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I am talking about things like slightly changing the front grill or front end, color choices, or any other minor modifications inside or out of the car.
In other words is it business as usuall to make changes in the 3rd year?
Thanks.
We'll see.
It might depend on what they intend to do with the RL in 2005/2006. Maybe they'll add a v8 engine to it, and upgrade the nav to recognize spoken street names? I understand the M35/45 nav recognizes spoken street names.
But auto-headlights, ventilated seats, keyless access, 8-way power passenger seat, etc would be more likely upgrades.
Good point about Honda needing to create a new engine to do this.
According to the manual, it's pretty much the same as the "A" service except there are inspections.
Thanks in advance.
I was quoted between $148 and $165 from the three Northern Ohio Acura Dealers. Did this include all the inspections, tire rotation, and oil change?
FYI, My "A" service was around $75.
Thanks.
this is a warning to all TL owners with a moonroof visor. "do not do a top speed run with the moonroof visor, it'll rip off your moonroof" and cause alot of inconvience
I have a response in this discussion group a few pages back. I leased a 2002 330i with 5 spd, premium and sport packages. I returned it and leased a 6 spd TL with A/S tires (I since upgraded the tires to Max Performance A/S which I'd recommend. A longer story.)
Here's my short answer. Edmunds has the exact right approach. If money is no object, the BMW 3 Series is awesome. It simply drives and handles better than the Acura TL. I loved it!
However, for most of us, money is a strong consideration. My guess is that a comparably equipped 330i (bigger engine, various option packages, etc.) will run you $8-$10k more than the Acura TL. Is it worth it? Depends on what else you will do with the money you save. I think it is a very individual decision. When you factor in the "value proposition" the Acura TL is very compelling.
All that said, I am very happy with the Acura TL and would recommend to anyone. No, it does not handle/perform as well as my old 330i, but it does a lot of things very well and is a lot of fun to drive. It's fast, the transmission is great, its bigger than the BMW, has a great stereo, great seats and a great climate control system. I've owned Honda products in the past and love their ergonomics (better than BMW) and overall build and quality. Both cars have super engines.
If you've never owned a BMW and have the money, go for it. Recommend you wait for the 2006 to hit the lots and drive both cars.
Have fun and good luck.
-Rockford Fosgate Component fronts (2 tweeters & 2 main)
-6x9 3-way Pioneer rears
-Speakers powered by a no name brand 200watt amp (not sure if it is really 4x50 watts, do not know the rating on it, was given to me for free)
-2 10 inch rockford fosgate subs, powered with 300watt rockford fosgate amp
-Pioneer Head unit
I want clarity but i need power too because I like to listen to my music loud. As you can see my current system is by no means that powerful, but I would like something better than it being that i am spending this much on such a nice car.
How easy is it to add subs to the new TLs? Any input would be great on these topics. I have heard how great the audio system is for dvd audios and xm, and these features are great for use in the future, but right now they are not what I need.
I found the 2004 330i too small to adequately cart my wife and two pre-teen kids on long weekend trips. We recently replaced our Isuzu Trooper with an MDX, but I still like the idea of having two vehicles that can comfortably haul the family. The 5-series looks hadn't grown on me at the time and the 545i 6-speed was up into the $60k range. Great car, but not a great value, IMO.
After 13,500 miles with my TL 6-speed I would say it's "fun to drive", with the only real limit to it's handling and performance being the FWD setup. It's also a great value given all of the standard features and Acura build quality and reliability.
However, if I were in the market again today, I would check out the new 2006 330i arriving in April. It's supposedly almost identical to the previous generation 5-series in size and got a power upgrade to 255 horsepower. It would be difficult for me to give up the Acura navigation system, and all of the standard features of the TL now that I've gotten used to them. However, the RWD setup and BMW driving dynamics clearly make it the class leader in "fun to drive".
Having said that, I'm not sure the Acura TL Audio system allows for too much upgrading. Even w/out the nav, the dashboard is all very integrated and tied into the radio. This is mostly for use with XM, but is still pretty slick.
If you Google "ELS Surround" you'll get the web site of the the radio and the audio system. It will give specs on the speakers etc.
You may also want to check out some of the Japanese manufacturers as I think they are including MP3 capability in their audio systems. The Acura TL does not.
I really like the stereo, it is easy to use, the XM is all integrated and great, the sound is fine. My bet is you'll be disappointed however. I'm not sure it was designed to play really loud.
I would also dare to venture that with an MDX, you would likely always use that for family outings since its capacity makes it naturally more suited for that.
Now I concede that you will need a back seat for the "second vehicle" since you will likely carry an extra passenger from time to time. But it would seem the 330i would suffice on that count.
Now that we have a 2005 MDX that drives 1,000% better than the Trooper and gets 22 mpg on the highway, the need/preference for a second family haouler is somewhat diminished. But it's still nice to have a sedan that can serve as a backup. If I were willing to give that up, a Phoenix Yellow M3 might find it's way into my garage in lieu of either a TL or 330i sedan! Or a 2005 911S convertible that can actually hold my duaghters in the back seat. See what fantasies you have invoked?!?
Hmmm.. ditch that TL.
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I still like it...
even if Peter Pan BMW is offering new 2005 325 and 330i at wholesale prices....
no problems yet...
I know this may belong on the prices forum, but nobody there replied.
2) If that doesn't seem to work, find a tire dealer that handles both brands, and ask how much to swap on the day you pick up the car.. (figure $200 or more for this).
3) Take whatever comes on the car.. After driving awhile, you may have a different opinion of them than others do... Plus, if you are buying soon, you'll get six months out of them before winter comes, anyway.
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I'm checking the lease agreement (need a magnifying glass - damn my eyes are old) but this could be a concern for those of you that are thinking of leasing from Honda.
As I'm leasing and don't put a lot of miles on the car, I expect that I'll wear the Michelin's out with about 3-6 months left in the lease. I kept the Bridgestones and will put them back on the car for the remainder of the lease. Basically, I figure I'll need to replace the tires once during the lease so why not do it at the beginning and get a lot of use out of the better tires.
Another idea you may want to try to only use the Bridgestones in winter and buy a set of really good Summer tires. You'll love them in everything but snow. Not sure how much driving you do in the snow, but the Bridgestones may be "ok" in the occaisional snow. You'll have the deal with the hassle of switching tires twice a year, however.
The new SLK350 6-speed (AMG sport package) was a treat to drive. There is still nothing like winding out the S2000 to 9,000 rpm, but the SLK350 offers both impressive performance and luxury in a highly attractive package.
Back to the TL. Has anybody out there put more than 14,000 miles on a 6-speed with the HPT tire package. Any projection in how long the tires will last?? How about the Brembo brakes??
And I wish my Acura dealer also sells MB, since that would allow me to stay "in the family". We've bought several cars thru this dealership group and they give me a bit of the VIP treatment which I appreciate. And one of the salesmen that I've gotten to know quite well has just been promoted to sales manager. If they sold MB, an SLK would likely sit in my garage a lot sooner!
I have the 18 inch rims with Yokohama tires...and they seem to be wearing a little....We have 9000 miles on the TL...
still get lots of compliments...
On the squeeling Brembos, mine don't. However, my dealer offered to change them for free if they do, or if they just appear worn at my next "B" service. Apparantly a service bulletin from Acura authorizes dealers to replace them if customers complain.
Word of warning: make sure you test drive the '04 at speeds around 50 mph. My '04 is perfect, but I heard some '04s shake at about 50 mph.
Thanks
A bit over 3 months and 3000 miles, great car! Only issue is the occasional temp guage/radio presets disappearance, solved by a reboot.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
25mph, rpm seems to keep high at 1500 for a while and rolling for a long
distance. It seems much longer than Accord or Camry automatic in similiar
situation. Is it normal?
Newbie
Your question seems to suggest you fear that a manual transmission would pose more of a problem (than an automatic) in winter driving. In my experience, the opposite is true, at least if you know how to drive a stick. Bottom line with either transmission is having good winter tires.
Same for the automatic now that I think about it.