04 Acura TL after 3+ months
 

Hey all, I just wanted to give you an update on my car. It's a first-year redesign, so things are expected to go a bit awry. Good thing, though, that nothing has.

2004 Acura TL, 6-spd manual, Navigation, High Performance Tires
3+ months, 7200 miles.

Performance:
Under normal-to-hectic driving conditions, this car is just perfect. The suspension is fairly tight - it will inspire a fairly firm grip on the steering wheel. If you enjoy the experience of driving, I think you'd really love it.

Under *spirited* driving conditions, this car is a dream on straight-aheads, hills and long curves. Tight corners reveal the stock suspension's weakness. The 60/40 weight distribution will slow down any tight curve you make, but the strong engine will let you accelerate out of the turn just well enough. I am debating on switching over to Comptech's sport springs... I probably won't decide until October or December (the two times of the year when I get presents!).

I absolutely LOVE the brembo brakes that come with the manual transmission. My heart never skips a beat when I suddenly see brake lights in front of me 'cause I know I can stop a hell of a lot faster than the guy ahead of me.

Comfort:
I'm able to shape the seat into the most comfortable position for me... and sometimes I'm sad to reach my destination. There have been only a couple rattles that have popped up, but they seem to have fixed themselves. The cabin is tight and stylish. Nothing is drooping, nothing is broken. The sound system is sharp and immersive, but the bass does rattle the inner panels on the doors a little.

I don't use the navigation system as much as I thought I would, but when I do, it's always spot-on. It's a very useful tool. From what I understand, through reviews, is the Acura navi is the best in the market. It gives the most details and is more accurate. So far I have no experience to disprove it. It's also voice and touch activated.

Finish:
I've scratched up my rims a bit, but I don't really care about stock rims too much. I park along curbs 90% of the time - it's gonna happen. The front rims are always COVERED in brake dust. The only downside to the Brembo brakes is the dust. I have many various nicks in the paint from road debris, but that's LA for you. I still haven't gotten around to ordering Zaino to make my car shinier than Andre Agassi's head.

I've tinted my windows.. 5% on all the back windows and 50% on my front windows. (That's percentage of light that shines through) The car looks much more aggressive when the windows are tinted... duh.

I still see hardly any other new TLs on the road, which is good for me. I did see about 3 of them when driving through the parking lot at the mall today, though.

So, anyways, if you're looking to buy a new car that not everybody has or has seen, check out the Acura TL. It's really hard to find a 6-spd/Navi setup, but it's worth it. As I understand it, the 2005 models will be virtually unchanged.

Nice... it's on my list as possible Neon replacement. While I want the MINI it's not all that practical as far as space is concerned and comfort. The wife wants a ride like the Benz we rented in Germany.

Oddly enough, the list is disparate at the moment, but it's the (in no order)

TL
E class
5 series

5% tint? Is that legal in Cali? I know here in Ohio that'll earn ya a ticket real fast.

Glad to hear the ride is holding up. I don't suppose we could have some updated pics?

Around here, they'll pull you over and bust you for everything else they can find, even though it is perfectly legal.

back in the 80's my friend from CT had a restored 68 Camaro and he told me tales of undercover CT officers revving engines at lights only to bust you when you took off the line... any truth to that?

hey Halx, try Porterfield R4-S pads the next time you get pads for your fronts. they stop MUCH quicker than stock and don't dust nearly as much.

In Ontario the OPP(Ontario Provincial Police) cops are to lazy to get out of there cars so they don't pull anyone over :thumbsup:

Doesn't it void the warranty if you change any of the parts on the car? I would love to have those Bose electromagnetic shocks put on mine :P

Cool choice Halx, I'm sure its a cut above from the Accord you used to have.

One thing I find about the new TL, its styling is very similar to the Bonneville SLE/SSEi

http://199.239.248.45/images/stk/200...nneville01.jpg

http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdr...ges/04tl_1.jpg

I believe that's entrapment.

I know that if an officer speeds up without their lights on and you follow at their speed, and then they pull you over, it's entrapment.

man...i wish i had money to buy a car like that!! But of course thats when i graduate from college!! i cant wait =] nice car hal.

Thanks for the update Halx. I'm seriously thinking about getting one of these next year. I'm debating between this or a Infinity G35 coupe/Nissan 350Z.

The TL is a nice car. I can't wait till they make it AWD.

At the end of the day, it's still a Honda.

And that's why I picked it over every single other car out there.

Nice Hal. Yes, they are nice cars. Hondas, well, they are Hondas, what else can you say?

Honda needs to follow the trend, one of the only Japanese car companies making cars that can compete on every level with the German cars. Now they need these in AWD since the C-Class and 3 series Benz/BMW's come in AWD.

E-55 baybee! :thumbsup:

The Japanese are the most intelligent, most talented automobile engineers in the world.

That's great, I'm happy you're happy with your TL. I have an '01 CL type S and love it. Acura is a great car company. One thing I notice about the new TL which I disapproved of is the fact that is has the side lights, which don't flash when you put on your turn signal. Other than that, it's an awesome vehicle. Cheers.

With a little tinkering, you can make them flash, Ambition.

Also, Acura is coming out with the new 05 RL. 300hp, SH-AWD. Preliminary reviews are saying this car is absolutely brilliant. Score another point for Acura. The TSX/TL/RL lineup is pure quality.

It's only entrapment if the person who gets pulled over knows it and challenges it in court. The highway patrol guys in CT's unmarked Z28's and Z06's will do that. Sucks to be the guy who doesn't notice that the driver has a State Police patch on his sleeve.

Upon which criteria have you based this opinion, powerclown?:hmm:

Just a personal opinion, based on years of driving and working on all sorts of cars. I like their style, how they extract the maximum from the minimum, the attention to detail and their basic philosophy of how to build a car. Every part of a japanese car is not only funtional, but of a simple and elegant design. Where a Ford for example would use 50 twisted, ugly and heavy suspension components in a design, the Japanese would do the exact same thing with 10 strong, lightweight components. Their engines, especially Acura/Honda, set the standard imo in terms of smoothness, efficiency, reliability and power.

Their success in motorsport over the last 30 years is a big reason for all of this.

Halx, that new RL sounds phenomenal. Its amazing how their sedans are just getting better and faster. AWD is a beautiful thing.
Off to find some pix...

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/upl...Imgp0830-1.JPG
http://members.cox.net/rjcarter/images/rl/Imgp0834.jpg

2005 RL pics .. heh.. all I could find.

Some parts are ok..but I'm not 100% sure

http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/acurarl05_01.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/acurarl05_03.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/acurarl05_04.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/acurarl05_06.jpg

looks a little bland, TL is nicer in design

Wow that is sexy....just why can't Acura be there own motor company!

Eh? Acura doesn't skip a beat by being a Honda company. From a casual observer, you may not like a few things about the cars themselves, but if you're a customer, you gotta love this company.

As it was told to me by a former employee: Honda LOVES their customers and will step on their employees to please them.

It starts when you buy the car: Their pricing is so much simpler than everyone else's. Let me use the TL as the example because I think it's success will prompt them to use this method for every vehicle they come out with from now on. When you buy a TL, you aren't given a price, then asked to fork over tons more cash for extra features that you want, but aren't included in the base price. The TL is the same all around: fully loaded. The only factory options you can ask for are the navigation system and summer tires. This makes buying one SO much less stressful.

Look at cheaper cars like the Accord and Civic. They have like 3 packages to choose from with very little extra kickers that will raise the price that you came in expecting to pay. Simple.

How about other cars? On the Cadillac CTS, you can look up the base price online, but did you know you'll be charged an extra $1000 if you want an automatic? In fact, even though the base price of the CTS is competetive with the TL, if you want to add features to equal those of the TL, you'll end up spending about $8000 more.
On the Nissan Maxima, even on the highest model, a moonroof is $900 more than the base price. No-brainer features like a full-size spare are also much more.

Please don't knock Honda. I have tremendous respect for them for the respect they've given me and my family... we've own many Honda cars and there is a reason why we keep going back.

I've been on the prowl for a new car for a few months now. i was all about getting a 330xi at first, but then my practical side came through and i quickly nixed that idea. i never really thought about the TL until i read your review of it, halx... and the more i looked into it, the more i liked it. i probably would've ended up getting one, but a few days ago i happened to run into the new volvo s40... the T5 AWD version, specifically. i love the styling of the TL both inside and out, but i think the s40 looks even better and plus it has the AWD that i was looking for. i've driven a jetta tdi for the past 4 years and i'm sick of FWD.

i definately give acura credit for producing a superior navigation package, but i've always had a great sense of direction so getting a navi in either car would probably be a waste of money for me.

both cars already have excellent reputations for reliabilty and performance, both have great styling and high quality interiors, and the prices of each are within a couple hundred of each other with similar options... but that AWD just gives the s40 such a huge edge in my eyes, i can't resist it. :)

Hehe if your sick of your Jetta TDI I would be more than happy to buy it from you :)

I was looking at the new TL but it's a little too rich for my blood. I loved the navigation, Bluetooth integration, performance, and roominess of the car.

I'm going down the used route this time. Looking at the '01 Audi A6 2.7T at the moment.

One thing that has not been mentioned in Honda's favor - safety.

I know folks who have gone through horrendous accidents in Hondas...and walked away.

I was in a Civic that struck a tree head on. The tree trunk was as big around as a basketball. We hit it hard enough to snap it off. We walked away.

My Integra was rear-ended by a (stolen) luxury SUV. The front end of the SUV destroyed. My Integra suffered a bent bumper, and was able to perform very well during the subsequest chase (though it got a little dodgy around 100 mph).

yes, clavus, one thing I never mentioned was the TL was at the top of it's class in crash test rating, fuel efficiency, and emissions.

rascal, you can get a Volvo, but in a couple years when it's Ford quality is showing through...

The more I see the TL, the more I can like it. I do love the interior. Not a big fan of the exterior styling. The compared pics with the Bonneville leave the TL outclassed, in MY opinion.

I'm curious Halx, how did you get the CTS being $8000 more than the TL? I FULLY equipped both cars (minus automatic transmissions), and got them within $2500. I'd personally take the CTS, simply because it is rear drive, and that interior is 99% of the TL's, in my opinion.

One big thing that I'll get on, simply because I can. Talk about squeaks and rattles. I drive a 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with just under 140,000 miles. It's been totalled twice. I have one door rattle over bigger bumps, and one center dash noise, again over moderate or greater bumps. Fit and finish is lacking compared to some, but it bests a 2004 Nissan Titan and gaps on the interior are better than a 2003+ Altima. Overall reliability, namely in the electrical department is stellar, although, I do have one door lock that is somewhat possessed, and won't tell the BCM to shut off the interior lights and lock the doors. Happens twice in three months, as a general guideline. Where I MUST diss the car, is in its drivetrain. Not so much the transmission...it's strong, and is hard to goof. The engine is anemic. Not much power, lots of noise, and less then ideal reliability, thanks in no small part to the lower intake manifold gasket GM FINALLY fessed up to. The drivers' seat cushion/foam HAS broken down, but with eight years of life, and five of those being sat in by a 250+ guy...that's gonna happen. The seat cover is also worn.

ANyways, that's my thoughts, and my thoughts on my daily ride. The engine characteristics should change soon enough, but for now, that is most definitely the cars' downfall.

well DEI37, I personally love the styling of the TL inside and out. Every single time I walk to and from my car, I think to myself, "DAMN! That's a fucking beautiful car!" That's simply a matter of taste, though. Not to diss BonneFan, but I wouldn't even compare it with a Bonneville. When I think of class, the exterior styling has very little to do with my opinion of the car. Pontiac could come out with the most amazing design for their next generation Bonneville, and I still would not touch the thing. Class is a combination of brand reputation, quality and... then factor in the style.

I know some Germans (and even some Italians) who would argue with you on that point.

:)


Mr Mephisto

I guess what I meant was initial impression, or a quick walk-by, not REALLY realizing what either car was...meaning, for ME, the Bonneville's exterior is more asthetically pleasing for MY eyes. As much of a GM diehard as I am, I do realize that the Bonneville, while it competes in the sport/luxury class, it's on the lower end of it.

I should have stated this in the first post I made...glad you do enjoy the car...that's what matters, right? Sounds like you made a heck of a good choice for ya. Hope all continues in a positive manner.

Unfortunately the Germans are too dogmatic in only engineering under the hood of a car and it has allowed the Japanese to come in and completely pass them in regards to design and construction of the whole car.

Disclaimer - I had 3 TL's in a row until I was recently run off the road and totaled my '03. I decided to finally cave in and went with a BMW this time around because getting the same car every time was starting to feel like something my father would do... :)

Well, if we consider the world's premier racing event and the showcase of the best automotive engineering can produce, then the Italians are way ahead of the Japanese.

I'm hoping you also realise I'm referring to Formula1.


Mr Mephisto

Hell way back in the day the Italians where making dual overhead cam aluminum engines while us americans where just developing a flathead v8....

I'll take a Porsche, BMW, or VW over any Jap car, any and every day of the week.

I understand - and believe me, I know that innovation and creativity in engine design and chasis will never come out of Asia. The Japanese are process efficiency experts and marketers much like Ford way back when. I just wish that the Germans would spend a little time on comfort for those of us who spend entirely too much time in their cars. Yeah - I'm one of the knuckleheads that looks for the cupholder first. (I also realize that is my cue to jump ship to another thread before I make myself look more dense!)

I travel to the US regularly and hate the American cars. At least, the cars Hertz give their customers.

Don't get me wrong, they're nice I guess, but just a bit too "squishy" if you know what I mean.

I like firm suspension, tight seats and hard ride.

The same goes for my cars. hahah


Mr Mephisto

Funny.

Unfortunately you would be getting the bottom of the barrel when you have to rent. I mean, I know how I treat those poor rental cars!

In defense of American auto makers, I do have to say that at least Chrysler seems to have stepped up and brought some fresh stuff to the market over here - don't know if you have seen any of it. I guess when you do 20 years of "K" Cars you have the time to finally get it right? Time will tell how well they hold up in 5 years - something that our manufacturers are notoriously bad with.

Does this apply to marked police cars also?

For instace, if I'm on the highway and a marked cop car flys by doing 85.. If I fall in behind him and also do 85, and he pulls me over, would that be entrapment?

Or does this "entrapment" only apply when they are in unmarked cars and clearly trying to trick you into racing?

I love the TLs, you are one lucky dude. Performance, looks...just a little too pricey for me.

If anyone in here wants Japanese reliabilty and German perfomance, I would strongly recommed the Infiniti G35 sedan or coupe. Faster than the 3 series and the TL and handles very well due to the 52/48 weight ratio (they say that it should feel as a true 50/50 under acceleration. The exterior stying to me is beautiful but the interior is not as nice as Halix's TL. Hopefully, the 2005 interior redesign will fix this. Although the interior is not as visually stimulating, the seats are very comfortable yet firm the way a German car would be. MotorTrend named it their car of the year last year and mentioned that the vehicle is a 5 series beater at less than a 3 series price.

I'm gonna have to say Poo on Infiniti. The 2004 G35 Sedan is not faster than the TL... the 2005 has like 5-10 more hp though. Who knows what that does. With an interior that hardly rivals my old Honda Accord, and an exterior that looks plain compared to the coupe version, the only place the G35 sedan beats the TL is in it's RWD setup. That's the only reason why magazines dont recognize the TL as the best car in it's class.. which is lame, because it is. Nowhere will you find a more reliable engine and smoother transmission. I test drove both versions of the G35 before I decided on the TL and these are my original opinions.

I test drove one there 2 weeks back...the coupe is ok but I'm more a sedan guy, I like the sleeper look :D Plus its cheaper on Insurance, I found the G35 sedan to drive vary smooth and man it had nice pick up, just wish I had the cash to buy one :crazy:

Truth be told Hal, I am the SM of a dealership that sells both. Internally, we are young and utilize what the magazines say to help us sell but in our own independant tests, the 260hp G IS faster than the TL. This was no fluke, it happend no matter who was driving. As for looks, we all harbor our personal opinions and I agree with yours but I must remain unbiased to sell them. I was simply offering an alternative to the EXCELLENT TL.

As for your comment on the fact that you will not find a more reliable engine and tranny remains to be seen. The 00-03 trannys on TL and RL have had more troubles and recalls than any other Jap. car that I have been associated with (we also own Nissa and Honda). Through the years, we have certainly sold more Acuras than Infinitis but we have 4 times the Acura techs than Infiniti and we run about 4 times more warranty claims too.

Just the facts...

Well, I'll keep you updated on my situation then. My track record with Honda/Acura has been flawless. I've owned 2 Accords and this TL. It's been over 5 months now, and my TL is still rock solid.

The G35 would be a great option if you didn't see them at absolutely every stop light here. Despite the TL being Acura's best selling car, I hardly ever see it.

The problems per 100 would still blow the average away. I hope you don't think that I don't like the car. Happy motoring!

While I love Audi and respect BMW, I have to admit that for quality and reliability, nothing comes close to Japanese.

Audi and VW are not what they used to be in terms of quality.

I would rank the Japanese the best at quality, the Koreans the worst, and the Europeans somewhere in the middle. (Americans being close to the worst.)

You know, I've read nothing but issues with German reliability with Benz, and Audi and VW.

I personally own a VW Jetta, a 2000 with just about 90,000 miles on it, and the only problem we've ever had was the window popping off the track on the pasenger side. I had an e36 M3, only problem was the fact that rear wheel drive doesn't work in Alaska, I found that out when I moved here. Our Touareg has been flawless. It's the V8, I tow a boat with it, and the only issue was the tire pressue readout in the dash, which I think was a recall item. It has about 16,000 on it now.

I've had good luck with German cars thus far. Although, when I was 17 I bought an '87 Toyota Corolla, came back from college, it was still in the driveway of the guy who bought it from me. Guess I've just had great luck with every car I've bought, except my Chrysler and my Dodge.

I think we plan on trading the Jetta in soon, as it's a commuter car, and my wife looked a TL but I think we've decided on an AWD car instead, it is Alaska, but mysef, I was very impressed with the TL. But, I think a 325 or 330xi is what we've decided on instead.

They make that car in AWD, and they kill the German market. Bottom line.

I wonder if they ever figured out what was wrong with the automatics. I would have a type s, but the tranny issue scared me so i got a used gs400.

It's good to hear the car has been everything you've hoped for. As it stands, the TL is my personal favorite acura at the moment (I hate the rsx styling), from styling to performance it's a notch above any of the domestics in it's market and beats almost every import worth comparing. It would be nice to see a rwd honda other than the S2k, but the TL is an amazingly capable and refined fwd car. Again, excellent choice.

take it the search for the recently deceased granny hasn't taken a turn for the better?

The way it was explained to me, they cannot break the law to get you to break the law in that manner.

Unless they're in pursuit, they're supposed to obey the speeds as well. MrSelfDestruct made a good point, you gotta know your shit to call them on it. Look up your state laws regarding entrapment.

Never had that problem personally.

next to Ford workers

just weird.. this weekend in PA, I saw 5 TLs in a matter of 15 minutes.... and back in NYC I rarely see them.