1998 Acura RL Special Edition from North America - Comments

Left rear power window motor stopped at 60,000 miles and was covered under warranty.

Since I have had this car, the only problem I have had was with the left rear power window and just yesterday had to replace the windshield because of a crack. Other than that this is an amazing car that has lots of luxury features. Every single person who has sat in the car has complimented me on how nice it really is and how comfortable it is. I recommend this car to anyone who wants a great ride and a wow effect from others. I travel from school and back which is a 700 mile drive each way and it is perfect. It rides smooth, it is fast, sleek and full of options. The Bose sound system is fantastic and the seats are perfect. Since I bought this car, I have invested in HID lights and a front Bra to protect the front bumper and hood, which I highly recommend to anyone for long distance highway driving. The only little complaint I have about this car is that the transmission can be a little hard shifting. The shifts are not exactly that smooth.

I am thinking about purchasing this same model (Special Edition) and wanted to know how costly is the maintenance? I know Acura's are higher anyway, but are the normal maintenance costs affordable?

Maintenance on this car is expensive as you have indicated, but well worth it. If you buy one, be sure to ask the seller if the scheduled service was accomplished. They occur at the 30K & 60K point. At the dealer this service will run between $400 - $550 but I found a certified independent Acura repair shop who cut that cost almost in half and performed an excellent job.

The only other high $$ maintenance is replacing the timing belt at the 7 year or 100K point. Ir ran about a grand. Since the engine was nearly gutted, they replaced the water pump as part of this service. After that, change the oil, fuel, and air filters as required and enjoy the ride.

Maintaining this car is a bit costly, but in the end it is a far more superior car in quality to its competitors. So I can say that it is actually cheaper than some other types. The trick with any Honda or Acura is to keep up with the oil changes. I use semi synthetic oil, preferably high mileage oil. Since I have owned it the most expensive thing was the addition of the HID lights.

I was considering a late 90's RL or TL, but after reading out insanely expensive routine timing belt replacement is, I'm totally turned off to the cars. Coming from a family of Volvos, which supposedly aren't cheap to fix either, I can't complain if I have to spend $200-$300 to have the timing belt replaced. A grand!? Insane.