driftmaster

Hey guys - New here.

I have an '05 TL that I am considering buying. Pretty good deal: about a few thousand under NADA/KBB.

What are the specific issues (problems, bugs, etc.) with this generation/year that I should be aware of? What is a MAJOR issue that would be a dealbreaker?

Stats.
2005, 6 speed, 140k miles, Nav

Thanks in advance

esco786

iTrader: (2)

see sticky:
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/3g-tl-service-department-aka-garage-questions-answers-check-here-first-553557/

Common Problems are listed in there.

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

^ check there.

140k miles on a 05? How much are you paying it for? Hopefully nothing over 12k. You can get a 05 with 40-80k miles for like 14k-15k these days due to the ailing economy. Its a buyer's market right now.

driftmaster

Wow! I didn't know you could get them that cheap. I've been shopping around and I thought this TL was a great deal!! I'm paying just under $12k so instead of great deal, it's just average right now. Hmm.... maybe I should think twice.

One good thing, is that the car is in immaculate condition!! Garage kept, 1 owner, dealer-serviced, showroom shine and perfect interior. Also, the guy is pretty honest.

Is that enough to make it a better deal?

He's an "independent dealer" so he said he's willing to a 3rd party warranty "at cost" which is about $500-700/year extra. Given the mileage, I think it just gives me extra piece of mind... ya know, just in case.

Do you guys think that warranty is worth it? I was told these cars are pretty reliable. Maybe a 3year warranty would be a waste?

Any suggestions?

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

Check CarFax, and search around. Don't ever rush in buying a car or lured into buying one just because the guy "seems" nice and reasonable. Car Salesman are always fishy and take advantage, if there not, they would've been fired or went out of business already. To me, a 3 year warranty wouldn't do you any good unless you have a problem with the tranny. Everything in the car should last past 200k including the engine and other parts (maybe some wear and tear items but thats not what I'm talking about or covered through warranty). I would lean toward buying a 04/05/06 TL with 40-80k miles for like 14-17k, check CarFax and other Car history reports just incase. Wasting 50$ on history reports are well worth it in the long run. Try to go to the Acura dealership, see how much they cost, Certified Pre-owned is the best since they cover to 100k. Just go look online, and go to dealerships yourself and look around. Even if the person is nice and all and honest, you still don't want to lose 12k, so take your time and look everywhere even if you have to drive <100 miles to find one. You'll be happy at the end.

lankanboy1

If you want autocheck, i can get it to you for free send me a Pm

driftmaster

So I did a CarFax check and the car history for the first 2 years seems pretty solid. *At record 2, the rear brake rotor was replaced, at 7 the tranny mount replaced.

1 06/03/2005 20
2* 12/01/2005 20,023
3 01/17/2006 23,943
4 03/27/2006 31,065
5 05/25/2006 37,030
6 07/24/2006 42,001
7* 09/14/2006 47,782
8 05/14/2007 72,527
9 07/13/2007 79,848
10 09/06/2007 85,534
11** 04/20/2009 147,341

So for the first 2 years there is a pretty decent dealer maintenance history.
Then between records 10 and 11, it shows nothing being done. Not sure how to explain this and if this is normal (maybe he did the oil change himself and it just doesn't show on CarFax.

Like I said, it's a one owner vehicle and it's in an excellent visual and driving condition. My only reservation is the high mileage.

Is this worth $12k? And if so, is this an OK or GOOD deal?

esco786

iTrader: (2)

12K is still some money for a car with high mileage. Telling you straight up, these cars are solid but still maintenance is not cheap on it. Powertrain at $500 I think may not be worth it either cuz most stuff is not covered in that warranty and not like anything going to happen to our engine/trannies (hopefully)..not to discourage you but I'm just a different kinda shopper. I bought my '05 with the extras included below and extended Acura warranty until 160,000KM for $21,000CDN and the car only has 57,000KM on it.

driftmaster

Yeah... I'm thinking it's not such a good deal after all. Not a ripoff, by any means. Just not the best :/

ajs800

iTrader: (1)

good choice...12k with that many miles is too much, in my opinion. I am considering picking up an '05 with 47k and can get it for $14900.

driftmaster

After i "walked away" from our negotiations, he's now more open to discuss price. Suddenly his "other buyer" who was supposedly coming yesterday is no longer in the picture (how classic

I've been reading the thread "What did you pay for your TL"
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...5#post10872585

and it seems that i could definitely find a deal, it's just a matter of being patient. Ideally, like TheChamp531 said, "I would lean toward buying a 04/05/06 TL with 40-80k miles for like 14-17k" But that's out of my target price range and I would HATE not being able to get a 3rd gen TL.

So now that he's willing to talk more. What do you think I should offer? Should I even make an offer?

Again: '05, 6 speed manual, Navigation, showroom shine, clean all-around, dealer-maintained with CarFax records and clean title... with 147k miles. I've driven it many times and had my mech friend drive it. "Seems" good.

10.5K?

ajs800

iTrader: (1)

I would say $9500-$10500 would be a fair price. Definitely no more than $10,500.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Yeah just under $12K seems a bit steep with those miles. I almost bought a original owner original paint (no accident) 05 w/nav with 83,000 miles for $13,500

driftmaster

Hi everyone! I'm sitting here reminiscing.... I was the original poster almost 8 years ago, asking you guys thoughts on buying a 4 year-old car with 140k miles

Well if anyone out there cares... I'm currently at about 225k miles, engine still running strong and smooth.

There have been a couple of hiccups - but none related to major powertrain:
1) navi went out a few years ago, but they are obsolete now vs an iphone so I didn't even bother
2) the cd changer doesn't work now - again, who cares
3) i have a small oil leak from drain plug... but I attribute that to careless techs, stripping the bolt
4) a couple light bulbs, here/there

I still have the same clutch from 8 years ago too btw.

Acura/Honda really did a good job here.

I got to thinking about this b/c I'm in a similar situation again.... but this time I'm asking the Porsche forum guys whether a 100k 911 Turbo is a good 'value'

Good luck everyone (the TL will still be my daily driver)

YungMoola15

So did you buy that TL? How much did you end up paying?

driftmaster

I ended up paying $10k. The only major maintenance cost since as been the timing belt and related items--about $1.5k

GreenSpades

Great update. Thank you for that. Very reassuring as I just broke 150,000 miles and I am looking at putting on A LOT more miles for work now and I have been worried about the clutch because it includes a lot of city miles, but I purposefully try to baby the clutch. Could you share anything about how you drive the car and use the clutch? Just basics like what rpm do you try to use to start in first gear, how do you handle hill starts, and shift patterns 1-2-3-4-5-6 or 1-2-3-5-6 etc. Do you do a lot of city or highway miles? I guess you do about 10K a year. Thanks!

Jackass

If you want good info on how to drive a manual properly, search for the posts from SouthernBoy from I think the 2012 or 2013 time frame. Some of the best advice and discussion in those threads.

- hill starts...no easy way to not slip the clutch a bit...until you get the hang of it, use your e-brake to help hold the car
- rpm in 1st...just enough to not stall out...probably 1500 or less. I usually blip the throttle and as the RPMs are coming down, I start out with the clutch
- shift patterns...don't skip gears unless you are properly double clutching...I normally run through every gear...that is the whole point of having a manual isn't it?
- my "easy" driving is generally shifting at 2000 or maybe 2500 RPMs, my normal driving is usually shifting before 4000
- my '05 is at 162k now with a mix of city and highway....the past several years have been primarily city driving...