Rear seat comfort is particularly high, a carryover from Japan where cars like this often are chauffeur-driven. Extra
knee room 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 Michigan 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 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.
Our only complaints are aesthetic quibbles. The wood trim, even on the Premium model, 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 color screen is linked to GPS satellites and a database of maps. Enter your destination and the route
will appear on the screen. A pleasant female voice gives you turn-by-turn directions.
The $2000 navigation system developed in-house by Honda R&D, is easy to learn. Some of the other manufacturers
have recently introduced navigational systems that incorporate the controls for the audio, heating and ventilation
systems, and we find those units a challenge to use. Entering commands on Acura's system, however, is quick and
easy, thanks to the touch-screen technology.
When originally introduced, the system only covered California and Las Vegas. You can now order databases for
the Eastern Seaboard, the Midwest or the Southwest as well. The database includes maps and a virtual Yellow Pages
of hotels, gas stations, restaurants, tourist sites, ATMs and more. Next Page