2010 Acura RL

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Exterior - What the Auto Press Says

The 2010 RL is visually dominated by Acura's new pointed chrome grille, which has been compared to a tooth, a beak and a guillotine. Most reviewers aren't fond of the new look, but it is at is most reserved in the RL. Few call the car beautiful, and some outright criticize the strange grille, but most are simply underwhelmed. 

• "The Acura RL looks taut and athletic. Fresh exterior bodywork introduced on 2009 models resulted in a crisper look. Most noticeable is its bold grille, Acura's new design cue. Overall, it's a pleasant take on a familiar standard bearer." -- New Car Test Drive
• "Depending on where you're standing, the look of the RL changes. From the front, the bold, metallic grille looks a bit menacing. This isn't a car you'd want to meet in a dark alley, at least not judging by the face of it. From the side and rear, the RL is less threatening. It has a strong profile and seems to lean forward due to a couple of chrome strips lining the windows and the lower part of the body." -- Mother Proof
• "The RL got a makeover for 2009, including the company line when it came to front-end styling. You can judge for yourself if it is likeable or not. I would offer to eat broccoli, if Acura would take another hack at the design of this front end. In short, I found it ugly and the rest of the design  pleasant enough but rather nondescript." -- MarketWatch
• "Acura's new BIC razor face works well enough on its newer, heavily creased models, but looks rather forced and out of place on the RL's older, more conservative sheet metal - sort of like putting a nose ring on your grandmother." -- Automobile Magazine
• "New front and rear clips along with larger wheels and tires give the RL a different look, one that Acura says will become the brand's new style. Officials want their cars to be unmistakably Acura when seen from afar." -- Automobile Magazine
• "Nose on, the RL features a new, wing-shaped chrome crossbar grille. It's framed by a pair of striking new headlamps. Like seemingly all new luxury sedans, the '09 Acura enhances aerodynamics through the use of a high trunk lid." -- The Car Connection
• "The main changes to the car's exterior styling are bolder chrome flashes across the revised fascia and rear decklid, as well as the usual nips, tucks, and lens reshaping." -- CNET
• "The rearranging of the RL's kisser for '09 nudges it back toward Lincoln-like lassitude, with a squared-up nose, monster grille blade, and puffed-out front shoulders. Augmented by injections of chrome and bright plastic, the front and rear ends bristle with new bling." -- Car and Driver