This is how the 1996 Acura 3.5RL battled against Lexus and INFINITI | Classic Cars | 1990's Cars
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ค. 2023
- In this video, we are going to discuss the 1996-2004 Acura 3.5RL. With larger exterior and interior dimensions than the Legend sedan it replaced, the 3.5RL retained front-wheel drive and V6 power.
As its name suggested, the 3.5RL’s engine was a SOHC, 24-valve, 3.5-liter V6 cranking out 210-horsepower via a 4-speed automatic.
The Acura 3.5RL was one of the first vehicles on the U.S. market to offer in-dash GPS as an option, which began on late-1996 models before ultimately becoming a standard feature. Over the course of the RL’s first generation, the system was consistently updated as the technology improved, with an enlarged screen and the addition of voice-recognition to enhance user friendliness.
I own a 2004 Acura rl with 187,000 miles and I still love it
I have a 2000 RL and I just bought a 2002 as a parts car because I intend on keeping it as long as humanly possible
Awesome. They are nice cars.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon they are, I just wish Honda head kept parts available.
Agreed.
Have you had to replace the engine or transmission or just regular maintenance?
Love this car been driving it for 7years all original 272000 and still goin!!!!
I have a 96 RL, JUST like the white / gray one in the video and LOVE it. I bought it with 123K miles and now has 130K. It's got a nasty fuel leak somewhere that'll be fixed soon, but it'll gobble up the highway miles effortlessly.
I own a 1998 Acura RL that i bought off a co worker and i drove it for 4yrs until the transmission went out it's parked in my driveway working on finding a transmission for the car love the cloud ride and handling.
I had a '99 I picked up used from the original owner. It was a smooth, comfortable car. It could do any speed on the highway all day long without stress.
Yes, it loved its premium fuel. I averaged 18 mpg in mixed driving. This surprised me because it was a Honda based product. When I checked with other owners I found it to be average. Some reported 14-15, no one seemed to get over 20.
Unfortunately, after a few years, it was suffering from the need for a dozen or so minor fixes plus the timing belt/water pump replacement. More than i really wanted to put into it. Sold it cheap to someone willing to make the investment. I still see it around town occasionally.
Edit: The styling was definitely "Inspired by" Mercedes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing and they did it better than several others who tried.
Thanks for sharing. I like the RLs. Preferably the pre-refresh 96-98 models. Looked way more classy and elegant than all the generations that came after IMO.
I own a 2001 RL I bought 3 years ago with 81k on it. It’s not sporty but it does have that smooth 90’s Japanese ride. It absolutely guzzles gas, about 15-18mpg is all you can get, however it doesn’t have any issues keeping up with modern traffic. I do enjoy driving, the fit and finish is quite nice for a 20 year old car.
I have a 1997 Acura 3.5 RL and it is the best car i ever drove sure the gas mileage is not the best but I don’t care everyday when I get into it it feels like I am sitting at home on a leather couch watching tv of the road and all my worries go away. The RL has never did me bad I always keep it looking like brand new interior, exterior as well as the engine bay.
Cool. If you ever wanna sell it, let me know!
couldn’t have said it better
Whats the mileage and have you had to replace the engine or transmission or just regular maintenance,?
@@user-hk9pn1iy8g I currently have 232,808 miles on it I did replace the engine at 216,706 miles due to oil leaks the engine I put in only has 79,566 miles and it’s out of a 2004 model but other then that just regular maintenance the transmission is still original and untouched never had to due anything to it other then changing fluid every so often. It has been a really good car I can always count on really reliable currently It has been a restoration project. I do still have the old engine I never had any real issues or almost no issues with the old engine other than it leaking oil I plan on fully disassembling the old engine at some point.
I currently have 232,808 miles on it I did replace the engine at 216,706 miles due to oil leaks the engine I put in only has 79,566 miles and it’s out of a 2004 model but other then that just regular maintenance the transmission is still original and untouched never had to due anything to it other then changing fluid every so often. It has been a really good car I can always count on really reliable currently It has been a restoration project. I do still have the old engine I never had any real issues or almost no issues with the old engine other than it leaking oil I plan on fully disassembling the old engine at some point.
I own a 96 Acura RL I use Shell gas 89 octane better gas mileage and it still runs and looks great.
I have an 04 dropped with 20’s. I’ve have like 6-7 of these. Awesome cars and super reliable
I’d love to have an Acura RL myself.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon Pearl white 04 rl dropped on 20’s. Che k my page.
I have a 04 as well it has 184,000 miles but runs great for a first car
joy to drive, joy to work on, I always liked them, over the TL when they came to the dealer to maintenance.
Yep I like them too. Nice looking as well.
Great vid! I wasn't as large a fan of these. As many, I would have looked at a RWD LS or Q45 instead. I wonder if the RL had transmission issues like the TL was famous for.
Good to see ya Scott. It’s funny you mention that. I owned a second-gen TL from this era and yeah the transmission was its weak point. The tranny continued to slip and eventually ‘went out.’ I never heard RL owners mention the same.
@Antique TAGS I think they had a warranty extension for those 5 speed autos. The Honda Odyessey did then.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Acura brings back the Legend. They discontinued the RLX. So it’s a high possibility they will
Yeah it’s a possibility. After all, they brought back the Integra so we’ll see 🤷🏽♂️
Interesting. The Legend lived on Japan as the Honda Legend. We did not get that model in the United States. I have seen videos of it here on You Tube. The first generation Oldsmobile Aurora competed well against this car in this video. I cannot say the same about the second generation. It is interesting Honda entered the luxury segment first with the Legend and got surpassed with time. I know The Infinti ( Nissan) fight hard and lost too. The Lexus LS fight hard and long. Now the Genesis( Hyundai) is in the game. Mazda tried too with the 929. I know they do have JDM cars we did not get here at all the brands. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching. Yeah technically we did get the Legend-the preceding RLs and the RLX. Virtually rebadged Legends-just like the 3.5RL, which I’m sure you already know. Technically we can say the Legend never went away, it just went by a different name.
Hopefully we get a new generation LS. Not sure if they can justify a new generation. Lexus sells plenty of ESs but not nearly as many LSs like in the ‘90s.
You should make a video about the forgotten Acura Vigor!
Yeah we’re definitely gonna cover the Acura Vigor!
I drive a 96 rl that was handed down to me from my parents and I still love that car till this day I’m slowly putting back to its former glory with a few new things but yeah she is a gas gussler but other than that it has been a reliable car and haven’t had to put money into it until this year
Cool I’m glad to hear you are restoring the 96 RL a little bit.
My family had 3 legends during the 90s (one was a ‘89 model) and I miss them all. Especially the vault like ‘89. Luxury cars from the 90’s are my favorite cars :) I always thought the RL secretly stood for “revised legend” which isn’t the case. Tho thr car itself is!
Yeah the RL was basically a Legend. It was really nothing more than the JDM Legend. I still really like the second-gen Legend the most. Especially the 2-door coupes.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon The coupe is/was one of the nicest cars Acura ever made. Still gorgeous still has that presence :)
I used to think it stood for "Renewed Legend" as well I bought a 2004 RL last January at 2,300 with a rebuilt title so I'm getting body work done to it.The drivers door needed to be replaced and the rear door needed a new molding.It has 187,000 miles and still runs good.
Hello I'm Al I've a 2002 RL bought it in 2020 had an 90 legend,96 TL and a 94 Vigor but I always wanted an RL this car only issues minor maintenance.
Awesome, thanks for sharing that!
Even as a kid I hated the name change of the Legend and Vigor. I just knew it would be downhill from there for them.
Agreed. It would’ve been nice had they kept the original names instead of going alphanumeric.
Too bad the RWD, V8 platform was killed off in 2001! What they should have done was make the RWD platform scalable, and make every car (EL, TL, TSX, RL) RWD biased with SH-AWD. The EL would compete against 2 series, A3, and CLA, while the TSX would compete against A4, C-class, and 3 series, TL would become a 5-Series, E-class, and A6 competitor. Then the RL would become a 7 series, LS, S-class and A8 competitor.
In a perfect world, that would’ve happened. Based on your comment, I guess an RL-based full-size coupe could’ve returned to become an 8-series, LC and S-class coupe competitor 😉
Which model ever had a v8? I have always been puzzled why Acura’s flashship models only offered a v6. I recall auto news back in 2008 that the RL at that time was going to receive a v8 but I don’t think that ever happened.
Nah, it never happened. There were talks of it, but it never got an 8-cylinder engine.
I liked these but never understood why Acura never got serious about putting a V8 in these! Always a step behind Lexus. Also, I've never heard of the Canadian EL!! 🤯
Yeah they are definitely nice. A V8 would’ve been nice too but I think Honda must be strictly against V8s/RWD haha.
Yeah the Canadian EL was their entry level car-really just an upgraded ‘97 Civic. It replaced the Canadian market Integra sedan.
@@MotorMaster_Stunticon They MUST be lol
Honda has a reputation for being very conservative
Yes, true statement.
I Driven a 2002 RL, it feels Nothing Like a Legend, Feels a lot like a 1995 W124 E320, The seats to Dash Design was W124 all be a Smoother Number, I feel like Acura was After Mercedes Benz E class this Time Around vs The Legend BMW Manual Transmission & Great handling, I Talk to Tons of Acura people, Nobody remembers Much of First RL Nor 96 to 98 TL, What made it Great? The RL Engine Swap 3.5 into a Legend, TL Just Spare 3.2s Parts,
Agreed. The RL and Legend drive completely different from one another.
I kinda wish Honda had a flagship sedan that was based off the Acura RL to compete against the Avalon, Maxima etc... Honda should've had a sedan that was above the Accord.
They did. That was the Vigor/TL.
@@doug6191 under the Honda brand
Yeah, this around the time Acura and Honda lost their focus. Their design language became bland and inconsistent. Handling and performance were unspectacular at best. The 04ish TSX and TL were promising, but those too went on to lose their edge.
@Anthony Rivera yeah I get what you mean. Basically a non-Acura, full-size Honda that’d be similar to the Avalon. Definitely could’ve happened.
I too have a 2002 RL.. I love driving it but.... Yes.. it's a gas guzzler
I own a second generation RL (2008). Similar to the first gen, Acura upped the ante on luxury but completely flopped on sportiness. Despite advanced AWD, tight suspension, and a refined V6, the RL is slow, you feel every bump, and you're permanently stuck with a nice sized hole in your wallet due to fuel consumption. However, I absolutely love driving my RL - once you get up to speed, the performance is above average. It'll easily glide through any corner or hill without slowing down. The amount of technology they neatly shoved into the interior is insane as well, the second gen RL was way ahead of its time in that department. All in all, interesting to see the path Acura chose with this model.
These cars were so dull compared to the Legend. Better objectively, but dull. With no V8 or RWD, it was never a legitimate competitor to the LS.
Yeah buyers in this market demanded a V8/RWD for full-size luxury.