Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Seth
2001 TL Nav Pearl White
I am conditioned to reject all such offers with their high markups and hard selling techniques. The person made the most effort to sell a "paint protection" process, first at about $575. When I rejected that out of hand, she immediately retreated to about $275, which I still rejected. Her line was that with dark colors, especially, the four-hour process is an indispensable guarantee against paint problems.
It so happens that the salesman, who I thought treated me very well, had mentioned that the paint protection was one "accessory" that really did make sense.
I am finicky about the maintenance of a car's exterior in general, but I don't want to overpay for maintenance that I can easily do myself or have done more cheaply elsewhere.
Unfortunately I don't recall the details of the process she proposed, but I would be interested in opinions on whether some sort of special protective treatment for a new (black) car is worth paying a dealer to perform.
My instinct on things like this (and undercoating) is that Honda/Acura would simply not build a car whose paint would deteriorate noticeably (or whose undercarriage would rust) with ordinary care.
Thanks.
If it was me, I would even tell them to not do any prep work on the paint (deliver it with the protective white film) and do everything myself.
As for good paint protection and shine products - check http://www.zainobros.com
Having just recently purchased a new TL, I have not yet experienced this problem but I would like to point out that this problem is not uncommon to many car manufactures today. I would like to offer some ideas on windshield treatments that have worked for me in the past.
To clean your windshield, use a product called Bon Ami Powder. This is a mild cleanser designed to clean stainless steel and is safe for use on glass. This product was actually recommended by one of the big three in a TSB for cleaning windsheids with this very problem. This product when used with water will remove contaiminants such as dirt, oils, and road tar that can accumulate on a windshield durng normal driving eventully affecting visability and wiper efficiency. I recommend cleaning the windshield during normal hand washing. Start by rinsing the entire vehicle. Sprinkle some Bon Ami powder directly on the windsheild and work into the entire windshield in a circular motion with a damp spong re-wetting as needed. Once you have covered the entire windshield, rinse with water and a clean spong. Thorougly rinse the windshield and surrounding painted surfaces before proceeding with the car wash since this could scratch the paint. You should be left with a winsheild that sheets water. If you have water beads, you still have contaiminants. Repeat the process. Once complete, follow with your normal wash process.
Another product that I have had a great deal of success with over the years is Rain X. This product cleans and protects your windsheild. It goes on like a wax and cleans and seals the pores in the glass creating a super slick surface where water beads up and flows off the windshield. In a rain storm while driving at spead, I have found that you may not even have to use your wipers. One tip, when removing this product after application, use a soaking wet spong or paper towel and follow immediately with a dry towel.
Hope this process helps. Let me know.
TL Has:
- 25 extra horsepower
- larger engine by 0.2 liter
- 5 speed automatic
- HID lights
- Optional Nav
- Heated Seats
- Heated Mirrors
- Outdoor thermometer
- 5 speaker sound system with built in subwoofer
- Standard 16 inch wheels
- optional trunk mounted CD changer
- better warranty
EX V6 has:
- in dash CD changer
- 6 speaker sound system
- folding rear seat
- More passenger room
- More trunk room
- Optional 16" wheels
- Optional fog lights
{have I forgotten anything?}
Check it out: http://www.vtec.net/news/items/437.html
These two cars are a very close comparison. The TL is generally around $5000 more without the Nav. Has anyone else had problems deciding between the 2001 Acura 3.2 TL and the 2001 Honda Accord EX V6? I know I have.
I figure if you don't want the headed seats, heated mirrors, and the Nav, then you can get the after market HID headlights for about $1200 installed, and get the optional 16 inch wheels for the EX V6, and you've pretty much equaled the TL, except for the extra 25 horses.
I suppose it comes down to wanting those extra features or not, and the slightly more powerful engine/transmission combo. It is also debatable if the resale value will hold better on the EX V6 or on the TL.
Break down the following, and what it would be worth to the buyer wanting the added power/ameneties:
3.2L with 25 more hp
5-speed automatic with sport shift
HID lights
Heated seats and mirrors
Sportier suspension overall
better warranty
and those items that meant a lot to me but may not to others:
rear heat/AC ducts - my passengers thank me regularly
electrochromic mirror - priceless, but can be bought cheap aftermarket
Now I would love the 6-CD in-dash, but had to do a changer instead. Folding seats mean nothing to me, as my other vehicle is a Suburban.
In a nutshell, I love them both. i bought a '99 EX-V6 Accord after shopping them both. The price diff just wasn't worth it. Then I went back and drove the TL again. Little things that aren't readily apparent come out. The steering wheel is beefier and softer, the seats are more comfortable (subjective, I know), the interior is more upscale, the outside treatments like polished exhaust tips and chrome handles are very nice, the car is sleeker in appearance, it handles MUCH better, the sport shift really does help in descending the mountain road to my house, etc, etc.
We bought the TL after the Accord, owning both for about 3 or 4 months. The longer we owned them both, the greater the differences became. Needless to say, we sold the Accord.
You mileage may vary, of course.
JPOG
JPOG
JPOG
The TL ride seemed smoother, the transmission was smoother, the handling was smoother, acceleration was smoother... see a pattern here? Something about the interior of the TL just seemed more refined; the Accord's controls in particular struck me as sort of Fisher-Price-ish.
I don't think the Accord was a bad car, and I think that if the TL is putting you at or over your budget, you would do fine with an Accord. (If that's the case, I personally would suggest also checking out the Nissan Maxima if you haven't done so already. The price falls in between the two, but I felt it was a nicer car than the Accord.)
Good luck,
JPOG
Joel
We felt the seats were very comfortable with a nice quietness even at the 75 MPH, with only tire and road noise coming into the interior, depending on the type of paving. The first day, we spent 11-1/2 hours on the road. The last day, it was 12 hours. We were impressed. I used anywhere from 87 to 91 octane fuel with an average of 89. Great performance although I am not a leadfoot. Are there any better averages than this? The car had only 3133 KM (1946 miles)on it at the start of the trip - hardly broken in!!
http://www.acura-tl.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001714.html
Fruthermore, I don't understand how you can keep this car under 70 on a freeway. If I just look at the gas pedal, it accelerates to 80! I'd practically have to keep one foot on the brake pedal (which I see all too many people do) in order to drive between 65 and 70.
Which brings me to my next point: why do you buy a car with 225 HP if you're going to drive it the same way you would drive a Geo Metro or Ford Aspire? It seems to me that part of the fun in owning this car is its ability to blow the doors off a Mustang GT at a stoplight, or accelerating past a group of slower moving cars to get to open road on the freeway!
I have a very important question however...
I took my car to the Acura dealer and asked them to wax the car to prep it for the winter. I asked what sort of wax they would use and they said" the acura recommended wax". They also said they would vacuum the inside and clean the interior of the windows with windex.
When I got my car back, I found that they had coated all the seats and dash with a shiny slippery substance that made all the surfaces black and shiny. My experience tells me this is Armor All coating every non-glass surface of the inside of my car.
Now the seats are extremely slippery and no longer feel like leather. They feel like plastic since they are coated with whatever they used.
What is the long term effect on the leather and dash board material?
I have heard that Armor all is bad for material since it does not let it breath, outgases silicon that re-deposits on the glass and in my own lungs as I drive the car.
What are my options to make the car like it was before? I dont like the feel of the seats now and the steering wheel feels slippery in my hands! HELP!!!
This same thing happened to a Lexus that I own. The detail place put this stuff all over the leather and plastic surfaces in the car. It made evrything feel oily.
The good news is that it prob did not do any permanent damage to your interior. Over time armor all looses its gloss and the leather and vinyl should return to its original softness. On my Lexus it took a few weeks for the gloss and oiliness to disappear.
To take care of the damage immediately I used some Lexol leather cleaner, conditioner and Lexol vinylex. take a bucket of warm water (use sparingly), Lexol leather cleaner, and several soft cotton cloths to get as much armor all off as possible. Your leather should look much better after this. Then be sure to apply conditionier to the leather. Lexol condiitoner does not dry slick and glossy like armor all. I used vinylex on the vinyl dash and back parts of the seats. Vinylex is a bit glossy but nothing like armor all. vinylex is supposed to protect the vinyl w/ UV filters and moisturizers. Finally, you should write a letter to your dealer and let them know that you really did not appreciate the "detail" job they did on your car. I would hope that they would offer to comp your next req. service AND more importantly stop using this stuff on customers' cars.
The price is un-believable. I promised to the dealer that I would not spead the detailed prices. Anyway, I went through this topic from part 1 through part 5 and never see such a wonderful deal. The loan is another miracle: I got it from my credit union, 6.95% over 60 month. After I told the financial manager about this, he even never tries to persuade me for financing from his side.
Just want to share my pleasure with all you guys. And thanks for all the posts.
Before I post more details, I would like to make sure that it would help some guys here. Let me know.
Boomoo
Boomoo
Seriously, I also don't understand why Acura is dragging its feet, not adding features that should have been there in the first place. Competitors aren't going to wait.
I was very disappointed with the lack of changes to the new model, but ya know what-- i'm getting ready to buy a new car now and will probably still get the TL. Of course, I'll probably kick myself when the re-skin and 'type-s' come out next spring... But, i'ts time to say good-bye to my Integra...
Handling: In terms of cornering, the 325 was best with the IS second. The rest were all a notch below with the CL probably third. Acceleration had the CL-S first followed by the Maxima, TL, then the IS. The 325 and I30 were noticeably slower. This surprised me about the I30 cause on paper it should be right up there. The I30 transmission seemed very lethargic. In braking, the IS was clearly the best with the Max and I30 the worst. The others were about the same. The smoothest ride came from the I30 and TL (which probably explained their poor cornering compared to the stiffer I30 and 325). The best blend of smooth ride and cornering probably came from the CL-S.
Interior: I’ll stop including the Maxima cause it was really no comparison to the others. The only reason I drove it was because I have a 95 Max now and like it very much. I just wanted to give them a chance. The most roomy and comfortable interior was the I30 followed by the TL. The others lacked some room and comfort. The stereo and A/C console on the I30 is just like the Max’s so that was a major turn-off. But the seats were plush and there was lots of room in back and front. The IS’s interior was neat, but not exactly the one I’d want on a long trip. Ditto for the 325. I did not get the “cheap” impression of the TL that many people have expressed. I thought it was very comfortable and roomy.
Exterior: This is a close one. I like the edgy styling of the IS, the modern Euro looks of the 325, the conservative and classy look of the Acuras and I30. I guess this is personal opinion and depends on what you want the car to do. The head turner is the IS or maybe the 325. The one you want to pick clients up in would be the TL or I30. I really like the IS, 325, and I30 better than the Acuras.
Value: Of course the TL and CL win here and the 325 is the clear loser. The I30 and IS are good values but the TL/CL are off the scale.
Overall: Sticking to my criteria of $35K and under really hurt the BMW’s chances. The 330 would have likely ranked better in acceleration and overall interior. But then you would have to throw in the new C-class, Audi’s, and the GS 300. I guess the winner depends on what you value more: interior, handling, value, or exterior styling. I’m can’t decide myself. If you are a value shopper, the Acuras will be hard to beat. Those that cherish roomy and comfortable interiors may favor the I30 or TL. If you want acceleration, the Max or CL may be the one. If handling is your cup of tea, then the IS and 325 will fit the bill. I’m still grappling with this decision for myself. Of course, intangibles come into play like proximity of the dealer, maintenance costs, reliability (or the perception of good reliability), and the relationship with the salesperson/dealer. Some days I say “The TL is too cheap to pass up” and other days I say “Take a chance and get the IS”. I’ll let you guys know what I decide in about a week or two.
http://www.edmunds.com/newcars/2000/acura/tlseries/32tl.html
The 2000/2001 TLs have the exact same 16" wheels including size/shape/design/weight.
The ONLY difference between the 2000/2001 models is that floormats are standard (big deal!!!) - which anyway was thrown in by my dealer along with wheel-locks. Also, they have included a trunk release from inside. Everything else is embarassingly IDENTICAL.....
I expected memory seats/mirrors and also the 6-disc in-dash CD changer since it was already there in the CL/CL-s but they have not included it.
I guess that would ensure than my 2000TL would be the "latest version" for one more year.
This is the way it is calculated.
The first figure (225,205 etc) is the wheel width in millimeters.
The 2nd figure (55,60 etc) is the aspect ratio, i.e., the ratio of the sidewall height to the width.
The 3rd figure is the wheel diameter (16,17 etc)
The overall diameters of various sizes on the stock rims (16 X 6.5) are as follows:
205/60R-16 - 652.4 mm
225/55R-16 - 653.9 mm
225/50R-16 - 631.4 mm
215/55R-16 - 642.9 mm
Thus the 225/55R-16 has the diameter that is closest to the stock tire/wheel combination since the difference is only 1.5 mm.
Hope this helps.... Let me know if you need to know anything more...
Later...AH
Later...AH
Later...AH