2005 Acura RL Review at Automotive.com
»Locate a Dealer»Find a Used Car»Get Financing
Acura
RL
2005

2005 Acura RL Review

Read a comprehensive review of the 2005 Acura RL by one of the automobile experts at Automotive.com. Find an analysis of the test drive, the interior and exterior of the vehicle, specs, options, features and more. Learn how the industry leaders rated ...     read more
Find a Car
 

2005 Acura RL Review

No more Honda hand-me-downs.
Don't look now, but Honda's premium marque just got its second car. Sure, the RSX, TSX, TL, and RL have been around for a while. But aside from the exotic NSX, all Acuras over the company's 19-year history have shared the humbling commonality of being heavily derivative of existing Honda designs like the Accord and Civic. Among those who know their cars, the absence of distinction served as a penalty on all Acuras - the supposedly special RL most of all. Dropping a low-output V6 into a front-wheel-drive sedan works better in some leagues than others.

For 2005, the car that most nations still know as the Legend gets a more ambitious set of blueprints. The rear wheels were hired to join the fronts in full-time propulsion duty. 75 more horses were crammed into the same 3.5-liter stable. Anyone else would have enlarged the engine or added more cylinders, but it's the Honda-Acura way to do more with less, and with 300 horsepower, what's there to complain about?
Review Sections
•Introduction
•Road Test
•Inside and Out
•Other Thoughts
•Final Word
Get Your Free Quote on an Acura RL
Even the Active Torque Transfer System from the 1997 Prelude SH was put to use, and of course VTEC is here. About the only Honda innovation that didn't make its way to the RL is 4-wheel steering. This time, Acura pulled no punches when it came to engineering. Next Page


Community Comments
No one has commented on this article yet. Why not be the first to leave a comment?

Add a Comment (Must Be Registered)
User Name
Not Registered? Signup Here
Password
Comment
   (1024 character limit)
2005 Acura RL