2009 Acura RL

2009 Acura RL

2009 Acura RL

RL is Acura's slow-selling flagship sedan. Although technologically sophisticated and sporty, the 2002-2008 generation RL failed to take many sales from rivals Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5-Series. RL sales for the month of January '08 were only 383.

The 2009 RL has fresh exterior styling and a revised interior with more room. Cooled front seats are a new feature. A more-powerful 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 replaces the previous 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. There is still no V8 option--a serious handicap in this market segment. However, standard all-wheel drive is a selling point. The 5-speed automatic transmission and suspension have also been revised for 2009. Acura's AcuraLink satellite navigation and traffic system gets updated for 2009 with a new weather update map feature.

Look for the 2009 RL this spring.