ySL

WHats up everyone....

I put money down the other day for a TSX (black on black) but the more I hear about the new TL, I have a feeling aot of you (especially the very recent owners) will regret not waiting at least another month or so to really compare the two since most of you are big fans of Acura .....


For those who recently purchased a TSX (like within the last month), unless you absolutely preferred a small sedan, what was the reason you decided to get the TSX now, instead of a little later? What was is it about the TSX that absolutely stood out for you in making your decision besides its generous price?


For me, I think the estimated $5,000 (or more?) difference for the TL won't be much of a problem for alot of you guys cuz that car will definetely be worth the price increase since it's gonna be alot better car of course. I just wish they could release some official info by now...


I understand the people that jumped on this new car when it first came out couple of months ago, but for the car shoppers right now, why did you choose TSX over '04 TL? Buying the right car requires some patience so I'm sure the wait can't be that bad...

swami

I have two reasons. 1] I can't afford $500.00 lease payment. 2] My current lease is up August 2nd. and I doubt the TL will be available that early. I'm gonna lease a TSX for 36 months and get a TL when the time comes to turn my TSX in. I'm in the market for a house right now and I'm lowering my lease payment $50.00 a month. I just wanna have my ducks in a row as far as debt ratio and things are concerned.

heymista_RENAMED

I bought mine yesterday. I had a 2002 TL-S that was highly problematic. I have concerns over the Ohio plant and build quality. I am sure the 2004 TL will be much improved, but I have more confidence in the Japan built TSX. I like the idea of owning a 4 cylinder that drives like a 6. I like the fact that I'll get much better gas mileage and still have a good performing car. I like the fact that the TSX has really good space for a small car. For Acuras sake, I hope the correct the build quality issues of the TL with the new 2004. It will be a few years before I try another American built car- sad but true!

finalheaven

For me its quite simple. I currently drive a maxima and think it is too big. TSX would be a lot better for me. As well as the gas mileage as i will be driving a lot every weekend and it will me good as a college student. The TL would be too big and have the power that i don't really need nor can afford. So yea the TSX is a great choice for me or at least over the new TL.

tony4311

nope

odessa

I got mine more then a month ago, so it is slightly outside your criteria, but I did consider new TL at a time.
Two reasons I got the TSX.
1. I got really a good deal on mine.
2. In four years my daughter turns 16, and the TSX will be her car. TL would be a bit much of a car for her.

brerpie

Odessa,

What type deal did you get?

ySL

It's cool to see that the TSX fits perfectly for you guys,
thanks for the honest replies.

Jason

I'll be envious to a certain extent, but I won't regret my decision. My plan is to drive the TSX for two and a half years and then upgrade. I'll have more cash by then and will be debt-free. The TSX is a nice "sacrifice" to make. I can afford the TL but why? Besides, I like the idea of going back to a I-4 stick like my old Prelude.

MikeL

I'm actually fairly excited at the prospect of the new TL looking like an enlarged TSX. That means our cars will continue to look current not to mention the whole "we had it first" thing.

For me the decision was easy as I like smaller cars. The TSX seats 4 just fine and that's about as many as I'll ever seat anyway (except for that one time with 7, but I won't talk about that here).

Another thing is my slightly environmental bent. If a 2.4 L is going to do the job of ferrying me around town and at speed (which I think it does quite commendably), I'm not going to be looking for a bigger motor. I love the TSX (yes, I said it!) because it has all the creature comforts that I want and isn't too wasteful about it.

If the TL comes with the new i-VTEC cylinder shutoff 6 though, I'm going to be a little regretful. But one drive in my TSX will cure that I'm sure.

cruiserchuck

I think most people on this site who have purchased a TSX were aware that a new TL was coming out later this year, and would have waited if they wanted a larger, 6-cylinder car. I had no interest in a TL, since I wanted a smaller, 4-cylinder car.

wiz

I came from a larger car (the Grand Prix) and sometimes it felt like I was driving a boat with that thing. I have driven the TL before and while it is a nice car, I wanted something a little bit more sporty, but still with good luxury. I could have waited until the TL came out to make a decision, and my current car would have been paid off by then, but I had the bug now, and I am only paying a few bucks more a month to drive a new car. That, and I love my TSX, and so does everybody else!

DEVO

There are a couple of nice photos of the TL in Acura Style Magazine... if you own an Acura you are automatically subscribed... I've been getting this magazine a little over 6 years now.

Eternal TL2k3

my dealer told me that the 04TLs will be in the dealership in october for sale...
it will be a little over a year since ive had my TL but the thought of trading in my car has already crossed my mind

swami

IMO the TSX has no competition other than a Mazda 6S. Too bad that things a POS cuz it handles nice. In closing, they drive similar but from a quality standpoint no comparo. I'm speaking of interior and exterior quality. The TSX wins on every possible comparision.

vitocorleone

Not sure.... I'm waiting for the new TL to come out to see! :-P

Buff-Daddy

In my opinion, it is hard to have a cool, nice looking BIG sedan that is fun to drive. The Maxima is probably the closets thing to a success story in that category.
I prefer the smaller sedans like the BMW 3-Series, Lexus IS300 and the TSX. I think we can all assume that the 2004 TL will look like a larger TSX, but unless you have in Jr. High and your other car isn't a mini-van or SUV, I am not sure you will need it.
PLUS, and this is a BIG PLUS, the last TL, even the S-Type was not a fun car to drive unless you were on a straight line. Try cornering in that thing above the speed limit and you would be scared to death. The TSX is pimped out with all of the necessary features and is FUN to drive, and that means a lot. The new TL will be bigger in many ways, but not necessarily better in any...

Good topic and solid comments by all...

moda_way

I bought the TSX because I was unhappy with the pricing model BMW used on their 3 series (basically over-charging for every option I wanted). The TL would never have been a consideration for me. It was either BMW priced me where I wanted to be or I got the TSX. I'm very happy with my TSX, but still trying to get used to a FF verses the FR BMW I used to drive.

I'm sure the TL will be an incredible car, but so it the TSX. The big thing that swayed me was that the TSX would be somewhat rare. I hated seeing 7 BMWs everyday exactly the way I wanted mine to be configured. In my area, there is only like 9 TSXs and I only see 1 regularly (once every two weeks or so).

Count Blah

To sum it up.. the TL is bigger and more expensive than what I wanted. The TSX was just perfect for me. If not for the TSX, I wouldn't have bought an Acura.

gogozy

i will probably not regret, TL maybe too big, but news say it will be smaller then current TL.. don't know, but i like TSX's package, i start to understand the differences between "performance car" and "sports car" !!!!

larchmont

I'm totally with Buff, also MikeL (that's Bye-Bye-BMW, by the way!!!!!!) and Cruiserchuck and most of the rest of you. I've said many times that it seems I'm one of the few who thinks smaller is better with cars, but this thread shows I have lots of good company.

I'm skeptical the new TL will be quite as great as most people are assuming. Two reasons:

(1) Most hyped things wind up not living up to the hype.
(2) I still think that if the new TL were going to be all that different from the current one, Acura probably would be re-naming it, and it doesn't look like they will. (As I've said, if they wind up calling it "TLX" or something like that instead of TL, it might mean they read our stuff -- which I'm sure they do anyway.)

I HOPE it's as great as people think it will be. And no matter what, I won't regret not waiting for it. I wouldn't have wanted to wait that extra 6 months to get my new car, plus, I'm wary of buying a new model right off the assembly line, because of concerns about reliability -- even with a brand like Acura that has such a great track record. The TSX was less of a gamble because basically the same car had been out for several months in Japan (I don't mean the Euro Accord, which had been out in Europe for a long time but which wasn't really the same car). Also, before I got the TSX I was DESPERATE for a good enough car -- which, by my needs, didn't exist before that. Now, I'm not.

P.S. My prior car was '03 TL-S.

Count Blah

I must have missed that discussion before, but it seems to me there are enough X's in the Acura line-up already. Do they really want every model to be __X?

MDX
NSX
RSX
TSX

CL
RL
TL

If you drop the CL and rename the TL, the RL is the only _L left.

Hmm, and another thought. If the TSX and the TLX were both named as such, the tendency would be especially strong to think of them as big and little brothers. Then the S and L would stand for Small and Large. Is that what we want?

larchmont

Jason sort of made this point back when I first said that thing about how IMO Acura would be re-naming the new TL if it were going to be all that different -- that they really have no easy choice for a new name. But that doesn't mean it isn't possible. ("The difficult we do immediatley, the impossible takes a little longer.")

So, my main point isn't that it should be exactly TLX or even that it might be TLX; just that maybe it'll be something other than TL. Certainly it SHOULD be, if the car is all that different from the current TL, or else IMO Acura's making a bad mistake.

prballard

I have made this post on another thread, but what they hey!!

I for one am getting a 2004 TSX! No, a 2004 TL! No, a 2004 TSX!
I can't make up my mind. All I know is I have readiing about this car since Febuary and lurking on the "otherside" then joining in April. Now with all the great news on the TL I do have some doubt I will get the TSX, eventhough I absolutely love it. I must be fickled!!
I will just have to buy both.

prballard

The TL is one of Acura's top sellers. I don't think they will drop the name. Remember there is quite a bit of difference between the first and second generation TL. The first generation had a longitudinally mounted engine like the Legend and Vigor for example.

Count Blah

Slightly off-topic, but I found some old articles from AutoWeek regarding Acura's model line:

June 2001 - comparing the TL-S to a 1970 Buick.

Feb 2000 - the 3.2 CL is "America's next best-selling luxury-import brand coupe. Or so the people at Acura predict."

larchmont

Yes -- but:

The current TL is getting a lot of complaints -- not about quality, but about WHAT KIND OF CAR IT IS -- just look over this site; and.....

Those who AREN'T complaining -- i.e. the current happy TL owners -- aren't going to be the market for a car that's very different from what they're happy with, so you lose nothing by losing them.

And since the buyers you're seeking are different buyers, you're not going to get them with "TL."

Remember, I'm not mainly saying what is going to happen, just what SHOULD happen.

In terms of what WILL happen, IMO there are 3 possibilities:

(1) Acura surprises everybody and calls it something other than TL; or

(2) The car really isn't that much different from the current TL in terms of how it feels and behaves, and that's why it isn't being re-named; or

(3) Acura's making a big mistake.

ferizzo

As my first post I want to say that the TSX is an awesome looking car and I don't think any of you should have any regrets even if the new TL is as good as people are building it up to be. You guys have a great handling I4 FWD that acts like a small V6. I love my TLS but it is a little floaty (nothing a few suspension mods can't help).

I think in about another year or two I will definitely consider trading my car for the new TL. I say a year or two because I want them to fix all the kinks of the new model and because I want to see if they do bring back a more potent TL-S in a couple of years. I will force myself to learn stick and get the 6-speed.

I also don't think they will change the name of the TL simply because its one of Acura's best sellers. Sure there are complaints like larchmont said but we on the board make a small percentage of TL owners. The majority of owners will probably think "AWD means its safer" as opposed to the people on these boards who are interested in performance as well. We'll see though.

prballard

So does (3) = Equal the car is great and Acura doesn't rename it? Interesting point, but calling that a big mistake may be overstating things.

larchmont

Yes, that's exactly what I mean, and I hold to it confidently.

Like, if you invent a better mouse trap and call it "horse shit," aren't you making a big mistake?

Soze75

same here.
I never considered the TL because of its lack of tranny options. Also, 35K CDN was my spending limit, so the TSX was and is the only choice.

cruiserchuck

I agree. There is no way Acura would drop the name of one of their best sellers. I remember some time ago when some dumbass company (I can’t remember which one) dropped the name of their best seller – the Legend – and sales took many years to recover. Honda/Acura would never do something that dumb.

larchmont

ySL

The new TL will obviously be a BETTER car than the TSX, but I'm really hoping that it's not gonna be a BETTER LOOKING car as well when it is finally unveiled.

I know I won't be envious of the TL's performance specs and all the extra features it has over the TSX, but if it ends up looking better than the TSX, then I definetely am gonna have second thoughts.

I just hope this doesn't happen because I really like the backside of the TSX and everything else as well.

prballard

That is not a given. It depends on how you define BETTER. It will certainly be bigger. Just as Larchmont sad on another thread, the TSX is the "Neatest size".

ferizzo

It most likely will be better thus more pricey. Might not handle quite as well (but if the HPT stuff is true then it might) but it will defintely be faster and have all the same luxury features plus maybe a few more. It only makes sense. A6>A4, 5>3, E>C, GS>IS....so its only natural to assume the TL will be > TSX.

Thats not saying anything bad about the TSX its just that the "bigger" models tend to be better in terms of power and luxury. Although for the examples I gave the smaller versions tend to handle better. plus I would hope that the 8-10 grand more for the TL will go to not just the size of the TL but the power and lux as well.

The again "better" is in the eye of the beholder.

ebcheon

i don't regret it... b/c if i had the extra money to buy the 04 tl, i would've bought the g35 coupe.

TinkySD

No regrets here. I love the car -- more importantly I didn't want to spend anymore money than I did.

TYPEII

Ditto, That's why I also have a 97 Accord V6 and not a Domestic 98-up V6 Accord-Too many problems, tranny.....

LeMasseHammer

No regrets here. Larch is right, the TSX is the coolest usable/fun size for me. I'm not interested in a car that isn't readily available with manual tranny. The whole "luxury" concept doesn't do much for me either -- I just don't wanna pay for gadgets and gizmos and gas-guzzling horsepower that'll only get me into trouble (I have yet to open my sunroof, and wish I coulda opted for the cash instead of the feature -- same goes for heated seats). But the TSX is one of the few cars that seems to understand people like me -- I really don't care if my passenger has to manually adjust their seat:P They'll enjoy the sweet ride just the same.