2010 Acura RL

2010 Acura RL

is simply luxurious

One of the biggest knocks against Acura is that it hasn’t evolved as quickly as its competitors.

The first of the Japanese luxo-plates, Acura began operations in 1986 in North America and Hong Kong with two cars – the sport compact Integra (two-door and four-door) and the mid-sized sedan Legend. It has since expanded to Mexico and China and will soon enter its domestic market in Japan. Its main competitors Infiniti and Lexus came along in 1989, also with two cars each.

Acura’s current Canadian stable includes seven distinct vehicles (four sedans and three utilities); Infiniti also has seven vehicles (convertible, coupe, two sedans and three utilities) but only five model lines, and Lexus has 10 vehicles (two coupe/convertibles, five sedans and three utilities) in nine model lines.

So in terms of each company’s barn, they’re roughly the same size with a relatively equal number of stalls. But the criticism is aimed at the convertible bodystyles and the V8 engines, and hybrid powertrains.

Personally, I commend Honda for keeping it simple and not let market forces (some of which have very little to do with the good of consumers) dictate the direction of the company.

A V8 will come, maybe as soon as the 2011 model year, in the flagship sedan RL, and who knows if Acura will ever succumb to the ideologues and make an Acura hybrid. My guess is no, and “good for Acura!”

For now, the RL does very nicely, thank-you. It wrings 300 horsepower out of its 3.7-litre V6, which is right in keeping with what competitors from all parts of the world are offering. It has a sequential shift automatic transmission, which is kind of out of place in this type of car, but it’s what the competition is enticing consumers with, and it has a damn good all-wheel drive system.

It adds up to a sedan that can compete quite well with the likes of Audi’s Quattro drive, BMW’s 5 Series mantra, Volvo’s safety arsenal, and it sits almost smack dab in the middle of the price range for the segment.

If you really want to take shots at the RL, ridicule the Transformer-like grille, or thumb your nose at the transmission’s only having five gears (which I’m convinced hampers economy significantly – though even that isn’t bad), or shake your head in disbelief at the lack of a pass-through between cabin and trunk save for a small opening behind the rear armrest.

With the exception of the bold grille, the styling is on the bland side of the fence but that’s what shoppers in this market seem to want. You’re likely not going to win radical presentation contests against the likes of the Caddy CTS or Lincoln MKS, so why not stick with the inoffensive design direction?

Overall, though, you’re going to be just as comfortable in the RL’s pleated leather seats front and rear (heated for four and also cooled in front); the controls on the dash, console and steering wheel are about as simple and straightforward as they come; and, the you won’t notice any discomfort from the ride even on badly scored roads.

And you may even come away impressed with the body control during aggressive handling or emergency manoeuvres and the ease with which you can situate yourself in any seating position (except the rear centre, unless the person is rail thin and short of leg).