1997 Acura RL Review
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By Marcia Ruff

Overview

Acura's new alphanumeric nomenclature is starting to feel familiar. When the Honda's luxury division first proposed dropping a name full of history and meaning like Legend for a series of letters and numbers, it seemed lunacy.

But familiarity breeds recognition. As the new names sweep through the Acura lineup, they have begun to create their own identities. The Vigor has become the TL, the CL coupes have arrived, and when the Integra is redesigned for '98, the cycle will be complete.

One defense of 3.5RL versus Legend is that the 3.5RL is a thoroughly different car. The Legend had a sporty edginess under a layer of luxury, while the 3.5RL takes its name very seriously. The initials stand for Refined Luxury, and the car is an exquisitely refined piece of work--smooth, cossetting, and deeply luxurious rather than sporting. Introduced in mid-'96 as an all-new model, it continues into 1997 unchanged.

Model Lineup