It's a difficult task, finding a car more technologically advanced than the 2009 Acura RL. There may not be one: the new RL sports a class-leading array of electronics that help it provide quick, supple transportation to four or five passengers. With a base price of about $47,000, the 2009 RL sits in a hotly contested segment of BMWs, Benzes and Lexuses, but is far more at home in a smaller subset of all-wheel-drive, near-luxury sedans that includes the Audi A6 and Volvo S80. While the Acura delivers very comfortable transportation--reliable too, according to nearly all sources--it's also among the safest sedans you can buy, if not among the most engaging or good-looking.

The RL, Acura's largest four-door, received a nose-and-tail makeover for 2009, and it's a mismatch made in some focus group. The huge, shield-shaped grille clashes with the subtle, innocuous roofline too strongly. The nose vaguely recalls a bottle opener. The rear end sits plainly, with a wide band of metallic trim and LED taillamps to liven it up. None of the aggression of the front end works its way inside the Acura RL; the cabin's handsome waterfall of wood trim is punctuated by metallic-trimmed controls, muted tones of brown or grey, and lots of high-quality leather and plastic. It's a quiet, relaxed feel despite the array of buttons and knobs that run the show. A more extensive wood-trim package is quite handsome, and well worth the upgrade price.