Where is the kick?
Acura's 3.5L V6 is sweet; it is smooth, quiet and very even-tempered. And this is my problem. When I get to drive an Acura, I expect a kick in the pants when the tach needle climbs towards the redline. Even so, this V6 is excessively competent as proven by its quick 7 second sprint to 100 km/h and impressively low thirst for fuel: I averaged 11.5L per 100 km. The 5-speed autobox with paddles mirrors the engine in function. As for steering and braking, both provided sufficient sensations to make the driving experience somewhat involving. I would have preferred more stopping power especially when considering the RL's hefty 1,829 kg weight and the ease at which it can reach high rates of speed.

Plenty of power and a surprisingly low thirst for gas.

Super-Handling indeed!
The most appealing component of the RL is its SH-AWD system. It had been a few months since I had been behind the wheel of such a confident curve-carver. The first few days of the test were punctuated with a warm-spell that all but melted all the snow off the roads. I know of a couple of sweeping curves on my way to work and through them, I quickly noticed that the only weak spot was the Pirelli winter tires (which would serve me very well in the ensuing snow storm that dumped 20 cm of snow on the city). Through the twists, the SH system effectively pushed the car ahead by automatically increasing torque to the outside cornering rear wheel. The feeling is impressive as the car seems to bite and grip harder into the corner.

Comments and conclusion
A quick word on Acura's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). In theory, the idea is good but in practice, I found myself shutting the system off. During the first few hours at the wheel, the warning went on only once. On my return trip home, in traffic, the chime went off on a number of occasions. Perhaps I drive to close to the car ahead of me but this was ridiculous. I can see how this is safety device on a long road-trip; should the driver start dosing-off, the tightening seatbelt and braking will serve their purposes.

The idea of the CMBS is good but in real life...