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[shepsan]

In January 2005 I drove away from Bell Acura in Phoenix, AZ with my new 2005 RL. It cost me $47,888 (this included fees, tax, license, Lojack and a number of freebees the dealer threw in such as Automate). For that amount of money I got a superb sedan equipped with every luxury and hi-tech feature I could have possibly wanted. If I had purchased an Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus or Mercedes similarly equipped six cylinder cars, it would have cost me a lot more. If one of those cars had been equipped with a V8, it would have been a great deal more. Thus, I felt then and still feel today that I had the finest luxury sedan that my $47K could buy.

I no longer have the RL. The reason is not because the RL failed to live up to my expectations. It is because I rarely keep a car more than two years. Usually, I am able to regain quite a bit of monetary value doing this. However, the manner in which my 2005 RL depreciated in my first year of ownership motivated me to accept an offer from a private party that I could not refuse.

So, with an excellent deal in hand, I began to search for a replacement. I found one and bought it March 9, 2006. I chose a 2006 Infiniti M45 Luxury model sedan.

Even though it has been just a bit over one month, I have driven my M45 long enough to form an opinion about it. Thus, I am able to make a preliminary comparison between it and the superb 2005 Acura RL it replaced.

Unequivocally I find each to be fine luxury sedans. Either is able to meet my driving needs with safety and comfort. Both are improved versions of immediate predecessors and as such are greater values then any previous car of their brand.

There are certain necessities that I consider to be paramount in a luxury sedan. In order of importance to me are safety, engine performance, ride, overall visual style, fit, finish, creature comforts and price. Both the RL and the M45 surpassed these criteria by exceeding my expectations.

There are no factory options available for the RL. All of its numerous features and high-tech bells and whistles are included in a single purchase price. The M45 is priced in the more traditional way. Its base price includes a vast number of standard features. However, in order to equip it with other features that catered to my desire for creature comforts, I purchase the Journey and Tech packages at additional cost. These packages matched in similarity those integral to the RL as well as three additional features not offered by Acura in the RL.

Thus, comparably equipped, I paid $47,888 for the six cylinders 300hp powered RL and $59,911.17 for the eight cylinders 335hp powered M45. These figures include the aforementioned taxes, fees and registration permits, etc.

A frequent criticism of the RL is that it does not match and is thus inferior to other luxury sedans simply because Acura does not offer an engine with eight cylinders. I reject this assertion as nonsense. It has been my experience having owned numerous high-powered European V8 and V12 engine equipped cars that the 2005 RL’s six cylinders 300hp engine produces enough power and acceleration to enter freeways at optimum speeds, safely pass other cars when required to do so and to cruise at interstate speeds with ease and comfort. I must add however, that the RL engine does not stimulate me with the same physical “rush” as generated the M45 V8 335hp engine when I put my foot to the pedal.

So, what are the differences in the engines? The RL has a pleasant punch of sedate power. The M45's engine propels with verve and muscle. Both take me to my destinations in the same amount time driving within posted speed limits. If I were driving on the autobahn, I would want to have my foot on the M45 pedal. Driving in the city, the RL is more then adequate.

There is a downside to exhilarating engine power and that is higher gasoline consumption. Of the two sedans, better gas economy was my reward as an RL owner. The M45 swallows gasoline at a higher rate and requires more frequent fill-ups at the pump.

There are cost benefits owning an RL vs. an M45. As previously mentioned, it begins first with purchase price and builds immediately at the gas pump because of the more frequent M45 fill-ups at the pump. There is also an unexpected cost that I failed to anticipate, maintenance. I drove the RL in excess of 10k before first oil and filter change was required. Unlike the RL, the M45 requires its first oil and filter change at 3,750 miles and for me driving in the desert environment of Arizona, the operator’s manual suggests that I change oil and filter thereafter at increments of 3,750 miles.

Another difference is that the M45 requires a structured break-in period of 1200 miles. With the exception of a brief few miles to properly set the brakes and to allow the car to properly seat, I drove the RL from the very beginning as I did on the last day I drove it; with gusto!

The RL has its unique SHAWD. I never drove the RL in snow or in really foul weather. Nevertheless, I liked the SHAWD very much. I found that the RL’s handling on sharp curves was sure and safe.

The M45 is a RWD vehicle. Its suspension and ability to stabilize on curves at fairly high speed is as good as it gets. So much power married with such good handling has given me a very great sense of pleasure.

Both of these sedans are outfitted with a wide variety of creature comfort electronics including Bluetooth. My favorite feature in both is the navigation system. Each is excellent and can be operated by the driver using mechanical hand controls or by using voice recognition or a combination of each. The systems differ from one another in complexity and in visual and audio features. I found the RL system to be simpler to learn and operate. The M45 system is more sophisticated. Neither, however, was difficult to learn nor to master. Of the two, I favor the M45 system mainly because of its voice prompts and text menus.

The audio system is good in the RL. It is exceptional in the M45. The range, timber and overall sound quality of the M45 system are superior to the RL. In many ways, I find it superior to my home theater system which costs a great deal more.

The M45 has a CD player in the dash, its GPS and Bluetooth systems in the glove compartment. Its DVD audio and movie player is located in the center console. Movies can be shown on the main video dash screen only when the car is not being driven. DVD audio discs can be played at any time.

The RL has the DVD GPS navigation unit in the trunk. Its CD player is located in the dash.

I previously mentioned that three features were integral to the M45 option packages I purchased. None are present in the 2005 RL. The M45 has a camera mounted near the rear trunk latch. It provides a view to the rear of the vehicle while backing up. There is also a lane departure warning when the car ventures over an adjacent lane line and an intelligent cruise control which protect against ramming a car in front of the M45 when on it is on cruise control.

The M45 has driver and front seat passenger heat and air-conditioned seats. The 2005 RL has only heat controlled front seats.

Both cars are of similar dimensions. However, the M45 has more inside passenger and trunk space then the RL. In my family, the definitive authority on style and visual beauty is my wife. She says, “The RL is more beautiful on the outside and more luxuriously appointed on the inside. She also says the RL has the more comfortable seats. “

Hmmmmmm, although I recognize that it is not wise to argue with one’s wife, her subjective statement is just that . . . subjective. Long ago I learned that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. At first, I agreed with my wife. But, the longer I drive the M45, the more its looks have become better and better. I can only say that in my eyes, both cars are great to look at.

Here are my conclusions: The 2005 Acura RL provides a good, safe and comfortable ride. I got more then my monies worth for the price I paid for it. Best of all, I never had a single mechanical failure with the RL. It not only looked and felt like a luxury sedan, in my estimation, it was one in every sense of the word.

My 2006 Infiniti M45 is sleek and well-appointed. I think its electronic creature comfort technologies are superior to those in the RL. The most apparent difference between the two in my estimation is the power and thrust of the M45. The Infiniti engine is awesome. Its transmission is stellar. The car is quiet at speed limits and rockets with a purr on the edge of a growl at high speeds that is music to my ears.

Both automobiles handle very well. The RL with its SHAWD always gave me a sense of security. The way the M45 handles, I am always in control.

As of this writing, it is my opinion that the overall quality of the 2006 M45 Luxury Sedan equipped with the Journey and Tech packages is superior to the 2005 RL. In fact, I think it superior to other luxury sedans I test drove before choosing the M45. The cars I checked out were not the mid-levels of the name European and Japanese brands but the Audio A8, BMW 745I, Jaguar XJ8, Lexus L430 and Mercedes S. All of these cars (similarly equipped to the M45) cost considerably more then I paid for the M45 and much, much, much more then the RL.

The difference in cost between the M45 and my former 2005 RL is a nonissue to me. However, if price is the determining consideration, one cannot go wrong choosing the RL.
In closing, I am in absolute disagreement with those who find the style of the RL to be nondescript. I think it is a beautiful design both on the exterior and in the interior.

I do agree with those who suggest that Honda/Acura should decide what they want the RL to be and with whom to compete. The spiraling decline of RL values is cause for concern; especially with those like me who change cars every so many years.