Buttery-smooth powerplant OR power and pricing
It's all fired up by a 3.5 litre V6 engine with 290 horsepower. This mill almost feels electric, and in some situations you'd be hard pressed to hear or feel its presence. Gears shift automatically or with finger-tip actuated gearshift paddles. Its five gears are one short of the current standard, and it shows up with an occasional lag after a downshift before power really starts to pile on.
RL's not as punchy as the 3.0 twin-turbo you'll find in a comparable BMW 5-series, but it's a real treat in its own right- not to mention about eleven grand cheaper, comparably equipped.
Still, RL's subtle looks won't make any BMW or Audi fans jump ship.
Gear and Gadgets
The tester included adaptive cruise control to maintain a set following distance in traffic, even braking hard where needed to avoid tailgating. Very neat stuff.
Adaptive headlights provide illumination into corners by pivoting with the cars steering, and they include washers to maintain maximum effectiveness at all times. Their bright white light is easier on the eyes than halogen at night, so eye fatigue and strain common during wintertime driving after dark is minimized. Eat xenon, Old Man Winter.
A simple voice command can set a destination in the navigation system, call up your favorite CD and even dial your cell phone to stay in touch if you're going to be late. This allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road rather than fiddling with the controls, which is especially important during nasty weather when a problem can quickly arise out of nowhere.
A magnificent interior
Even in said wintry nastiness, RL owners get to sit back and relax in comfort. The RL's opulent interior is in a class of its own- every touch point feels gorgeous, the material selection and build quality is the best I've ever seen, and the soft leather is so fragrant it leaves a scent on your clothes for hours.
It's all fired up by a 3.5 litre V6 engine with 290 horsepower. This mill almost feels electric, and in some situations you'd be hard pressed to hear or feel its presence. Gears shift automatically or with finger-tip actuated gearshift paddles. Its five gears are one short of the current standard, and it shows up with an occasional lag after a downshift before power really starts to pile on.
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| The RL's opulent interior is in a class of its own. |
RL's not as punchy as the 3.0 twin-turbo you'll find in a comparable BMW 5-series, but it's a real treat in its own right- not to mention about eleven grand cheaper, comparably equipped.
Still, RL's subtle looks won't make any BMW or Audi fans jump ship.
Gear and Gadgets
The tester included adaptive cruise control to maintain a set following distance in traffic, even braking hard where needed to avoid tailgating. Very neat stuff.
Adaptive headlights provide illumination into corners by pivoting with the cars steering, and they include washers to maintain maximum effectiveness at all times. Their bright white light is easier on the eyes than halogen at night, so eye fatigue and strain common during wintertime driving after dark is minimized. Eat xenon, Old Man Winter.
A simple voice command can set a destination in the navigation system, call up your favorite CD and even dial your cell phone to stay in touch if you're going to be late. This allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road rather than fiddling with the controls, which is especially important during nasty weather when a problem can quickly arise out of nowhere.
A magnificent interior
Even in said wintry nastiness, RL owners get to sit back and relax in comfort. The RL's opulent interior is in a class of its own- every touch point feels gorgeous, the material selection and build quality is the best I've ever seen, and the soft leather is so fragrant it leaves a scent on your clothes for hours.
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| A simple voice command can set a destination in the navigation system. |