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2008 Acura RL Sedan
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What Changed for 2008:
The RL is Acura’s largest and most luxurious and technologically advanced sedan. For example, it was the first Acura equipped with a keyless access system that allows drivers to lock and unlock doors, open the trunk or even start the vehicle without using the key. The RL was re-introduced as an all-new model in 2005 and has gone through only slight annual updates since then.
Model Lineup
The 2008 Acura RL is available in three trims: RL, RL with Technology package and RL with Technology package plus CMBS/PAX. The RL comes with perforated leather seats with 8-way power for the driver’s side and 4-way power for the front passenger; retracting rear headrests; rear center folding armrest; leather-wrapped steering wheel; tilt and telescoping steering column; Acura/Bose 10-speaker surround sound audio with 6-disc CD changer; MP3 jack and XM satellite radio; Acura’s Active Noise Cancellation technology; power moonroof; GPS-linked solar-sensing and dual-zone automatic climate controls; multi-information display panel; speed-sensing windshield wipers; front and rear overhead map lights; HomeLink remote garage door opener; front and rear beverage holders; power rear sunshade; and side-window defoggers.
The Technology package adds Acura satellite navigation with AcuraLink real-time traffic, rearview camera and Zagat Survey restaurant reviews and ratings, Active Front Lighting System, and upgraded genuine wood interior trim.
The Technology package plus CMBS and PAX adds the Collision Mitigation Braking System and Michelin PAX run-flat tires.
The 2008 Acura RL is covered by a 4-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and includes Acura Total Luxury Care (TLC) with roadside assistance and 6-year/70,000-mile limited powertrain warranty coverage.
Powertrain
The 2008 Acura RL carries a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift controlled by paddle shifters as well as Grade Logic Control (that adjusts shifting based on whether the car is on an uphill or downhill grade). The powertrain is EPA-rated at 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway.
The RL employs Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system that not only distributes torque as needed from front to rear and left to right, but reduces understeer (skidding) in cornering, according to the automaker.
Safety
The 2008 Acura RL is equipped with anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, with what Acura terms “Super Handling All-Wheel Drive” and with Vehicle Stability Assist with traction control, all designed to enhance the driver’s control in varying road conditions and in emergency maneuvers. Standard Xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps enhance visibility from and of the car at night. Daytime running lights make the car more visible in daylight hours. A tire-pressure-monitoring system also is standard equipment. The RL’s list of passive safety equipment includes driver and front-passenger front and side (thorax air bags) and side curtain air bags that cover outboard occupants in both rows.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Acura RL 5-star ratings in all four categories of front- and side-impact tests as well as 5 stars for its resistance to rollover. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the Acura RL “Good” in both frontal- and side-impact protection.
Technology
Active Noise Cancellation works whether the audio system is turned on or off and is designed to reduce low-frequency noise in the RL’s interior, Acura says. CMBS stands for Collision Mitigation Braking System, a radar-based cruise control technology. If the system determines that the closing rate between the RL and the vehicle directly ahead has decreased beyond an acceptable level, it applies light braking. If the system determines that a collision is imminent, it can tighten front seat belts and apply the brakes in an effort to mitigate collision damage. RL models equipped with CMBS also get Michelin’s PAX wheel and tire system that allows the vehicle to continue to be driven as far as 250 miles at 50 mph following a tire puncture, the automaker says.
- AcuraLink real-time traffic expanded to 76 metropolitan areas (32 more than in 2007)
The RL is Acura’s largest and most luxurious and technologically advanced sedan. For example, it was the first Acura equipped with a keyless access system that allows drivers to lock and unlock doors, open the trunk or even start the vehicle without using the key. The RL was re-introduced as an all-new model in 2005 and has gone through only slight annual updates since then.
Model Lineup
The 2008 Acura RL is available in three trims: RL, RL with Technology package and RL with Technology package plus CMBS/PAX. The RL comes with perforated leather seats with 8-way power for the driver’s side and 4-way power for the front passenger; retracting rear headrests; rear center folding armrest; leather-wrapped steering wheel; tilt and telescoping steering column; Acura/Bose 10-speaker surround sound audio with 6-disc CD changer; MP3 jack and XM satellite radio; Acura’s Active Noise Cancellation technology; power moonroof; GPS-linked solar-sensing and dual-zone automatic climate controls; multi-information display panel; speed-sensing windshield wipers; front and rear overhead map lights; HomeLink remote garage door opener; front and rear beverage holders; power rear sunshade; and side-window defoggers.
The Technology package adds Acura satellite navigation with AcuraLink real-time traffic, rearview camera and Zagat Survey restaurant reviews and ratings, Active Front Lighting System, and upgraded genuine wood interior trim.
The Technology package plus CMBS and PAX adds the Collision Mitigation Braking System and Michelin PAX run-flat tires.
The 2008 Acura RL is covered by a 4-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and includes Acura Total Luxury Care (TLC) with roadside assistance and 6-year/70,000-mile limited powertrain warranty coverage.
Powertrain
The 2008 Acura RL carries a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift controlled by paddle shifters as well as Grade Logic Control (that adjusts shifting based on whether the car is on an uphill or downhill grade). The powertrain is EPA-rated at 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway.
The RL employs Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system that not only distributes torque as needed from front to rear and left to right, but reduces understeer (skidding) in cornering, according to the automaker.
Safety
The 2008 Acura RL is equipped with anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, with what Acura terms “Super Handling All-Wheel Drive” and with Vehicle Stability Assist with traction control, all designed to enhance the driver’s control in varying road conditions and in emergency maneuvers. Standard Xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps enhance visibility from and of the car at night. Daytime running lights make the car more visible in daylight hours. A tire-pressure-monitoring system also is standard equipment. The RL’s list of passive safety equipment includes driver and front-passenger front and side (thorax air bags) and side curtain air bags that cover outboard occupants in both rows.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Acura RL 5-star ratings in all four categories of front- and side-impact tests as well as 5 stars for its resistance to rollover. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the Acura RL “Good” in both frontal- and side-impact protection.
Technology
Active Noise Cancellation works whether the audio system is turned on or off and is designed to reduce low-frequency noise in the RL’s interior, Acura says. CMBS stands for Collision Mitigation Braking System, a radar-based cruise control technology. If the system determines that the closing rate between the RL and the vehicle directly ahead has decreased beyond an acceptable level, it applies light braking. If the system determines that a collision is imminent, it can tighten front seat belts and apply the brakes in an effort to mitigate collision damage. RL models equipped with CMBS also get Michelin’s PAX wheel and tire system that allows the vehicle to continue to be driven as far as 250 miles at 50 mph following a tire puncture, the automaker says.