ShareThisWhen a car tells me to fasten my seatbelt in a polite but concerned way, I tend to obey. An incessant chime, I can ignore. Not so, when it is the feminine voice of a computer that just fears for my safety as I navigate the parking garage.The 2008 Acura RL doesn't mind telling you what to do, if it's in your best interest. But it also obeys instructions if you have the navigation system with voice recognition.The system heeds 685 voice commands and has a destination guide with more than 7 million points of interest, 3-D graphics for freeway interchanges, on and off-ramps and turn-by-turn voice guidance. You can also call up U.S. cities and street names through the steering wheel-mounted voice recognition buttons or by using an Interface Dial located on the instrument panel. While not unique to Acura, the system in the RL seems especially user friendly and fits with the technology pitch that the luxury brand uses in a brutally competitive luxury market.Despite lingering concerns about the potential "Big Brother" applications of satellite navigation systems, they have become the price of entry in the luxury market. Common usage has quieted fears, though some privacy and civil rights activists are concerned about General Motors' plan to allow police to shut down cars equipped with the OnStar system beginning in 2009. The benefits of GPS are so overwhelming, however, that objections tend to fall by the wayside.In pitching the RL against the likes of the Lexus LS, Infiniti M35, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Acura emphasizes its goal of putting the driver in control."The RL is a forward thinking luxury sedan that provides a truly exceptional balance of performance, efficiency, and technology-enhanced driver control," says Dick Colliver, Acura's vice president for sales. "There isn't another car in its price class that comes close to delivering the level of customer relevant technology as the RL."That last point is highly debatable. I can think of about six or seven brands that might disagree. But there is no question that the RL is attractive, comfortable and remarkably athletic.Acura offers the RL in three trim levels. The well equipped base version, priced at $46,280 rises to $49,000 with the Technology Package that includes Acura Satellite Navigation System and AcuraLink information system, Active Front Lighting System and plush wood interior. For another $3,800, you can get the Technology Package plus Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), adaptive cruise control and Michelin PAX run-flat tires.CMBS is part of the revolution in road sensing equipment that could play a significant role in improving safety and influencing highway design. CMBS monitors the closing rate between the RL and the car in front of it. If the rate appears worrisome, the system alerts the driver through audible, visual and tactile warnings. If you're still cruisin' for a bruisin', stage two lightly applies the brakes. If the system determines that a crash is certain, a third stage retracts the driver's and front passenger's seatbelts and activates the brakes to reduce the speed to soften the blow.The CMBS is an extension of adaptive cruise control, which adjusts the speed of the sedan according to the speed of the car ahead of it. This can be a major trust exercise, but I've seen it work on an intermittently congested tollway.In more freewheeling situations, the RL responds with real vigor.Though still lacking a V8 option that competitors offer, the sedan operates behind one of the best V6 engines on the market, the 3.5-liter, 290-horsepower, 24-valve VTEC. The V6 zooms eagerly and quietly from a dead stop, sending a peak 256 foot-pounds of torque to the wheels through a Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission that can be manipulated through the shift lever or steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifters.Acura's all-wheel-drive splits torque not only between the front and rear wheels but also between the left and right rear wheels. Up to 70 percent of torque is goes to the front wheels in routine driving. Under hard acceleration, up to 70 percent of available torque goes to the rear wheels to improve traction. When cornering, the system the outer rear wheel turns at a higher speed for improved cornering.The independent suspension's balance of road feel and cabin cushioning is pretty close to perfection. And the power, vented-disc brakes with all the electronic systems in reserve, convey a very secure sensation through the left pedal.Creature comforts are excellent in the RL, with eight-way power adjustable seat for the driver and four-way power seat for the front passenger. Back-seat passengers get a center armrest and ventilation system controls.The Acura/Bose sound system is laudably audible, with 10 speakers and a six-disc changer to accompany the AM/FM/XM Satellite radio. Learning how to adjust all the technology in the car through the toggle-dial and an array of switches on the center stack takes some time and study. There is an owners manual, but I would have welcomed an "Acura for Dummies" text. WHAT'S NEW: More coverage of GPS system; fourth year of current generation.PLUSES: Performance, safety, comfort.MINUSES: Lack of V8 option, complex controls for audio, navigation, ventilation.BOTTOM LINE: On par with elite crowd.(Richard Williamson writes about automobiles for Scripps Howard News Service.)
Check out the 2008 Acura RL
Submitted by administrator on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 12:36
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