I have my sights set on a 1996 Acura 3.2 TL. Green with tan interior. 128k miles, apparently with lots of things replaced and new tires. Asking $4995.

What do I look out for? Are there any issues with buying a first-year model? How are these cars on the highway? I was hoping for better fuel economy but I'll take what I can get with such a big car.

I want a quiet ride and comfort on the highway at 70-80mph. Can these cars deliver it? My Miata is as noisy with the top up as it is with the top down at that speed.

 

That's a great deal. I owned a 96TL for 4 years. It was VERY reliable. I had the usual radiator, and timing belt done. That was it. I loved that car hands down!!! They are quiet, comfy, and fast! You will be very happy!!

 

Is that such a great deal? I was looking at edmunds.com and they say $4500 with their TMV tool, even less ($4300) when I put in the miles and the color. I just want something reliable because this will be my girlfriend's car, I hope to have a no-hassles car.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66766

This thread will bring you through most of the common problems for the 1G TL.

It is comfortable at 70-80 on the highway, though there is some wind noise from the frameless windows. It can be fixed I believe, I think the TSB for it showed around 2 hours of work.

It sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I got my 97 2.5 with about 125,000 on it for $6,000 18 months ago.

 

Haha...anyone want mine?? I'm thinking of selling mine and get a Mazda3.

Back to topic, mine is a '96 with 98k miles and it drives like a dream. All the problems are just little things, nothing major. I love everything about it. The only reason why I'm selling my car is because of gas. I paid almost $300 in gas last month because of my job (I drive around 500 miles a week) and really need to get something that gets better gas mileage.

 

Hehe How much? Although NC is a bit of a drive from MN.

 

Beware of cooling issues (has the last owner taken care of coolant?) Check for evidence of blown head gaskets as well.

Assuming the owner properly maintained the car, it should prove to be reliable.

 

1st generation TL's feel solid, a little heavy and stable on the highway.

On the highway expect anywhere from 24 mpg to to 28 on premium fuel

Quiet ride? Assuming the frameless windows dont "whistle" (some do) there is little wind noise. Tire noise GREATLY depends on the type and brand of tire on the car.

Friends and family compliment the highway ride of my TL, it absorbs all the big bumps with ease. It does so without being "boaty". Though you're coming from a Miata, so nearly everything besides a Lotus Elise and a CRX will feel like a boat

So yes.. they can be GREAT cruiser cars.

 

Haha...yeah, it would be a long long drive. I'm planning to sell mine at around $6000. It's well maintained.

 

If the car is not well maintained by previous owners, then your car wlil be full of problems.. my acura is congested with probs. as im pretty sure the previos owner didnt give a shit. i wish i never bought my tl. although it is a beautiful ride.

 

I took a look at it today. Man, I'm having second thoughts. The car is in really bad condition exterior-wise - lots of little dents and scratches, also looks like it was involved in a low-speed collision with the front end bearing the brunt of the damage. I don't even know whether it has a salvage title or not, i didn't ask.

Mechanically it felt and sounded good aside from a metallic sound coming from the rear of the engine which i noticed after popping the hood.

The interior was in rough shape too, dirty and the rear leather seats weren't maintained and had tears and cracks. The stereo's CD player doesn't work. Rear passenger's side window doesn't go down, and the driver's side window whistles. The CEL is on, he said its because of a TSB for a part in the exhaust.

All in all, i don't know. I guess I'd rather buy one that's well kept and doesn't need interior fixing up right off the bat. But that would cost more. On the other hand, it shouldn't depreciate so much either. I'd get it but I don't want to have problems down the road.

If I were to take a chance on it, how much would you guys recommend I give him as an offer? And how much should I pay, max?

 

It actually didn't feel that boaty to me. Felt decently planted and nice in the curves. I took a twisty onramp and it didn't leave me praying for my life like the Avalon i drove.

That was a hoot.

 

It's not boaty at all. I took my 2.5 to Angeles Crest Highway the other day. Tight and dangerous curves for 30-40 miles and I felt the car was able to take the turns with ease. I was surprised.

Note:
*I had some things on my mind so i did end up pushing the car to its limits.
*its a one lane highway really high up so one missed turn=4000 ft drop off the cliff.


As for the car. Like mentioned above it's hard to know if the previous owner maintained the car well. For example, I've loved my Tl and I've spent a lot of time on the car and I wouldn't sell it for less than 9-10K..unless I had to. The price looks reasonable but it's your money and your luck. If you check the dealers for the TLs you'll see that the ones they sell are usualy over 7,8K.

 

Yeah its not a boat all things considered.. Avalons are though

I was just comparing a 1st gen TL compared to your Miata

 

Sounds like the car has it's fair share of problems, and more importantly, hasn't been cared for as well as it should. I know a dirty interior doesn't mean that the engine hasn't been cared for well, but I would worry about it.

It might be worth holding out for one in better condition. I don't think I would pay the full $5k for that car by the sounds of it, probably closer to $4k.

 

Yeah, I offered $3500 because I don't think its worth more than $4000. I'm guessing some sucker is going to pay more.

 

The TL that you're looking at is in worse condition than the one i just bought recently which is also a 96 green 3.2TL. Mine wasnt really cared for either, the interior was like a dried up front lawn and there was stick stuff everywhere. The car's bumpers are messed up and the body has soo many dings/dents. But mine ran perfectly. Make sure it feels solid and the engine runs strong, cosmetic stuff isnt hard to fix, but mechanical problems can cost you an arm and a leg.

 

How much did you pay and where are you located?

 

It's hard to pass up a car if you have your heart set on buying it. It took me 6 months to find my TL. It was sitting in a garage at a house I sold. 99TL Navi 38,900 miles on it Sept. of 2005. Mint condition owned by an 80 year old couple that took care of it. It looks like new inside and out. $11,000 Just keep looking and be patient. Sometimes it takes a long time to find a good one.

 

Wow, that was close. I had a photocopy of the title all ready to go to the bank and mechanic, but dreamt that I had bought the car and discovered that it was haunted, things were breaking, freaky stuff. I called it off as soon as I woke up.

 

Are you going to keep looking for another one, or keep your options open to something else that may work for her?

 

The rest I've seen are all in the $7000 range, so I'm just going to keep looking for something in the same class as the TL.

 

I believe the Infiniti I30 (I could be wrong) has had a comparison drive with the TL of the same year, so you may want to look there. You might be able to find another TL in your range also, especially if you find some private sales.

 

I was really lucky with my find, the first TL I looked at was a 96 w/278,000 miles on it... Interior and exterior looked immaculate, but the CV Axles clicked, and I knew better than to buy a car with that many miles...

The 2nd TL I looked at was by mistake, They posted it as a legend... Turned out to be a 98 3.2 w/108,00 miles... perfect condition inside and out, and all the service records from the acura dealer... 1 owner.... bought it on the spot

 

hey dude you think you cloud throw in some pictures so Maybe we could see casue I'm lookin for a 3.2 Prem.