1997 Acura 3.5 RL Exquisitely refined luxury. By Marcia Ruff, New Car Test Drive .com

Acura's new alphanumeric nomenclature is

starting to feel familiar. When the Honda's luxury division first proposed

dropping a name full of history and meaning like Legend for a series of

letters and numbers, it seemed lunacy.

But familiarity breeds recognition. As the new names sweep through the

Acura lineup, they have begun to create their own identities. The Vigor

has become the TL, the CL coupes have arrived, and when the Integra is

redesigned for '98, the cycle will be complete.

One defense of 3.5RL versus Legend is that the 3.5RL is a thoroughly

different car. The Legend had a sporty edginess under a layer of luxury,

while the 3.5RL takes its name very seriously. The initials stand for Refined

Luxury, and the car is an exquisitely refined piece of work--smooth, cossetting,

and deeply luxurious rather than sporting. Introduced in mid-'96 as an

all-new model, it continues into 1997 unchanged.