The interior of the RL is luxurious and functional. The seats are comfortable for cruising and supportive for hard driving. The wide armrests have a nice soft feel. This is a roomy car, though the back seats don't offer as much room as some of the competition's.

The cabin is finished in handsome leather with attractive stitching. Real wood is used sparingly, tastefully around the cabin and it's not too shiny. Acura says it used the finest materials and exacting attention to detail in the interior design. It shows. The RL's cabin is attractive, comfortable, and functional. The biggest nitpick we noted is inconsequential: The cigar lighter cover was reluctant to open on the car we drove, and that was a pre-production model, a car built before the assembly line started.

The display is not a touch screen. Instead, an interface dial is used to control all functions. Positioned on the center stack, in front of the shifter, the dial is rotated like a knob and rocked like a joystick to select among function menus displayed on the navigation screen. Pushing down on the knob selects the highlighted function. Functions controlled by the interface dial include the climate control system, audio, navigation, and the AcuraLink satellite communications system. This interface dial is similar in concept to that of BMW's controversial iDrive, but Acura added redundant buttons on the instrument panel and steering wheel for most of the commonly used functions, making this system easier to use than BMW's. For its part, the interface dial has great feel.

As mentioned, everything described here comes as standard equipment, including the navigation system with voice recognition, which features a large 8-inch screen. The all-new AcuraLink satellite communications system delivers in-car traffic information in real time for major cities. LA has the most mature infrastructure to support this, and it's an impressive feature that could make commuting easier by helping drivers avoid heavily congested areas. Traffic flow is shown by color coding the highways in three levels (flying, normal, and forget about it). Unlike radio reports, which just hit the highlights and don't provide detailed instructions for getting around tangles, this system uses data from the highway departments and technology developed by XM Satellite Radio to give the RL driver the level of detail needed to change routes on the fly. The RL is on the leading edge of this technology, and it may prove to be well worth taking the time to fully master this navigation aid.
Even without this newest twist, Acura's navigation systems are perennially among the best available. In the past, we've praised them for their ease of operation, clear instructions, speedy route calculations, and absence of errors. As with all of these systems, there is a learning curve. You'll need to study the owners manual and exercise patience before you can fully master the system and use it to its maximum advantage. Even then, trying to program navigation or other functions while driving is very dangerous; you should pull over, program your destination, get organized, then set out.

OnStar also comes standard. Having OnStar and a navigation system should ensure you are always guided to your destination. Pressing the OnStar button calls up an operator ready to assist you in any way possible, whether you need directions to the nearest gas station or ATM or the best sushi bar in town. OnStar operators can quickly pinpoint your exact location and the direction you're headed and won't hesitate to tell you to turn around. They can unlock the doors should you lock the keys inside. They can direct the police to your car should it be stolen. They will direct emergency crews to you should the airbags go off and you not respond to their calls. We've found most of them cheerful, friendly and engaging, patient, often with a sense of humor, though that isn't always true. Their voice comes through a speaker and you talk to them in normal tones while driving. Your voice is picked up through a microphone and there's no need to use your hands.
Nor must you use your hands for talking on the telephone. The RL is set up to operate with Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, which allows hands-free dialing and communication. The navigation system also features voice recognition. The Keyless Access System further frees you from having to use your fingers by letting you unlock the doors, open the trunk, and start the car without having to dig the keyless remote out of your pocket or purse.

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The back seats are comfortable, though they don't offer quite as much space as some of the other cars in this class. Getting into the back seats is eased by rear doors designed to open wide. A retractable rear sunshade filters the sun, nice on bright days. Retractable rear headrests improve rearward visibility when people aren't back there. The trunk is nicely finished and offers 13 cubic feet of space. The keyless access system prevents locking the key fob in the trunk.

The all-new 2005 Acura RL is much more of a driver's car than last year's model. It handles better. It's tauter, more poised. It grips better in corners, has tauter transient response, and stops in shorter distances. The ride is comfortable, firm enough to feel expansion joints but not so firm as to be harsh, and it cruises easily. The cabin is quiet, benefiting from a noise cancellation system that reduces road noise and tire noise but especially boom from the engine exhaust.

Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive improves the handling of the RL considerably. SH-AWD distributes power not only between the front and rear wheels but also between the left and right rear wheels. This distribution of power can be controlled, and it uses this capability to enhance the handling. Essentially, the system overdrives the outside rear wheel in corners to reduce the understeer that is inherent with all-wheel-drive layouts. (Technonerds: It employs the same principles as the old Honda Prelude SH, only at the rear wheels instead of the front, overdriving them by up to 5 percent.) In short, the RL doesn't plow in corners. It simply motors around them.
We found the system particularly helpful in tight corners where it keeps the nose of the car tucked in. The RL seems to respond well to throttle in the corners. The effects of overdriving one of the rear wheels is most noticeable at competition-level speeds, but the system improves handling feel even at a moderate pace. It feels precise, and the RL goes exactly where you want to go. You get improved handling stability on dry or wet roads. All-wheel drive also brings improved traction and stability on snow and ice. The system is biased to the front. When cruising along, 70 percent of the engine's power goes to the front wheels, and 30 percent goes to the rear wheels. Stand on it, however, and up to 70 percent of the power goes to the rear wheels. That means little or no wheel spin when accelerating.