal to the trunk accommodates long items such as skis.
All the amenities are there, including an automatic day/night rear-view mirror and driver-position memory that links the seat, steering wheel and side mirrors. The center armrest is adjustable for height. The driver looks at electroluminescent gauges that are crisp and easy to read, even in bright sunlight.
Most switches are easy to find and adjust, though we might quibble with placement of a few. The driver's temperature adjustment dial sits where one intuitively expects the stereo volume control, while the volume is higher and to the driver's far right. A trunk-mounted CD changer is standard equipment.
Luxury buyers expect a long list of amenities, but all the gadgets in the world don't do a thing if the car that carries them doesn't fulfill its basic duty: Transporting driver and passengers in comfort, with a high level of satisfaction and style.
The 3.5RL meets its obligations, and then some. If its V6 engine is inherently less smooth than a good V8, Acura has nonetheless gone to great pains making amends. There are vibration dampening devices throughout the car, including a balance shaft in the engine and electronically controlled hydraulic engine mounts. Very little vibration finds its way into the cabin via the steering column, foot pedals or floor pan. At idle, it's easy to forget the RL is running.
But not when the driver jabs the gas pedal. The RL gets rolling in an exhilarating rush, and the subdued roar of the engine never lets anyone forget that it is, after all, a carefully crafted mechanical beast. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph comes in about eight seconds flat -- not a class benchmark, but quick. While five-speed automatics are increasingly the luxury-car standard, the RL's four-speed is very effective. It shifts crisply and decisively, but never abruptly. Kickdown shifts are immediate. With good torque at all engine speeds, quick lane changes are easy work.
Ride quality may be the single most important issue for luxury car buyers, and the 3.5RL travels on the soft side. Yet it never wallows or floats over bumps, and it never allows the driver to forget that the tires are connected to the pavement. And if that driver gets a bit frisky or aggressive, the RL is up to the job. Steering is light, yet the car turns quickly for a large, heavy sedan. It leans over a bit at turn-in, then takes a steady set and tracks through curves with authority. Measured by its willingness to be driven hard, the 3.5RL sits near the middle of the luxury car pack.
In all, the driving experience is exactly what one expects in a solid, well-tuned luxury sedan. Airflow managing tweaks on the front end, mirrors and undertray keep wind noise to a minimum, even at triple-digit speeds. The RL's front-drive layout offers inherent foul-weather advantages over rear drive, and Acura enhances that advantage with an effective traction control system that controls front-wheel spin on slippery surfaces. An RL owner needn't fear the onslaught of rain or snow.
Nor, with the optional navigation system, should he or she worry about finding a destination. The satellite-guided navigation system almost falls into the too-amazing-to-believe category. Punch in an address (the menu is easy to use with a little practice), and in seconds the system calculates a route to get you there. Deviate from the prescribed route and it quickly recalculates. The display shows both a route map and directions for turns, with plenty of warning. The voice prompt, which can be turned on or off, has advantages, though it takes some getting used to. The machine speaks in a female voice with a Japanese accent, and it identifies many roads -- even surface streets -- as "freeways."
The navigation system isn't just a novelty. Going to a new cross-town restaurant for the first time? Type in the address and the system will guide you. Acura's navigation system comes programmed with software that covers roughly one-sixth of the United States, depending on where the buyer lives, and a full guide for the Interstate system. In terms of new locations or subdivisions, the database is up to date. Further, the purchase price includes software adjustments or updates for two years. If a buyer moves, or plans a driving vacation in another region of the country, a dealer will reprogram the navigation system free of charge.