hey everyone, im new here and have been looking into getting a used RL or TL.. my main concern is reliability, and since ill be moving to michigan
somewhat soon, i was wondering if anyone had experience w/ these cars
in serious winters.. i wont be driving too much, so i wasnt terribly concerned abt the snow, but if it's a major problem for these cars, i was also
thinking of looking into some AWD SUV's like an '04 MDX or '02
4Runner.. one thing that's attractive abt the RL is its price-- a 2004 RL w/ equal mileage is approx. the same price as a 2004 TL.. im guessing the RL's steep depreciation is b/c they just dont sell well?.. i dont mind so much that they may be a bit slow in comparison to the TL, b/c neither of those are going to feel as fast as the Trans Am I have now[img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img].. i plan on leaving the TA in TX b/c i think it'd be impractical to take that to michigan... im also looking for a change-- a noiseless ride w/ a good bit of luxury would be nice.. the fact that the RL is not a dime a dozen is big plus.. i also like the old bodystyle.. the TL is clearly the more popular pick, and i feel it speaks for itself.. ive def. been a fan ever since they revamped it for '04.. again, my main concern is reliability, and both the RL and TL seem to be equally reliable based on reviews i've seen.. thought id come here for some more input... thanks in advance!

Edited by: roland

It is a difficult choice, I know! The new TL looks awesome and I haven’t had one of those, so I can’t tell for experience.
I own a 1999 Acura RL, and its reliability is unquestionable. Just check -Consumer Report- or almost every automotive forum and you will find out what are you getting into. Just check these forums:
http://www.buyingadvice.com/5best-luxury-sedans.html
http://www.tendango.com/59/Best-Used-Cars
On the other hand, resale value is not awesome and maintenance could be expensive if you are not DIY (do it yourself) inclined.
I’m an automotive technician.
Cars: Mustang 1997 GT (V8), Acura RL (1999), Infiniti G35 (2003)

I ran my 96 RL for 8 years in the snow in NH. While it is not as good as AWD/4WD, it is pretty good with snow tires. The RL is heavy, which helps....