Acura RL

An auto manufacturer's ambition can be measured by the quality of competition it targets. Its confidence in meeting those goals is shown by the competitive cars it brings to its new-model press introductions. All but the most secure companies are terrified, rightfully, by the prospect of car-to-car comparisons of the top-of-the-line opposition and their new offspring.

At the press introduction of the 3.5RL, Acura said it aspired to make this new car quieter, roomier, quicker, smoother-riding, more feature-packed, and $10,000 cheaper than its targeted competitor, the Lexus LS 400. That didn't raise many eyebrows-manufacturers often say they target Lexus. But when we emerged from the briefing room to find two '95 Lexus models-a GS 300 and an LS 400-next to a line of sparkling new '96 3.5RLs, our first thought was, "These guys have confused confidence with chutzpah."

However, after two days at Honda R&D's Tochigi, Japan, proving grounds, hopping back and forth between the two Lexuses and the RL-bouncing down the facility's Rough Roads of the World section, blasting at top speed around the 2.4-mile high-banked oval, serenely cruising down replicas of country lanes, and sliding around a road-race track-the assessment came easily: The RL is a viable competitor to these revered Lexuses.

The RL's Michelin Energy MXV4 XSE tires silently smoothed over small bumps, its upgraded and ultracompliant suspension swallowed large undulations whole, new progressive-valve shock absorbers helped it stay composed, and the supercomputer-designed seats quelled any vibration or harshness that ran this gantlet. Revised speed-sensitive steering filtered out unpleasantness without reducing feedback. Also helping the RL achieve this impressive quiet and smoothness: a host of chassis stiffeners, foam-filled A-, B-, and C-pillars, a liquid-filled subframe and trailing-arm bushings, floor panels of honeycomb fiber sandwiched between galvanized steel sheets, a larger engine cover, and a more rigid transmission case. (A counterpoint: This process unfortunately has also filtered out whatever sportiness remained in the Legend, and the RL's pronounced body roll discourages aggressive driving.)

Acura officials wince when asked if "RL" stands for "Renamed Legend," (they say "Road Luxury"), but the RL is an evolution of the Legend. Not only are the RL's major dimensions unchanged from the Legend-save for being 1.0 inch taller-but the basic suspension and engine designs and a total of 40 percent of its parts are Legend carryover. In fact, the car will continue to be called the Honda Legend everywhere in the world except for where Honda's upscale offerings are sold under the Acura badge. The Acura's brand-wide move away from model names is an effort to seek the perceived prestige of alphanumeric model designations as well as to focus on promoting the Acura name rather than diluting it over six low-selling models. That strategy extends to making the RL and its slightly smaller TL sibling virtual dead-ringers. Unlike the Legend, the RL won't be offered as a coupe.

Though it's smaller in most dimensions, the RL feels roomier than either of the Lexus models, perhaps because it holds a substantial edge in headroom: 0.7 inch in front and 1.0 inch in rear over the LS 400, and 1.7 inches in front and 1.1 inches in rear over the GS 300. The RL also has more rear legroom than the GS and only in front shoulder room does any LS advantage grow beyond 1.5 inches.