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Comments
Maybe the DRL are run off of separate lamp? I'll have to check into that.
If you could check to see what lamp is used for the DRL I would really appreciate it.
but when we went back, it had an extra 23 miles on it...
at first I thought that was odd...since theoretically it was my car after I signed and paid for the car right then and there ( we used the home equity line of credit so as to be able to write off the interest) ..... but I thought maybe it was just a group of employees going out for a ride during lunch...nothing big about it....but I did not think that they may have taken it out joyriding or letting it rip...thus not breaking it in......
I willl talk to the dealer about it.....
thanks to all your input, fellow TL'ers
And boy, is it easy to get to 85 and the TL feels quite secure and comfy at that speed.
Boy is it easy! I have never had a moving violation, and the other day I noticed how slow everyone was going. They weren't going slow, I was going 90! But slowed down, didn't get a ticket. :P
The Sox are killing me. Luckily The Yanks are doing even worse...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I am planning to buy one soon and also moving to Maryland.
In general, does the rear wheel or the front wheel drive does well
under these conditions?
Your reply will be appreciated.
Thanks
Engine Type 3.2-liter 24-valve VTEC™ V-6 engine
Ext. Color: Eternal Blue Pearl
Int. Color: Parchment
40 month certified warranty / 100,000 miles
Kind of late to ask but was this a good deal?
Kelly Blue Book values it at $22,880
There have been many posts on this thread regarding TL owners' experiences with the stock Turanza tires which are all-season.
My opinion, if in snow belt, and have to do daily and a lot of driving, all-season tires not a good choice. It seems that 1k for winter tires and extra set of rims is cheap insurance to give extra measure of control of a vehicle. Would rather spend this on a car than some cosmetic or convenience stuff such as sunroof, leather, etc. if they were options. But, with TL, only factory option is NAVI I believe.
Old fashioned cars with rear wheel drive (not having traction control) were very difficult to drive on the ice. Had to drive as if a raw egg under your shoe and gas pedal. Just the slightest amount of too much power when on ice will send the car sideways. In contrast, first FWD car we had many years ago did not have traction control (not invented yet) and it was very controllable and forgiving on ice compared to RWD of that era.
There used to be many more crashes on overpasses in winter in our area (these surfaces freeze before roadways do) in years past because of RWD instability. With FWD being so common over last 20+ years, plus traction control, don't see as many overpass crashes in the winter in recent years.
Would be interesting to hear from folks that have both FWD and RWD cars with traction control and experience driving on snow/ice in these recent technology cars.
Good or bad points for the car from those who have owned for some time, particularly relative to warm weather climates (I live in Southern Nevada).
Experience with the Camel/Parchment vs. Quartz interior colors as to wear and ability to keep clean.
Handling quality as the car is FWD with 270 hp (torque steer issues?)
MPG in your experience.
Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
There is definitely torque steer when you stomp on the gas, manual or automatic. Problem is exasperated when road surface is uneven.
The camel interior is great - not hot, like black, not easily marked like lighter colors. I bought the car used, and there were some creases in the drivers seat from the prior driver (he had it a full year), but no big deal.
The navigation & voice recognition is absolutely amazing. I wouldn't get the car without it.
Accelleration is great (definitely more power than I can use), handling nice and tight (MT has tighter suspension, and I have summer tire option, which is tighter still), and brakes and road grip are the best of any car I've had (MT also has better brakes than automatic). It's an all-around great car that fun to drive, has cool luxury features and a very classy interior.
Re looks, keep in mind that the camel and tan interiors come with fake wood trim, while th black (is there a gray option?) has fake carbon fiber.
TL is a great car.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Climate: I'm in SoCal. Auto climate control is great. I had an Audi A4 and while it did a good job, the fan was really noisy. The TL's auto climate control is much quieter and I haven't had any problems keeping the car cool on 90+ days.
Camel interior: This is what I have. I had grey in last car and wanted a change. I wasn't so sure about Camel at first, seemed too "orangy" to me. But took the plunge and am now very glad I got it - looks much richer and a bit different than black or grey. Didn't have parchment as an option on my exterior color (Abyss Blue). Haven't had any big dirt problems but I'm pretty picky and careful, and I've wiped up any spots immediately. Car is still basically very clean inside after 7 months.
Handling: Handles very well, although I was spoiled by the A4 - TL is definitely NOT as good a handler as the Audi. Steering feel is quite good but the car is a bit floaty on curves. Probably my biggest area of disappointment about the car, but understand that I was spoiled by the Audi - it's still pretty good. I bought automatic partly due to torque steer, plus wife hates stick. Almost never notice the torque steer in the auto, when I test drove the manual and hit the gas at a start, the torque steer was a bit alarming with very quick application of gas.
MPG: It seems the 'range' of mpg is greater on this car than others I've driven. MPG in the computer is very accurate, within 1mpg of actual, which I check when I fill the car. In pure city driving you might see 17-19, on straight highway you can get around 30. A mix puts you in the 22-24 mpg territory. Adding a lot of city driving really pulls it down, but if you can cruise for long distances at 50-80 mph you'll see high mileage.
I am still considering buying the 2003 Passat off-lease due to low miles and decent buy-out price, but am very concerned about VW long term reliability and service. To date, through, my Passat has been very good, does not have anywhere near the bells/whistles and comfort/HP of the TL, but is a decent car nonetheless except for long therm reliability concerns.
One more question: For those in 100 degree + hot climates (again, I am in Southern Nevada), how is the TL's A/C performance. This is a very important issue for me.
Surprisingly, my Passat has exceptional A/C. My older 1999 Saab 9-3 had terrible A/C. Want to know about rear world longer term experiences with the TL.
Many thanks for all the feedback from all of you.
The TL requires 91 octane or greater. I've used 93 and found absolutely no difference in MPG.
Pure city MPG is closer to 22 MPG.
My City mileage is much worse than expected, with 16 mpg the average for a mix of moderate city and beltway driving. The 6-speed seems to get worse than the automatic in the City, but better on the highway, where the 6th gear is perfect for 75+ mph cruising.
I have a 2004 TL 6-speed that just had a 16,000 mile "B" service. The high performance tires are still showing 50% treadlife and the front (Brembo) and rear brakes are at 75%+ remaining life. I don't drive like a maniac, but I don't baby it eaither. I was told that my tire life is better than average, with most of the HPT package tires needing to be replaced at 20,000 +/- miles. The good news with the TL is that the tires can be rotated, adding to tire life. My former S2000 and all BMW 3 & 5 series with the sport package have different front and rear tire sizes that can't be rotated.
Also, my service manager thought the TL should be as good as my former 1995 Maxima SE on brake pas / rotor wear. I only needed two sets of fronts and one set of rear pads in 153,000 miles and NEVER needed the rotors ground or replaced. Unfortunately, the TL does have a drive belt instead of the Maxima's drive chain, so that will be an extra expense down the road.
Don't mean this in an derisive manner, just there seem to be cars more aimed or purchased by females (VW bug, Mazda Miata) vs. males (Mustang, Lexus IS), etc...
I saw demographic info during my purchase:
** 60% male
** 75% married (hence maybe why so many purchases for the wife...as us guys still want so fun with the wife's car)
** 75% college grad with median household income of $100,000.
Step foot in a demo and see for yourself.
I find your examples of the Mustang and Lexus IS as "male" cars rather amusing. The latter especially has been dubbed a "boy racer" in other Edmunds forums. Not exactly the image a professional male wants to project, if one is concerned about such things.