Older Acura TLs

delmar1

Try 'Clear Magic' on the dash....much better than the generic Armour All. It isn't the totally wet look that you were mentioning.

taxesquire

The metal trim along the gearshift scratches easily, but I don't find it to be that noticeable. The dash does fade and I need to apply Armor All (Delmar has a product he says is better) monthly, which is annoying considering I had a passat with a black dash that I may have armor alled twice in for years without any noticable fade in color.

humayunkhan1

I have a 04 TL navi and love it over all, however, among the few disappointments is the DASH FADE. It does happen and I first noticed it after a few months. I have used some general dash cleaner and wiped the dash with a moist cloth after spraying the dash with the cleaner to avoid shine. I don't see any ACURA recall/TSB for this problem. I think that they should have one.
Another problem with respect to the dash is that I can easily note the imprint of the underlying passeger airbag on the dash. I also agree with the easy denting of the aluminum trim and the butt print/sagginess of the driver's seat cushion as this is the most used seat. I am the sole driver of the car and weigh 160 lbs. At the most I drive my car for 45 minutes a day. IMO the above problems , though minor, are manufacturing defects.
The car is a blast to drive and a little dash fade with an easy remedy as I have mentioned above had not caused me to loose any respect for the car. Enjoy.

habitat1

I recently purchased Maguire's wipes for cleaning leather (come in black plastic cannister) and, for the heck of it, tried one on my faded dash. I had used them to clean a spill on my front passenger seat and got carried away.

The results were impressive. Restored the original darker color on the dash without giving an artificial wet look. You can still make out where the passenger airbag is located, but it's much less obvious. A friend thought I had the car professionally detailed.

For what it's worth, I have not used an "Armorall" product in 10+ years since I was advised that they contain alchohol and, over time will cause leather to crack and discolor. My Porsche dealer even has a sign in the parts area warning against using Armorall specifically, and non-Porsche approved leather cleaners or preservatives generally. Porsche recommends Lexol.

billyperks

How is the "S" treating you?
I bet you are winning a lot of stop light races.:)

I got something for you-the Masserati (maybe in the my next life).

roar1

I have always used a windshield Sun- Screen in my vehicles year-round. Does anyone use a Sun- Screen AND continues to experience dash fading ????

I'm not that familiar with the TL but I believe that Acura has used a matte
texture in various places on the dash ( directly over the gages) to prevent
reflections in the windshield. Is it these areas that seem to fade, or is it
the whole dash in general ?

On a side note, why doesn't the TL have a heated steering wheel and gas
struts for the trunk. This is a $30,000 plus vehicle. I know, picky, picky.

taxesquire

I don't think the car needs heated steering wheels - then again, I'm in F-L-A. What is a "gas strut for the trunk"?

I must admit, the TL's trunk mechanism seems pretty simplistic, compared to the hydrolc-looking systems I see in VWs and other cars, but it works fine, and doesn't get the trunk contents dirty.

delmar1

I prefer not to have the gas struts. The performance varies with the climate, more weight to carry around in the car, and they fail after several years and need replacement.

bodble2

The gas strut is the "hydralic-looking" system you see in other cars. Same thing as that used to prop up the hood.

BTW, never mind for the trunk, the G35, which is supposed to contend in the near-luxury class, still props up its hood with a rod, just like in the bottom-basement econo Echo.

taxesquire

Thank you - guess that's what I had with the Passat. While the struts definitely looked cool, I didn't prefer them b/c I think they prevented the trunk from automatically opening. With my Passat, I could use the FOB to unlock the trunk, but it wouldn't open, which limited the utility. At least the Acura opens a few inches so I can use my elbow if my hands are full. I miss the days my car trunk would fully-open when using the FOB.

Probably the 1 luxury feature I really miss on my TL is automatic rain-sensing wipers. Now that we're in our rainy season, I notice myself constantly adjusting the wipers as the severity changes from light to heavy to inbetween rains. Speed-sensing wipers just don't cut it unless the rain and wind is steady.

habitat1

The (911) "S" is treating me quite well - thanks for asking. Just under 1,200 miles in the first 3 weeks, and I'm leaving on a 800+ mile 4 day roundtrip tomorrow morning. So, after that trip, I'll have my 2,000 mile break-in period behind me and be able to see what over 4,500 rpm feels like. I've snuck a peak or two, but nothing serious.

Do you still have your TL-S? If so, how is it treating you?

bodble2

I'v never had a car with rain-sensing wipers, so I guess I don't miss what I haven't tried!

What I would really want is a power opening and closing trunk! :shades:

tcblair

Going to purchase 2006 TL - auto, no nav, anthracite/ebony. Went to Acura of Bellevue. They're giving me the spiel that they can't come down on price for the 2006. They want $33, 325. I think invoice is around $30,500. I've NEVER paid full price for a car. And, being that I'm female they treat me like I don't know ##!!# but I've done my research. Anyone else out there in Seattle area who has or is looking to buy a 2006 TL (no nav)? I'd really like to get an idea of what others are paying. Also, FYI that the dealerships are just now getting the 2006 in this area so I think they're using that to leverage asking for the full price. BTW, I don't have to buy this car. I have an Accord 2003 EX V6, very satisfied but want to step up. Any info/opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

pat

I see you found the best place for this question - hope you get some good advice. Anyone who has comments for tcblair should respond to the post at this link: tcblair, "Acura TL: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" #4708, 8 Oct 2005 11:46 am

taxesquire

What I would really want is a power opening and closing trunk!

Then buy a minivan!!!

bodble2

I'd "settle" for a BMW 7-series instead. :P

strokeoluck1

I live in Michigan where it gets to 90-100 in a few stretches in late July and August. And of course the humidity is crazy up here. Although I absolutely love the TL and wouldn't trade it for the world, my opinion is that the A/C is nothing to write home about. I had the auto set to 60 on hot days and, during my 15 minute drive home, I never found myself very cooly refreshed by the A/C in the car. It does "ok", but not great. And it really blasts like h*ll, so if you want to talk on a cell phone while the heavy A/C is on, forget it. My old Taurus cooled off faster in my opinion. If I lived in a southern state I'd definitely take a TL for a test drive on a very hot day and see how it performed (who knows, maybe something's wrong with my A/C).

But again, I just love my TL and would buy another one in a heartbeat. It's a heck of a fun car to drive for $30k.

- Rob

darkguy

I live in a southern state with high temps and high humidity and the tl a/c runs very cold with no adjustments. perhaps yours needs to be looked @ by the dealer.

giovanni1

One thing to check, is when it's really hot out you want to put it on recirculate instead of fresh air, it'll work much better like that.

delmar1

I'd "settle" for a BMW 7-series instead

I have one and it really isn't worth it.

delmar1

Do as I do....jack up the air flow in the recirculation mode....manually. Then when it cools to your liking...then hit 'auto'. My feeling is that the 'auto' is a general setting that may be accomdating to many. However for those that need the heavy artic blast...crank up the air flow manually and you will not be disappointed.

bodble2

OK, I'll trade my TL for your Bimmer, even up. You don't mind having 2 TL's, do you? :P

04tl

I had the same situation when I purchased my 04 TL. I was at Fife. You will find that there are dealers that want to sell a lot of cars, and those that want to make a lot of money for a car. I would to to South Center and do my purchase with them. I found that they want to sell more cars and make their money that way. I don't pay more then $500.00 over invoice. Not MSRP, Invoice. If you have a trade-in you will only get trade-in value for it but sill only pay $500.00 over invoice. Hope all goes well. PS.. don't be over excited about the car and be willing to walk out of the dealership. End of the month and later in the evening is when you will make your best deal.

aaargh

I live in Northern Ohio (the same weather for the most part). I have no complaints about the AC. It cools quickly, even when in Auto mode (recirc is automatically selected when it's really hot). I agree with the others, have the dealer look at it.

05warrsucks

AS AN '05 OWNER, I'M EXTREMELY DISTURBED THAT AMERICAN HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE POWERTRAIN WARR. TO 6/70,000, (FROM 4/50,000) FOR '06 OWNERS, AND REFUSES TO EXTENDED THE SAME COVERAGE TO THOSE 04/05 OWNERS STILL IN THE ORIGINAL WARR. PERIOD.

05warrsucks

AND KNOWLEDGE. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY ARE OF THE ILK THAT ARE MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF LOW-LEVEL, UNTRAINED FRONT-LINE EMPLOYEE AT A FAST FOOD ESTABLISHMENT.

liferules

STOP SHOUTING!

I agree that the warranty change is frustrating, but the auto manufacturers have that prerogative and I personally have NEVER heard of a manufacturer changing its warranty to the better after the fact... but maybe I'm younger than others...

delmar1

I am a 2005 TL owner and I don't agree with the title of the posting or concern posted. I don't see any reason why Honda is obligated to extend the warranty on prior year cars.

Where would the extension end? If they granted it to the 2004 and 2005 owners...wouldn't the 2003 owners feel peeved? Or the 1997 owners?

The extended warranty period is a feature of the 2006 TL. That is like saying that I should be entitled to a free tire pressure monitoring system just because a later year model has one.

Also...this is my feeling. I bought my TL with the knowledge of set standards, features, and warranty period. I paid for a car with a set warranty and that is what I expect. Seems only fair to me.

aaargh

I can see a few reasons they would extend the warranty on '06's and not on 05's and 04's.

1. Competition. They will sell more if it has a longer warranty.

2. Quality. If they feel the drivetrain is solid (based on the 04 and 05 models), they can extend the warranty with low risk to their bottom line.

If there were drivetrain quality issues on the '04 and '05 (like there were for '03 and earlier) AND they extended the warranty as they are now, I would be upset. However, this is not the case. They have no reason, nor do I expect them to extend the warranty on something that isn't a problem. Actually I think it's good news for us. They think highly (quality wise) of the drivetrain we have.

Also, Honda did extent the drivetrain warranty on the generation 2 TLs after many failures if I'm not mistaken (100,000 miles?).

billyperks

Yes I still have the "S", but I am getting rid of it next summer- new car itch is setting in.

The TL has served me well and I have no regrets buying it.

My next car should be a step up from the TL- the current TL needs some cosmetic and performance improvements, so I am going to wait to see what they do with the 07's.
I wish the RL was around 360-390 bhp-I would trade in a blink of an eye.

phastphil1

All manufacturers change things form time to time. Would you go back to a restaurant and complain that the price of a meal you bought the week before went on special or was lowered in price before you bought it? They probably got enough feedback from customers that they wanted the Acura warranty to be closer to what Lexus or Infiniti offered. Should I SCREAM AND YELL at Gateway, because the computer we bought a little while ago is almost half the price now? Give them credit for stepping up and offering more.

highender

hey habitat: congrats on your new 911 S...or so I heard...

Is it true ? How do you like it ? What made you decide ? do you still have the TL ?

sorry, it has been a few months...so i need to catch up...

I still have the TL and cayenne...

tcblair

Thanks for info. I refuse to pay MSRP as well. I'm gonna hold out and not do anything impulsive. I don't have to get the car so I will use it to my advantage and take my time!!

roar1

kick down when the vehicle is put reverse. Can this function be cancelled ?

aaargh

Set the mirror adjuster selector in the middle. This is the slide bar you use to select which mirror you are adjusting. It has three settings, Left, Middle, Right. When in the middle, the mirrors don't adjust when in reverse. HTH.

roar1

Thanks !! Don't have a TL......yet. Was curious about the mirrors. When I back up I usually like to use my side mirrors and I'd rather not be looking down at the street. The salesperson mentioned this feature and he didn't know if it could be cancelled.

delmar1

The backup mirror tilt doesn't fully look down at the street. You will see a bit more of your rear wheel and still have a view of the back of your car. Best of both worlds.

expertbi

Folks,

Is this true? The dealer told me that other than oil changes every 7500miles and any wear-and-tear items like brakes and tires - the first scheduled tune-up/maintenance is at 105000 miles on an '05 Model.

I checked the Acura website and it says that for the '06 model - but I wanted to confirm that the same holds true for '05 models.

Please let me know.

Thanks

kyfdx

That is the first tune-up.. It has been that way on certain Honda engines for a few years now...

But, it isn't the only maintenance.. There are a few things at least every 15K miles....

regards,
kyfdx
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taxesquire

I think every 15k mi you're supposed to check the various hoses, tubes, etc

habitat1

Perhaps you should look at trading up to a BMW 550i via European Delivery. It has a "real" 360 horsepower, which should provide you with considerably more satisfaction than even a 390 (claimed) horsepower RL would.

I just returned from a 900+/- mile long weekend trip with my 911, during the middle of which I drove my old 1995 Maxima for 30+/- miles to keep it loosened up. This morning, I hoped in my TL 6-speed and boy, did it feel sluggish. No surprise after driving the 911, but still more sluggish than any car 'claiming" to have 270 horsepower should. Not to raise an old debate, but I would still claim that, up until about 50 mph, my old 190 horsepower Maxima was as quick. Or almost. But one thing is for sure, the 355 horsepower rating of the 911 is measured using a different species of horse than Acura uses. One more reason why test drives with one's own butt meter is mandatory.

Have you tried the M45?

bodble2

I have found the reverse-tilt mirror to be invaluable for parallel parking, in terms of using it so I wouldn't hit the curb. I've come to depend on it so much so that when I drive a car without that feature, I can't parallel park worth a damn!

habitat1

highender,

Thanks, yes I did get a 2005 911S Cab. The deciding factor was being able to fit my two daughters in the back seat. Had we been childless, the Boxster S probably would have won out on price. But given that I had a "family" justification for the extra $40k, I must admit the 911S is a dream. Weather permitting, we will be going on a family pumpkin hunting trek this weekend to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

I have kept our TL 6-speed, at least for the time being. It's a 2004 w/nav, 20k miles, in excellent condition with new tires. My original Acura dealer offered to buy it from me for $25k. It looks like private party sales are in the $28k+ range here in DC. We also have an MDX and I could un-retire my 1995 Maxima SE which is residing at our second home. I don't commute every day and I'm thinking that the 911 can almost be my daily driver, with the exception of winter weather, heavy rain, or very short hops.

So, my dillemma is: Do I keep the TL and live in semi-luxury all of the time, or do I sell it, re-invest $25k, lower my auto insurance premiums and maintenance requirements, but have to toggle between a new 911 and an 11+ year old Maxima? Not the worst dilemma in the world, but I need to decide soon.

P.S. How is your Cayenne doing? I have a friend that is contempating one. He lives in the snow belt. Doesn't need the off-road capability or capacity of a full size SUV, but wants AWD, can cary cargo and haul a boat occasionally, and something that is fun to drive all year round.

delmar1

habitat1... I would release the 11+ yr old Maxima...even if it is a good 'beater' car. The delta in insurance between the Maxima and TL is immaterial. The cost of potential maintenance of the Maxima is higher. The TL is a much more enjoyable ride than the Max.

For my wife and I have the TL, TSX and BMW7. TSX is our 'beater'. The TL is a great daily car.

bodble2

So where does the Bimmer fit in? Does it rest for long periods in the garage?

delmar1

The 7series is shared between my wife and I during the week...where we are not hauling our kid and her friends. The TSX is where the kids can spill their drinks and french fries...and where I can fold the rear seats down to haul junk from Home Depot. However...that 7series is a candidate for a trade-in for a SLK350 during 2006 as I no longer am on job road trips as I was in the past.

laurasdada

Calling your TSX, or any Acura, a "beater" somehow makes me sad...

habitat1

Appreciate your suggestion, but given my options, "releasing" the Maxima doesn't make a lot of sense (or "cents"). On a good day, I might be able to sell it for $3,500. I have no comp or collision coverage, so liability only insurance costs are nill. The maintenance and repair costs have been minimal as well. There is no doubt that the TL is a much nicer ride than the Maxima, but if I intended to drive the 911 75% of the time and have a back up for the other 25%, it seems like a 2004 TL is a waste of luxury and money. If I do keep the TL, I'll probably re-orient my thinking to splitting driving more like 50/50 between the TL & 911.

As for your subsequent post about possibly getting a SLK350, you might want to also consider the Boxster S. My Acura/Mercedes gave me an SLK350 to try out for a day last summer. It's certainly a very nice car, far superior to the previous SLK, but the Boxster S is still the pinnacle of handling and "fun to drive" in the roadster category, IMHO.

delmar1

For dollar sense....yes you would get only $3,500 for that Max with little insurance costs. However I was factoring in the intangible subjective fun factor to negate the difference.

As for ending up driving the TL more by keeping it...that is what I am finding myself doing. I still reach for the TL keys often...even over the 7series. Go figure...the TL is a fine vehicle (and that is why I was suggesting releasing the Maxima...as why settle for a third stringer. Also...the TL exterior/interior will look a lot more appealing in a few years compared to a Maxima...as they really did a fine job with styling).

Thanks for the tip on the SLK350. Well....that is my wife's selection...so it is a bit more of 'form over substance'. Boxsters are nice....but we might even wait for a Cayman instead...but that will be a long wait. I would even had considered a Honda S2000 (ridden in one...not test driven one).

kennyg8

Habitat, somehow I agree with delmar's recommendations. Even though I own two Maximas (97 and 03) and they are fine cars, they pale in comparison with the late model TLs. If you can afford to drive a 911 (you must have made a "killing" in your real estate development and management business), the "cents" you save by keeping the Max over the TL is nominal, comparatively speaking.