925tsx

so i test drove the new 04 TL last night.. It is a very impressive car. .very quick. and feels like a real solid tranny. god, are they nice. those 270 hp get you to 100mph in what feels like 7 seconds..
i wish i could afford one. The only thing though, it doesnt handle as good as the Tsx. pretty obvious since its a bigger, heavier car.
the engine also has a nice growl to it. sounds like it has exhaust on it.
i encourage everyone to go test drive it...its fun

larchmont

Like I said, seems like most of the people who say the opposite are people who haven't actually driven both cars.

But really it's not like we can make an easy 1-dimensional comparison, because it depends on what aspects of handling are most important to you.

Crazytree

Why torture yourself?

reardley

I've test-driven both the TSX (Manual) and TL (auto). I was extremely impressed by both and have to say the TSX had a slightly smoother ride to me than the TL. The TL, with the 235/45 tires, seemed to be a slightly harsher rider (or read sporty depending on the pavement in your local area) than the TSX. Personally, I wish the TL had more of a TSX feel to it. When driving on creased and pot-filled roads in the Midwest - for me, "sporty" gets old real quick which is why BMW is written up so often for having communicative steering and handling without tightening up the suspension so much that you feel every crease.

larchmont

Shows how subjective it all is. I've said "handling" involved different aspects, and although most people are seeming to rate the TSX higher, you could go either way. But I think Reardley is the first one to rate the TSX's ride over the TL. My feeling was that they're very close on ride and I wasn't sure I could tell any difference.

925tsx

seems like the TL has more body roll than the tsx.

darth62

Well, ride quality is often determined by tire size. Both vehicles have low profile, sporty tires. So, I wouldn't be surprised if the ride quality of the TL was as stiff as the TSX.

larchmont

I guess you never know. Even speaking as a TSX fan, I gotta say I thought the TL clearly has less body roll, and this was the one aspect where I could see that someone might say the TL's handling is better.

Hmmmm, let's see, 925tsx: More body roll, worse ride...... I wonder if you might have had a bum TL? I mean it.

tuan209

hey larch was there any torque steer? I test drove but really didnt make any hard turns since i have a broken arm.

larchmont

Don't know, because I wasn't looking for it and didn't try for it. Didn't notice any, but that doesn't mean anything.

I knew what things I wanted to look for and I just focused on them.

darth62

So, why did you go to the test drive anyway, Larchomont my friend. You are not thinking of jumping the TSX ship, are you?

larchmont

How can we not try the TL, after this whole drama? Besides, how was I gonna be talking about the car if I didn't try it?

I wasn't much thinking of trading for the TL, except..... you know, the TSX isn't totally my ideal car although it's pretty darn close. (I remember you were one of the first, if not the first, who complained about some aspects of the TSX ride, and I always agreed with you although I didn't feel as strongly about it.) And the fact that my wife doesn't love the TSX seat and ride made me want to give the TL some consideration. But no, I didn't think there was much chance I'd give up the beloved TSX.

BTW, Darth -- I'd be very curious to know if you feel the TL ride overcomes what bothers you about the TSX ride.

darth62

I haven't test drove the TL yet. But, I will. Right now, we're in the middle of the semester (I think I mentioned that teach at a university) and things are crazy busy. But, I am going to go see the TL in another month or two.

I will actually be surprised if the TL rides a lot better than the TSX (and I still say the ride in the TSX is stiff and busy). Those low profile tires are the real culprit. With those short stiff sidewalls, and stiff suspension, I'm guessing it is no smoother than the TSX.

The TSX isn't my perfect car either. Needs a few more features, a smoother ride, and better brakes. But, overall, I 'm pretty happy with it.