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Pick me....pick me..... :shades:
LIke "ti" said, the Acura naming convention is kind of a marketing exercise that went awry, but generally, they make great vehicles.
Start at their "low end".....TSX and RDX. The TSX is based on the Accord platform.....about the same size. Clearly it has its own style. Plus, it has "tweaked" versions of the Accord 4 cyl. As an option, you can get the base engine in the TL (3.5L). It competes with the Infiniti G, Audi A4, Mercedes C and BMW 3 series. THe RDX is the small SUV that uses a turbo 4 cyl motor that isn't used in any other Honda, nor Acura product. Both the TSX an RDX ride firmly, lots of tech in them (as in all Acuras).
Next up, the MDX...which is their entry into the mid/full size SUVs. Highly regarded that comes with Acura's SH AWD system (short for the rather pretentious nomenclature of "Super Handling All Wheel Drive"). SH AWD is a vectoring AWD system that Acura came up with that moves torque not only from front to back, but also side-to-side. This aids in cornering on dry pavement, as well as being very good in sloppy weather.
Then, there's the TL....their entry into the mid-size luxury sports sedans. It comes in two flavors. First, is the base model with a 3.5L V6 (also available in the TSX) and FWD. Nice car. Nice lux and tech touces. Quiet cruiser that handles well. The hot rod of the bunch is the TL SH AWD (which I personally own). It has a 3.7L V6 and the afore mentioned SH AWD system. These are big cars. It's amazing what Acura has done with them to make them perform and handle the way they do. I'm extremely pleased with mine. It rides firm. Handles great. I drive aggressively, and have been unable to trip it up, in dry or wet, at speeds that were very extra-legal, sometimes asking the car to do things no other car I've been in can do. In short, I like it (but I've only had it about 4 months). TL's kind of a tweener. It's about the same size and performanc level as a BMW 5x series, Benz E350, Audi A6, or Infiniti M, but it's the price of a BMW 3 series, Benz C series, Audi A4, or Infiniti G. So, the value proposition is high.
Then, there's the ZDX. It also comes with SH AWD. It's Acura's attempt at making a crossover SUV look like a swoopy coupe. I believe it's based on the Accord Crosstour, but I could be wrong on that count. It may be based on the Acura MDX. I don't know much about it. From what I've seen at my dealer's, they come with nice interiors, but are woeful in the roominess dept (because of the swoopy styling). But, I guess you can say that about any of the supposed lux crossovers (BMW GT, Infiniti EX, Cadillac SRX, etc).
At the top of the range, is the RL. Although the motor is the same as found in the TL (3.7L), it's down a little on power. It comes with SH AWD. It's not appreciably bigger than the TL. Comes with the same tech features, but costs about $10K more. It's no wonder they don't sell many.
"Type S" is a naming shceme for the "hot rod" versions of Acuras....mainly for their TL line. It's comparable to the "AMG" name for Mercedes, "S" for Audi, etc. Acura usually only brings out a "type -S" later in a model's run. There are no Type-S Acura's in their current line-up. Last Type-S was the 3rd generation TL.
CL is a coupe that Acura hasn't made in a long time.
My TL (4th generation) is my 2nd Acura. I had a 3rd generation TL ('04), too. Only problem with it was it had a big motor in a FWD platform. Torque steer in the 3rd generation drove me crazy. But, the '04 was a great car in every other way. Generally speaking, all Acuras are put together extremely well, using high quality materials, and are pretty much bulletproof. You'll get one with a glitch on occassion, but that is extremely rare. They typically have high resale values and don't cost much to own, operate, or to maintain.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
If the beef is chipped to the point that it is not just very thin (can fall apart when it is picked up), but is in very small pieces the chipped beef is probably the same as chipped ham as far as appearance goes. If the ham is chipped properly, there are NO slices not even very thin slices. That’s just the way it’s done here in the Burgh. It’s a lunch meat so you put on the same condiments and add ons as any other lunch meat. However, I only use mustard so that I don’t hide the flavor of the meat.
Years ago there was a dairy/deli store here in the Burgh (Isaly’s) that was legendary for this stuff although other companies sold there knock off of this meat in the grocery stores nothing could compare to the taste of Isaly’s and it used to be sold only at their stores and no place else. This company is no longer in business (great loss around here) and was the originator of the Klondike Bar that can now be had almost everywhere. I know when I was in SC, the grocery stores down there had them but they are now pretty skimpy compared to what they used to be. For that matter so is everything else. The 89 cent candy bar is smaller than the nickel bars that I remember.
I'm on a self-imposed low fat diet to help the pressure on my hips and legs.
This stuff ain’t no health food I can promise you that so you won’t lose any weight eating this lunch meat. But like everything else that is bad for you this stuff tastes great. Years ago we bought it because it had a good flavor and we knew nothing about low fat foods back then. Fortunately, if us guys in the Burgh still want the original Isaly’s chipped ham we can now get it at the grocery stores and they always advertise it as “Isaly’s Original Chipped Ham” so you know it’s not the fake stuff.
The only relation this post has to cars is that you see plenty of cars parked at the supermarkets around here when they put this stuff on sale.
I think ‘mako1a’ and ‘jayrider’ are drooling just about now, huh?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
$34 is about average for an oil change. Check the dealerships web site, sometimes they have discount coupons you can print out.
I use to be able to slide under most of my previous cars and change the oil and filter myself. Now days with the way the filters are packed in there, and lower platforms combined with higher belly... just not worth it. Really want to stay away from crawling under the car with it on car jacks as well. :sick:
Man, I was never that skinny. I always had to get the car up to do an oil and filter change.
I did know a couple so called shade tree guys that could get to the drain plug and do just an oil change on cars. Then the next time they’d do the whole job and jack up the car to get to the filter. But, like I said these were so called DIY’ers. I never put 4 quarts of clean oil on top of 1 quart of dirty oil. That just isn’t the way it should be done.
Still, you must have been pretty skinny. :surprise:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Maybe I need to take a spin up to North KY/South OH. Not real far from here. (250 miles) This place has barely a Honda dealer nearby (Christiansburg 40 miles away). If you want Acura, you're in for a much longer drive.
Every time I take the Avalon out I see one more thing that makes me want to bail over to hi-end Honda. I had to park on an incline and looked for the parking brake. On the left side where you have to pull your knee way up past the steering wheel to push it on. Turning it off requires you to accidentally activate the rear shade, open the gas fill door and pop the hood before finding the brake release. Not good. Then I saw Acura with the simple, but effective pull lever next to the shifter (like it should be).
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
I paid a visit to an Acura dealer a few days ago for no particular reason & spent 10 or 15 minutes sitting in an MDX. (Didn't drive it because I'm at least a year away from actually buying a new car.)
Now I don't particularly care for SUVs & I've said so more than once, so I was surprised by how much I liked the MDX. What won me over wasn't the exterior - that front blade makes me think of a kid with severe buck teeth - but the interior, which is 1st class in every respect. As you said, the materials were top quality, the seats were terrific & there was plenty of technology for a gadget hound like me. I couldn't get over how inviting & attractive the cabin was. It whispered "Time for a road trip - a long one!".
Can't say right now that I'll buy an MDX, but I'll definitely take one out for a test drive when the time comes.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I pre-paid 6 oil changes at my dealer. It comes out to $16 per oil change. You can't beat that.
I can tell you that those black leather seats were HOT!
Ventilated seats are an option
IIRC there is no brake release, you just push it again with your foot and it pops back up. At least that is how my 06 was.
That reminds me of a feature you don't see that often anymore, the auto parking brake release. On several of my Fords (89 TC, 89 GM, 79 Conti, 93 Taurus) as soon as you put the car in drive the parking brake released automatically. Nice little feature.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
I'm about 215 lbs on mostly healthy eating with an occasional Biscuits and Gravy (the only tasty food I can find here). If I was still in the burg, I'd be about the same, but with a big smile on my face.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
412 931 9994. The real deal=---no disappointments.
I have 4 vehicles. All different. The Z28 is the only one with a pull handle by the shift lever (like it should be). The van never gets a brake (break). I just bind the heck out of the park pin because it's easier than looking for the release and maybe popping the hood.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I'm with Richard on the chicken livers. A small town restaurant about 20 miles away used to exist and had the best chicken livers. The owner and parttime present cook was superb; he'd spent a lifetime running a real home cooking restaurant and slowly retired from it. He also mixed his own secret pie forumula for sugar creme pie. People drove almost an hour in some cases to eat there.
When he closed finally, he gave the alleged pie recipes for the old-fashioned cream and pecan to the Dayton Daily News reporters. But it's not right; it's not the same. There's something missing...
I miss good chicken livers with mushrooms and a great flavor without a bitterness.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I should have mentioned that this place is still alive but I haven't gone to that end of the city in a long time. I did a Google search and it says there is an Isaly's in Turtle Creek but I'm not sure it is still there. Since Turtle Creek isn't all that far from me I'll have to go check it out when I get a chance.
As for the Isaly's chipped ham bar-b-que sandwich, I know you won't believe this but Mrs. j's chipped ham bar-b-que is better and it's even better served with her potato salad. I might have to talk her into making the potato salad then I will definitely go check out the Turtle Creek store if it's still there.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
( yougest child) was the same way - she was working on her own car in high school. I ended up putting both of them through engineering school. The middle child , a son, marched to his own music - literally. He was a excellent oboe player by high school. He 's now a music teacher in a KY school district, and, First Sgt. for an Army Reserve band.
Regards:
OldCEM
Given your posts, I'd say an Acura TL FWD with tech package would be right up your alley.
My nephew has forced all sports on his two boys---9 and 12. Actually, they're good baseball players. They both want to take piano lessons and bang on ours each time that they visit. After three years of this, I have finally convinced my nephew that there is nothing sissy about allowing them to take lessons. Naturally, Uncle Richard is purchasing the piano.
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
When we married 43 years ago, I weighed 125. Now, I'm 196---no, 186. I've lost those first ten pounds. Man, this is hard work.
Richard
Richard
The Plot goes like this;
On his wedding night in 1953, an errant champagne cork rendered college professor of engineering Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) almost completely blind in his left eye. A decade later, happily married to Phyllis (Lauren Graham) and the father of six children, he is driving his Ford Galaxie through a light rain, and the constant movement of the wiper blades irritates his troubled vision. The incident inspires him to create a wiper blade mechanism modeled on the human eye, which blinks every few seconds rather than continuously.
My question is, "Is this Movie Worth Watching?"
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I had a chance to go back and read your rundowns on Acura's GG. I try not to miss any posts if possible. It was a great review of the Acura lineup, with lots of good information. Maybe now I can keep my TL, RDX, MDV,ZDX and Type S Models straight.
It was interesting to hear you say Acura's are full of techno gadgetry. For a person who only uses his cell phone to make a call when completely necessary, I find that is a negative for me. I think the BMW, Audi and Mercedes can have the gadgets, but also you can get the cars without that and then they retain their old world charm, which is the way I like it.
I do find your comments very enlightening, and I am sure there are more people interested in techno-gadgets than people who don't want them these days. I do find the idea of Ford's Sync system intriguing because it sounds like it was designed for people who are technically challenged.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What about well over a $150.
Son #2 took his car in for PA state inspection to a Mazda dealer (he has an’06 Mazda 6). He needed rear brakes and he knows how to do this job but since the car was there, if he got a fair price, he’d let them do the work. He knows the pads cost about $35 at the auto parts so he figures if they will charge him no more than $100 for labor plus the pads he’d give them the job since the car was already there. He asks what it will cost and they tell him $215 complete plus tax. He said, “no thanks, I’ll do it myself”. The service advisor warned him that the rear calipers are special on his car and the average shade tree guy won’t be able to do this job. My son said, “I know about the calipers. I did this job about 30K miles ago”. The service advisor then said, “ Oh OK, since the car is here and still on the rack well do it for $35 less than the $215 price we just gave you. Again he tells the service advisor no thanks.
The special caliper that my son was warned about is the type that has a piston that has to be screwed back into the caliper bore rather than just being pushed back in with a C-clamp. The last time my son did this job he got a loaner kit from Advance Auto Parts but I saw a universal type tool at Harbor Freight while nosing around in there a few months ago and since it was pretty cheap ($3.99, IIRC), I figured I’d splurge. I’ve wasted more on bad coffee and beer.
My son came over this morning and did the job. He wanted to use this cheapy and it worked like a charm and the job was done in 45 minutes and that included bleeding the rear calipers. I’m not so sure that would have been included in the $215 dealer price but even if it were my son felt that the savings was well worth 45 minutes of his time.
Since this tool is universal it can probably be used on your BMW if it has that type of caliper (check with ‘roadburner’, he should know). So, when the time comes and if you need this tool and would like to save more than 10 bucks let me know and I’ll loan it to you since we’re poster buddies.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Richard
That is extremely nice of you and much appreciated.
Your son has to come with the deal though, because I would botch things up so badly it would cost well over $215 to get it back to normal again.
On a more serious note, your son has spent many hours learning his craft, so he is being paid for that knowledge so to speak. I just like looking at and driving cars, so my knowledge in that area is worth "0". Thank goodness I can make some money at my business, so I can pay someone to do my brakes for me, even though I am obviously getting ripped off.
If I do try that handy little tool, maybe you can send me one of those chipped ham sandwiches too, they sound really good
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
News flash!!! My wife told me today to pick out her next car. She said that it really didn't matter to her as long as it was new and looked pretty. She said, "You know more about them than I do. You picked out the Explorer by yourself, and I have enjoyed it." So, I guess that I can get what I want. I'm still not sure what that is yet.
Richard
Unfortunately, most chain stores won't allow haggling. They have a fixed price.
You won't be successful haggling at the Wally Mart...do you have one in your neighborhood? If you did the people at your Wally Mart wouldn't look like this:
See
People of WalMart
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Personally, I think it is a trick. There is no way that is going to work. It's coming to me now. When you get the new car, and it gets stuck in mud, or there is dog crap all over the interior, you know who is going to get blamed?
I think you will be making a big mistake.
But, if you go it alone don't forget to try out a GLK.>
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Honest, it isn't a job that takes long enough that you should need a lunch. But having heard you describe your mechanical aptitude I guess you should know what you will need to get through the job. So, to be safe, I'll pack you a lunch with 2 of those delicious sandwiches and instructions on how to use the cell phone with greasy fingers and some brake lingo too so when you have to call the dealer for some help/tow truck the service advisor won't laugh too hard. :P
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Most chain stores will come down in price if you can convince them that another store has the same item for less. I got a Best Buy to come down on price just by saying that Wal Mart had it for less ( yes they just took my word for it).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That looks like a trap. Make sure she sees the car and states that she thinks it looks pretty (get it in writing if you can) before you buy. Last thing you want is to buy her a car and for her to say "thats ugly".
Personal note: from experience I know that what a wife says she liked yesterday she may not like tomorrow. So good luck.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I will say one thing, the sense of accomplishment you get from doing your own repairs is probably worth more than the savings.
But, I get a great sense of accomplishment from changing a light bulb. On the car I get a great sense of accomplishment when I have to turn the clock back or forward an hour.
But, I have to figure out how to get one of those sandwiches. Maybe on my way to S.C.......
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
Richard
anyhow, no big shock there (me saying that). But, my wife popped in with an immediate "me too".
both of us have 2005 Hondas (her an odyssey, me an Accord) both of which are about to hit 60K. Hers is a full year older though.
So, neither of us "needs" one. and they fer sure ain't inthe budget at the moment. But, doesn't hurt to dream!
I know that she is a bit tired driving around the barge of a van, and would like something more compact. Although she is the one that wildly overpacks when we go anywhere, so she will have to work on that!
Let's see, 3 more years of college for kid #1, then a year off before kid #2 starts. That seems to be the sweet spot!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Another friend I have....Oh yeh, I can visit you on my way too, in North Carolina. :shades:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
No it ain't. That's the year where you get a chance to recover, a little. I wish I had one of those.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
My brother in law helps put it on via the Kiwanis. It's held at the Highlands Airport.
All sorts of airplanes (doing air acrobatics) and a car show all in one place.
Pics are Gary and Dave (me) cruising the grounds and a sweet Buick well done.
My carspace has the pics full size. link title
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
You're probably right that I don't need the SH AWD version as being retired allows me to look out at the snow without the need to actually drive in it.
Next question is what color? If I remember correctly, GG is the one that dislikes "cartoonish interiors". I agree. Anywhere from grey to off white cloth or leather interior suits me fine.
Exterior can be anything except black, silver or gold. Bright red would be nice, but not on the TL list of colors. Right now I have 4 cars, all white. Time for a change.
Thanks for the invite to where the cars are. Perhaps a day or two in the Marriott surrounded by all sorts of brands and styles would have me behaving like a kid in a candy store. ps I gave up on the Ridgeline as it is way bigger in person than I imagined from photos. My garage dimensions ruled it a no fit.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
This may explain her obsession with destroying your Sebring...