Older Acura TLs

boiko

OK..here's is a link to the new Lexus IS250 I know is approved.. It needs more power vs the Acura TL but other then that.. it is sweet.!

http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshow/articles/104726/page012.html?tid=edmunds.e.autoshow..- leftnav.13.**

-mike-

pat

Your link got broken as it posted - don't know why, I thought that fixed that problem.

Anway, folks can click here to get there.

igiban

Looks like a baby GS with much better (more Lexus like) interiors than the current IS. If space improves and the price holds like the current one, as it says there, it'd be a new force to contend with, esp. for people who favor Lexus refinement over raw power. It may eat into its own ES market actually.

bodble2

165? I dunno. You need some serious horsepressure to push the air @ 165.

golfnut5

giovanni, in the December 14, 2004 issue of Car and Driver a comparison test was done with the TL, Audi 3.0 Quatto, BMW 325I, Infiniti G35, JAG X-Type 3.0, Lexus IS300 and the Saab 9-3 Arc. With Manual Trans the TL had the best 0-60 time with 5.8 seconds, second was the Infiniti G35 with 6.3. Best 0-100 time was a tie with the TL and G35. The TL also had the best 1/4 mile time. I won't mention the others to save embarrassment. The TL was in a whole other ballgame in this test. I believe all 270 HP were on the ground.

giovanni1

330 is a better comparison to the TL than the 325. I will guarantee that TL does not push all of the quoted HP/torque to the ground as manufacturers don't claim HP at the wheels. Stick the TL on a dyno or any other car for that matter and the numbers will be lower than ANY manufacturer claims.

Also note, during these tests they are done usually under optimal conditions, on several runs with professional drivers. The likely hood of John Q. Public producing the same numbers is low.

kyfdx

that the TL is faster in straight-line acceleration than any of the 3-series, except for the M3..

It really is extremely powerful for a front-driver...

bodble2

Hmm...you may be right...but...still, I'm not sure I would want to race a plain old 330i.

matthewstl

I actually saw the IS 250 on a couple of sites, including Edmunds, that covered the Geneva Auto Show. The IS 250 seems to be lacking in HP which most seem to agree. The kicker is that Lexus will also introduce an IS 350 which should have close to 300 hp. Will share the same body as the IS 250, etc., etc. I've tried to get more info on this, but I've not found much. For example, I don't know what the pricing will be. I agree with initial views that this is a very nice looking car.

When I got my TL in January I didn't even look at the Lexus IS 300, but I would certainly check out the IS 350 now.

I think all this competition is great!! It'll be years before my kids to college and I get the Porsche 2 seater I've always dreamed about. Until then, all these cars are great fun to drive and have enough practicality to them that I don't feel one bit of guilt owning one. Love my TL, but if Acura wants me to get a new one when my lease runs out they'll need to keep improving. Can't argue with that!!

bodble2

Yep, the IS250 AWD will be on my radar screen. IMO, it's the first Lexus/Toyota that I can remember that actually may sell on styling alone.

ljwalters1

check out post #3279 of 3283 from the "Entry Level Perf Sedans" forums on this site. A guy talks about the Lexis 350 and price.

allywah

I have a 2004 TL and I have noticed increased squeaky noises in the driver seat every time I move around. Is this normal? Is this a defect? Has anyone else experienced this? It has really become quite annoying.

ljwalters1

I haven't. There's a separate message board for people experiencing problems with their TLs. Try there.

bodble2

Do you have the front seat headrests all the way down? If so, the squeaking may be from the headrests rubbing against the seats. Try raising the headrests so that there is a bit of separation from the seats.

highender

agree with bodble...

certain seat positions will cause rubbing of leather .

also...make sure there are no keys or loose change in the cubbyholes...sometimes that causes noise

tlsickspeed

hi. i dont know if this is suppose to happen... but when my window is down halfway or so.. and i would stick my arm out the window and rest upon the window... it would slide down a lil further... it happens on all my 4 windows... is that normal?..

bodble2

I think all windows do that.

liferules

I would assume its the saftey feature. Anytime the window feels resistance when in any open position, it will open further to prevent any accidents.

highender

yes....it needs to have this in order to prevent any jammed fingers or worse...necks..!!

leob1

I know someone thats planning on buying a 2003 TL Type S this year for around $20,000. Any advice? What are your first thoughts? Anything thats negative about that year? Thanks, I will pass on your responses.

crazy88

I got 700 miles on my TL. Breaking in period is over for me

As far as vibration is concern, I haven't notice anything out of ordinary. I've seem posts where some owners experience excessive vibrations at around 50 m/h. I don't any problem with vibration but at idle it vibrates a little and you can definitely hear the engine. I wish it's a little more quiet at idle but I don't see anybody complaining so I'm not really worrying about it. 05 TLs should be vibration free. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I would worry about so many people drive the same car though..it seems that I would see 3 or 4 TLs everyday, no joke.

anyway, I try the sport shift the other day, nice torque, I hit it and burned a little bit of rubber, wife not too happy..hahaha..

good luck

igiban

In Bay Area, like everything else here, exclusiveness comes at a steep pice. For auto, I'd say $80K a start point. For $30K cars, if you don't see many in Bay Area, that may mean something is really wrong with the car model actually.

Just in my neighborhood, I see three grey TL already........

slentini

My TL drivers side window makes a rattle noise when the windown is down and I shut the door. Anyone else have this problem? If so, what's the deal..Thanks

aaargh

You may want to post your question in the "Acura TL Owners: Problems and Solutions" discussion.

habitat1

Sorry it's taken me awhile to respond to your questioning me on my statement that "BMW's horses are the largest in the business".

I agree that horsepower is a universal standard of measurment. But, whether it be in a more efficient drivetrain, better gearing, etc., BMW certainly seems to get better bang for their horses than any Japanese brand.

I also think the performance of the TL is severely limited by FWD. When I tested the 330i against the TL 6-speed, I was able to get smoother and quicker launches with the BMW. My 2004 TL 6-speed with 270 horsepower is really only marginally quicker than my 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed with 190. The Maxima was tested at 6.6 seconds 0-60 by Road and Track, the TL is in the 6.2 second range. However, the former 240 hp BMW M3 was capable of 0-60 in about 5.5 seconds.

Someone speculated that the TL might be capable of a top speed of 165. My guess is that even the slightest road imperfection on a front wheel drive vehicle humming along at 140+ mph would have disasterous results. With nothing pinning the rear wheels to the ground, it would get ugly very fast. I love the TL for a lot of reasons, but I know that I gave up serious performance when I traded my S2000 in on it.

bodble2

I think that 6.6 time was measured on a very very early, maybe even pre-production, example. It may not be too much of a stretch to say that the car may have been a ringer. Most, if not all, subsequent tests of the Maxima resulted in slower times. I know the automatics were subsequently timed at about 8.2 - 8.5. So if you assume a 0.8 - 1.0 second penalty for the automatic, that would put a manual in the lower to mid-7 second range, approximately.

billyperks

I still have doubt about your Maxima timing because a friend of mine has the Special Edition Maxima (I think its 1999)and he cannot out run my auto 2003 TLS.

dnepr

have just been offered the following lease on a new TL.

DOWN - $2500 cap reduction plus tax plus first month's lease and waiver of security deposit.

TERMS - $350/month with 12,000 miles per year for 48 months.

Residual of $17,000.

Is this a 'slick deal'? Need to know if I should go for $340?

highender

Hi habitat:

I also think the performance of the TL is severely limited by FWD.

why is front wheel drive that limiting in terms of HP usage ?

I used to have a civic...and we could speed up to Tahoe with the roads slick, snow falling, and a Fiero that passed us skidded off the freeway, but FWD vehicles like the Civic stuck to the pavement..and was surefooted....

When I tested the 330i against the TL 6-speed, I was able to get smoother and quicker launches with the BMW. My 2004 TL 6-speed with 270 horsepower is really only marginally quicker than my 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed with 190. The Maxima was tested at 6.6 seconds 0-60 by Road and Track, the TL is in the 6.2 second range. However, the former 240 hp BMW M3 was capable of 0-60 in about 5.5 seconds.

yes...we test drove the BMW 325i and loved the way it accelerated and handled. We just did not like it that it was the end of the model year...and all those add ons was too much. The TL may have some torque steer, and accelerated less fast...but made up for it in styling, amenities, comfort, etc..

Someone speculated that the TL might be capable of a top speed of 165.

that was me. It seems like the horsepower of the TL is right up there with 270 hp..and much of it tuned for high end pick up ...so it may accelerate slower due to less torque and gearing, but it may have a higher top end...just my guess....

My guess is that even the slightest road imperfection on a front wheel drive vehicle humming along at 140+ mph would have disasterous results. With nothing pinning the rear wheels to the ground, it would get ugly very fast. I love the TL for a lot of reasons, but I know that I gave up serious performance when I traded my S2000 in on it.

I agree , but I wonder if anyone ever took a stock TL up to speed.. ? Not that I would, since normal driving rarely requires speeds over ..ahem....80 mph (wink , wink).... ;-)

lmacmil

You should post this question on the lease board along with MSRP and selling price. One thing they will tell you is that a cap cost reduction is typically not a good idea. If your car is totalled or stolen, the insurance company pays off the lease company and your cap cost payment is essentially lost.

bodble2

"and your cap cost payment is essentially lost."

Unless you've bought replacement cost coverage.

priggly

Anyone know if the TL is unduly sensitive to road crown?

I test drove two different '05 TL sedans and both exhibited a slight tendency to stray to the right.

bmwdoug

Has anyone taken a long trip with Adults in the backseat? How is the rear seat comfort in terms on leg room and overall comfort on a long trip?

toregano

ya i have taken a 1000 km trip to montreal with 2 adults in the back they were very comfortable they had a lot of room to move around and stuff its very spacious. now before i bought the 05 acura TL i tried the 2005 audi 1.8T the 2005 bmw 325i the 05 g35 4 door and the 05 mercedes c230 sport sedan out of all of them trust me the acura had the best of qualities over all the braking system, was the best of all the acceleration, fuel economy, more equipment, cheapest price, and personally it had the best interior and outsterior design of all of them the bmw was more rugged though the bmw would b my second choice it had the feeling that it would last for a long time. and yes its true japanese cars dont have as much a strong sprint from 0-60 than european cars so they need to add more horsepower to compete with the european cars. but if you are @ 60km with the TL and the BMW and u floor it the TL would kill the bmw 330i for power

bmwdoug

Thanks for the reply. How tall were the adults in the back seat?

toregano

1 was like 5.4 and the other was like the same maby a little bit taller do you own a TL as well??

bmwdoug

Thanks again. No, I do not own a TL, I am looking into buying one. But, back seat comfort is an issue. A person 5' 4" would have no problem in the back seat. But, I am not sure about someone who is 5' 11' to 6'2".

lmacmil

You're probably not going to find a car the size of the TL that can seat a 6 footer comforably in back unless the person in front of them is pretty short.

toregano

well did u ever go test drive the acura ?? if not go do it and sit in the bak so u can get an idea

mplatnick

I spent this weekend viewing the Acura TL and the Lexus ES330. I enjoyed the Acura, but noticed that there was consistently some type of water(?)stains on the front grilles of the TLs. I tried wiping with water, but could not remove. Just wondered if the grille material used was conducive to hard-to-remove marks or will normal soap and watsr when washing the car work for the grille?

bodble2

I'd bet it's part of the residue from the pre-delivery protective cover that they put on new cars. The dealer should be able to clean that off. I have not notice anything like that on my TL.

golfnut5

Has anybody on this board replaced their cabin air filter? If so, where is it located and is it difficult to replace? If possible please describe how to replace the cabin filter. I found nothing in the owners manual explaining this procedure. Thanks.

habitat1

highender,

"Why is front wheel drive that limiting in terms of HP usage?"

I thought I saw from a previous post that you own a Porsche Cayenne (Turbo?) and have considered some other "high-end" cars, as your name suggests. If that's true, you are asking me to explain why FWD is limiting in terms of horsepower / performance?? I think the engineers at Porsche could answer that one better than I ever could hope to.

Speaking of whcih, I am considering a bit of a splurge on a 2005 911S Cabriolet. That would make the TL a lot easier to live with as an everyday sedan. Unfortunately, it would make my wallet about $100k lighter with nominal options. I expect I'll come to my senses before putting down a deposit.

highender

Hi habitat:

Yes, I do have a cayenne TT. But I am not an engineer....so I am at a loss to explain the apparent lack of spirited hp of TL. I mean, 270 hp is great...and we love the car...I know that there is a movement among car makers to go back to rear wheel drive....but I think FWD is good, and will pull the car up in snow country better , with less chance of sliding.

I just don't see why FWD Horsepower has to be less powerful than RWD horsepower....I mean engineering wise...that's all.

Its always good to talk to you.... :-)

giovanni1

a quick google search turned up this link which has a decent explanation.

http://www.corollaperformance.com/TechInfo/RWD.html

akirby

Because over about 250 hp you start to get torque steer where the torque driving the wheels tries to turn the wheels. There may also be an issue with the CV joints or FWD tranny as to how much power they can take.

Not to mention that RWD vehicles have a better inherent front/rear weight balance. Hard to get a FWD car with 50/50 balance.

habitat1

Highender,

Giovanni's link to the BMW analyis of FWD vs. RWD is an excellent, easy to understand analysis for us non-engineers. The rear weight shift under acceleration explains a lot of why FWD is inferior to RWD for hard acceleration.

With 270 hp at the front wheels, and revving up my 6-speed to about 6,000 rpm, I could just about spin all of the rubber off my HPT tires if I attempted to keep up with a 235 hp BMW 330i from a dead start. The TL may have the BMW beat in measured horsepower, just not in "useable" horsepower/torque. Come to think of it, I am not sure there are any decent sized FWD cars capable of 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

All of which makes it amusing to me to see Billyperks running around looking to race all takers with his FWD, automatic transmission Acura TLS.

The BMW analysis also explains why the 2005 911 S with 355 hp spanks the Corvette C6 with 400 hp and gobs of torque. The RWD, rear engine setup is about as good as it gets with respect to maximizing bang for the horsepower buck.

billyperks

Maybe I am just a darn good driver.

But I will stick this- the 1990 FWD Maxima cannot keep up with the 2003 AUTO TLS.

ljwalters1

Just want to say that I love my car. It's comfortable, safe (drives great in rain), fast and overall amazing! I've had it for about a month now (bought it used), and at first, I thought the whole car was overshadowed by the amazing nav system. The voice recognition and integration with climate control and radio is fantastic! Only in the past week have I been able to focus on the car's ride, which is great. Sporty, but comfortable (though I might go for cushier tires when these lose traction). Shifting is a pleasure, fantastic handling, and even if it's not the fastest car in its class (b/c of engine placement, fwd, hp or whatever), it's got more than enough power to get me in the correct lane at the last minute. This car is well-built, safe & fun.

habitat1

I bet you are a good driver.

I'm still dissapointed that I didn't take my S2000 to "Friday's at the Track" at Summit Point Raceway for professional track driving instruction. However, it is my understanding that, after exposure to such an event, it would be virtually impossible to buy anything but a rear wheel drive car.