2007 Acura TL vs. 2005 BMW 325xi

dualtracedualtrace Member Posts: 5
edited July 2014 in Acura
I apologize for posting this in both BMW and Acura sections, but I thought this is the only way to gather attention from both sides.

I have a hard time deciding between 2007 Acura TL and 2005 BMW 325xi.

The 2005 BMW 325xi is the last model year that has the old classic look that I love. Could not afford one at the time and felt really sorry seeing how they got changed starting with 2006. Meanwhile I fell in love with Acura TL especially the 2007 model. The type S is even nicer. I don’t care about 30HP more or 4 pipes. I just love the back lights.

To make me look even crazier I will confess I have not driven any of the two yet. I am all about looks and these two are the cars I like now and can’t decide. And of course each has to be the right color.

However, there are few other things that I care about, mainly reliability and cost of repairs and here I hope to get some feedback. My colleagues at work keep telling me BMW are notorious for problems. None of them drives one though. They praise Acura, but they don’t have one either.

Anyway, if I get the 2007 Acura, it will still have some warranty left on it and this gives me some peace of mind. That’s what’s in favor of the Acura. In the meantime I would be inclined to favor the 2005 BWM despite the lack of warranty if I can find the xi model (all-wheel drive). These seem to be pretty rare. If I find the 2005 BMW 330xi, this might do the job too.

Your comments are appreciated.

Thanks,
DualTrace

Comments

  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Just an administrative note, there's no need for separate discussions. This one appears under both the TL and the 3-Series so I removed the other one to avoid confusion.
  • jgraffmanjgraffman Member Posts: 14
    I lease a 2007 TL with nav ( my 2nd TL ) and own a 2006 325 XI sport wagon/ nav and sport package ( my first and last BMW ).

    Don't get wrong the BMW is a great car to drive, and there is nothing like the BMW aura. But, the run flat tire concept is bad (see the BMW tire thread ) and the car just isn't that reliable - too many computer glitches. Not sure if the 05 has a dipstick, but I miss it in the 06. The nav system is also not that easy use and I have used quite a few. Its also hard to understand why a $45,000 car has such cheap carpets.

    On the other hand the TL is fine on the road, has a great A/C system which is needed in Florida and has been very reliable. Except for one recall on my previous TL, my car just gets an annual oil change. The Acura policy of using Michelin tires has my stamp of approval.
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    Well, I had an '05 TL and am now driving an '09 328ix. Two totally different cars. Do you need AWD? If not, I would go with the TL, it's an absolute beast. I have to absolutely have AWD and Acura just doesn't offer anything that appeals to me. The new TL is a fugly behemoth. Too bad they didn't offer SH-AWD on the previous gen. TL, I would still be a customer.
  • dualtracedualtrace Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the replies so far. No real need for AWD, it’s just because BMW has the option.

    Meanwhile prices on 2007 TL’s around here started to drop (end of year I guess). Dealers still ask for a lot more and wonder if the additional crap they promise is worth it. I have a friend who had an Infinity G35 and despite the good fame Infinity service has, they did not want to fix a transmission problem for free. They said there is no problem with the transmission. However they were willing to do it for $1600!!!
    I think I will just content myself with whatever warranty is left on a 2007 TL model and get one from a private seller.
  • dualtracedualtrace Member Posts: 5
    Found the color I was looking for and got a good deal on a 2008 TL Type-S.
  • mitchfloridamitchflorida Member Posts: 420
    Probably the best deal you can get is on a pre-owned Certified Acura TL.

    You get an addtional year of warranty , you are not getting a car that has been in a wreck, and the interest rate on the loan is low.

    BMW and TL are such different cars, mainly because the BMW is rear wheel drive and I suppose more "prestigious" to drive.
  • alicia4alicia4 Member Posts: 9
    Hi I own a 2007 acura tl with about 53000 miles on it. Lately I have noticed some scratches on my vehicle. I would like to know what is the best way to go about getting some touch up work done to my vehicle go to the dealer, mico? The bottom of my bumper also needs to be painted at the bottom because a it constantly hit a driveway I was using now the scraping is very obvious. I just dont want to get ripped off!! I want the paints to match up? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
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