larchmont

It seems almost everyone, even us TSX fanatics, would prefer the TL if money weren't a consideration. I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, I like the TL -- I think it's the second best car out there. But I much prefer the TSX -- the slightly smaller size, the sportier feel, the niftier handling. Against those things, the extra power and the other goodies of the TL don't come close to winning out.

I know that relatively few others would agree with me, and I know that TL is going to win this poll by a landslide. But probablly some small percentage of people do agree, and I'd be interested to see how big that small percentage is.

So: If you could get either car, with whatever transmission and Nav combination you wish, for the same price (or if money were no object), which would you rather have?

Lemme put in a guess: 15% TSX, 85% TL. Which wouldn't be bad for the TSX.

BTW: I'd be tempted to say something wise-ass like "I'd take the TL, trade it in for an TSX, and pocket the difference." But I think that counts as a vote for TSX.

larchmont

Hey, TSX is out to an early lead.

fdl

The TL SHOULD win, since it costs more you would hope it is a better car. But like you said, there are some people that will prefer the balance, handling,sportiness, and size of the TSX.

dom

I had a feeling this poll was coming.

I hav'nt driven a TL yet so I should'nt vote. I have a feeling I'd vote TL though. I actual prefer the larger size of the TL, more back seat space and more room in general. The handling disadvantage is'nt big enough for me to notice or care but the added power is more than noticeable.

Then again I prefer the looks of the TSX and I really prefer the price.

If the TSX had 25-40 more HP it would be no contest, it would be TSX without a second thought.

darth62

I'm not going to vote, because I haven't driven the TL yet. I suspect I'd pick the TL. But, I have to say that it is hard to feel too much envy toward TL drivers, because I LOVE my TSX.

2004_Acura_TSX

I would say the TL too, but the styling of the TSX is better though.....even if the front kinda looks similar.

ostrich

If they were the same price, I would go for the TL! For the additional luxury, V6 smoothness and more distinct styling... still, the TSX is a wonderful car already! It's really hard to choose between them...

majormojo

I voted TL, even though I haven't driven one. I think this is motivated by a general "more is better" outlook. That and at least two people have looked at my TSX and said something like "Hey, that's the new TL! Nice!". The styling is so similar that most people can't tell them apart anyway. I'm hoping that once I get a honkin' big Aluminum bi-plane wing and fake hood scoops installed people will know it's not a TL.

eneg

RK,

I think that you are basing most of your thoughts on your previous car. I don't want to get into a "my car is better than yours for such & such a reason."

All I can tell you is that you haven't driven the TL enough to make an objective comparison. When you purchased your TSX, there was no 04TL for you to compare. When I purchased the TL, there was a TSX.

I'm just gonna leave it at that. I don't want to get into "it" with a Brother Raccoon.

You might also tryout this poll in the TL forum. . .

Have a Happy!

Eneg - Off to Mamarroneck!

dom

Damn TL owners lifting their noses at us TSX'ers

j/k eneg but I think Larch has test driven a 04 TL.

BTW, are you saying the TL outhandles the TSX?

swami

I voted TL even though I love my TSX. Let me state one thing though. I prefer the look of the TSX over the TL. I think the TL has a little too much fender flare goin on.

eneg

Domn,

Just as Larchmont has test driven a TL, I had test driven a TSX.
You know what you get out of a test drive? Not much!
I had a 99 Accord Coupe which I had sold this past April. Four cylinder version.
I was tired of stepping on the gas, hearing a lot of noise, and going nowhere.
Although the TSX was better, there just wasn't enough torque (for me.)
I thought maybe Acura would make a change for 2005. Who knows? Maybe they will get some more torque output.
Anyway, I'm starting to ramble.
As soon as I got in the TL and hit the gas, I knew it was for me.

Does the TL out-handle the TSX? I would have no way of knowing.
Each is probably better than the other in certain situations.

I think that they are both very good cars, but I'd have to say that each one of us is prejudiced towards the models that we bought. . .

Eneg

Iceman

I voted TSX even though I love my TSX. Hey wait, that doesn't make any sense.
The TL is front-heavy. No way the handling can be as good as the TSX's.

larchmont

Hmmm, 30% for TSX so far -- twice as good as I thought.

Eneg -- Yeah, it's probably true that someone who owns one of the cars and only test-drove the other can't make an ultimate decision on which car is "better." But so what? I'm not asking which car is "better," just which car you would prefer. People often express opinions about this kind of thing without having even driven both cars, sometimes without having driven either car (which IMO can be fine, although of course not as good as having driven the cars). All we're asking is which car you prefer, on whatever basis you may have. As for the basis of my own opinion, I think owning one of the cars and having driven the other, plus knowing a lot of stuff (and we do know a lot of stuff, you know), is a pretty sound basis. Many or most people make their car decisions on the basis of much less.

Kanon23

Just like my last post:

TL=Klingon Battle Cruiser
TSX=USS Defiant...now think about it...maybe more like USS Voyager

I like my TSX like a sleek princess...not a big fat ass beeatch

jcg878

Man I love Star Trek too and not to rip on another RPh, but that's gotta be the geekiest post yet! lol


If the TL and TSX were the same price, the TSX would no longer be a value. Even though I prefer a smaller, more nimble car, I couldn't ignore that fact. Vote= TL.

gogozy

i have not driven TL but i like TSX's style more. if the poll show TSX is winning, Honda may fire its TL design team and marketing team .11

nuke

I much prefer the TSX style and it is absolutely the perfect size for me. I am happy with the performance of the TSX. I drove the previous generation TL (I could not clear the sunroof without reclining the seat...this is not likely a problem with the current version) and have not driven the current version but do not really want to go to a 6 cyl.
Having said all that..if the price was the same...ie if Acura was offering that much of a special discount...?? I would still go with the TSX.

Brad

Lacking the money isn't a consideration. Period.

To put it another way, having the money isn't a reason to buy a TL over a TSX.

Since both the TL and TSX are Accord-based, I appreciate it that neither have that bloated disjointed trawler styling of the USDM Accord.

However, 6-cylinders in a car mean nothing to me, whether it would be in an Accord, a TSX, or TL. The V6 offers nothing of value or purpose. That it offers more hawsies, so what? A lot of cars do.

I do not see what tangible attributes that the TL would offer me that makes it cost over 5 grand more than the TSX or more than that for the admittedly poorly styled but competent Accord V6 or Accord 4?

larchmont

Not even I would ever have imagined TSX doing this well -- 40%???? Maybe I was wrong about TL winning in a landslide.

And the gap has been narrowing, too. But I gotta believe it'll widen again before we're done. If nothing else, as per what Gogozy said, Honda/Acura would send its TL goons here to stuff the ballot box.

Kanon23

Sure Professor Frink

Anyways I am just using that as a size comparison. My first car is a 95 Civic so sometimes when I am driving my TSX I feel big...I can't even imagine what happened when I drive a TL...

Also isn't it true that TSX is from Japan and TL is from US? So the QC issue will be my decisive factor...so still TSX for me~

Spud

This poll reminds me of the Saturday Night Live sketch with the guys from Chicago talking about 'Da Bears and Ditka. "OK, who would win, 'Da Bears, with Ditka, or the TL... 'Da Bears, Bears win..."

I'm sympathetic to the argument that TSX handling is a plus over the TL, but I'd challenge anyone to walk in to an Acura dealership and turn down an offer to by a TL at the same price as a TSX. Regardless of how people vote, I just don't think the vast majority would do it... Handling IS important, but does the TSX so outhandle the TL in the corners that any of us would turn down extra power, luxury and convenience features, additional prestige etc...

I'll insert my usual caveat that I love my TSX ('cause I do...), but I'd say the benefits of a TL far outweigh the TSX's slightly edgier handling...

darth62

The REAL question, as far as I am concerned, is how many of you (if you had the option to do it again) would ante up with the extra $6,000 or so it would cost to buy the TL? Personally, I'm not unhappy with the TSX at all, but I would have bought the TSX if it were available back then.

gotsand

I didn't vote, because I want them both. I have the TSX now and just love it. That had nothing to do with wanting a TL so I ordered one and I'm sure we will love it, too. I had a TL out overnight, so I know what it's like.

So we will have an Acura in 3 different price ranges.

Isn't that why God made 3-car garages??

jcg878

[geek talk]
at the risk of being booed out of here... I'd say TSX=voyager, TL=enterprise... but I don't want to give any credence to the 'chick car' thought going around

You know, I can't figure out that chemical structure for the life of me. Don't tell me yet... I keep coming back to 'caffeine' but I know that's wrong.
[/geek talk]

darth - I wouldn't pay the extra $6k for a TL right now, since the TSX is available. If ONLY the TL was available then I would have strongly considered it. And do you mean that you would have bought the TL back then if it was available??

larchmont

You'd challenge anyone? OK, how much would you like to put on that?

About your main point, of course the "vast majority" of people in the general public would take the TL. That's obvious in many ways, the main one being SALES, pure and simple. Acura is going to sell a lot more TL's than TSX's, even with the TL costing more, so OF FUKIN COURSE a hell of a lot more people would pick TL than TSX if they cost the same.

But that's not what this thread is about.


P.S. But I also loved that SNL Bears/Ditka bit. They did it a few times, in different versions. Once it was before a Bears/Giants game. The bar guys were wondering how much the Bears would be "favored" by if it was just Ditka himself playing against the whole Giants team. They asked an innocent bystander what he thought the spread would be, and he said, "The Giants by about 800." Would you believe, I decided to try to figure out what the score would be for such a game. I assumed the Giants would score on every play, and Ditka would go three-and-out every time, except when he got stripped which would be a lot. And I came up with about 800-0.

I wonder if the SNL writers had calculated it too. Somehow I doubt it.

darth62

Probably. I think the extra features are worth the money. I do love my TSX though, so it is hard to say. Also, I don't like the color options on the TL.

jcg878

What about the times he fumbles after being rocked??

I actually saw Ditka in O'Hare a couple of years ago - big dude.

edit: I'm happy to hear (read?) that other people calculate things like that

dom

What about that one where they wondered who'd win the Indy 500. Ditka in a Minivan with da Bears, or AL-UNSER?

Or when Chris Farley (RIP) was in the hospital hooked to intravenus pumping in BBQ sauce

Best SNL skits ever.

larchmont

Did y'all see it the time Ditka himself came by?

It was even better than when Barbra Streisand herself came along to Mike Meyers.... I mean Linda Richman, on "Coffee Talk."

Spud

Sorry Larch, I'm still not buying that there's anyone out there that would turn down $6K worth of car for free. Neither car is such a surgical instrument in the corners that anyone would turn away the additional innovation etc. in the TL for the sake of the TSX's handling (I should admit that the actual difference in handling is a nebulous variable for me, as I haven't driven a TL, yet and I'm assuming the TL is a reasonably nimble car).

It's fine to say that you would choose the TSX hell-or-highwater in the safe confines of a message board to support a culture of TSX fanaticism (justifiable, since this is a TSX site), but standing in the dealership........... beside some smart-alec salesman......... deep in your heart-of-hearts......... you know you'd want to make him give you the more expensive car for the same price......... wouldn't you...

Come, Luke, give in to the Dark Side....

larchmont

He doesn't believe us!


Spud, the thing is that to us who are voting "TSX," the TL isn't $6K extra worth of car. Yes, we're in the minority. Even if TSX were to "win" this particular poll, we'd still be in the minority, in the real world. But the way you're looking at it is way different from how we look at it.

I guess you wouldn't believe me if I told you I'd also take the TSX over cars costing double or triple. But then again, nobody else did either.

fdl

spud...you better believe it, especially with larch. The guy is hard core TSX

Its also useful to note that there was a thread regarding adding hp at a cost of handling, and many people voted in favour of handling. So to some the way the TSX feels (handling, nimbleness, etc) is more important than how fast it is.


EDIT: It's quite possible that Larch will be driving a TSX untill the day he dies

Spud

You guys are awsome

Anyway, have no doubt that I share your enthusiasm for the car we drive. It's good, for once, to chat with people that are happy with what they have...

larchmont

.....or until those other guys, like Volvo and BMW and MB, get their reliability act together.

Of course by then, Honda/Acura will probably have some new tricks up their sleeve too. I'm looking for "hover mode."

majormojo

I think you mean to say would have bought the TL if it were available. Personally, I wouldn't have. The price of the TSX was at the far upper limit of what I was willing to spend. In fact I had to struggle with whether it was worth the 3-4K (CDN$) diff over the Accord or Mazda6.

dom

You and me were/are in the exact same situation. The Accord EX V6 was a better value but nevermind you all know what I think of the Accord.

provench

I think domn and I are on the exact same page with this comparison. But hey ... for me ... money is always a factor and thus I would not have taken the TL with money as a consideration

So for me ... I voted TL ... don't hate me

darth62

I guess I'm in a different situation than a few of you, primarily because I don't have a family. I could have spent more on a car given that I don't have that many responsibilities right now. But, prior to the TL coming on the scene, I couldn't find anything I liked other than the TSX! I didn't like the G35 (crappy interior), Lexus (too small) and the various German and Swedish vehicles all had suspect reliability.

If I were to do it today, I'm not sure I wouldn't ante up the extra money for the TL.

TSXguy

I was ready to respond TSX because i like smaller cars and i thought the TL was alittle too big. But i passed one on some back roads and im gonna have to go with the TL, it looked soo good in white. If they were too cost the same it would be a no brainer for me. In real life though Im not sure i could throw down for it over the tsx (im cheap )