My 2005 RL was in for its A12 service (34,000 miles) along with having them check squealing brakes and a creaking drivers seat. They had the car for 3 business days that included a weekend.......total of 5 days. They installed new rotors, brake pads, and calipers under warranty. Also, they ordered and installed a new seat track to fix the creaking.

Anyway, during the time the car was in the shop, they gave me a new 2007 TL (2800 miles) for a loaner. I was surprised by the positive changes to the 2007. (I had a 2005 for a 1/2 day loaner once before) One of the first things I noticed is the car was quieter and rode smoother over road irregularities than my RL! Also, there were no interior rattles or sqeaks and had less wind noise around the cowl. I could not say this of the 2005 TL I drove prior. Acura must have made some inhancements to the car. Also, the guages looked great.......I preferred them over my RL's which I thought previously were great. Since I was with the car for so long, I linked up my RAZR also......very easy......AND with the TL I was able to import several of my RAZR phonebook entries easily just by following the voice command prompts. Very easy......wish my RL had this feature.

What I had thought driving the TL became even more apparent as I drove off the lot in my RL. With 34,000 miles, maybe I need new tires as the stock ones are getting thin......this may help with the ride. I also read the thread about the "tie down hole grommets"....I will check tomorrow to see if mine are missing and causing some wind noise.

I just felt a little let down by my RL's ride. Anyone else experience this with the TL?

 

In a word, "no".

I have an '06 TL, which is the same as the '07. I find my RL to be much more refined, much better riding, far quieter, and all-round more composed and pleasant to drive.

The cars obviously have different missions, but my TL - by comparison to my RL, especially - is rude and crude. I know the TL'ers hate to hear people say that, but it's almost like getting out of a car and getting into a truck when I switch back to my TL. The steering is heavy, the idle is coarse and noisy, there are a ton of little jiggly squeaks and buzzes when I get on rough surfaces, and I generally feel like I have to muscle the TL around much like my old Ford F-150.

The RL, OTOH, is quiet, tight, light on its feet, responsive and low-effort. A day in the TL can leave me tired, whereas I'd be ready to go dancing after the same time in the RL. Night and day, IMO.

You'd be surprised what a new set of tires will do to your RL.
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I would have to agree with Mike.

I traded my 05TL for the RL because the RL is better built, more refined if not as edgey as the TL. I also agree that the latest TLs have been improved upon with some ride improvements and perhaps less rattles. But I had a new TL loaner a few weeks ago and although I noticed some improvements over my 05 TL, but still was crude in comparision. It had buzzes, jerky shifting, ill fitted interior panels and lower grade plastics. One day back in a TL had me yearning for my RL.

I believe the TL is an exceptional vehichle. It has styling, features and metrics which make it very competitive. But as an everyday driver, it did not hold up to my perception of refinement, quality and durability. That is what made me look at the RL (along with a great deal & trade). I have not been disappointed.

I think anytime you step into a new car, after being comfortable & familiar with your ride, you will notice a 'newness' factor that has diminished in your ride. Heck, most of us here will pull out our checkbooks anytime we are dazzled with shiny metal things and get a whiff of new car smell. I know everytime I am away for a few days, I get back in m RL and it again feels new and more impressive.

Don't let tire wear diminish your perception of your ride. How many times do people get new tires and they claim 'It rides like a new car'?

 

No dispute, RL is much more refined in built quality, and is quieter and handles better in corners than the TL. The few pluses for the TL are slightly quicker in taking off (less heavy) and edgier styling (personal preference). IMHO, the RL is a better car overall, if you do not mind spending 9k more.

 

Not to change the direction of the thread but Mike stated the 06TL is the same as the 07 TL...
not all true...The 07 TL has the modified A/T from the RL...this makes the 07 drive differently (I think better) as the shift points are different and the new A/T can handle more torque so you can hold first gear in sports shift where the 04-07 will not hold first...the new A/T helps greatly and does make the 07 TL drive differently...also the spring rates were changed as were the stabilizer bars...

This may be some of the reason the 07 TL felt better....also it is new...at 30,000+ miles the struts and other suspension parts start to show their age...

 

That was my understanding also. The 07 had suspension tuning changed for a more compliant ride. I have noticed the difference on the loaners from my 05TL.

 

Just drove an 07 TL loaner (3500 miles on the clock) for 2 days when my 06RL was in for door handle replacement. The 07 TL is clearly less refined than the RL but I did like the TL handling despite the buzz from the FWD when you floor the accel. Liked the push in the back feeling on hard accel just because its lighter than the RL. But I found the interior of the RL miles better. And the RL is just a much smoother ride than the TL. Would not trade down to a TL really. Plus it does not have SH AWD so it was a non-starter for me.

 

Did the original poster drive a 2007 TL Type S? Maybe that is why the TL seems more refined.

 

No, it was a regular TL........
I agree that overall the RL is the superior car. The interior of the RL is far superior to the TL in materials and craftsmanship........however the new gauges are really nice. I was just pointing out that they have made some positive changes to the car and that it did ride better than my RL. Based on what I am hearing......I wonder if I have a front strut issue as the TL I drove took the road irregularities on the backroads and expansion joints on the highways better than my RL. I may have to get them checked as well as looking into new rubber.

 

Sorry - my mistake. Guess I haven't been keeping up, since I thought the only change to the '07's was the intro of the Type S.
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Tires can make a big difference. I replaced the original wheel and tires on my car with a 2-inch larger rim and thinner tires and believe it or not, my car rode smoother and felt more refined with the larger wheels and thinner tires. Good quality tires can be a world of difference. OEM tires usually always suck.

 

Gee, all I get to drive as a loaner is a TSX, and pretty tired ones at that.

They're pretty nice, but I can't think of anything about it I prefer over the RL. Maybe fuel economy!

I haven't had a chance to drive a TL (which was high on my car shopping list until I drove the RL).

Rob144

 

I have an 07 TL-S today while my RL is in for the drive shaft replacement. The TL-S accelerates and shifts nicely and the torque steer isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the only thing about the car that I prefer to the RL is the ELS sound system. Nice car, but the RL is miles ahead in terms of build quality and the overall driver experience.

 

You'd be surprised what a new set of tires will do to your RL.
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What tire would you recommend for the RL?

 

^^^ no problem Mike...most people missed the new A/T in the 07 T/L...I was looking hard at the 07 so I noticed it...
As for the R/L, new tires and struts should help the orginal post...

 

The '07 TL is much better (IMO) than the '06. Quieter, much more civilized ride. The Type-S rides about the same as my '05 TL with BETTER handling. I'm tempted to replace my suspension and replaced it with the suspension from a '07 TL. Also, I felt that the '07 had superior materials. The non-navi displays are certainly more expensive looking.

 

I'm glad to hear the '07 TL's are quieter and more civilized. I just did a 4-hour round trip on the Interstate to my brother's house in east Texas, and I had forgotten how noisy it is on the road. I had the radio turned up so high it drowned out my radar detector (which I keep turned up pretty high), and I almost got nailed. LOL.

Seriously, I found myself driving along wondering how much dynamat it would take to tame the road roar.
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What tire would you recommend for the RL?[/QUOTE]

Not a lot of choices in the 245/50-17 size in all season if you want to stick with those. Depending on where you live, higher performance summer tires, and a set of winters (if applicable) may be more exciting...

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is a good all season tire that garners good ratings if you are after an all season.

Still in all seasons, I really liked the Dunlop SP5000, and it is much less expensive, although still a W rated tire.

I have bought two sets of SP5000s over the years for my 2G Legend. Far better than the Continental Extreme Contacts (big mistake) and on par with the Pirelli PZeroNero M+S currently on the car.

Not quite an apples to apples comparison, because I run the 2G Legend with 225/50-16s.

 

Not a lot of choices in the 245/50-17 size in all season if you want to stick with those. Depending on where you live, higher performance summer tires, and a set of winters (if applicable) may be more exciting...

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is a good all season tire that garners good ratings if you are after an all season.

Still in all seasons, I really liked the Dunlop SP5000, and it is much less expensive, although still a W rated tire.

I have bought two sets of SP5000s over the years for my 2G Legend. Far better than the Continental Extreme Contacts (big mistake) and on par with the Pirelli PZeroNero M+S currently on the car.

Not quite an apples to apples comparison, because I run the 2G Legend with 225/50-16s.