Geeking My Ride Among The Rich And Famous
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Imagine my surprise when AutoMotoPortal decided to include me in its round-up for “What Cars Do Famous Geeks Drive?” I have no idea why I was included, as I’m (a) not famous and (b) NOT FAMOUS. I’m thrilled for the nod, but a bit disappointed that it didn’t hyperlink back somewhere into my known digital universe. Still, it’s 99% Acura-te:
Chris Pirillo is an Internet entrepreneur, book author, ex-TV show host and technology enthusiast. He is addicted to computer hardware and software -and the Acura TSX. According to him, the 2006 TSX is about as geeky as today’s cars can get. This car has an audio in jack, live traffic reports, Bluetooth connectivity, Zagat ratings and an excellent navigation system with voice recognition.
The car also has handsfreelink, keyless access system with driver recognition. The sound system in the Acura is a 360-watt system with AM/FM stereo, 6 disc in dash CD changer and eight speakers. There is also an XM satellite radio, MP3/auxillary input jack and home link. Other accessories include a dual zone automatic climate control system and heated front seats, theft deterrent system with an electronic immobilizer. The exterior temperature indicator lets you know what the temperature is outside.
And now, some editorial corrections: (1) I used to lease a 2004 Acura TSX; (2) I now lease a 2006 Acura RL; (3) My 2006 Acura RL was built with the “sport” package, since they were trying to get it off the lot right before the 2007s came in (as detailed in an earlier blog post); (4) The 2006 Acura RL doesn’t have an input jack - which I find wholly depressing.
Any other happy Acura owners out there?
[tags]acura, acura rl, acura tsx[/tags]
5 Comments
Ron Gee
June 7th, 2007
at 6:35am
Chris, you are famous because you care about people and have given so generously of your time over the years. To me you will always be famous
RonGee
Richard
June 7th, 2007
at 6:51am
I have a 1997 Acura RL which I bought new 10 years ago. I don’t drive much, I only have 85,000 miles on it. But it runs great and is incredibly reliable. When it is time to buy a new car - probably in about another 10 years - it will be an Acura.
Mstthre Brock
June 7th, 2007
at 9:46pm
I had a 1992 Acura Legend 4 door which I loved. It was extremely reliable and quiet and smooth. Even a couple of years ago, the styling still looked modern and nobody believed it was as old as it was. Then… a woman in a Toyota Tundra 4×4 nailed me in the drivers side and totaled it. I replaced it with a BMW convertible which I love even more, but if the Acura hadn’t been totaled, I would still be driving it today!
Chas
January 7th, 2008
at 8:31am
This message was brought on by a curiosity as to whether you still own an RL. I know your concern (6/6/06) is quite dated by this time.
>(4) The 2006 Acura RL doesn’t have an input jack - which I find wholly depressing.
I don’t know if you still own your Acura RL. I love my 2006 bought Nov 06, when they were incentivized to clear inventory for the 07s. A tremendous resource for the RL is http://www.acurazine.com where Acura enthusiasts discuss the cars in minute detail, probably more than you ever wanted to know… The RL has its own forum and has very good info in there.
The best solution for an iPod for the 06 RL is an aftermarket one that costs about $200 with basic installation, more if you want more complex installation. As you may already know, stay away from the Acura Acura MusicLink iPod accessory, which they may have discontinued.
Assuming you still use your XM Radio, these units allow you charge your iPod and have basic steering wheel control, and the iPod will pause on a telephone call or voice recognition command to the car. You will NOT have iPod text available via the Nav Screen as this is a limitation of the Alpine head unit You also have full control of the iPod so you can use the click wheel, etc. Sound is great. These units also give you an additional 3.5mm input jack, although I have found that the sound through the headphone jack is not as good as that through the iPod port itself, plus you have no steering wheel control or charging.
On acurazine, the following solutions have been successfully used, in alphabetical order.
Blitz - http://www.blitzsafe.com
Dice - http://www.diceelectronics.com
NeoCarAudio - http://www.neocaraudio.com
USASpec - http://www.usaspec.com
I own a Neo, which, in retrospect may be a rebranded USAspec, but it works great. Typical installation is to route the wire to glove box, but I paid a little more to route the wire and the additional 3.5mm input jack to my center console so I can keep everything in there.
This thread should have a photo of my installation in Post #20.
PS I have been a fan of yours for years. Keep up the good work.
Cary
January 16th, 2008
at 2:26pm
1) Do the IPOD jack products work with other MP3 players, or just IPODs?
2) My 2006 RL doesn’t pause CDs when I get a phone call. Is there a workaround for that? It’s extremely annoying when I’m listening to a Book on CD, and it just keeps rolling while I talk. Once the phone rings, it’s too late to pause it by pressing the disk no. of the disk that’s playing.