freq

I just bought the wife a brand new Acura MDX for $8,000 under sticker.

JonBoy

What was MSRP?

PLYRS 3

LOL

that dealer is asking $17,900 for a 2004 RL

christ, talk about depcreciation.....

JonBoy

I see one for $17100 (reserve not met) w/ a BIN of $27K. Which one are you seeing?

rai

I had a ride in my friends RL, nice enough in the front seats, was quiet and smooth etc..

I'm unsure about the over-all room inside if it's less than an Accord/TL etc. seems like a lot of money for a small mid-size car and it weighs a lot.

I will have my eye out for a RL if they offer a great price it may work.

I was reading about the 07 Volvo S80 which said to have the engine from the XC90 4.4L V8 315-hp Yamaha built larger (inside) than the RL with AWD that start ~$50K. We'll see. I know the Acura is probably has less likely to have problems, but the Volvo (IMO) looks all around better for similar msrp.

freq

$44,800.

s2kpdx01

now we are talking. That sounds more like it.

jsalicru

frankly, isn't this car supposed to compete with the LS? Or is it M45 sized?

Personally, I feel the lack of V8 is killing Acura from being able to go beyond their current position. They want to grow, but are not willing to put forth the investment required (at least it seems). VW didn't come up because they are simply not a luxury brand. Its like buying a 100,000 Honda. You just don't do it. Its the reason there's VW AND Audi, Nissan AND Infinity, Toyota AND Lexus.

Lack of V6 and possible tardiness to the party might be two reasons Acura might never make it upscale.

PLYRS 3

my bad.....skipped right past the BIN.

Slamnasty

I doubt Acura targeted the LS specifically in the development of the RL. I think, like with the TL, they tried making a car that was upmarket from its competitors in one sense, and tempting enough to pull people "downmarket" in size while still getting all or most other bells and whistles.

Acura's V8 vehemence is definitely a problem. I think they could totally sell themselves on their F1 heritage if they went with a small displacement V8 in the RL, say 3.4-3.8 liters, and upped the power and torque some. If they had a screaming performer of a 4-door for $50 grand, I'd be all over something like that. It doesn't even have to perform like an M5, but if it was 8/10s of that, I think they'd get a very warm response. Conversely, I think turboing/SC'ing a V6 car like the RL would be a mistake, and it would look like a lame attempt to woo buyers at that price level. It's gotta be a V8.

But Acura's gamble may be paying off anyways. People are starting to move away from SUVs into fuel efficient cars, so maybe the V6 straegy will pay off in a few more years, because they'll be nice, cheap used cars with plenty of options and power.

Regarding the Brand+luxo brand argument, remember that only works in North America. Baack home in Japan, and even in Europe, they don't have those nameplates. They're Toyotas (Soarer), Nissans (Skyline) and Hondas (NSX). Lexus is finally making the trip to Europe, but your argument still holds almost exclusively for the North American market.