The Acura RL was Acura's largest 4-door sedan since the 1996 model year. The luxury car lasted for two long generations, until it was replaced by the Acura RLX in March 2013.
Year-to-year changes[]
1996[]
Replacing the almost 10 years old Acura Legend sedan, the 3.5RL was the largest, most luxurious vehicle Acura has ever built. With its standard 3.5-liter, 210-horsepower engine it delivered impressive performance in a silky smooth package. It should be noted that the new engine is based off the Legend's 3.2 liter engine. The RL was a premier luxury sedan with hand-selected, leather trimmed interior, rich wood accent, an Automatic Climate Control System, a power moonroof and an 8-speaker Acura/Bose music system with CD changer. Like all Acura sedans and coupes, the RL featured a double wishbone suspension derived from Formula One technology. It provided amazingly precise response and handling and exceptional ride comfort. Furthermore, the RL received a speed sensitive rack and pinion for improved steering feel at higher speeds. The RL also received GPS navigation with a touchscreen as an optional extra in select parts of the United States.
The first Acura RLs went on sale in February 1996.
1998[]
The 98' model year received new directional, spiral spoke rims to replace the pie plate rims found on the 96'-97' year RL. Continuing on, a one year only "Special Edition" RL was offered. The special edition RL got special 7 spoke rims, a two-tone paint job, and other goodies compared to the standard edition RL.
1999[]
The 1999 RL was introduced on October 30, 1998, and went on sale through late September 1999. New features included new dampers, HID headlights, new foglights. a new hood, bumpers, taillights, foglights. grille, and new 8 spoke rims to top it off.
2000[]
A new navigation and revised touch screen were available as an optional extra. The navigation was revised to be DVD based instead of Hard Disk based like the 96'-99' models. Under the hood, changes were made to the emissions systems. Specifically, the EVAP system was completely redesigned, and a new catalytic converter was installed. New for 2000 was VSA. VSA or Vehicle Stability Assist is a driver aid. It uses an electronic throttle body before the mechanical throttle body to act like a normal traction control system. This is combined with the car's ABS to modulate power to the front wheels and modulate the brakes to all 4 wheels as needed to enhance cornering capabilities. Going forward, VSA is standard for all first gen RLs from the year 2000.
2002[]
For the 2002 model year, the RL gained 15 more horsepower, for a total of 225 horsepower. This was accomplished using a new muffler design which is specific to 2002-2004 RLs . The suspension was also changed. Stiffer springs and dampers were installed at this time. Furthermore, stiffer sway bars and new front upper control arms were installed. Tire size was changed from 215/60R16 to 225/55R16. In addition, new 7 spoke wheels were made available only for the 2002 model year. Furthermore, new painted side skirts and painted splash guards were made standard. Lastly, the RL had On-Star installed from 2002 onwards.
2003[]
New 10 spoke wheels were installed and the taillights were changed from amber turn signal lenses to clear ones. Also, there are 3 new wood colors for the interior. These changes carry over for the 2004 model year.
2004[]
The first generation RL received a number of upgrades for it's final year of production. A new head unit was made specifically for the new model year. The new head unit had XM satellite radio available standard in the lower 48. The RL is the first car in the world to have XM standard. Furthermore, it contained a new in-dash 6-Disc CD changer. The navigation was redesigned for the 2004 model year and made standard in the lower 48. On top of this, the climate control panel was redesigned and uses the navigation screen for some controls. Also, Acura redesigned the gauge cluster to have a more modern look. A new wood shift knob was added. A new XM antenna was added on the roof. The antenna makes the 04' RL easy to distinguish as it was only made for that specific model year. 2 tweeters were also added to the lower doors bringing the speaker count up to ten. The amplifier was redesigned to make use of the new tweeters. Interesting to note is that this model year RL is the last Honda/Acura automobile produced with no form of VTEC or VTC for the US/Canadian market.
Retail prices[]
| Model year(s) | List price | Destination charge | Effective date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1997 | $41,000 | $435 | February 10, 1996 |
| 1998 | $41,200 | $435 | November 10, 1997 |
| 1999 | $41,900 | $455 | October 30, 1998 |
| 2000 | $42,000 | $480 | September 29, 1999 |
| 2001 | $42,150 | $480 | |
| 2002–2003 | $43,150 | $500 | |
| 2004 | $45,600 |
Gallery[]
