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I did find it to drop out once when I was under trees, and also tunnels and freeway overpasses. However, it goes to silence instead of noise, and I feel it is a small price to pay for good, mostly commercial-free audio.
I honestly don't know if torque steer is an issue on the TL because I haven't driven it yet. My TSX has no torque steer, but then it doesn't have much torque! Either way, I trust the objectivity of C&D.
Let me be clear that there concerns will have no impact on me. Sooner or later, I will own a TL. But, I appreciate their criticisms and suspect there is a kernal of truth there.
Audi seems to do okay in this arena, *but* they offer both FWD and the option of AWD.
Of course, Acura could (I hope) offer a hybrid-AWD version of the TL! There were rumors about this for a while, but nothing has materialized (though, it may be on the '05 RL).
I really like this car but I'm not sure it's worth $38K when I can get a G35 under MSRP which would be about $7,000 less than the TL.
Maybe the TL is still new so the dealer isn't willing to negotiate price.
Personally, I would not pay more than $2,000 over the price of similarly equiped G35. Right now I can get a fully loaded G35 AWD for the same price as I'm buying the TL with NAVI. If this G25 was $2,000 cheaper, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. TL is a better car, but it's not worth $7,000 difference.
I stirred it up on another forum about this, but I'd like to see what you think, and also perhaps Acura is watching and there will be some impact on future TLs. Please forgive the long post.
FIRST - Things that are on our lower priced TSX, but NOT on the TL! (Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?)
1. Turn Signals on the Side Mirrors - This is the GREATEST thing, it should be on ALL cars. The lights are right at driver's eye level, and they can be seen even to the rear of the car. We quickly saw faster response from other drivers after we got the TSX. Why were they left off the TL? Even in the brochure, they are listed under "Safety Features". Did Acura feel we didn't deserve them at the last minute?
2. Manual Trunk Release - Our TSX has a little button above the license plate to allow you to open the trunk when the car is unlocked, but this is missing from the higher-priced TL. So - we have to go find our keys (hope the remote battery is not dead) or go in the car to find the poorly placed trunk release button. Hmmm.
3. REAL Fog Lights - The fog clears along the road, so why are our fog lights up at headlight level where they do little good? D'Oh! I would happily paid extra for REAL fog lights below the bumper, as on the TSX.
OTHER THINGS THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD -
4. DRLs - Oh, I see - they left out the DRL feature that all Canada TLs get, and instead hooked them to the headlights and called them our "Fog Lights"! Double D'Oh! Some people don't like DRLs. I didn't at first with my Solara, but after having them for a while, I see this as a very valuable addition. I KNOW they had prevented a LOT of other drivers from pulling out in front of me when I had the Solara.
5. Auto On Headlights - Again, I got used to them with my Solara, and found this a valuable feature. As you drive during the day, you never have to think about turning your lights on or off. This may seem rudimentary, but once you have it, you miss it. It is NOT the same as using the Auto OFF feature on the TL. With all the sensors in the TL, it should be just a small change to the computer programming.
6. Keyless Control in Key - The much lower priced Accord from the same parent has the wireless remote built into the key, but Acura still has a remote AND a key - What gives with that?
There are other small things, but these are most important to me, and most should be REALLY EASY to change to make this fantastic car even better. ACURA - Wake up!
Has anyone opted to install the body-side moldings? I saw them on a few cars at the dealer and altough the car looks better without it, I'm sure it's somewhat functional and will save you a few dents on the doors thoughout the life of the car.
My current car I was able to keep dent free on the doors for over 5 years, then in the last year I got 3 dents on the doors.
On a different note as far as the RWD vs FWD debate goes I was in the snowstorm yesterday and I saw one Cadillac CTS trying stuck in the ice(eventually he got out of the ice. I went around him.) I saw another guy in his Lincoln trying get stuck in the ice trying to make a turn. He was spinning the tires heavily. I saw a couple people in their 99-01 TL's have no problem with FWD in the snow. I didn't have a problem with my 02 CL in the snow.
Lastly, If I had a new TL I would be happy with it. I saw some pic's on the Acura website. The interior looks very very good.
UncleDavid: tired of your TSX already and you are already thinking about a new TL? That was pretty fast.
Finally, how does the last generation of TL's compare with the 04 model? Does the 04 model have a sportier ride driving style wise than the 99-03's. I would appreciate an answer if somebody could answer my question about the way the 04 TL drives as compared to the 03's. Thank You. Also if not too much trouble is the interior in the 04 TL more functional(easier) to use than the 03 model in regards to controls and buttons on the steering wheel and the center stack?
When I drove the 6-spd, normal driving didn't seem to bother me. How often will my driving take me from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds?
If Acura went AWD I wouldn't have a problem with it but who knows because the President of Honda said the next RL will not be front wheel drive.
Also, on the manual trunk release...I do not like being able to open the trunk when the car is unlocked...but what about the "old" style...a key hole/lock for the trunk.
I asked the same question on here about a month ago and got a cryptic answer at best. Seems like nobody knows the answer. The best I could decipher from the response is that the TL actually does not have an instrument that measures actual gas intake by the engine and the gas mileage statistics on the trip computer are nothing but vague estimates at best.
I also think that assessment is confirmed by the wide range of mileage values that are posted on here. It just doesn’t make sense.
I don't notice any torque steer, maybe because I have been breaking it in. I have tried to keep the RPM's to around 3000 or less. I have 600 miles on it as of today.
My last car, a 2002 Saab 9-5 was also front wheel drive.
I consider this car to be the best I have owned yet. It is a luxury sports car. I never would drive a BMW because I don't want to be a BMW guy
(maybe that puts me in the same category as a BMW guy).
I like the fact that the Acura TL is subtle. However, I think it looks much nicer than either the 3 or 5 series. I probably should've test drove the G35, but the interior reviews turned me off.
I am very happy with the car despite the CD article.
Also I just wanted to say to those who rather FWD over RWD, I find RWD safer in the winter as long as you have good snow tires. And I would also reccomend snow tires on FWD as well. And to give you an example, this morning I woke up to over 5 inches of snow and I live on a very steep hill. I had no problems getting up the hill in my fathers RWD 740iL BMW with four Bridgeston Blizzaks with the traction controll disabled.
I don't want to sacrifice my safety by buying an RWD vehicle for that extra little bit of performance. I would bet that more than 80% of Acura TL buyers feel the same way.
Will I benefit from a zaino finish even with a silver finish?
I personally do not want to put California License plates in front of my new TL - I think it looks much better without it. If anyone has noticed the word "Acura" is embosed in front of the car and I think it looks sharp.
Problem is my husband has 50th anniversay corvette and he refuses to put front license plates on that baby.
We were pulled over the other day by a San Diego Police officer for a stupid "fix it" ticket. My husband placed the license plates on, drove to the police station and got it cleared off. After that, we drove home and he took them off again.
Any thoughts? What happens if you get numerous "fix it" tickets?
Thanks everyone!
It's interesting that you're considering polar opposites regarding exterior maintenance. Black is by far the most difficult to keep clean and the silver is one of the the easiest. I think that the black is the nicest exterior of all, but I'm not willing to expend the weekly time that is necessary to keep it clean. If you are I say go for it. I think the silver/ebony is a very sharp combo.
The experts here will tell you that Zaino will benefit all car exteriors. There's actually a Zaino forum you can get more info. about the products.
Does Acura/Honda ever change/add color choices during the model year?
I really like the white exterior but not with any of the available interiors...the black interior would look GREAT IMO. Also, I would like to see what the red ext. would look like with the gray interior...but again this is not an option.
Also, do any of you agree that the gray interior would look better if only the seats and carpet was gray (and maybe overhead) and everything else was black like on the black interior. I think it would look sharp with the dash and the door panels black with gray seats.
I do not care for the "two tone" affect on the gray interior.
Any comments?
My first choice would be the white exterior, but I do not like any of the interior colors (black if available would be my choice)
Second Choice would be the red ext. with black int.
Third choice would be gray ext. and gray int.
Since I cannot get black int with white ext. I will probably be getting my second choice which is the red ext. with black interior.
COLOR Unless you are willing to devote yourself to multiple coats of Zaino, DAILY attendance to the finish and accepting the HEAT during the summer, get the silver. Z will make it look fabulous. Not as great as the black, but I feel that the negatives of black outweigh the positives.
Trip Computer I believe that it is taking the REAL gas consumption and figuring it with the speed/distance. Because the car has computer-controlled fuel injection, the car knows exactly how much gas is being delivered, as well as the other measurements.
(1) RWD, with stability control, LSD, etc. has significantly improved in recent years. It's still adviseable to get snow tires and rims, but the cost should be reasonable compared to the price of a premium car and the wear and tear saved on the summer tires partially offsets the cost.
(2) The new TL, with its high performance low profile tires isn't exactly a snow beater just because it is FWD. I suspect it would be highly advisable to get snow tires and rims if you are going to go far in snow.
(3) The FWD TL is clearly banging up against the ceiling of a luxury/performance sedan. Acura loyalists might prefer FWD, but they are kidding themselves if they think FWD is consistent with either performance or a true luxury ride. You won't find a single FWD BMW, Mercedes or upper end Lexus or Infiniti that is FWD.
I myself bought a Nissan Maxima in 1995 because it was the best compromise of performance and practicality at the time. I am impressed with many of the features of the new TL and I am a Honda/Acura fan. But a $34k+/- 270hp TL is NEVER going to compete with a 3 series or even a G35 in terms of overall performance and balanced handling. And it won't compete with Audi or others that offer AWD options for foul weather. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a very attractive set of attributes, but it's clearly a compromise when it comes to performance - as is the new Maxima with 265 hp and considerably more torque.
You just have to look as far as a post made here a couple days ago by a TL driver during the snowstorms of the NE. He said that he passed several RWD Lexus’s, BMW’s, and Infinities stuck in the snow as he zipped passed them in his FWD 04 TL.
Auto – Thanks for the info on the trip computer. That is a lot better than the answer I got last time. Is this your assumption though or do they state this in the Driver’s manual.
I saw several rear axle car stuck on the I95 during last Firday's Blizzard.
I was laughing all the way to bank in my TLS.
I saw this elderly man in a Jaguar (XJ) at the Westport exit just sitting back and smoking a cigar- I guess he was waiting on a tow truck.
Surprisingly, I saw a G35 mowing through the snow as if the car was a Front Trak or AWD Trak.
I did not get close enough to see if it was the AWD.
2. Silver exterior is "no maintenance". That is why I got it. Black is horribly hard to maintain because the dirt shows up more and every single scratch and ding stand out.
Having said that, I like Anthracite's look so much more than Silver, that I'm opting to get Anthracite TL 04. I always regretted not getting Anthracite 2003.
See you there.
Most trip computers are a simple estimate using RPMs and mileage together to come up with an estimated value. This can still give you an instant value if you reset it. I am trying to figure out if Acura's is the same or a more advanced and accurate method.
It comes with parchment interior too, as soon as one comes in I'll check it out. As long as the green isn't too green I'll like it. Did you look at the anthracite w/camel?
I will be picking up my Anthracite/Ebony auto with NAVI this Friday.
kevd, Anthracite/Camel was my initial combo of choice, even though I have never seen it. It seems to be a very rare combination. I really liked Camel with other colors and I love Anthracite, but couple sales people told me that they thought that the combination of the two was bad. Since I never seen it myself, I decided not to risk it.
The perl green is not too green, it's a bit greyish and gun-metallish (I'm inventing words here ;-)).
I thought Acura really botched the Quartz interior. Some of the elements, like leather on arm-rests, look really cheap in that light-grey color. They should've made it a grey/black combination, not grey-only, in my opinion.