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Just when you feel comfortable calling Acura’s flagship the Legend, the automaker drops the moniker in favor of the RL designation.

The folks from Acura, Honda’s luxury division, felt that though people recognized the Legend name, not enough associated it with Acura. Wow, Calling it the RL should help put that to rest!

As for the name, 3.5 stands for the 3.5-liter, 210-h.p., 24-valve, V-6 engine, a refined, retuned version of the Legend’s 3.2-liter, 200-h.p. V-6. RL stands for Refined Luxury.

Maybe the time was right to remove the Legend name from the lineup because it has fallen on hard times. In the 1986 model year (Legend’s first), it sold 25,000 copies. Sales peaked at 70,770 units in 1988 before competition from Infiniti and Lexus and yen/dollar exchange rates caught up with it. Sales have gone south since ’88, falling to 18,159 units in 1995. The sales forecast for 1996 is 20,000.

In 1986, the first Legend sold for a then staggering $19,893 with automatic, $19,298 with 5-speed manual. For 1996 RL starts at $41,000 for the standard version, $44,000 for the premium version and both offer automatic only.

We tested the premium 3.5 RL. To some, one of the RL’s strengths is its soft lap-of-luxury ride. You float over the pavement without feeling any blemishes. Of course, the soft, cushy ride will be considered by some to be a weakness. There’s virtually no road feel.

Another gripe is the speed-sensitive power steering. It takes only the slightest pressure on the wheel for the nose to wander. You can appreciate fingertip effort in a parking lot when trying to squeeze into a space, but you want a bit more resistance on the open highway. At times at speed the RL simply responds too quickly and doesn’t leave you with the feeling of driver control in making sideways maneuvers.

There are no complaints with the 3.5-liter, which is quick and quiet while delivering a generous 19/25 m.p.g. rating that makes for long trips without having to pull up to the pumps with regularity.

The sedan offers dual air bags, ABS and traction control as standard. The traction control system employs a limited slip differential to get you going at the slippery intersection and automatic engine control (reducing speed) to keep you from getting hung up in slippery corners.

One weakness is the same as with the Legend–a narrow cabin so your thigh cannot venture too far from the door. Rear-seat leg room is a tad cramped. Rear-seat heat ducts in the center of the floor rob some room, too.

And while the RL eliminates the pick-and-choose routine on options–everything is standard, you need add only $495 for freight–the $44,000 price tag is stiff and surely will send some folks to the Mercedes E-Class sedans in a similar price range or perhaps even to the LeSabre, which is bigger, roomier and almost $20,000 less expensive.

Some noteworthy items include a massive trunk with a 90-degree lid opening to make loading/unloading very easy; a lockable ski pass-through between the rear seat backs so you can slip skis into the trunk and have them hidden in the car; a fold-down center armrest for rear-seat occupants that houses dual cupholders; a deck-lid opener release button under the driver’s door armrest; a center seat armrest that can be raised or lowered based on your preference; carpeting under the front seat bottoms so rear-seat passengers don’t scuff their shoes; a power sunroof that even when fully open doesn’t let wind howl in the cabin; and the choice of compact disc player in trunk or center console.

>> 1996 Acura 3.5 RL ’96 Acura 3.5 RL Wheelbase: 114.6 inches Length: 195.1 inches Engine: 3.5-liter, 210-h.p., V-6 Transmission: 4-speed automatic EP A mileage: 19 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway Base price: $44,000. Price as tested: $44,000. Add $495 for freight Pluses: Cushy ride for long-distance cruising. Energetic and quiet 3.5-liter, V-6 that still delivers very good fuel economy. Dual air bags and ABS standard. No need to pick and choose options because everything is standard. Minuses: Cushy ride that at times feels like you are floating when you’d rather have your feet planted on the ground. Narrow cabin. A stiff price tag that will send some looking at a Mercedes E-Class sedan.