AUTOWEEK reviews the '04 TL
08-24-2003, 04:06 PM
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AUTOWEEK reviews the '04 TL
first review of the '04 TL, these guys kindda jumped the gun. click here:
Autoweek review
guys, any preditions on what a
3,575LBS FWD 6SPDM/5SPDA 270hp/238ft/lbs should do in the 1/4? how about 0-60?
Autoweek review
guys, any preditions on what a
3,575LBS FWD 6SPDM/5SPDA 270hp/238ft/lbs should do in the 1/4? how about 0-60?
08-24-2003, 04:35 PM
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Originally posted by gholdin
Hmm... interesting only 270hp with I-VTEC? Oh, well I can only hope the rumored TYPE-S model comes true and has 300+ hp and AWD.
Hmm... interesting only 270hp with I-VTEC? Oh, well I can only hope the rumored TYPE-S model comes true and has 300+ hp and AWD.
08-24-2003, 04:46 PM
#5
Where is my super sauce?
Looking good.
Doesn't seem to be a humongous upgrade from the previous generation -- hopefully they won't price people away. It sounds like they're using our six speed M/T with LSD, iVTEC on the same block, and more modernized A/V and navigation. Looks like a nice package, but not earth-shattering considering the market.
The key will be their pricing. If it remains as comptetive as it is now, the TL line will continue to do very well. If they up the price significantly (as some rumors suggested), they won't be selling like hotcakes.
I'll have to see it/drive it in person before final judgement.
edit -- from the previous post -- maybe it's not iVTEC...
Doesn't seem to be a humongous upgrade from the previous generation -- hopefully they won't price people away. It sounds like they're using our six speed M/T with LSD, iVTEC on the same block, and more modernized A/V and navigation. Looks like a nice package, but not earth-shattering considering the market.
The key will be their pricing. If it remains as comptetive as it is now, the TL line will continue to do very well. If they up the price significantly (as some rumors suggested), they won't be selling like hotcakes.
I'll have to see it/drive it in person before final judgement.
edit -- from the previous post -- maybe it's not iVTEC...
08-24-2003, 04:54 PM
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According to a few people who seem to be in the know, Type-S models of future Acura's are a thing of the past, so any hopes for a TL-S may be for nill at least for the near-term. Looks like a nice car though
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08-24-2003, 05:24 PM
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hmm in the last pic the rear only has 1 exhaust...
270hp i-vtech should be really nice and easy to mod but it'll also push the fwd limits like autoweek mentioned. can't wait to see it /drive it
270hp i-vtech should be really nice and easy to mod but it'll also push the fwd limits like autoweek mentioned. can't wait to see it /drive it
08-24-2003, 05:32 PM
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Originally posted by Nashua_Night_Hawk
It looks more luxorous, where is the more sport?!!! only looks? no balls... sorry. it is not anywhere near S60R, S4 or M3...
It looks more luxorous, where is the more sport?!!! only looks? no balls... sorry. it is not anywhere near S60R, S4 or M3...
08-24-2003, 05:53 PM
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Originally posted by NOVAwhiteTypeS
hmm in the last pic the rear only has 1 exhaust...
hmm in the last pic the rear only has 1 exhaust...
08-24-2003, 08:23 PM
#20
Subie Dubie
Originally posted by 03TL_PlaTinUM
its not I-VTEC, its just the 3-rocker VTEC system that featured on the '03 accords. Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't I-VTEC require DOHC? This engine is SOHC, I assume.
its not I-VTEC, its just the 3-rocker VTEC system that featured on the '03 accords. Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't I-VTEC require DOHC? This engine is SOHC, I assume.
08-24-2003, 09:14 PM
#22
Cost Drivers!!!!
Originally posted by Nashua_Night_Hawk
It looks more luxorous, where is the more sport?!!! only looks? no balls... sorry. it is not anywhere near S60R, S4 or M3...
It looks more luxorous, where is the more sport?!!! only looks? no balls... sorry. it is not anywhere near S60R, S4 or M3...
08-25-2003, 04:02 AM
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I love those guages and that interior. I'm not as enamored with the exterior though. Overall it's a nice ride; I don't foresee Acura gaining more than a couple of points of market-share with it though (It certainly won't lose any). Basically, it is a better TL, and most of the people that I see driving TLs in and around Austin are women in their late 20s-early 30s.. I'd say they're being true to their market share.
08-25-2003, 04:35 AM
#28
Cost Drivers!!!!
Originally posted by Nashua_Night_Hawk
Zapta,
Ah, Acura claims, the new TL, is the new Athlete...Agressive and Powerful!
Zapta,
Ah, Acura claims, the new TL, is the new Athlete...Agressive and Powerful!
08-25-2003, 04:48 PM
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i put down a deposit on a 2004 tl in the beging of august and i was hoping for 280 hp but it dosen't seem like it. i guess i will make my decision to get the car when I test drive it
08-25-2003, 05:19 PM
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I think my mom found her next ride!!!
08-26-2003, 05:31 AM
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Sharper Image: Acura’s BMW chaser gets sportier and plusher
By BILL McGUIRE
“WE WANTED TO PUT A sharper point on the pencil,” says Honda executive vp Tom Elliott. For the 2004 iteration of the Acura TL—introduced in 1995, revamped in 1999 and now in its third design cycle—the goal was to steer the plush front-drive sedan closer to the sport side of the sport-luxury equation. Buyers in the $30,000 near-luxury market are growing younger, says Elliott, from early 50s to late 40s in age, and looking for more performance to go with the pampering.
How serious are the new TL’s sporting intentions, or are these merely sporting pretensions? Well, for one thing, this is the first TL to be offered with a manual transaxle.
It is a close-ratio six-speed, with a limited-slip differential as standard equipment. Of course, the five-speed Sport Shift automatic is also available. (Acura says about 15 percent of buyers will opt for the stick.) Next, in calibrating the TL’s driving characteristics, project engineers chose as their competitive benchmark the BMW 530i. Tough benchmark.
The previous TL was offered in two versions: a 225-hp base model and a sport-ish Type-S with 260 hp. When the new TL hits showrooms Oct. 6, there will be but one model; the Type-S will be no more. But that’s okay, because the TL has 270 hp (via a 24-valve, 3.2-liter V6). While Honda no longer dominates F1 every time it bothers to show up, the company still builds some of the sweetest street engines around, and the most advanced. This one uses a two-stage intake tract and Honda’s premium three-rocker VTEC variable valve timing system to provide sound and seamless power throughout the range with either the automatic or manual transmission.
The previous TL’s clean if nondescript lines have been sharpened, edging toward the Cubist trend in exterior surface development. We’ll see if it stands out from the herd any more or less than the previous look.
The TL’s cabin is slathered with entertainment and convenience features, nearly all standard. Most notable is the eight-speaker, 225-watt DVD-Audio system, incorporating a six-disc changer, cassette player and 5.1 surround-sound technology. The TL is the first car in North America to offer DVD-Audio. While a standard CD carries two channels of audio, a DVD-A disc carries six—and 500 times the signal resolution, says Panasonic, the outfit pushing the new audio format. (While conventional CDs are also supported, DVD-A media will only work on a DVD player and will only achieve the truly impressive surround-sound effect in a 5.1 system.) The DVD-A catalog is rather limited right now but is growing, accord-- ing to Panasonic. The wounded recording industry watches hopefully: DVD-A discs are virtually impossible to pirate.
XM satellite radio is also integrated into the audio system, with a three-month complimentary subscription and service at $9.95 per month thereafter. Also standard is a voice-activated hands-free phone system that electronically pairs to any Bluetooth-enabled cellphone and can support up to six different phones placed anywhere within 30 feet of the car. Acura’s eminently usable navigation system is optional.
Driving the new TL in both the manual and automatic versions, we were impressed with the palpable stoutness of construction, the refined appointments, logical interior layout, and the relative transparency of all that gadgetry to be figured out. For comfort and value, the new TL slots in neatly near the top of the near-luxury bracket.
The TL’s new, tauter chassis calibrations offer security in virtually any road situation, without unduly intruding on the luxury ride. But for pure sport driving, does it challenge the BMW? Sorry, not quite. Here the TL runs up against the inherent limitation of its front-drive platform, namely, grinding, fun-robbing understeer at the absolute limits. Manufac-turers pursuing the extreme sporting end of the market continue to gravitate to rear-drive layouts. But most consumers seldom if ever drive that way, and many appreciate the all-weather benefits and packaging advantages of front-wheel drive. Those drawn to the new TL on those grounds will not be disappointed.
· ON SALE: October
· BASE PRICE: n/a
· POWERTRAIN: 3.2-liter, 270-hp, 238-lb-ft V6; fwd, six-speed manual
· CURB WEIGHT: 3575 pounds
· 0-60 MPH: n/a
By BILL McGUIRE
“WE WANTED TO PUT A sharper point on the pencil,” says Honda executive vp Tom Elliott. For the 2004 iteration of the Acura TL—introduced in 1995, revamped in 1999 and now in its third design cycle—the goal was to steer the plush front-drive sedan closer to the sport side of the sport-luxury equation. Buyers in the $30,000 near-luxury market are growing younger, says Elliott, from early 50s to late 40s in age, and looking for more performance to go with the pampering.
How serious are the new TL’s sporting intentions, or are these merely sporting pretensions? Well, for one thing, this is the first TL to be offered with a manual transaxle.
It is a close-ratio six-speed, with a limited-slip differential as standard equipment. Of course, the five-speed Sport Shift automatic is also available. (Acura says about 15 percent of buyers will opt for the stick.) Next, in calibrating the TL’s driving characteristics, project engineers chose as their competitive benchmark the BMW 530i. Tough benchmark.
The previous TL was offered in two versions: a 225-hp base model and a sport-ish Type-S with 260 hp. When the new TL hits showrooms Oct. 6, there will be but one model; the Type-S will be no more. But that’s okay, because the TL has 270 hp (via a 24-valve, 3.2-liter V6). While Honda no longer dominates F1 every time it bothers to show up, the company still builds some of the sweetest street engines around, and the most advanced. This one uses a two-stage intake tract and Honda’s premium three-rocker VTEC variable valve timing system to provide sound and seamless power throughout the range with either the automatic or manual transmission.
The previous TL’s clean if nondescript lines have been sharpened, edging toward the Cubist trend in exterior surface development. We’ll see if it stands out from the herd any more or less than the previous look.
The TL’s cabin is slathered with entertainment and convenience features, nearly all standard. Most notable is the eight-speaker, 225-watt DVD-Audio system, incorporating a six-disc changer, cassette player and 5.1 surround-sound technology. The TL is the first car in North America to offer DVD-Audio. While a standard CD carries two channels of audio, a DVD-A disc carries six—and 500 times the signal resolution, says Panasonic, the outfit pushing the new audio format. (While conventional CDs are also supported, DVD-A media will only work on a DVD player and will only achieve the truly impressive surround-sound effect in a 5.1 system.) The DVD-A catalog is rather limited right now but is growing, accord-- ing to Panasonic. The wounded recording industry watches hopefully: DVD-A discs are virtually impossible to pirate.
XM satellite radio is also integrated into the audio system, with a three-month complimentary subscription and service at $9.95 per month thereafter. Also standard is a voice-activated hands-free phone system that electronically pairs to any Bluetooth-enabled cellphone and can support up to six different phones placed anywhere within 30 feet of the car. Acura’s eminently usable navigation system is optional.
Driving the new TL in both the manual and automatic versions, we were impressed with the palpable stoutness of construction, the refined appointments, logical interior layout, and the relative transparency of all that gadgetry to be figured out. For comfort and value, the new TL slots in neatly near the top of the near-luxury bracket.
The TL’s new, tauter chassis calibrations offer security in virtually any road situation, without unduly intruding on the luxury ride. But for pure sport driving, does it challenge the BMW? Sorry, not quite. Here the TL runs up against the inherent limitation of its front-drive platform, namely, grinding, fun-robbing understeer at the absolute limits. Manufac-turers pursuing the extreme sporting end of the market continue to gravitate to rear-drive layouts. But most consumers seldom if ever drive that way, and many appreciate the all-weather benefits and packaging advantages of front-wheel drive. Those drawn to the new TL on those grounds will not be disappointed.
· ON SALE: October
· BASE PRICE: n/a
· POWERTRAIN: 3.2-liter, 270-hp, 238-lb-ft V6; fwd, six-speed manual
· CURB WEIGHT: 3575 pounds
· 0-60 MPH: n/a
08-26-2003, 06:24 AM
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Where did some of you get iVTEC and DOHC from this article?? I can't find anything mentioning such items nor will this be the case with this car.
I wonder how accurate the numbers are; it has gained 10 HP and 6 lb/ft but weighs 130lbs more than the CL-S6...
I wonder how accurate the numbers are; it has gained 10 HP and 6 lb/ft but weighs 130lbs more than the CL-S6...
08-26-2003, 06:28 AM
#37
Shogun Assassin
Originally posted by scalbert
Where did some of you get iVTEC and DOHC from this article?? I can't find anything mentioning such items nor will this be the case with this car.
I wonder how accurate the numbers are; it has gained 10 HP and 6 lb/ft but weighs 130lbs more than the CL-S6...
Where did some of you get iVTEC and DOHC from this article?? I can't find anything mentioning such items nor will this be the case with this car.
I wonder how accurate the numbers are; it has gained 10 HP and 6 lb/ft but weighs 130lbs more than the CL-S6...
I still can't belive how little a slushbox CL-S/TL-S puts down at the wheels compared to the crank rating
08-26-2003, 06:36 AM
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Originally posted by fahoumh
the increase in weight may be negligible if the drivetrain loss is reduced a good amount
I still can't belive how little a slushbox CL-S/TL-S puts down at the wheels compared to the crank rating
the increase in weight may be negligible if the drivetrain loss is reduced a good amount
I still can't belive how little a slushbox CL-S/TL-S puts down at the wheels compared to the crank rating
However, I seriously doubt there will be a significant reduction in the automatic drivetrain loss.
08-26-2003, 06:40 AM
#39
Shogun Assassin
Originally posted by scalbert
That is why I mentioned the CL-S6, as in manual transaxle.
However, I seriously doubt there will be a significant reduction in the automatic drivetrain loss.
That is why I mentioned the CL-S6, as in manual transaxle.
However, I seriously doubt there will be a significant reduction in the automatic drivetrain loss.
08-26-2003, 06:44 AM
#40
'Big Daddy Diggler'
238ft/lbs Damn, can Honda freakin give the TL a break and give it some more torque. At least bring the torque closer to the HP numbers. With that shitty amount of torque that curve better be hella flat.