You aren't a former stockbroker from the NASDAQ heydeys that thought there were no bad stocks, are you?
Seriously, while I agree that cars in general have advanced in technology and - in some areas - reliability, I would hardly look at a Suzuki whatever and think I was getting the same 150k+ mile car as a Honda Accord. Even if all cars are a bit improved over their predecessors, there is just as large of a spectrum of quality out there as there ever was, IMO. And apparantly, in a lot of other peoples opinions, too. Take the look at the average resale value of a 3-4 year old GM vs. a 3-4 year old Honda/Acura. Couldn't have anything to do with quality, could it??
I can't believe they got such a long braking distance for the 04 TL. I think it was motorweek that got 114 ft for braking from 60. Certainly the brakes feel better than the 00 TL.
There are numerous issues that affect resale values...perceived quality being only one. Style, exclusivity, handling, cost, etc. are others. My point to the previous poster was that there is no valid reason to fear purchasing a modern Jag, if that's what he has his heart set on.
Every make of cars has anecdotal evidence of superior and subpar performance. But taken on the whole, all contemporary nameplates will give far better service, with far fewer problems than past vehicles. The possible area of execption being electronics, which had limited impact on older cars.
If we all ascribed to your theory, everyone would be driving Honda Accords...but we're not, are we. That's because everyone has their own set of subjective criteria that they apply to their purchases, and that's what (thankfully) gives us additional alternatives to the very fine Hondas you own and obviously prefer.
Just picked up my anthracite/ebony TL. Car had 16 miles on it at pick up. Maybe someone was driving it around because I noticed a slight ding just below the window. Dealer should have said something - that would be true quality services. Anyway, bring back on Monday for them to fix. Told them touch up paint is not fixing. Have the NAV and seems to work great. Hear no rattles at all! Just read the Car and Driver article about issues of front versus rear wheel drive - do not feel it matters in a City that has a 50/55 mile an hour limit. I did test drive a G35 sedan and thought it was great but too tight in the interior. If I have any complaint, I think the suspension is just a bit too tight. I would have preferred a slightly softer ride but this is just me. My son (23) loves the ride as is!
I would trust a Hyundai but not a Suzuki. I'm not into Jaguar's myself but I can understand why people would like them. They have a distinctive ness about them exterior styling wise. I know Ford has improved Jaguar on the reliability front but I'm still not sold on the reliability of Jaguar's. I think Volvo has gotten better on the reliability front and Saab is pretty good as far as Swedish manufactaurer's go for reliability.
Resale value is a different subject entirely. The Chevy Impala is probably as reliable as a Honda Accord nowadays. What hurts resale value on American Cars mosly nowadays is the all the discounting on the price. You know 3,000 dollar factory rebate. Not that I would buy an Impala but I;m just saying and I am an Acura owner. American Cars have gotten better with reliability over the past 7 years. I have my negative thoughts on reliability about certain manufacturer's like VW, Suzuki, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Jaguar.
You make a valid point, and I wholeheartedly agree that price discounting of new vehicles will put downward pressure on used car prices. But I know of no high volume car that automatically causes potential buyers to say "I'll take the red one please...oh, and by the way, be sure and write it up at MSRP". No, we all want to buy at the lowest price, and sell at the highest price. Same with the dealers...and so, we do this perpetual dance.
My point in my previous post was that quality is not the "ne plus ultra" determinant of resale value. Case in point: I own 3 Mercedes Benz, among the highest cars in retained resale value. But are they the highest in quality as defined by the "honda" standard of reliability? Not even close. So therefore other forces are also at work to determine why people will pay more for one used car, as opposed to another.
The final point I'd make on this issue, then hopefully put it to rest, since we're waaaay off topic here, is that no matter what your perspective is on these issues, this is a great time in our automotive history to be a consumer, because we've all got great cars to chose from. No matter what you like, there's a good seat for every [non-permissible content removed]!
Maybe the magazine will retest or update in Feb. issue. It does seem a little hard to believe against some of the other cars and "vans" that the Brembo equipped 6 MT took 141 ft to stop from 60. Maybe it is a typo for 114. Time will tell.
It was time to upgrade my phone with Cingular and was thrilled to purchase the Sony Ericcson T616 with Bluetooth technology.
It is absolutely awesome! A pet peeve of mine is watching drivers fiddle with their phones while on the road! The phone is used by the speakers in the car and the clarity is unbelievable! It was fun to call my brother from the TL to let him know we were on our way to Thanksgiving dinner.
I would highly reccommend this feature to your new TLs. FUN! FUN! FUN!
I read somewhere that tinting the windows of the TL will affect the reception of the navigation system. Is this true? Does anyone have their windows tinted on their TLs?
Just received my care pkg from Zaino. In it was a little pkg. of bottles, one with ZFX in it. I have not been able to find instructions for using this. Is the idea to put some Z2, for instance, in one of these bottles with a drop of ZFX and then just shake it up? I also cannot find any litature on the use of the bottles other than that just described. Maybe they need to include a book "car polish for dummies" ??
"I read somewhere that tinting the windows of the TL will affect the reception of the navigation system. Is this true? Does anyone have their windows tinted on their TLs? "
I have my windows tinted (50%-65%-65%)on my TL 04 with navigator and it is very accurate so far!The job has been done by the Acura dealer.
I believe metallic/semi-metallic tints would affect the reception of the Navigation system, from what I read a while back in the TL forum, back when I had my 00 TL with NAV.
Debis04tl - you want to hop over to the Zaino Car Polishes/Products discussion with your questions about Zaino. Just click on that link to get there. Good luck!
The following was posted by "riez" over on the 5-series board: _________ The January '04 C&D is a 6-speed manual 530i with Sport Pkg. 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds. 1/4 mile in 15.2 secs. at 93 mph. Pulled 0.90g on 300 ft skidpad. Braked from 70 mph in 167 ft. MSRP for their loaded car was a whopping $56,145!
This issue also has their test of new Acura TL: 6-speed manual, LSD, all-season tires. 0-60 mph in 5.7 secs. 1/4 mile in 14.4 secs. at 99 mph. Pulled only 0.81g. Braked in 189 ft. MSRP of $35,195. ________
From the looks of those tests, the TL is about the quickest FWD sedan out there, but unfortunately, it is still marginal in handling and braking compared to the better RWD sports sedans. Even my old Legend GS 6-speed posted better handling and braking numbers, as I recall.
I am glad, however, that Acura finally came out with a 6-speed version. Takes the worry out of their "is it fixed yet" automatic. And at least it gives driving enthusiasts something to consider a bit more than before.
That's bizarre! I was sure I've seen one report (maybe from Motorweek) that stated that 6-speed with the standard Brembo brakes stopped in 115 ft. Maybe that was from 60mph?
Historically, the TL is very poor in braking. The TL-S tested by C&D in October 2002 needed 192 feet. Forget the 530i (171 feet) or the M3 (161 feet), even the portly BMW X5 SUV managed to stop in 172 feet. The TL-S stopping distance was only 3 feet less than the Honda Pilot (195 feet)
I'm not sure what's up with the TL, but better brakes and suspension are clearly needed. Honda has the know how - the S2000 stops in 3 feet less than the Boxster S. (162 vs. 165).
Historically, the TL is very poor in braking. The TL-S tested by C&D in October 2002 needed 192 feet. Forget the 530i (171 feet) or the M3 (161 feet), even the portly BMW X5 SUV managed to stop in 172 feet. The TL-S stopping distance was only 3 feet less than the Honda Pilot (195 feet)
I'm not sure what's up with the TL, but better brakes and suspension are clearly needed. Honda has the know how - the S2000 stops in 3 feet less than the Boxster S. (162 vs. 165).
Went to the acura dealer to purchase tsx, the dealer only had 4 tsx's. The salesman offered me a lease deal on the 2004 tl, 4000 dollars down and 299 a month plus tax with 12000 miles a year. I really don't care to much for tl but that price is tempting.
Only one dealer is currently advertising lease figures here in Atlanta for the TL: $397 per month, for 42 months, with $1,999 down and 12,000 miles per year.
A lot better deal than your dealer is offering you. Go back and beat on them some more!
According to MotorWeek 2004 TL braking from 60 was 115, and 2004 530 had 125. I also read that TL has 300 ft skidpad of .87, which sounds more logical than 0.81
I put 10,000 down and pay 348mo but I have Navi and aero kit. Agreed purchase price was 37,000 48month term with 18,500 option at end of lease. My total cost to drive for 4 years is about $26,500.
Remember those quotes are just that, when you sit down and sign the papers then let us know how you did. What is the lease options at the end of those leases.
According to MotorWeek 2004 TL braking from 60 was 115, and 2004 530 had 125. I also read that TL has 300 ft skidpad of .87, which sounds more logical than 0.81
I believe that this concept arises from problems of early metallic window tints affecting the window antenna for AM/FM. Since the Nav/XM Antenna is outside, this seems not to be a problem. My tint (Johnson brand) does not seem to affect the radio at all.
Has anyone looked into the option of having the dealer switch out the carbon fiber in the 04 TL with the fake wood? I want the Silver car with Gray interior but I would rather have the fake wood than the carbon, and I'd rather not deal with waiting for the aftermarket product to come out...
You and I are probably the only 2 that have read the entire manual- I did skip the NAV section since I don't have that option. My college textbook on chenistry was only slightly more difficult to get through!
How does Honda(Acura) determine prices for these "packages"? I've heard that the A-Spec will cost $5,000 PLUS installation!?! Sounds like a money-maker for the dealer. (they had a similar expensive package for the Accord Coupe and Civic Si)
As a comparison, BMW offers the ZHP (Performance package) for $3,900 installed at the factory.
Not trying to flame anything, but just curious (I suppose the flip side is that Acuras come fully-loaded whereas BMWs are all stripped down and options jack the price up).
kahunah- That link is for the November issue, which had a brief intro of the TL... not a more thorough road test. I believe jmess is referring to the December issue of R&T (which I haven't seen yet).
It seems when they combined the TL and the 2004TL message forums a lot of the 2004 TL message threads were lost.
Will they be recovered? If so, when?
Also: many of the car reviews posted are just boiler plate intro information on the TL and are not really road tests which measure actual tests and driving dynamics. Is it true that the 0-60 mph time is greater than 6 seconds in the 6.3 range instead of being 5.7 as originally speculated? Bloated weight? Peaking torque cure on the 270hp ?
Is the TL really worth $9K (real price difference after discounts) more than the 6-speed Accord Coupe?
All of the messages should be here. What Karen did is take the 2004 discussion and add it to the end of the existing discussion. The first post of the 2004 discussion is tedescm1 Mar 19, 2003 9:11am now in this discussion. Page back from there and you'll see more recent messages that were already in this discussion.
the 04 TL got pretty good reviews in Car and Driver but they were wishing the car was rear wheel drive. They were constantly comparing numbers to the g35 and 330 and the TL was not close. They said the TL has better standard features then both the G and BMW but do people really want the dvd audio and blue tooth? One thing they reallly complained about was the torque steer on this car. Same problem with the 04 Maxima too much power for FWD cars they are at their limt. 0-60 in 5.7 is amazing for the 6speed
The 0-60 speed is 5.7 sec according to the latest review of TL with 6-speed.
As far as your question about comparing it to the Accord Coupe, I must insist that you are comparing apples and oranges. With 2004, the TL moved up WAY upmarket from Accord. It is better than Accord in pretty much every category:
* power, * suspension, * comfort, * quality of ALL interior materials: better leather, plastics, real aluminum, real carbon-fiber, great-looking fake wood, etc. * safety: stability system, Xenon lights on both low and high beams; * technology: drive-by-wire, much better stereo, trip computer, bluetooth, extra features on navigation system such as 3D sun position sensor, etc. * standard equipment: memory seats and mirrors, power lumbar adjustment, side mirrors that tilt when reversing, tinted side mirrors to reduce glare, standard cargo nets, auto-dimming rearview mirror, etc. * interior and exterior design, * warranty, * dealer experience, and so on, and so on.
And where do you get the $9K price difference??? You can't compare invoice to MSRP! The 2004 TL is now selling for as much as $2,000 under MSRP and, given how quickly the dealers started deep discounting, you can expect it to sell for $1,000 over invoice 3-6 months from now. Assuming that Accord sells for $500 over invoice, the price difference with the best deal you can make on TL is $6,500 ($33,195 minus $26,660).
* quality of ALL interior materials: better leather (SAME LEATHER but perforated), plastics (TAKEN FROM THE ACCORD), real aluminum (AGREED, aftermarket avail.), real carbon-fiber (AGREED, aftermarket avail.) , great-looking fake wood (AGREED, aftermarket available), etc.
* safety: stability system, Xenon lights on both low and high beams;
Agreed...
* technology: drive-by-wire (ACCORD V-6 IS DRIVE BY WIRE TOO), much better stereo (100 watts more powerful, AGREED), trip computer (AVAILABLE IN THE NAV SYSTEM ON ACCORD), bluetooth (AGREED), extra features on navigation system such as 3D sun position sensor (ACCORD HAS SUN SENSOR TOO), etc.
* standard equipment: memory seats and mirrors (AGREED), power lumbar adjustment (MANUAL IN ACCORD), side mirrors that tilt when reversing (AGREED), tinted side mirrors to reduce glare (NOT SURE IF ACCORD DOESN'T HAVE THIS TOO), standard cargo nets ($70 AFTERMARKET), auto-dimming rearview mirror (AGREED), etc.
* interior and exterior design,
Exterior: AGREED Interior: DISAGREED. Both look very good.
* warranty (7yr/100k warranty with $0 deductible is $850'ish from Curry Honda),
* dealer experience, and so on, and so on.
I've met Honda dealers that were just as nice, if not more so than Acura.
Accord also gets better fuel economy and runs on Regular, compared to TL using Premium.
Both are excellent cars. As for prices, most folks in my area are getting $1000 below MSRP on TL NAV (no options). Accord V-6 NAV is going for Invoice plus $200 (options included: wheel locks, mud flaps and trunk net).
Acura TL w/NAV $34195 Honda Accord EX V6 NAV $26241
That yeilds a difference of $7951...Almost $8000 bucks. Not to mention, above TL prices are based on whether the car is on the lot.
You're paying for a more upscale car. Never mind the additional features, the TL just has a different feel and look to it. Trying reconciling features to price, say, for an Accord to a MB E-Class. The discrepancy is even more pronounced.
I've been looking at the tires chosen for the TL and was interested what drivers thought about the handling of the Bridgestone Turanza EL-42's. They are on Tire Rack's consumer rating chart as being marginal for wet weather at best. Would it be worth replacing them with Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z's which had a much better performance rating and still get a 40,000 mile warranty? They seem to be a better choice for the 6-speed than the Potenza "summer tires." Since I haven't tried any of these, I'm open to suggestions before ordering my TL. Some companies here will give a few bucks if you can get the original tires off before the miles rack up.
1. Acura is making a lot of TLs; 2. Competitors' cars (G35) are getting deep discounts So Acura dealers have to keep up.
I spoke to the dealer that offers $2,000 off the TL with NAVI today. The guy said that TLs are plentiful, just don't ask him for a TSX!
All the nearbuy dealerships have 10-20 non-NAVI TL's sitting on their lots and most have at least couple NAVI ones. Some dealers are still trying to create an illusion of short supply on NAVI ones, but the reality is that it takes at most three weeks to get it, if there isn't one in stock.
You will only see the price holding up in areas with very little competition because of small number of Acura and Infinity dealerships. But if you're on the East coast, it's mostly the buyer's market for the TL.
"I spoke to the dealer that offers $2,000 off the TL with NAVI today."
Where and what dealer? I went through carsdirect.com and cars.com today and heard from 4 or 5 dealers in the San Diego area. The best offer was $34,895 including destination and performance package. Thats $300 off MSRP, $545 for destination charges and $395 for protection package. Grand total of discount $1240.
Additionally, I was going to go through the COSTCO auto buying program. Through this program, certain dealers would give $500 off MSRP, NAVI for $1821 and the protection package for $330. Problem is only certain dealers use the COSTCO program.
What is 3D sun position sensor? Is that feature only available with the Nav? I heard that the windows and the sunroof can be opened and closed with the key fob. Is that true? I wonder what Acura is doing with its so-called "flagship" RL. That car can hardly be a flagship, especially when you look at its aged-design and inferior technology (when compared with the TL).
Comments
Seriously, while I agree that cars in general have advanced in technology and - in some areas - reliability, I would hardly look at a Suzuki whatever and think I was getting the same 150k+ mile car as a Honda Accord. Even if all cars are a bit improved over their predecessors, there is just as large of a spectrum of quality out there as there ever was, IMO. And apparantly, in a lot of other peoples opinions, too. Take the look at the average resale value of a 3-4 year old GM vs. a 3-4 year old Honda/Acura. Couldn't have anything to do with quality, could it??
Every make of cars has anecdotal evidence of superior and subpar performance. But taken on the whole, all contemporary nameplates will give far better service, with far fewer problems than past vehicles. The possible area of execption being electronics, which had limited impact on older cars.
If we all ascribed to your theory, everyone would be driving Honda Accords...but we're not, are we. That's because everyone has their own set of subjective criteria that they apply to their purchases, and that's what (thankfully) gives us additional alternatives to the very fine Hondas you own and obviously prefer.
Resale value is a different subject entirely. The Chevy Impala is probably as reliable as a Honda Accord nowadays. What hurts resale value on American Cars mosly nowadays is the all the discounting on the price. You know 3,000 dollar factory rebate. Not that I would buy an Impala but I;m just saying and I am an Acura owner. American Cars have gotten better with reliability over the past 7 years. I have my negative thoughts on reliability about certain manufacturer's like VW, Suzuki, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Jaguar.
My point in my previous post was that quality is not the "ne plus ultra" determinant of resale value. Case in point: I own 3 Mercedes Benz, among the highest cars in retained resale value. But are they the highest in quality as defined by the "honda" standard of reliability? Not even close. So therefore other forces are also at work to determine why people will pay more for one used car, as opposed to another.
The final point I'd make on this issue, then hopefully put it to rest, since we're waaaay off topic here, is that no matter what your perspective is on these issues, this is a great time in our automotive history to be a consumer, because we've all got great cars to chose from. No matter what you like, there's a good seat for every [non-permissible content removed]!
It is absolutely awesome! A pet peeve of mine is watching drivers fiddle with their phones while on the road! The phone is used by the speakers in the car and the clarity is unbelievable! It was fun to call my brother from the TL to let him know we were on our way to Thanksgiving dinner.
I would highly reccommend this feature to your new TLs. FUN! FUN! FUN!
Thanks for your input!
Others and I have found that the tires on our new TLs have been over the recommended 32 psi (AT/standard wheels) which can make the ride a bit firmer.
I have my windows tinted (50%-65%-65%)on my TL 04
with navigator and it is very accurate so far!The
job has been done by the Acura dealer.
Maybe, by then, the stereo will be able to play WMA audio files too.
Later...AH
_________
The January '04 C&D is a 6-speed manual 530i with Sport Pkg. 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds. 1/4 mile in 15.2 secs. at 93 mph. Pulled 0.90g on 300 ft skidpad. Braked from 70 mph in 167 ft. MSRP for their loaded car was a whopping $56,145!
This issue also has their test of new Acura TL: 6-speed manual, LSD, all-season tires. 0-60 mph in 5.7 secs. 1/4 mile in 14.4 secs. at 99 mph. Pulled only 0.81g. Braked in 189 ft. MSRP of $35,195.
________
From the looks of those tests, the TL is about the quickest FWD sedan out there, but unfortunately, it is still marginal in handling and braking compared to the better RWD sports sedans. Even my old Legend GS 6-speed posted better handling and braking numbers, as I recall.
I am glad, however, that Acura finally came out with a 6-speed version. Takes the worry out of their "is it fixed yet" automatic. And at least it gives driving enthusiasts something to consider a bit more than before.
Historically, the TL is very poor in braking. The TL-S tested by C&D in October 2002 needed 192 feet. Forget the 530i (171 feet) or the M3 (161 feet), even the portly BMW X5 SUV managed to stop in 172 feet. The TL-S stopping distance was only 3 feet less than the Honda Pilot (195 feet)
I'm not sure what's up with the TL, but better brakes and suspension are clearly needed. Honda has the know how - the S2000 stops in 3 feet less than the Boxster S. (162 vs. 165).
Historically, the TL is very poor in braking. The TL-S tested by C&D in October 2002 needed 192 feet. Forget the 530i (171 feet) or the M3 (161 feet), even the portly BMW X5 SUV managed to stop in 172 feet. The TL-S stopping distance was only 3 feet less than the Honda Pilot (195 feet)
I'm not sure what's up with the TL, but better brakes and suspension are clearly needed. Honda has the know how - the S2000 stops in 3 feet less than the Boxster S. (162 vs. 165).
A lot better deal than your dealer is offering you. Go back and beat on them some more!
48month term with 18,500 option at end of lease.
My total cost to drive for 4 years is about $26,500.
Remember those quotes are just that, when you sit down and sign the papers then let us know how you did. What is the lease options at the end of those leases.
KarenS/Senior Host/Owners Clubs
I'll be sure to remember that!
As a comparison, BMW offers the ZHP (Performance package) for $3,900 installed at the factory.
Not trying to flame anything, but just curious (I suppose the flip side is that Acuras come fully-loaded whereas BMWs are all stripped down and options jack the price up).
Will they be recovered? If so, when?
Also: many of the car reviews posted are just boiler plate intro information on the TL and are not really road tests which measure actual tests and driving dynamics.
Is it true that the 0-60 mph time is greater than 6 seconds in the 6.3 range instead of being 5.7 as originally speculated? Bloated weight? Peaking torque cure on the 270hp ?
Is the TL really worth $9K (real price difference after discounts) more than the 6-speed Accord Coupe?
As far as your question about comparing it to the Accord Coupe, I must insist that you are comparing apples and oranges. With 2004, the TL moved up WAY upmarket from Accord. It is better than Accord in pretty much every category:
* power,
* suspension,
* comfort,
* quality of ALL interior materials: better leather, plastics, real aluminum, real carbon-fiber, great-looking fake wood, etc.
* safety: stability system, Xenon lights on both low and high beams;
* technology: drive-by-wire, much better stereo, trip computer, bluetooth, extra features on navigation system such as 3D sun position sensor, etc.
* standard equipment: memory seats and mirrors, power lumbar adjustment, side mirrors that tilt when reversing, tinted side mirrors to reduce glare, standard cargo nets, auto-dimming rearview mirror, etc.
* interior and exterior design,
* warranty,
* dealer experience, and so on, and so on.
And where do you get the $9K price difference??? You can't compare invoice to MSRP! The 2004 TL is now selling for as much as $2,000 under MSRP and, given how quickly the dealers started deep discounting, you can expect it to sell for $1,000 over invoice 3-6 months from now. Assuming that Accord sells for $500 over invoice, the price difference with the best deal you can make on TL is $6,500 ($33,195 minus $26,660).
You posted:
* power,
TL 3.2l V6 270hp@6200 238 ft-lbs.@5000
Accord 3.0 V6 240@6250 212 ft-lbs.@5000
Not much of a difference....
* suspension,
Agreed.
* comfort
I think both vehicles are equally comfortable.
* quality of ALL interior materials: better leather (SAME LEATHER but perforated), plastics (TAKEN FROM THE ACCORD), real aluminum (AGREED, aftermarket avail.), real carbon-fiber (AGREED, aftermarket avail.) , great-looking fake wood (AGREED, aftermarket available), etc.
* safety: stability system, Xenon lights on both low and high beams;
Agreed...
* technology: drive-by-wire (ACCORD V-6 IS DRIVE BY WIRE TOO), much better stereo (100 watts more powerful, AGREED), trip computer (AVAILABLE IN THE NAV SYSTEM ON ACCORD), bluetooth (AGREED), extra features on navigation system such as 3D sun position sensor (ACCORD HAS SUN SENSOR TOO), etc.
* standard equipment: memory seats and mirrors (AGREED), power lumbar adjustment (MANUAL IN ACCORD), side mirrors that tilt when reversing (AGREED), tinted side mirrors to reduce glare (NOT SURE IF ACCORD DOESN'T HAVE THIS TOO), standard cargo nets ($70 AFTERMARKET), auto-dimming rearview mirror (AGREED), etc.
* interior and exterior design,
Exterior: AGREED
Interior: DISAGREED. Both look very good.
* warranty (7yr/100k warranty with $0 deductible is $850'ish from Curry Honda),
* dealer experience, and so on, and so on.
I've met Honda dealers that were just as nice, if not more so than Acura.
Accord also gets better fuel economy and runs on Regular, compared to TL using Premium.
Both are excellent cars. As for prices, most folks in my area are getting $1000 below MSRP on TL NAV (no options). Accord V-6 NAV is going for Invoice plus $200 (options included: wheel locks, mud flaps and trunk net).
Acura TL w/NAV $34195
Honda Accord EX V6 NAV $26241
That yeilds a difference of $7951...Almost $8000 bucks. Not to mention, above TL prices are based on whether the car is on the lot.
Would it be worth replacing them with Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z's which had a much better performance rating and still get a 40,000 mile warranty? They seem to be a better choice for the 6-speed than the Potenza "summer tires." Since I haven't tried any of these, I'm open to suggestions before ordering my TL. Some companies here will give a few bucks if you can get the original tires off before the miles rack up.
1. Acura is making a lot of TLs;
2. Competitors' cars (G35) are getting deep discounts
So Acura dealers have to keep up.
I spoke to the dealer that offers $2,000 off the TL with NAVI today. The guy said that TLs are plentiful, just don't ask him for a TSX!
All the nearbuy dealerships have 10-20 non-NAVI TL's sitting on their lots and most have at least couple NAVI ones. Some dealers are still trying to create an illusion of short supply on NAVI ones, but the reality is that it takes at most three weeks to get it, if there isn't one in stock.
You will only see the price holding up in areas with very little competition because of small number of Acura and Infinity dealerships. But if you're on the East coast, it's mostly the buyer's market for the TL.
Where and what dealer? I went through carsdirect.com and cars.com today and heard from 4 or 5 dealers in the San Diego area. The best offer was $34,895 including destination and performance package. Thats $300 off MSRP, $545 for destination charges and $395 for protection package. Grand total of discount $1240.
Additionally, I was going to go through the COSTCO auto buying program. Through this program, certain dealers would give $500 off MSRP, NAVI for $1821 and the protection package for $330. Problem is only certain dealers use the COSTCO program.