Word. We've gone other this so many times, it's gotten really old.

 

Honda always has alot of tricks up their sleeve..... I'm sure they can redesign the RL and make it a suitable alternative to the LS430 and other RWD V8's while keeping it FWD V6. Did I say they can overtake the sales? No. But they can make it a viable option for people. I don't think Acura needs to excell in the ultra-luxury market to be successful. Even if they tried, they do not have the dealer support to pull it off (how many Acura dealers are in your area to begin with? There's only one in Cleveland.)

 

I love being talked about in the third person, it's so great. Anyway I only made two posts in this thread, I don't think each one constitutes a trend in my behavior in and of itself. Least realistic? Pshaw.

 

Yes, it is great. And You keep saying how the RL needs a V8 and RWD, not only in this thread but in others. Pshaw :fawk:

 

wned:

 

Acura actually has more dealerships than Lexus or Infiniti.

Acura 265
Lexus 170
Infiniti 145

 

Wow. I did not know that. It seems like they don't, because there are 2 Lexus dealers, and many more MB and other luxury brand dealers in Cleveland area. I just wanted a little more shopping options if I decide to go with the CL-S. I know I have Accord six speed in my sig, but I'm just anxiously awaiting it's release before I make my final decision.

 

Well, Acura has it's sales base on the West and East coasts, so the bulk of dealers are probably there. Something that may be skewing the Acura figures might be the number of Honda/Acura dealers too. Toyota and Nissan are probably a little more anal about Toyota/Lexus dealerships or Nissan/Infiniti dealers, but there are a couple of Honda/Acura dealers in the Bay Area.

 

Thanks for the info. Makes sense now. I know Cleveland doesn't reflect the entire country, so thanks for explaining things constructively.

 

A couple of questions to stir up some more lively discussion:

Why does the Q sell so bad? On paper, I'd prefer it any day over the LS430. I'm not understanding why the Q is having such a hard time. (??)

Second, I see that many people are talking about the possibility of a hybrid RL: I completely disagree with the post above. People who are buying luxury cars are likely to be (I'm guessing here) more educated and tech-savvy. When a new (I say 'new' in the sense that it is new in the high-end market) technology debuts, it is usually the affluent people who are first to adopt it. (This is actually a well-accepted theory of communication - I remember learning about it in a gen ed class at school) Then, the technology gradually filters down to the middle-class, and so on. Sure, there are some dinosaurs that will still drive contentional V8s, but their probably driving Cadillacs and Lincolns.

Secondly, it is only a matter of time before some other car manufacturer decides to make the move to hybrid in their high-end cars. Being how Honda is one of the most forward thinking car-companies and how it has a great reputation for their new products, I can't think of a better car company to be first to introduce hybrid technology into a large car. Above, this person is doubting how a high-end hybrid car would compare to the compeition.....If Honda does this, I am POSITIVE that it will be done right. Honda will not make any sacrificies. I also expect little or no reliability issues.

An example: look how CVT's were only used in small, underpowered cars. Now, we have Audi, who has succesfully integrated a CVT into the V6 powered A4. So far, there hasn't been any problems that I know of. (And I realize this example is on a smaller scale than an IMA changeover)

I guess this is just my two cents...Oh, and I just don't imagine the next TL or RL being AWD....I'd rather put my money on an IMA engine in the RL...