I'm seriously considering trading in my '95 Integra for the 2002 TL. I love everything about it other than all I've been hearing about the seats giving poor back support (I have a pretty bad back). I gave it a couple of test drives and it felt ok but I'm nervous about it over the long run. I was also looking at the BMW 325, Audi A4 2.8, & Lexus ES300, but the TL simply offers the best bang for the buck. The back thing really makes me nervous. I'd appreciate any insights from any longer term TL owners.

 

I've test driven many cars from different manufacturers and all I gotta say is Honda/Acura makes the most comfortable cars, IMHO. (This is my third Honda/Acura car that I've ever owned.)

I personally am very comfortable driving in my TL. I'm not sure how bad your back is... but I'd say I can go for long drives in my TL and not hurt my back still.



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Y2K SiLVeR TL, non-navi
Factory style full body kit + spoiler
Volk Racing Versus Campionato SS7 18x7.5 52 offset w/ Toyo Proxes FZ4 225/40/18
Comptech Springs
PIAA 1700x w/ Inspire Foglight switch
Polarg M-12 Front turn signals
38% window tint all around
Valentine 1 w/ concealed display

 

I would not go with either A4 nor BMW 3 series. They are much smaller compared to the lexuss and acuras. You are better off considering the ES or the TL. I have a 2000 TL, and I have to say that the driver seat is very very confortable and supportive. Becuase the term "confortable" is relative to ones perspective, I would suggests you to take a test drive and see which viechle you like more.

I hope this helps....joe

 

I think the seats on the TL is not that bad. I have problems with the kneeroom due the the poor design of the steering machnisam as well as the lateral surport.

I think the lumber surport on the A4 is awesome, the BMW is pretty good, too. But honestly the TL is not THAT bad compared to them

just my 2 cents, and I will never consider the ES300 for some reasons that I am too tired to explain, now...

 

The lumbar support in the TL is way too high. It's more like a mid back support. I was out on a 1.5h drive to Whistler this weekend and I tried adjusting the seat many times to get more lumbar support to no avail. Easiest thing to do to get support down there is to roll up a towel and rest your lower back against it and the back of the seat. The built in lumbar on the TL is not the greatest.

Good back support is pretty important especially if you spend alot of time in your car. I sit down on my job all day so I pay pretty close attention to proper posture. Lots of guys in my business have back problems as they get older. Good luck. g

 

Most of us who complained about our backs hurting after we bought the TL found that the seats just needed to break in first. It really killed at first, then got good after maybe a month. Most comfy seats I've ever had, and I've owned maybe 10 cars.

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'01 White Diamond Pearl 3.2TL
-Wing, tint, wood and Whistler

 

IMO, the TL seats are very comfortable. I have a 99TL with 48K miles on it. I have driven to Florida and back in my TL. Not once did I complain about my seat. It has by far the best seat around. As a matter of fact, I love taking long road trips in my TL.

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hey youre right. I remembered how at first I would often turn on my heated seats to help with my back, but nowadays I dont have any problems on long drives.

 

The seats are nice as hell... I do get backaches because oh I floss so hard my niggaz ... My $eat back is all the way back when I ride by hoes, lets say on the beach strip maybe ... My $hit Shyne's like no other so you know I gotta ryde dirty dirty ...

S.Hizolla ...

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2001 Acura TL/Nighthawk Black/Einkei AKA 17's/Nitto Extreme 450's (225/17/50)Type-S Shifter/Spoiler/AEM CAI w/Bypass Valve/Custom Grizalle/ Riceboy AcuraPads/ SuperSonicSpark$/*TL-S Tailz*/Pix real soon!!!

 

One of the reasons I got the TL was the fact that it had heated seats - good for my wife's bad back. Not an easy thing to find in cars here in Hawaii...8-) And it's a standard feature in the TL.

 

the lumbar support is really crappy in my opinion. you dont feel it right away, but after a decent drive, you feel like stretching yourself and then arching your back to relieve the nagging "tiredness" in the lumbar area. but I've noticed this is from person to person, depending on how deep their lumbar is from the natural curve of their spine. which probably explains why some people are fine with it. personally, I ended up having my maternal figure make me a nice little sofa pillow type thing however, like someone else mentioned, it was damn annoying to boost my lumbar only to push my knee into the steering column. damn these acura engineers for not making a FULL tilt steering column. so it took a few tries before I got the right 'pillow thickness' but now it works pretty decently and for those wondering 'ewww nasty' .. I picked out a fabric that matched the color so its nice .. sorta a living room sofa feel to it.

 

"Maternal figure" = Yo mama.



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'01 TL with Navi
Naples Gold Metallic
Wings West custom 2-leg spoiler wing
Solar Gard Titanium Tint 43 all around.
Cuzo Hyperwhite hi beams.
Acura logo tire valve stem caps.

 

One thing you can do in the TL & its Acura siblings is turn on the heated seats.This can be done in the summer time as well.If you have the A/C on you can still use the heated seats for yor back. As you know the heat will help your back. I also have a bad back & I do this sometimes.I remember in the Acura TL 99 add on www.acura.com they said you could use the heated seats for tired back muscles.

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2000 3.2TL Nighthawkblack/Ebony Nav
Same as FTM-1

 

ohh .. did u just talk about ma mama?!
but yea.. I was hoping it wasn't that hard to pick up

 

ehh.. maybe in the winter. I don't think I'd appreciate seatback heaters on a 90 degree day

 

I also have a bad back, and one of the most important things I was considering when looking for a new car was how comfortable the seats were. I think the TL seats are quite comfortable. I wouldn't say they are the best, but I don't have any problems with them. I was very comfortable for a 6 hour drive to PA a couple months ago. And my 2 hours of commuting every day is much easier on my back in the TL compared to the CR-V I was driving. The only seats that I found that were better for my back were the Volvo seats, but the TL was a much better overall package! Good Luck!

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2000 White Diamond Pearl

• Navigation
• Factory Spoiler
• Burlwood Shifter
• Gold Kit
• Viper 550ESP Remote Start
• K40 Undetectable Radar
• PIAA Plasma Hi-Beams

 

Maybe all of you guys been spoiled by some fine luxury car with comfortable seats or something, but the TL seats are comfortable for me. I had back problems before, but with the heated seats...it's great. Especially during winter times when my back and neck feel a little stiff, I just turn on the heat and it feels like im wrapped up in a blanket at home

 

The TL driver seat is comfortable, although the lumbar support is a bit lacking. My other complaint is that the headrest doesn't tilt forward, so it's hard to find a comfortable driving position and still have your head firmly planted against the headrest, which is important for avoiding whiplash type injuries.

If seat comfort is at the top of your list, you may want to consider test-driving a Volvo, as I have heard many good things about their seats. I think they were designed by orthopedic surgeons or something. I looked at the Volvo S60 before buying my TL, and I did like the seats in the Volvo more. Except for the side curtain airbags and the seats, the TL was superior in every respect with price being a constraint (under $30k).

DA

 

The TL seats are fine as well as back support is related and well as for the seat HEATERS they are great especially when something like that turns on the date you have in the passengers seat. hehehehehehe . . .

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I found that I had to tilt the seatback further back than I would have thought. It moves the upper seatback away from me, but supports my lower back much better. I also keep the lumbar support dialed way back. (BTW, I'm 5'9" and about 150 lbs.)


OTOH, my (5'2") wife keeps the seatback fairly upright and uses lots of lumbar support.

The bottom line is that both of us have been able to get very comfortable. We did a 3,400 mile vacation recently, and I had no complaints about the seats.

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David

Black-on-Black non-NAV 2000

 

I was in a car accident 3 years ago and sometimes my right shoulder and lower back bothers me. But I find that the seat in the TL works quite well. Just tilt it back a little and inflate what little lumbar support the seat will give you.

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Get out Get out, i don't want to argue.
Get out Get out, b*tch i don't love you.


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2000 Satin Silver TL
* AEM SRI (blue)
* Denso Iridium Plugs
* Comptech Headers
* Comptech Springs
* Factory Bodykit
* Type S rims
* Inspire Tails
* Burlwood knob
* Tint

 

My back isn't very good either, and this is my third Acura. The support is pretty good I'd say, it's the best that I've been able to find in a car so far. It took me a while to get it adjusted just right, but once I did it's been super and I've already made a non-stop 4 hour drive in it. That's one thing I can say I've always been happy with in my TL and in my previous CL was that I could always take long trips and get out of the car and not feel like I was in it too long. My '92 Integra wasn't nearly as good, but it was a heck of a lot better than my Ford Bronco II. I think you'll be pretty happy with it, but seats are kinda like people, everyone is different and not necessarily better, you gotta find what fits you right.

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2001 Acura 3.2TL Non-Navi
Satin Silver
FormulaOne Premier 35
(Metalized 35% Tint)