Acura’s flagship sedan shuffles a few features for 2007. The RL has a 290-hp V6 engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission. It also has Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), which apportions power between the rear wheels to enhance cornering stability. Front side airbags and curtain side airbags are standard. So are ABS, traction/antiskid control, and keyless entry and starting. For 2007, steering-linked xenon headlamps and a voice-activated navigation system move from standard equipment to an available Technology Package. The option introduces a rearview camera and includes the AcuraLink system providing OnStar assistance, real-time traffic conditions, and vehicle maintenance data. A second Technology Package, priced as a separate model, adds run-flat tires, adaptive cruise control, and Acura’s Collision Mitigation Braking System, which signals of approaching objects and applies the brakes and tightens the front seatbelts if it determines a collision is unavoidable.

The RL offers the latest in navigation, communications, and collision-avoidance technology. Acura’s navigation system is the best in the business. But the RL also offers AcuraLink traffic information in real time for 44 major cities: Clogged freeways are highlighted in red, flying freeways in green. This system works impressively well. We’ve put it to good use in avoiding traffic jams in Los Angeles.

The Acura RL can help drivers avoid pile-ups. The optional Collision Mitigation Braking System works with the Adaptive Cruise Control. Using radar, the system will alert the driver, pretension the seatbelts, and slam on the brakes when it senses an imminent impact. We tested this system in a controlled exercise and were very impressed with its ability to warn the driver and help avoid an accident or, in the worst case, reduce the severity of the impact.

Under the hood, the 2007 Acura RL boasts a 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 engine capable of producing 290 horsepower and 256 pound-feet of torque. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the RL’s fuel economy numbers, described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as “impressive for such a powerful engine,” are 16 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway. But the New York Times reviewer feels differently, noting, “Given today’s high gasoline prices, offering the V6 looks smart. I was nonetheless disappointed by the mileage.” The RL is tuned to run on premium fuel.

A standout feature on the 2007 RL is the all-wheel drive system, first implemented in the 2005 model, which Acura calls Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (or SH-AWD). The system, which is standard on all RLs, sends 70 percent of traction to the front wheels and can send a maximum of 70 percent to the rear wheels in heavy acceleration. This means less understeer and oversteer, “giving the RL an uncanny sense of poise and balance through most high-speed corners,” according to the Detroit News.
2007 Acura RL Models:

2007 Acura RL Sedan 
2007 Acura RL Technology Package 
2007 Acura RL CMBS/PAX Package