Even with seat all the way down, I banged my head on the handle above the driver door. The handle causes the sunshade to hit my head. It turned out that the handle has two positions and that the "out" position is very much in the way.
My question... what is the purpose of the handle over the driver's door anyway? I can see that the handle on the passenger side is for the salesperson to hang on to during test drives, but why one on the driver's side?
Lots of cars have them now and I honestly can't figure out why.
The handles help people with disabilities / trouble getting in and out. With the wide door sill the TL has, I think it is a very good idea for those who need it. I wish it was removable though.
how tall are you? I'm 6'5", 240 lbs and have never hit my head on anything in the car. Just curious. I find the tl very comfortable, and i had a volvo s80 before.
The handle position was acceptable if I put the seat all the say down and retracted the handle.
It was still easy to hit my head on the sunvisor when it was in the side position. That problem is because the greenhouse of the car is curved inward on the sides and the handle and sunvisor were obviously not designed together.
Is this something that really bothers you? Seems like a trivial issue at best, but some people just like to complain. I love having a door handle there - just cause.
I didn't notice there was a handle there, probably partly because I'm a midget at 5'8"! Most cars seem to leave out the handle for the driver, I guess because they don't want to encourage people driving with one hand hanging from the ceiling!
Yeah, I tend to have the seat cushion all the down in the back and up in the front. Never had a problem with the handle. I would have a problem with the visor if it was in position on the side windows, but I think that would be with any car.
Is the Engine Modification on the '06 noticeable as it relates to torque steer. Does it reduce it in any noticeable fashion. I am in the market for a TL but would buy a pre-owned if the deal was right. I have not driven a pre-owned either so I can't compare the 2. Also, I am looking at the 6 speed manual if it makes any difference. Thanks
Have been testing several cars in the last few weeks to replace my wife's OLD Accord. Drove the 2006 and 2005 (pre owned) Acura TL a couple of times each. Also the 2007 Camry and the ES 330 lexus. Yesterday, drove a 2005 Acura with 9500 miles. Dealer offered it for $30600 out the door. Since the Honda dealer was not too far, we decided to check the 06 Accords. First we drove the V4 and then a V6 (leather seats and NAV). We both noticed a difference bet the Acura and the V4. but not much at all bet. the Acura and the Accord V6. I was surprised at the comfort and nice ride of this new Accord. The engine has a lot of power and I really liked the handling and the feel of this car. Smoother ride than I expected and not much road noise that we could detect. It is true, it does not have the memory seats, the blue tooth and a few other gadgets. But these are not really that important to us. One important fact is that it runs on regular gas. After some back and forth dealing, they offered it at $27400 out the door. This seems like a good deal. It was late, and we wanted to think this over since we are still considering the Acura. Told the salesman we will probably make a decision by tomorrow Monday. Still talking about it, but it seems it is going to be Accord again.
"We both noticed a difference bet the Acura and the V4. but not much at all bet. the Acura and the Accord V6."
Which Acura are you referring to? The TL doesn't come with a 4 cyl. If you were comparing the TL to a 4 cyl Accord, then no doubt you would have noticed a huge difference. But that wouldn't have been a fair comparison.
I meant we first drove the Accord V4, and we definitely noticed a difference between this car and the Acura TL ( I know that the TL only comes with a V6 engine). However, when driving the Accord V6, I did not noticed that much difference. As a matter of fact I sort of liked it better. This Honda has a lot going for it. It is powerful and smooth and fun to drive. It handles very, very well. Of course, I know the Accord lacks some of the Acura perks. But, is it worth the extra money and the need to use premium gas? Maybe for many people it is. For me, not really, and I do not care if I have an A or an H on the hood.
Well, you do realize that the acura is a honda. It shares the same v6 engine, so of course they're going to be similar. If you don't care about the gadgets an accord is a fine choice. The bluetooth in the TL is a great feature though.
Before you put your foot (pen) in your mouth you should research this statement. The TL has a 3.2 engine. The V6 Accord has a 3.0 engine. Plus the TL's 'gadgets' are more than that. Check out the Acura website first and then compare it to the Honda site. When you do you'll see the TL has lots more going for it over the Accord than a few 'gadgets'. Honda isn't just gonna give you a couple more 'gadgets' for the TL and hope you pay the extra $6000 for them. The upgrades are huge - and worth it to me. I compared the two and bought the TL.
Plus the TL's looks are worth an extra $5000 by themselves.
Other than the gadgets that the TL has over the v6 Accord, the main difference is handling. If you didn't notice that difference, or prefer the more comfort-oriented handling of the Accord, go with that.
We've discussed the TLs torque steer (pre-modification) on this and the various TL boards, so if you do a search, you should come up with some good discussions.
As for the engine modification, from the very little I read, it appears that Acura installed a senser to reduce power when torque steer is detected. It sounded like an electronic equivalent to lifting your foot off the gas when you sense the torque steer. Personally, that's something I'd rather have control over.
And don't forget that the TL is MUCH prettier than the Accord!
'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 currently in the market for a new car and have whittled my decision down to three cars, the Acura TL, the Infiniti G35, and the Volvo s40. ALl have pluses and minuses... But a quick question first
While I was on a test drive yesterday in the TL the dealer was insisting that the current TL was based on the NSX and not the accord. I was pretty sure he was full of it. Anyone?
I simply meant that it has the same basic engine, much like all of nissan's and infiniti's v6's are the same engine. Different hp ratings for sure, but underneath they are the same engine. Same with honda/acura, the v6 that is used in the range is basically the same engine. Can you share all parts? NO. One is bored out more, but the design is the same.
You may have confused what he said - he probably said TSX, Accord, and TL are all 'related'. And they are. Moreso the TSX and Accord. The TL uses the mainly the Accord chassis.
How about the new Passat V6 4motion? Price comparable to a TL Nav (at least in Canada). AWD, 280hp, roomy, classy looks in/out. I would rank it ahead of the Volvo. Only downside may be VW reliability.
Unfortunately no. I had him repeat it twice, with my wife standing next to me. We nervously glanced @ eachother before deciding it wasn't worth it to dispute it with him (we weren't buying that day anyway).
Then the salesman said "spend 10 minutes with me and you'll be leasing the car instead of buying it. You have to know how money works..."
Leasing is rarely better than buying. I found that only at model year end or some kind of clearance on a specific model does a lease look OK. You're ususally better off buying the car. Much more flexibility as well.
Still the TL and G35 are the top contenders
Both will be redone soon. You may wanna wait. Surely both will be sweet.
Unfortunately waiting is not an option. My 10 year old 200sx is at the end of it's life with 155,000 miles on it. There's about $2000 woth of work that needs to get done, that I know of. Not to mention that the rooflining is dropping down - super 77 doesn't seem to hold it up.
The 200sx has been a great car, but it's time to move on. Soon.
my 2 cents, just bought a 06 tl, coming from a 03 volvo s80. The volvo was a nice car, no problems at all, a little underpowered though. The problem I'd have with the volvo and especially the vw is long term reliability. Can't beat japanese cars for reliability. Either a infiniti or an acura would be an excellent choice. The new infiniti g35 is coming out in November supposedly. The 07 tl is not supposed to have huge differences.
I love my tl, a lot of power, handling, comfort. I'm 6'5",240 lbs and I'm comfortable. 18-20mpg city and I've gotten 30 mpg on the hwy with 600 miles on the car.
leaning towards the TL. my first Honda is a Pilot the wife drives. It attracts dents and dings like a magnet. does acura use a heavier gauge sheetmetal or can I expect more of the same? the Pilot paint is crap as well? what am I getting into, we get a lot of small hail here in the midwest. thanks
I get 32+mpg highway, and that includes a few visits to 105mph in the boonies to pass and separate. At 105 the car feels the same as it does at 75. Solid.
I've also found the mpg function in the trip computer to be very accurate. First 5 or so tankfuls I calculated my own mpg and my calculations were almost identical to the trip computer's.
I plan on buying a white diamond pearl '06 TL 6 speed with navi on Saturday. I have the deal worked out and the dealer has both a WDP with ebony and a WDP with parchment on the lot. My last 2 BMW's had each of these different interiors. I liked the tan in the first BMW but it did show scuff marks on the door sills and where people would scuff the seats with their feet. I did have to clean this more often and never really have to do this type of cleaning on my current black interior BMW. The black hides these scuff marks much better but it shows all the dust and does make the inside appear smaller but sportier.
For those of you who have had the parchment for awhile, how is it holding up? It is a very light parchment IMO but it is my first choice between the 2. Thanks
I don't know and can't find in the sales brochure if the TL comes with a low fuel light. If it does great. Another feature that is nice but don't know if it has this is a readout on the dash or navi system indicating actual miles to empty. i find this better as I like to take mine to close to 0 miles when I'm on the highway because I hate to pull over. With just a light it makes it harder. Thanks
Yes to both low fuel light and DTE reading within the OBC display. I find the warning light and DTE to be overly pessimistic. You probably have 2+ gallons of fuel remaining when the light comes on. But, better to fuel than be a fool!
And speaking of gas, this last tank:
Miles: 333.3 (really!) Avg. MPH: 34 (peaked at 48 mph) Avg. MPG: 25 (peaked at 28 mpg)
About half the miles were highway, generally cruising 70-80mph. The other half were local, commuting, stop and go miles. So, 25mpg overall, not bad...
'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...)
Yes, it does show scuffs, mostly on the wide door sill and the lower part of the door itself. The seats, upper door panel (top foot before the black part), and the headliner still look almost new.
My door sills do not look good at all, but I do drag my foot accross it everytime I get in.
The floormats are discolored, but that is to be expected.
In the end, yes the parchment shows dirt/scuffs more. But IMHO, it's worth it. I love the color.
I am getting my TL detailed in the next couple week. We'll see how well it cleans up.
Same as my experience but I tried to always keep my feet from hitting to prevent this. Can't always do this. My 3 1/2 year old I still pick up and put in the car seat in the back seat now. However, as she gets bigger this will stop and guess what, she'll be stepping all over the door sills and such. I do put towels down under the car seat and if I keep it in the middle of the back, I'll put them down on rear seat she may use to climb in to keep them clean and protected.
I used to use 409 cleaner and one of these combo green/yellow sponges (I used the scratchier green) to remove my scuffs. Are there better alternatives. This seemed to work for me. Thanks
I am picking up my new TL tomorrow and 1 accessory I'm having trouble deciding on is the body side molding. My concerns are does it help (I can really see it mainly helping when you open your door into something else as oppossed to someone opening their door into you) and if the molding takes away from the nice lines. Anyone have any pics of it installed. Hard to get a good idea from Acura's website. Thanks
I agree that the low fuel light comes on way too early - like with an 1/8th of a tank left! I've almost run into problems b/c I just start ignoring the light and have almost run out of gas on an occasion or two. Still, I am grateful it doesn't have an annoying low fuel chime. My last car did and during the time when the fuel was borderline,it would chime on and off during the ride!
In my opinion, if you dont mind parking away from others best you can, then i wouldnt get the molding. I think the body lines look great without the extra clutter. I have mine a year no door dings. But i take extra care where i park. Hope that helps?
AFter securing a very good deal on my '06 TL 6 speed with nav by using the internet and then finalizing over the phone, my family and I set out for a 460 round trip road trip this morning. Went up in my soon to be for sale '01 BMW 330i and i tell you driving the BMW makes it very hard for me leave the European engineering family. However, I feel it might be time for a change.
My intention was to come home with a white diamond pearl with parchement interior. We test drove this car upon my arrival. This dealership had a black, silver and anthracite in the features I wanted (6 speed and navi). My last 2 BMW's since 1999 were white with the first having parchement and the second having black.
To make a long story short the anthracite/ebony was a striking combo and we came home with that. Wife got to drive the BMW home and I drove the TL . Very pleased with the vehicle after spending over 3 1/2 hours in it and over 230 miles. I actually got 30 mpg and I tried to keep it between 70-75 on the highway. Had some start and go when I left NOVA but not much after that. XM was nice but I found myself constantly searching the channels for songs I wanted to listen to.
Impressions: 1) Quick, responsive and tight. I thought it was powerful throughout the rev band. 2) Pick-up in 6th is good but not great if you need to pass very quickly and get your speed up on the highway. My 330i's 5th gear was a true driving gear and I never had to downshift to go from 70 to 90 mph in a VERY short period of time 3) Great interior layout 4) Wish the driver's seat had slide out front section for thighs 5) Wish fog lights were down lower and could be used independent of the headlights 6) Great cupholders 7) Good storage 8) Sliding armrest is a nice feature 9) I like an integrated key/fob instead of the separate key and fob that Acura uses 10) Interior room is much better than my '01 330i 11) Visors are cloth. Luxury sedan these should be in leather or at least a very good leatherette 12) Tach and speedo should be same size 13) Loved the interior blue illumination during the day and night 14) Would like the avg mpg to be in tenths instead of rounded numbers. 15) Bluetooth is really nice. I have to study up on all the voice commands available 16) I did notice that when the voice would come on I could barely here it when I had the volume on the radio turned up very high and sunroof opened. Adjusted the volume on the nav screen but didn't really make much difference. 17) Headrests don't seem to stay tilted. Even sales rep said they don't really tilt but just go up and down. Owners manual says they tilt but if you apply backward pressure they seem to move back to the original position 18) Passenger seat should be 6 way and not just 4 19) Still a little difficult shifting between 1-2. Read here to maybe put in the GM product and it makes the shifting 100% better. Any feedback on this from you guys.
The Acura is a very fine car. I had my reservations after coming from 2 BMW's that were just a pure enjoyment to drive. But I really needed more room and to get the same interior space on the TL i had to go to a 5 series. 5 problems with that is the 530i is WAAAY overpriced by the time you add on the options, the interior is boring, i-drive is just plan nonsense, exterior door panels are too plain looking, I would have to buy a used '04 to even be close to the price I paid for a new '06 TL. I will say the BMW is a better handler with better road feel but I will also say that 99% of the driving I do will never allow me to truely appreciate the FULL ability of the Bavarian import. I don't know and I'm only going north in age so it won't get any more unless I were to joing the BMW club and go the race track. I will give the Acura a chance and I hope the front wheel drive and torque steer don't ruin my alredy favorable impression. No problems with it today but I did spin the wheels on my test drive and really didn't try or mean to.
I have a 2006 TL, Alabaster Silver. I had the body side molding put on as part of the sale. I did it for protection, but it also enhances the looks. It makes the car look lower which helps because the '06 is taller, but shorter in length than my '03 Type S. Car buffs I know all compliment the looks, some even say it makes the car look more like a "beemer" which may be good or bad depending on how you feel about BMW.
Congratulations on the new TL. I have an identical 2004 model, anthracite/ebony, 6-speed, navi, (also HPT tires).
(1) You are right about 6th gear - it is strictly for cruising once you get up to speed (65+). Even 5th gear is too high to allow for much acceleration. I really notice this now that we have a 911S, in which it's 6th gear runs at higher RPM's at 70 than the TL. The 911 is designed to reach top speed (182) at redline (7,200) in 6th. The TL is geared, I presume, for fuel economy, although if you are not going 70+ in 6th, I find that fuel economy suffers as the car "lugs" up hills at lower speeds.
(2) I presume you were told that during break-in you are supposed to vary speeds / engine RPM's and NOT use cruise control.
(3) I would NOT recommend adding any transmission additive because of 1-2 gear notchiness. I have no such issue, but I do recall it feeling a little rough compared to our other/previous cars when the TL was new. Wait until you break in the clutch and engine before you make any final decision.
I didn't use the cruise on the way home but ran it in 6th gear while on the highway and tried to moderate speeds between 68-74. I pulled over a couple of times just to give the engine a change. I hope this was okay.
Probably fine. I picked up our TL at our hometown dealer, 375 miles away. In driving it home, I varied the speed from 55 to 75 and ran it in 5th gear for some 60 mph stretches, to further vary the RPMs.
The other thing my Porsche dealer advocates is to not drive the car for lots of short hops during the breakin period. His rule: turn the key on for a minimum of 20 minutes of driving. That way, all of the engine parts, seals, etc. reach full operating temperature and expand and contract through their full range. You could probably get away with 10-15 minutes on the TL, since the 911 has 9+ quarts of Mobil 1 to heat up.
Lots of folks don't think newer, non-high performance cars need much of a break in procedure. But I think its a good idea whether it's a Porsche or an Acura.
I've heard that new car break in periods are overrated and that many people say to drive them as you would a month from now. My main thing not to do is redline it or make multiple hard starts in 1st gear.
The shifting in the TL between 1-2 is horrendous. I read that most people find this to be the case on the 6 speed and I have to agree with them. The solution that has been posted here was to drain the Honda fluid and put in GM Syncromesh Friction Modified fluid. People who have done it said it felt like a new car and the shifting was like butter. If mine doesn't get smoother I'm going to do this. I can get it to be smooth but it takes effort and I can't stand the jerk when going between 1-2.
"I've heard that new car break in periods are overrated and that many people say to drive them as you would a month from now."
I've heard the same thing, but generally from people that I wouldn't buy a used car from.
But when I heard the same break in recommendations for my 911 (and previous Honda S2000) from a Porsche factory engineer, a former Porsche race team member, a Honda racing team engineer, and a friend with an MS in ME and Material Science, I figured they couldn't all be part of an anal retentive conspiracy.
Does the TL 6-speed need to be treated with the same care as a 911 or Honda S2000? Probably not. But it wasn't that hard to do it, so I did.
"The shifting in the TL between 1-2 is horrendous. I read that most people find this to be the case on the 6 speed and I have to agree with them. The solution that has been posted here was to drain the Honda fluid and put in GM Syncromesh Friction Modified fluid. People who have done it said it felt like a new car and the shifting was like butter."
Whether it's my particular car or my definition of "horrendous", I do not find the 1-2 shift to qualify for that description. And, perhaps this is my bias showing through, but I don't exactly consider GM to be a leader in manual transmissions. Nor do I particularly want a car that shifts like "butter". That sounds too much like a Buick/Lexus suspension with no steering feedback. I want a firm engagement with positive feedback and that I can feel and control. My 911 is perfect in this regard. Most BMW's I've driven are very good. My former Honda S2000 was very good. My TL 6-speed is fair to good. Personally, my gripe with Honda/Acura compared to Porsche/BMW is a slightly mushy clutch that can slip as it partially engages under hard acceleration. It makes it easy for someone who has never driven the car to hop in and take off without doing the herky jerky. But I'd rather have more positive engagement and accept the fact that it requires a learning curve to get the feel for it. To each there own.
Do the 05 and 06's TL's have tranny issues as the 99-04 models have, or is it too early to tell? acura claims that the trannies are redesigned, but I dont think they are all that different, plus they will say anything to sell the darn car. Is the transmission really that different from the past years.
From consumer report, 04 transmission is half red 05 is full red 06 is too early to tell; from 99 - half black turns full black till 03. Since TL is a popular car with decent volume, I think the consumer report statistics reflect some improvement from owners.
Do the 05 and 06's TL's have tranny issues as the 99-04 models have, or is it too early to tell?
The TL was redesigned for '04, so the comparison should be with '99-'03.
A few early '04 models had a problem with second gear if I recall. That issues was resolved quickly. My '04 (mid year) has had no issues with the tranny or anything else for that matter.
Is the transmission really that different from the past years.
The 6-speed sure is (different) and, in addition to eliminating the automatic transmission worries, it is a heck of a lot more fun to drive. We live in DC and my wife has no difficulty whatsoever shuttling our kids around in it. She actually prefers driving it to her MDX for times when she isn't carrying extra kids/cargo. So, IMO, there is no reason for anyone not to at least try the 6-speed.
We have friends with a 2004 TL auto (that was the first model year of the new TL) that has had some problems with rough shifting in cold weather. It was supposedly "re-programmed" a couple of months ago and shifts are smoother. I had a heck of a time trying to research whether our 2005 MDX had a new transmission design from earlier years and, although I was told by my otherwise trustworthy service manager that it did, am still not completely confident. We will likely get an extended warranty if we decide to keep the vehicle (which has been great in so far).
I had the body side molding put on as part of the sale
I had the BSM put on too. I think they look fine, and one ward-off of a potential dinger was enough for me to get them. Actually negotiated their install as part of the sale price of the car.
Comments
Liked it a lot. Especially the quiet engine.
Even with seat all the way down, I banged my head on the handle above the driver door. The handle causes the sunshade to hit my head. It turned out that the handle has two positions and that the "out" position is very much in the way.
My question... what is the purpose of the handle over the driver's door anyway? I can see that the handle on the passenger side is for the salesperson to hang on to during test drives, but why one on the driver's side?
Lots of cars have them now and I honestly can't figure out why.
The handle position was acceptable if I put the seat all the say down and retracted the handle.
It was still easy to hit my head on the sunvisor when it was in the side position. That problem is because the greenhouse of the car is curved inward on the sides and the handle and sunvisor were obviously not designed together.
Dave
Yesterday, drove a 2005 Acura with 9500 miles. Dealer offered it for $30600 out the door. Since the Honda dealer was not too far, we decided to check the 06 Accords. First we drove the V4 and then a V6 (leather seats and NAV). We both noticed a difference bet the Acura and the V4. but not much at all bet. the Acura and the Accord V6. I was surprised at the comfort and nice ride of this new Accord. The engine has a lot of power and I really liked the handling and the feel of this car. Smoother ride than I expected and not much road noise that we could detect. It is true, it does not have the memory seats, the blue tooth and a few other gadgets. But these are not really that important to us. One important fact is that it runs on regular gas. After some back and forth dealing, they offered it at $27400 out the door. This seems like a good deal. It was late, and we wanted to think this over since we are still considering the Acura. Told the salesman we will probably make a decision by tomorrow Monday.
Still talking about it, but it seems it is going to be Accord again.
Which Acura are you referring to? The TL doesn't come with a 4 cyl. If you were comparing the TL to a 4 cyl Accord, then no doubt you would have noticed a huge difference. But that wouldn't have been a fair comparison.
P.S. I am comparing the O6 models.
Before you put your foot (pen) in your mouth you should research this statement. The TL has a 3.2 engine. The V6 Accord has a 3.0 engine. Plus the TL's 'gadgets' are more than that. Check out the Acura website first and then compare it to the Honda site. When you do you'll see the TL has lots more going for it over the Accord than a few 'gadgets'. Honda isn't just gonna give you a couple more 'gadgets' for the TL and hope you pay the extra $6000 for them. The upgrades are huge - and worth it to me. I compared the two and bought the TL.
Plus the TL's looks are worth an extra $5000 by themselves.
As for the engine modification, from the very little I read, it appears that Acura installed a senser to reduce power when torque steer is detected. It sounded like an electronic equivalent to lifting your foot off the gas when you sense the torque steer. Personally, that's something I'd rather have control over.
'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...)
While I was on a test drive yesterday in the TL the dealer was insisting that the current TL was based on the NSX and not the accord. I was pretty sure he was full of it. Anyone?
Thanks
Mark "Stingray2019" Santora
I simply meant that it has the same basic engine, much like all of nissan's and infiniti's v6's are the same engine. Different hp ratings for sure, but underneath they are the same engine. Same with honda/acura, the v6 that is used in the range is basically the same engine. Can you share all parts? NO. One is bored out more, but the design is the same.
That's all
Dave
The body is definitely based on the Accord.
Then the salesman said "spend 10 minutes with me and you'll be leasing the car instead of buying it. You have to know how money works..."
I love it when a salesman panders down to me...
Still the TL and G35 are the top contenders...
Mark "Stingray2019" Santora
Leasing is rarely better than buying. I found that only at model year end or some kind of clearance on a specific model does a lease look OK. You're ususally better off buying the car. Much more flexibility as well.
Still the TL and G35 are the top contenders
Both will be redone soon. You may wanna wait. Surely both will be sweet.
The 200sx has been a great car, but it's time to move on. Soon.
Mark "Stingray2019" Santora
I love my tl, a lot of power, handling, comfort. I'm 6'5",240 lbs and I'm comfortable. 18-20mpg city and I've gotten 30 mpg on the hwy with 600 miles on the car.
Dave
I've also found the mpg function in the trip computer to be very accurate. First 5 or so tankfuls I calculated my own mpg and my calculations were almost identical to the trip computer's.
For those of you who have had the parchment for awhile, how is it holding up? It is a very light parchment IMO but it is my first choice between the 2. Thanks
And speaking of gas, this last tank:
Miles: 333.3 (really!)
Avg. MPH: 34 (peaked at 48 mph)
Avg. MPG: 25 (peaked at 28 mpg)
About half the miles were highway, generally cruising 70-80mph. The other half were local, commuting, stop and go miles. So, 25mpg overall, not bad...
'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...)
Yes, it does show scuffs, mostly on the wide door sill and the lower part of the door itself. The seats, upper door panel (top foot before the black part), and the headliner still look almost new.
My door sills do not look good at all, but I do drag my foot accross it everytime I get in.
The floormats are discolored, but that is to be expected.
In the end, yes the parchment shows dirt/scuffs more. But IMHO, it's worth it. I love the color.
I am getting my TL detailed in the next couple week. We'll see how well it cleans up.
I used to use 409 cleaner and one of these combo green/yellow sponges (I used the scratchier green) to remove my scuffs. Are there better alternatives. This seemed to work for me. Thanks
My intention was to come home with a white diamond pearl with parchement interior. We test drove this car upon my arrival. This dealership had a black, silver and anthracite in the features I wanted (6 speed and navi). My last 2 BMW's since 1999 were white with the first having parchement and the second having black.
To make a long story short the anthracite/ebony was a striking combo and we came home with that. Wife got to drive the BMW home and I drove the TL
Impressions:
1) Quick, responsive and tight. I thought it was powerful throughout the rev band.
2) Pick-up in 6th is good but not great if you need to pass very quickly and get your speed up on the highway. My 330i's 5th gear was a true driving gear and I never had to downshift to go from 70 to 90 mph in a VERY short period of time
3) Great interior layout
4) Wish the driver's seat had slide out front section for thighs
5) Wish fog lights were down lower and could be used independent of the headlights
6) Great cupholders
7) Good storage
8) Sliding armrest is a nice feature
9) I like an integrated key/fob instead of the separate key and fob that Acura uses
10) Interior room is much better than my '01 330i
11) Visors are cloth. Luxury sedan these should be in leather or at least a very good leatherette
12) Tach and speedo should be same size
13) Loved the interior blue illumination during the day and night
14) Would like the avg mpg to be in tenths instead of rounded numbers.
15) Bluetooth is really nice. I have to study up on all the voice commands available
16) I did notice that when the voice would come on I could barely here it when I had the volume on the radio turned up very high and sunroof opened. Adjusted the volume on the nav screen but didn't really make much difference.
17) Headrests don't seem to stay tilted. Even sales rep said they don't really tilt but just go up and down. Owners manual says they tilt but if you apply backward pressure they seem to move back to the original position
18) Passenger seat should be 6 way and not just 4
19) Still a little difficult shifting between 1-2. Read here to maybe put in the GM product and it makes the shifting 100% better. Any feedback on this from you guys.
The Acura is a very fine car. I had my reservations after coming from 2 BMW's that were just a pure enjoyment to drive. But I really needed more room and to get the same interior space on the TL i had to go to a 5 series. 5 problems with that is the 530i is WAAAY overpriced by the time you add on the options, the interior is boring, i-drive is just plan nonsense, exterior door panels are too plain looking, I would have to buy a used '04 to even be close to the price I paid for a new '06 TL. I will say the BMW is a better handler with better road feel but I will also say that 99% of the driving I do will never allow me to truely appreciate the FULL ability of the Bavarian import. I don't know and I'm only going north in age so it won't get any more unless I were to joing the BMW club and go the race track. I will give the Acura a chance and I hope the front wheel drive and torque steer don't ruin my alredy favorable impression. No problems with it today but I did spin the wheels on my test drive and really didn't try or mean to.
(1) You are right about 6th gear - it is strictly for cruising once you get up to speed (65+). Even 5th gear is too high to allow for much acceleration. I really notice this now that we have a 911S, in which it's 6th gear runs at higher RPM's at 70 than the TL. The 911 is designed to reach top speed (182) at redline (7,200) in 6th. The TL is geared, I presume, for fuel economy, although if you are not going 70+ in 6th, I find that fuel economy suffers as the car "lugs" up hills at lower speeds.
(2) I presume you were told that during break-in you are supposed to vary speeds / engine RPM's and NOT use cruise control.
(3) I would NOT recommend adding any transmission additive because of 1-2 gear notchiness. I have no such issue, but I do recall it feeling a little rough compared to our other/previous cars when the TL was new. Wait until you break in the clutch and engine before you make any final decision.
Enjoy your new ride.
The other thing my Porsche dealer advocates is to not drive the car for lots of short hops during the breakin period. His rule: turn the key on for a minimum of 20 minutes of driving. That way, all of the engine parts, seals, etc. reach full operating temperature and expand and contract through their full range. You could probably get away with 10-15 minutes on the TL, since the 911 has 9+ quarts of Mobil 1 to heat up.
Lots of folks don't think newer, non-high performance cars need much of a break in procedure. But I think its a good idea whether it's a Porsche or an Acura.
The shifting in the TL between 1-2 is horrendous. I read that most people find this to be the case on the 6 speed and I have to agree with them. The solution that has been posted here was to drain the Honda fluid and put in GM Syncromesh Friction Modified fluid. People who have done it said it felt like a new car and the shifting was like butter. If mine doesn't get smoother I'm going to do this. I can get it to be smooth but it takes effort and I can't stand the jerk when going between 1-2.
I've heard the same thing, but generally from people that I wouldn't buy a used car from.
But when I heard the same break in recommendations for my 911 (and previous Honda S2000) from a Porsche factory engineer, a former Porsche race team member, a Honda racing team engineer, and a friend with an MS in ME and Material Science, I figured they couldn't all be part of an anal retentive conspiracy.
Does the TL 6-speed need to be treated with the same care as a 911 or Honda S2000? Probably not. But it wasn't that hard to do it, so I did.
"The shifting in the TL between 1-2 is horrendous. I read that most people find this to be the case on the 6 speed and I have to agree with them. The solution that has been posted here was to drain the Honda fluid and put in GM Syncromesh Friction Modified fluid. People who have done it said it felt like a new car and the shifting was like butter."
Whether it's my particular car or my definition of "horrendous", I do not find the 1-2 shift to qualify for that description. And, perhaps this is my bias showing through, but I don't exactly consider GM to be a leader in manual transmissions. Nor do I particularly want a car that shifts like "butter". That sounds too much like a Buick/Lexus suspension with no steering feedback. I want a firm engagement with positive feedback and that I can feel and control. My 911 is perfect in this regard. Most BMW's I've driven are very good. My former Honda S2000 was very good. My TL 6-speed is fair to good. Personally, my gripe with Honda/Acura compared to Porsche/BMW is a slightly mushy clutch that can slip as it partially engages under hard acceleration. It makes it easy for someone who has never driven the car to hop in and take off without doing the herky jerky. But I'd rather have more positive engagement and accept the fact that it requires a learning curve to get the feel for it. To each there own.
The TL was redesigned for '04, so the comparison should be with '99-'03.
A few early '04 models had a problem with second gear if I recall. That issues was resolved quickly. My '04 (mid year) has had no issues with the tranny or anything else for that matter.
The 6-speed sure is (different) and, in addition to eliminating the automatic transmission worries, it is a heck of a lot more fun to drive. We live in DC and my wife has no difficulty whatsoever shuttling our kids around in it. She actually prefers driving it to her MDX for times when she isn't carrying extra kids/cargo. So, IMO, there is no reason for anyone not to at least try the 6-speed.
We have friends with a 2004 TL auto (that was the first model year of the new TL) that has had some problems with rough shifting in cold weather. It was supposedly "re-programmed" a couple of months ago and shifts are smoother. I had a heck of a time trying to research whether our 2005 MDX had a new transmission design from earlier years and, although I was told by my otherwise trustworthy service manager that it did, am still not completely confident. We will likely get an extended warranty if we decide to keep the vehicle (which has been great in so far).
I had the BSM put on too. I think they look fine, and one ward-off of a potential dinger was enough for me to get them. Actually negotiated their install as part of the sale price of the car.