Here's some cut and paste from a post I wrote up about a year ago....
In the late 80's and early 90's, I believe that Acura was slowly establishing itself as a "Luxury car" manufacturer. Acura seemed that they were on the path to be successful and eventually be up to par with its luxury competitors. I believe that Acura struggled to get back on their two feet after their attempt to diversify their lineup. It was a rough start in '96, but I feel they are heading on into the right direction currently. They had to start somewhere, and I believe the new TL was their first. Then the new CL, MDX, and RSX were unveiled. The last two in their lineup due for a completely new refreshening are the RL and the NSX. Of course the introduction of the new TL/CL/TSX and it's many features, closed the gap between these models and the aging RL. The current RL is still based off the 96 chassis with basically the same amenities with a few additions to the present model. This also forced a widening of the gap between the RL and its competitors which have introduced their new models after the 96 RL's inception.
The RL is an excellent car for the amount you pay. In a sense, the RL is an oxymoron as it is Acura's flagship which doesn't compete with the flagships of other companies. The RL is meant to compete with the GS300, E320, and BMW 5. In my opinion, the RL is a competent luxury vehicle for the amount of money you put out. The MSRP for the GS300, 530i, and E320 are relatively the same. All have 6 cylinders with the RL having the lowest peak torque(231@2800), meaning brisk and quick acceleration in the city or when merging onto the freeway. People complain about the horsepower, despite the fact that the RL has 225 when the GS has 220 and the E320 has 221. Features?.. the RL comes standard with heated seat which is optional on the GS, and leather which is also optional on the GS and the 530i. It comes standard with wood trim and xenon lights which is optional on the 530i. Seat memory you ask?..well it's optional on the GS300. The standard stereo system on the GS has only 96 watts when comparing it to the RL's 225 watts. All these options lead to a tremendous increase in the MSRP of a vehicle. Yes, I do realize that the RL lacks dual zone climate control and one touch operation. By the looks of it, I can almost guarantee that the RL will have dual zone as the new Accord and TSX have this feature standard. Interior room is up to par with it's competitors, all having a slight difference by a few tenths of an inch.
Acura has shown it's success with it's new models, and I hope that the RL will eventually be up to par with other flagships in the future. Look at the 2nd Generation TL and Oddessy. What about the SLX replacement? I feel they developed these vehicles first, as more people are able to afford these types of vehicles than say a RL. In a sense, theyre kind of working from the bottom up. The NSX and RL are the two left that need a full redesign. Hopefully the RL will be pushed into the true 'flagship' ballpark in the near future to be able to compete with the 7, S, and LS.(It already outsells the current Q45 2:1)
As for the RL's design....
The pentagram front grill, graceful sloping hood, general shape of body panels/glass/lights all fit in perfectly with the current lineup.
The TSX is a great car but comparing to the RL is an unfair compariosn and vice versa. Despite the fact that the TSX is a new model, each car will have things that are positive and negatve because they are in two totally different classes. Same goes for the TL and RL comparsion. The RL has things the TL dosen't and vice versa.
Yes I realize the RL is aging and it lacks V8 power which justifies some people to think its a horrible car when in fact it isn't. Owning one opens your eyes to things that are often overlooked when just testdriving it or seeing it on the road.
Anyway just my two cents.