Why "Refined Luxury" Was Doomed From The Start

Every distinguished car brand has their flagship model: the dealership showroom's dazzling centerpiece that's meant not to sell in outrageous numbers, but to showcase the very best that company can offer the public.

Since 1986, Acura had been winning over their fair share of former BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus owners with the Legend, a front-wheel-drive six cylinder sedan which boasted lavish interior amenities paired with--cough-- legendary Honda reliability.

However, By 1996, Acura felt it was time for a change. The Legend saw decent sales in the United States, but the numbers were dwindling as the competition started bringing out the big guns.

Lexus had just released a new LS which managed to be faster, quieter, and more economical than the previous model while still sporting a classically desirable V8, rear-wheel-drive configuration.

Honda execs felt that Acura's flagship needed a name that resonated with buyers of traditional German business wagens, so the Legend became the 3.5 RL (RL standing for "refined luxury").

With a 210 horsepower, longitudinally mounted V6, premium audio system, and a price several thousand dollars lower than it's closest competition, the RL looked like an undeniable success right out of the gate. But that wasn't the case.

By 1998, sales were dismal, and they only proceeded to get worse.

The RL was given a series of refreshes from 1999 to 2004. In 2005 the second generation was launced, which saw even worse numbers, despite boasting a clever all-wheel-drive system, keyless entry, and a more powerful engine.

It's difficult to pinpoint an exact reason why the RL was and continues to be so unsuccessful (it's still being sold today as the RLX). However, there are many different reasons that come together to paint the picture.

For one thing, Acura is not as well-established as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or even Lexus. The brand still suffers the same sort of identity crisis faced by Lincoln and Cadillac. Acura vehicles are too closely based on their Honda counterparts to fully break away from Honda's image and models like the late RSX, Integra, and even NSX resonate far more with the type of buyers that Mercedes-Benz drivers sneer at from behind their UV-treated glass.

Another issue was the styling of the RL. Luxury flagships are meant to be conservatively styled, but the RL took the blandness to another level, with a truly forgettable interior and a drab exterior. Worse still, both the inside and outside of the car were still far too reminiscent of their Honda roots.

Those all-too-apparent underpinnings weren't just limited to the styling either. Buyers wanted --and still want-- a full-sized luxury sedan with a traditional front engine, rear drive formula, which Acura has historically refused to provide. Things got better in the second generation RL, which was available with all-wheel-drive, but the 290 horsepower produced by its V6 --the same powerplant found in the more popular TL-- ranked it far outside the competition.

These factors worked together to create a flagship vehicle that has been largely unsuccessful since its launch almost two decades ago. This is a pity, because RLs performed wonderfully, were built with fastidious attention to quality, and included technology that was on par with the luxury sedans of their time.

The upside to this is that a used RL can now be picked up for dirt cheap. Second generation RLs with low mileage can be had for $9,000-$17,000, while first gens can be picked up for under $7,000. So, you could have a brand new base model Dodge Dart, or the very best luxury car Honda can make. Your choice, really.