All speed Tracking Control only be useful when not equipped with Stability control. 95% chance you need tracking aid is at lower speed. Snow road at 45mph should only happen when the road is not too slippery (or you are risking your life). If extreme condition, the tracking control won't do much than driving carefully. VSA will not being turn off when hit the brake. It will add the factor when decide what operation need to be activated. VSA will monitor your speed in corporate with you steering feedback and direction of the car to determine how long the power need to be cut, which wheel(s) needed to be applied. In the snowing 45mph case, the VSA should be able to sense the tendancy to skid and reduce teh speed and apply the brake on the spining wheel(s). Keep in mind, none of the driving aid feature can change the law of physics or completely correct human error. It provide certain degree of help but not all. Drive carefully and preservatively are keys to be safe. Acura's VSA to be judged kicking in a little too late to ne defective. But it's better than none.
Fog light: It should be yellow or other bright color other than white. In the fog and snowing night, the whole sight will be white, and fog light come to help to prvide you yeloow or orange beam to differntial the all white background. The light should aim low to prevent reflection back to y our eyes. That is why you chould use only the low beam in foggy or snowing hight. I don't know if HID will provide this function compare to helogen one. I believe Acura will add colored lens for that purpose. If not, better shop around the lens that will fit.
The Abyss Blue looks dark enough for me. The Quartz interior looks nice- Automobile Mag made a side not that the interior looks nicer in their opinion on the gray/black interior models so make mine Abyss Blue, Automatic NAV, with Quartz leather.
I just received an e-mail from an Acura fleet manager and he said all TL's will have Navigation on them. There will be no way to get one without. Has anyone heard anything similar? I have reserved an Anthracite with Quartz leather.
Someone else posted in post# 651 that Nav with automatic will not be available until December at the earliest. One of you is wrong unless the first cars are all going to be 6-speeds with Nav.
I was told by 2 different Boston area dealers that the initial run of TLs will not have navigation. My dealer e-mailed me the list of cars he was expecting in October & none had the navigation. According to the dealer, they will not be available until very late November or December. Anyone hear anything else?
I'm curious. Are you sure your TSX has vinyl on the bolsters? I just looked at my TSX brochure and to me it looks like leather. I don't own a TSX (obviously), but I've driven one and looked at three and I'm pretty sure the entire seating surface is leather. I'm pretty picky about stuff like that. Actually, I'm pretty picky about most stuff. :-) Oh, well. Check your seats and let us know what you find, will ya?
The vinyl on the current TL is just on the very outside portion (1" or so) of the bolsters. I'm pretty sure Acura did that to save some money on leather expenses; not because of wear concerns. I have a friend who bought a TL, after I recommended he look at it, and the vinyl is already cracking. It's a 2000 model a little over three years old. And he's not a heavy guy; tall but lean. I tease him all the time, because he's opened the moonroof maybe half a dozen times in over three years. I can't imagine it.
These discussions on '04 TL pricing have me thinking. Always a scary thing. :-) With Infiniti now giving deep discounts on G's, I'm not sure which I'd choose. The TL is sure getting boxy and angular, imo. I like the style of the G alot. And it is rear wheel drive with 260hp & 260lb-ft of torque with traction control and "Vehicle Dynamic Control". I've driven it, and it is a ROCKET!! Will push you back in your seat. Though it is a "big bore" V6. In comparing it to the BMW 3 series, which has a small bore straight six, I remember Car & Driver saying it was like you could feel every explosion in every cylinder. I would have to agree. Comes across as a feeling of raw power! Personally, I liked it. But, one huge advantage for BMW is their small bore straight six. I read a number of years ago an article in Popular Mechanics about BMW's V12 in the 7 series. They compared it's acceleration to the sound of ripping silk. And they said that the engineering characteristics of the straight six engine make it the most inherently balanced engine design. They were saying the V12 was just like multiplying those characteristics by 2, making it twice as good.
Anyway, all the stuff that's new to the '04 TL has been in the G for over a year now. And Infiniti has made a number of improvements in the '04 model.
However, having said all that, I love the smoothness of acceleration of the TL "regular". Haven't driven an S-type. I'll be curious to find out about the new TL.
Then again, the TSX is really the size car I like most. And I like it's four-banger just fine. Isn't technology great?!
*deep sigh* I remember when it was so easy to have just one favorite. Now they're all just too good!! :-) Such problems we have. Makes you thankful you're not living in Iraq, doesn't it?
Any thoughts on any of that? I'm sure everyone agrees with me completely! ;-)
One of my dad's friends currently owns a 2004 pearl white TL-S and loves it. I love that color too and am hoping to get a glimpse of it but none so far...but i don't like the fact you can't get the ebony black interior with the pearl white. How do you think a white on tan or quartz would look?
Genius leather is more durable than Synthetic (or leatherette) and Vinyl which is the cheapest and least durable. It also dissipate heat and sweat better than those artificial ones. High quality Synthetic leather looks and feels like natural. It usually will fade faster than the leather and show its base color when worn. 2000-2003 TL using Synthetic color (specified in several car magazine as well as Edmunds if I remember right). BMW 3 series also use Synthetic or "leatherette". You need to pay extra to upgrade to genius one. How much is the difference? It depends which type and color as well as size. If synthetic cost $800, the genius cost about $1200-1300 after market. I am not expert on material. I just read a lot auto press and media and have companied with friend when he need to replace the front leather surface in his Avalon after 5 years. The factory showed us the sample and explaned the pro and con of both. He usually won't ask customer to choose vinyl which will crack or rip much easier than real or synthetic leather. Eventually my friend choose synthetic due to 50% more on the leather. He is not going to keep the car more than another 5 years.
G35, as I mentioned earlier, is powerful and fast as you can feel it. Partially is due to its un-refine cabin and higher noise level when push. It was tuned for sporty so its ride is stiff with little body lean in turn. The trade-off is every irregular will send to your seat. If I am in sport car or coupe market, it will be a plus since driving and Hp is everything. In the Luxury sedan market, performance, refinement and material/features are equally important. And TL packs all these in a value that is hard to beat. It may not the cheapest one, but it does everything well if not super. As the TSX, it's more tune toward sporty than luxury. 4 banner is fine as long as you keep it spin in high rpm but loud. If you have to stop and go frequently or full loaded often, V6 is better choice. In hotter weather area, 4 cyln. will not have the juice to bump out enough cold air while retain the acceleration when needed.
king_george - do you mean an '03 TL-S Type? The '04 won't be offered as an S-Type.
I love white!! I know lots of people say white is boring and hard to keep clean. Not true. White actually hides dirt infinitely better than black or other dark colors. And it is very satisfying to wash! It looks so bright and clean when you're finished.
White with tan leather looks very good. I think the Quartz would look good, too. But, I don't think Acura will offer that combo. If they follow the pattern of the TSX, only tan leather will be available with white paint. I wish the manufacturers would start offering blue leather. Audi has the MOST GORGEOUS blue leather and interior. I've even written to Acura and Infiniti suggesting they offer a blue interior. To me, the white/tan combo is getting REALLY old. I wish Acura would offer the Quartz leather with white paint. [Can you hear me now, Acura? :-)] This is the main reason I would seriously consider the Meteor Silver. For something different (that isn't black); the Quartz leather.
b4z - hmmmm....I just can't believe it. Next week I'm going to the car show at the State Fair of Texas. I'm gonna have to see this for myself.
Hey, I have another question. What do y'all think of the lack of body side moldings on the TL & TSX? This is what I read on the honda news site -
"To resist parking lot dings and dents, the 2004 TL door skins are made from special 340H high-tensile steel. This bake-hardened steel has much greater resistance to bending and a higher work-hardening threshold than conventional steel, making the door skins much more resistant to dents and dings. The door skins are 10 to 15 percent stronger with 50 percent better permanent deform resistance than conventional steel."
The site doesn't say that type of steel is used on the TSX doors.
I see this massive expanse of metal just waiting for parking lot dings. I don't understand Acura's reasoning. Although, it's not the first time Honda has done this. One iteration of the Prelude comes immediately to mind. Even Lexus designed side moldings into the latest ES. And Infiniti into the G. Another thing I see is an opportunity for dealers to make some extra money offering them aftermarket. I was surprised when the salesman I asked about this told me he hadn't heard any plans to offer aftermarket moldings. I'm sorry, did I say I was surprised a salesman didn't know something? It must be time for my nap. :-)
So, TSX owners, what say you? Have any of y'all had ding problems yet? Or are you all still parking your new TSX's three miles away for the nearest car? ;-)
One more door item. I've noticed in the TSX brochure that it has two side-intrusion prevention-beams in the doors. This is the first car I've seen with two. Unless the government standard has increased, only one is required. That's a nice little extra for Acura to do.
Body moldings are gonna be an aftermarket add on...a la spoilers and such. You definetly need them in my book...u don't want such a gorgeous car to have a ding in the sheet metal. And parking 3 miles from the nearest car isn't always a reasonable solution.
They give you a false sense of security. The moldings do not line up well enough with every vehicle you park next to. If you care about dings, do not park in compact spaces or near other vehicles. If it is too much hassle to park away from other cars, then just deal with the dings. You can get them fixed when you are ready to sell the car.
The flashing LED in the TSX is located near the steering column. I expect you'll see the same in the TL, although I could be wrong.
dulnev- I complete agree with you. "Synthetic leather" is just a fancy way of saying "nice vinyl".
Jchan2 - there are nav and non-nav models in the Acura lines. Sometimes the Nav models have features (like Onstar) the Nav models don't. In the Infiniti line, you can add Nav as a seperate option.
uncledavid: No, you can't add NAV as an option. I define the option is something doesn't come from assembly line and is installed at the dealership after sale. I doubt Infinite can add NAV at the lot. If they could, avoid it. You don't know how good they are and neither can verify the part is 100% compatible without re-tooling to fit. So far, the NAV is still quite complicate and not designed to be easily access. Have you see the Stereo added at the dealership purchased as option? The wire is poking out and tape is only thing hold them in place. Sometime the installer even leave scratch on the dash when they pop the cover of the reserved space.
As to Synthetic leather from Vinyl, the difference is with or without texture surface. And Vinyl usually is thinner.
Yes, I have the TSX and my girlfriend is already complaining about the distances we have to walk when parking, not that this is a TSX thing, I did it with my RSX-s as well. 3 months and no dings, beats the initial record with the RSX-s....I think I would still do this with any car, moldings or not, most people don't seem to think like I do about a car.......
Dealers install accessories, the factory installs options. Options are tallied on the factory window sticker in addition to the base price of the vehicle. Acura doesn't really make nav an option though, they consider the model with nav as a separate model. Just like the Type S was a separate model.
No, they don't have anything to do with each other.....unless of course, you use your nav to locate the most remote parking space. :-)
tommyijr - dude, I know just how you feel. I think most of us here probably do. But, in the real world outside of here, no one understands us!! We're just so misunderstood!! ;-)
There are definitely two models - Nav and non-Nav.
"-- Optional Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition with 8-inch navigation system display
-- 3D Solar Sensing Climate Control (models equipped w/ Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition)"
The Bluetooth and DVD-Audio system will be standard.
"Acura/ELS(R) Premium 8-speaker Surround Sound System with DVD-Audio, DTS(TM) and CD, 6-disc Changer, AM/FM Tuner and Dolby(R) Cassette Acura HandsFreeLink(TM) wireless phone capability"
I went to the Acura website and the mini-site for the new TL. Under "Technology" they have a video of the principal engineer for electrical research, Mat Hargett. He says specifically that Bluetooth and the DVD-Audio systems are standard. From what he says and the fact that the DVD-Audio is standard, I am pretty certain the display control screen will be standard in all TL's. It just won't necessarily have the Nav function. But, it will have the capability to play DVD's (only when the vehicle is in park).
hey - I was just looking at the TL micro-site one last time before I shut this thing down and I noticed something.
Under "Modern Luxury", "Keyless Memory Settings" there is a picture of the door lock knob on the driver's door (99.998% sure) and next to it is the LED with the word "Security" next to it.
And from HondaNews.com - the "Multi-Info Display screen" is in fact standard.
I spoke to one one dealer and he is ready to sell Acura 2003 TL with Navigation system for $28,500 + tax + tag + processing fee. He is giving for free Gold Package and all weather mats. He is charging 350$ for spolier( Original value 749$).
Is it a good price ? Is it worth buying Acura 2003 TL ? Please give your valuable suggestions....
That's a bit too much. I got a TL-S w/nav for $31,773 1.5 years ago. Subtract $2k for the "S" part, brings you to $29,773.00 $1200 discount for a car that is changing is not enough in my opinion. I've seen posts of people getting cars under invoice. Also, do NOT pay a processing fee, 100% dealer profit.
for the 8 speaker system in the new TL...does anyone know how much watts it's running? I think i read the TSX has something like 360watt sound system. Do you guys think the TL will have the same or lower/higher watts?
Well, I used to believe that Acura did address the transmission issues for cars manufactured after May of 2002, but now I don't know what to believe.
I have a 2003 TL-S manufactured in December of 2002, WAY past the date the issue was supposed to have been addressed. The car is only nine months old and has less than 9K miles on it. I started experiencing sharper and sharper shifts in the last month or so and had drops in power/RPM several times.
I dropped it in to have it checked up yesterday, mostly for a different problem. The problem that I was most concerned about was the difficulty starting the car that I experienced several times back in the cold months of January-February, and couple times in the last month.
I was fully expecting the dealership to tell me that they couldn't find anything wrong with the car. So it was an immense shock when they told me that they ordered a replacement transmission.
Now I'm going to be one of those people who are paranoid about every semi-harsh shift that the new transmission makes. I don't think that this is something I want to live with. I think I'm going to sell the car 3-4 months from now, when dealerships run out of 2003's. Given the high sticker on 2004 models, I should realize quite a decent value.
We both bought our cars around the same time and have exactly the same mileage.My car was manufactured 11/02, so now I am starting to wonder. Are you sure your dealership knows what they are doing- how can you take your car in for hard starts and you end up getting a new transmission? It does not add up-ask more questions and dig deeper.Did they do a through raod test, did they open the tranny pan etc etc etc.
watts have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the sound systems. I would venture to guess the TL's sound system is wayyyyy better from the technological (bluetooth, xm, etc) and dvd-audio capabilities that they don't need as "powerful" a system.
Just looking at the peak wattage doesn't mean one system is better than another. You'd have to compare other factors such as total harmonic distortion.
No, I can't be 100% sure they properly tested it, but I gotta believe that they wouldn't get into such a complex repair without making sure the transmission is failing. I'm not sure what questioning them would accomplish. I brought it in for three problems: non-starts, drops in power/RPM and harsh shifts. I definitelly felt that transmission was starting to misbehave. So if it was in fact failing, I'm glad they caught it and will replace it.
If they're just being too cautious, what's the worst thing that would happen? They would put in a remanufactured transmission that fails a year later? I don't believe at this point that I will keep the car that long.
The thing is, even though I promised myself and my wife that I would keep this car for at least three years, I recently had an improvement in my financial situation and I've been wanting to upgrade to a better car, such as a BMW 330xi or maybe even the 5 series. This gives me the excuse to do it.
"Acura and Scheiner had three main objectives in designing the unique surround sound system featuring DVD-Audio. They looked to develop a system that would:
1). Reproduce music with extreme clarity and detail.
2). Deliver six distinct channels of sound with discrete imaging
3). Accurately reproduce the source material, to achieve a listening experience as close as possible to the original studio mix.
To accomplish these goals, the TL's audio system matches the world's first in-dash, six-disc DVD-Audio/CD changer radio with 8-speakers and a powerful 6-channel, 225 watt amplifier.
This new system takes full advantage of the vast amounts of data available from DVD-Audio discs and plays the six discrete channels of DVD-Audio in high resolution, 24bit/96kHz or DVD-Audio two-channel recordings in 24bit/192kHz. The system will also play multi-channel DTS(TM) CD's in surround sound as well as traditional two-channel compact discs in stereo.
The Acura/ELS Surround Sound System's 1.0-inch extended range tweeters, located on the top corners of the instrument panel, feature an elliptical balanced dome design that reproduces musical highs with incredible accuracy.
The four identical wide-range speakers, located in the front door and on the rear package shelf, were developed to reproduce the extended frequency response and dynamic range of DVD-Audio discs with detail and balance.
The center speaker, with its high-flux neodymium magnet, is located in the top center of the dash panel. It enhances the imaging of stereo source material while reproducing the dedicated center channel available from DVD-Audio and DTS CD sources.
"By using the same light weight cone material as the four wide-range speakers, the system achieves a balance similar to that which exists in the recording studio where we use five identical speakers to develop a surround sound mix," said Scheiner.
DVD-Audio also provides a dedicated subwoofer channel. To take advantage of the lower frequencies provided by this channel, the subwoofer design uses Kevlar in the construction of the cone, microcellular urethane foam edge material and a high linearity damper to achieve the best possible bass response."
I see nothing but rumors, with prices varying wildly from $32,000 to $40,000.
S852 - Thanks for clarifying my point. That is exactly what I was trying to say.
As for the watts, the TSX sound system has been derided by many drivers at the TSX board. I personally like it a lot. But, the main point is, Watts are not all that important. Quality of speakers, etc, is the real issue. Both systems are going to be more than loud enough.
has not been released. The range is rumored to be $33,000 (or $32,995, but Honda doesn't do that) for the base TL no NAV. Automatic or Stik Shift no charge option. the range topper will be the A-Spec with NAV, totaling around $37,000. (or $36,840, Honda likes to end sticker prices with 190, 840, 460, or 000)
I see nothing but rumors, with prices varying wildly from $32,000 to $40,000.
S852 - Thanks for clarifying my point. That is exactly what I was trying to say.
As for the watts, the TSX sound system has been derided by many drivers at the TSX board. I personally like it a lot. But, the main point is, Watts are not all that important. Quality of speakers, etc, is the real issue. Both systems are going to be more than loud enough.
Remember, dealer will charge Acura on the warrenty item. So if they suspect problem and has enough proof of the root cause, they will replace it withouot negociate with customer. For Acura, it will be cheaper to replace a new one than fixing several times. You may just have a faulty tranny and may not related to the old one. And you have more than 2 year to tell if the tranny issue still exist.
AS to 330XI, you do get a very refine and sporty one. You don't have the same room, more problems in general and $5,000 more on the car with less features. But since you have that money, you can buy it as the 2nd car to cover the time when your TLS in the dealership and in the winter.
with the TSX i really really like the exhaust tips and the chrome treatment along the window edges ....i wish the TL had picked up those two small features. With or without that i love the new TL.
In one of the post said you may watch DVD when in park is not true. The DVD-audio mean THX 5.1 or 6.1 format instead of 2 channel regular CD-audio. This is mate with its THX 5.1 audio setup. If you play the regular audio CD, The front and rear channels are identical. I am not sure if it will take the DVD and only playback the audio or not. Only Concert or Live DVD will benefit teh new audio format. In the near future, there will be more title adopting teh DVD-Audio format for richer and better 3D audio.
Comments
Fog light: It should be yellow or other bright color other than white. In the fog and snowing night, the whole sight will be white, and fog light come to help to prvide you yeloow or orange beam to differntial the all white background. The light should aim low to prevent reflection back to y our eyes. That is why you chould use only the low beam in foggy or snowing hight. I don't know if HID will provide this function compare to helogen one. I believe Acura will add colored lens for that purpose. If not, better shop around the lens that will fit.
One of you is wrong unless the first cars are all going to be 6-speeds with Nav.
Not likely!!
Someone, please clarify the situation.
I'm curious. Are you sure your TSX has vinyl on the bolsters? I just looked at my TSX brochure and to me it looks like leather. I don't own a TSX (obviously), but I've driven one and looked at three and I'm pretty sure the entire seating surface is leather. I'm pretty picky about stuff like that. Actually, I'm pretty picky about most stuff. :-) Oh, well. Check your seats and let us know what you find, will ya?
The vinyl on the current TL is just on the very outside portion (1" or so) of the bolsters. I'm pretty sure Acura did that to save some money on leather expenses; not because of wear concerns. I have a friend who bought a TL, after I recommended he look at it, and the vinyl is already cracking. It's a 2000 model a little over three years old. And he's not a heavy guy; tall but lean. I tease him all the time, because he's opened the moonroof maybe half a dozen times in over three years. I can't imagine it.
These discussions on '04 TL pricing have me thinking. Always a scary thing. :-) With Infiniti now giving deep discounts on G's, I'm not sure which I'd choose. The TL is sure getting boxy and angular, imo. I like the style of the G alot. And it is rear wheel drive with 260hp & 260lb-ft of torque with traction control and "Vehicle Dynamic Control". I've driven it, and it is a ROCKET!! Will push you back in your seat. Though it is a "big bore" V6. In comparing it to the BMW 3 series, which has a small bore straight six, I remember Car & Driver saying it was like you could feel every explosion in every cylinder. I would have to agree. Comes across as a feeling of raw power! Personally, I liked it. But, one huge advantage for BMW is their small bore straight six. I read a number of years ago an article in Popular Mechanics about BMW's V12 in the 7 series. They compared it's acceleration to the sound of ripping silk. And they said that the engineering characteristics of the straight six engine make it the most inherently balanced engine design. They were saying the V12 was just like multiplying those characteristics by 2, making it twice as good.
Anyway, all the stuff that's new to the '04 TL has been in the G for over a year now. And Infiniti has made a number of improvements in the '04 model.
However, having said all that, I love the smoothness of acceleration of the TL "regular". Haven't driven an S-type. I'll be curious to find out about the new TL.
Then again, the TSX is really the size car I like most. And I like it's four-banger just fine. Isn't technology great?!
*deep sigh* I remember when it was so easy to have just one favorite. Now they're all just too good!! :-) Such problems we have. Makes you thankful you're not living in Iraq, doesn't it?
Any thoughts on any of that? I'm sure everyone agrees with me completely! ;-)
Personally, I don't believe Acura did it to prevent wear. I think they cheaped out.
Personally, I don't believe Acura did it to prevent wear. I think they cheaped out.
G35, as I mentioned earlier, is powerful and fast as you can feel it. Partially is due to its un-refine cabin and higher noise level when push. It was tuned for sporty so its ride is stiff with little body lean in turn. The trade-off is every irregular will send to your seat. If I am in sport car or coupe market, it will be a plus since driving and Hp is everything. In the Luxury sedan market, performance, refinement and material/features are equally important. And TL packs all these in a value that is hard to beat. It may not the cheapest one, but it does everything well if not super. As the TSX, it's more tune toward sporty than luxury. 4 banner is fine as long as you keep it spin in high rpm but loud. If you have to stop and go frequently or full loaded often, V6 is better choice. In hotter weather area, 4 cyln. will not have the juice to bump out enough cold air while retain the acceleration when needed.
I love white!! I know lots of people say white is boring and hard to keep clean. Not true. White actually hides dirt infinitely better than black or other dark colors. And it is very satisfying to wash! It looks so bright and clean when you're finished.
White with tan leather looks very good. I think the Quartz would look good, too. But, I don't think Acura will offer that combo. If they follow the pattern of the TSX, only tan leather will be available with white paint. I wish the manufacturers would start offering blue leather. Audi has the MOST GORGEOUS blue leather and interior. I've even written to Acura and Infiniti suggesting they offer a blue interior. To me, the white/tan combo is getting REALLY old. I wish Acura would offer the Quartz leather with white paint. [Can you hear me now, Acura? :-)] This is the main reason I would seriously consider the Meteor Silver. For something different (that isn't black); the Quartz leather.
b4z - hmmmm....I just can't believe it. Next week I'm going to the car show at the State Fair of Texas. I'm gonna have to see this for myself.
Hey, I have another question. What do y'all think of the lack of body side moldings on the TL & TSX? This is what I read on the honda news site -
"To resist parking lot dings and dents, the 2004 TL door skins are made from special 340H high-tensile steel. This bake-hardened steel has much greater resistance to bending and a higher work-hardening threshold than conventional steel, making the door skins much more resistant to dents and dings. The door skins are 10 to 15 percent stronger with 50 percent better permanent deform resistance than conventional steel."
http://www.hondanews.com/Forms/acura/TL/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?- *ws4d-db-query-Show***004651***-wieck_media***-***acura(directory- )TL(directory)***.ws4d?acura/TL/results(r)_text.html
The site doesn't say that type of steel is used on the TSX doors.
I see this massive expanse of metal just waiting for parking lot dings. I don't understand Acura's reasoning. Although, it's not the first time Honda has done this. One iteration of the Prelude comes immediately to mind. Even Lexus designed side moldings into the latest ES. And Infiniti into the G. Another thing I see is an opportunity for dealers to make some extra money offering them aftermarket. I was surprised when the salesman I asked about this told me he hadn't heard any plans to offer aftermarket moldings. I'm sorry, did I say I was surprised a salesman didn't know something? It must be time for my nap. :-)
So, TSX owners, what say you? Have any of y'all had ding problems yet? Or are you all still parking your new TSX's three miles away for the nearest car? ;-)
One more door item. I've noticed in the TSX brochure that it has two side-intrusion prevention-beams in the doors. This is the first car I've seen with two. Unless the government standard has increased, only one is required. That's a nice little extra for Acura to do.
If you care about dings, do not park in compact spaces or near other vehicles.
If it is too much hassle to park away from other cars, then just deal with the dings.
You can get them fixed when you are ready to sell the car.
dulnev- I complete agree with you. "Synthetic leather" is just a fancy way of saying "nice vinyl".
Jchan2 - there are nav and non-nav models in the Acura lines. Sometimes the Nav models have features (like Onstar) the Nav models don't. In the Infiniti line, you can add Nav as a seperate option.
As to Synthetic leather from Vinyl, the difference is with or without texture surface. And Vinyl usually is thinner.
Acura doesn't really make nav an option though, they consider the model with nav as a separate model. Just like the Type S was a separate model.
tommyijr - dude, I know just how you feel. I think most of us here probably do. But, in the real world outside of here, no one understands us!! We're just so misunderstood!! ;-)
There are definitely two models - Nav and non-Nav.
"-- Optional Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition with 8-inch navigation system display
-- 3D Solar Sensing Climate Control (models equipped w/ Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition)"
These notes are direct from www.hondanews.com . http://www.hondanews.com/Forms/acura/TL/seetext?2003090332263
The Bluetooth and DVD-Audio system will be standard.
"Acura/ELS(R) Premium 8-speaker Surround Sound System with DVD-Audio, DTS(TM) and CD, 6-disc Changer, AM/FM Tuner and Dolby(R) Cassette
Acura HandsFreeLink(TM) wireless phone capability"
I went to the Acura website and the mini-site for the new TL. Under "Technology" they have a video of the principal engineer for electrical research, Mat Hargett. He says specifically that Bluetooth and the DVD-Audio systems are standard. From what he says and the fact that the DVD-Audio is standard, I am pretty certain the display control screen will be standard in all TL's. It just won't necessarily have the Nav function. But, it will have the capability to play DVD's (only when the vehicle is in park).
Under "Modern Luxury", "Keyless Memory Settings" there is a picture of the door lock knob on the driver's door (99.998% sure) and next to it is the LED with the word "Security" next to it.
And from HondaNews.com - the "Multi-Info Display screen" is in fact standard.
He is giving for free Gold Package and all weather mats.
He is charging 350$ for spolier( Original value 749$).
Is it a good price ? Is it worth buying Acura 2003 TL ? Please give your valuable suggestions....
Thanks in advance
I have a 2003 TL-S manufactured in December of 2002, WAY past the date the issue was supposed to have been addressed. The car is only nine months old and has less than 9K miles on it. I started experiencing sharper and sharper shifts in the last month or so and had drops in power/RPM several times.
I dropped it in to have it checked up yesterday, mostly for a different problem. The problem that I was most concerned about was the difficulty starting the car that I experienced several times back in the cold months of January-February, and couple times in the last month.
I was fully expecting the dealership to tell me that they couldn't find anything wrong with the car. So it was an immense shock when they told me that they ordered a replacement transmission.
Now I'm going to be one of those people who are paranoid about every semi-harsh shift that the new transmission makes. I don't think that this is something I want to live with. I think I'm going to sell the car 3-4 months from now, when dealerships run out of 2003's. Given the high sticker on 2004 models, I should realize quite a decent value.
We both bought our cars around the same time and have exactly the same mileage.My car was manufactured 11/02, so now I am starting to wonder.
Are you sure your dealership knows what they are doing- how can you take your car in for hard starts and you end up getting a new transmission?
It does not add up-ask more questions and dig deeper.Did they do a through raod test, did they open the tranny pan etc etc etc.
If they're just being too cautious, what's the worst thing that would happen? They would put in a remanufactured transmission that fails a year later? I don't believe at this point that I will keep the car that long.
The thing is, even though I promised myself and my wife that I would keep this car for at least three years, I recently had an improvement in my financial situation and I've been wanting to upgrade to a better car, such as a BMW 330xi or maybe even the 5 series. This gives me the excuse to do it.
225 watts is correct. Again, from the Honda News website.
http://www.hondanews.com/Forms/acura/TL/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?- *ws4d-db-query-Show***004687***-wieck_media***-***acura(directory- )TL(directory)***.ws4d?acura/TL/results(r)_text.html
"Acura and Scheiner had three main objectives in designing the unique surround sound system featuring DVD-Audio. They looked to develop a system that would:
1). Reproduce music with extreme clarity and detail.
2). Deliver six distinct channels of sound with discrete imaging
3). Accurately reproduce the source material, to achieve a listening experience as close as possible to the original studio mix.
To accomplish these goals, the TL's audio system matches the world's first in-dash, six-disc DVD-Audio/CD changer radio with 8-speakers and a powerful 6-channel, 225 watt amplifier.
This new system takes full advantage of the vast amounts of data available from DVD-Audio discs and plays the six discrete channels of DVD-Audio in high resolution, 24bit/96kHz or DVD-Audio two-channel recordings in 24bit/192kHz. The system will also play multi-channel DTS(TM) CD's in surround sound as well as traditional two-channel compact discs in stereo.
The Acura/ELS Surround Sound System's 1.0-inch extended range tweeters, located on the top corners of the instrument panel, feature an elliptical balanced dome design that reproduces musical highs with incredible accuracy.
The four identical wide-range speakers, located in the front door and on the rear package shelf, were developed to reproduce the extended frequency response and dynamic range of DVD-Audio discs with detail and balance.
The center speaker, with its high-flux neodymium magnet, is located in the top center of the dash panel. It enhances the imaging of stereo source material while reproducing the dedicated center channel available from DVD-Audio and DTS CD sources.
"By using the same light weight cone material as the four wide-range speakers, the system achieves a balance similar to that which exists in the recording studio where we use five identical speakers to develop a surround sound mix," said Scheiner.
DVD-Audio also provides a dedicated subwoofer channel. To take advantage of the lower frequencies provided by this channel, the subwoofer design uses Kevlar in the construction of the cone, microcellular urethane foam edge material and a high linearity damper to achieve the best possible bass response."
By the way- THE 330XI is not a better car than the Type "s".Just my opinion- other than AWD I don't see how much better the car is over a Type S.
S852 - Thanks for clarifying my point. That is exactly what I was trying to say.
As for the watts, the TSX sound system has been derided by many drivers at the TSX board. I personally like it a lot. But, the main point is, Watts are not all that important. Quality of speakers, etc, is the real issue. Both systems are going to be more than loud enough.
that's cool
http://hondanews.com/Forms/acura/TSX/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?*ws- 4d-db-query-Show***004098***-wieck_media***-***acura(directory)TS- X(directory)***.ws4d?acura/TSX/results(r)_text.html
>>other than AWD I don't see how much better the car is over a Type S
You mean other than AWD, engine, transmission, brakes, handling and acceleration.
S852 - Thanks for clarifying my point. That is exactly what I was trying to say.
As for the watts, the TSX sound system has been derided by many drivers at the TSX board. I personally like it a lot. But, the main point is, Watts are not all that important. Quality of speakers, etc, is the real issue. Both systems are going to be more than loud enough.
AS to 330XI, you do get a very refine and sporty one. You don't have the same room, more problems in general and $5,000 more on the car with less features. But since you have that money, you can buy it as the 2nd car to cover the time when your TLS in the dealership and in the winter.