vjdude

I am getting a 2003 3.2 TL Type S,36K with navigation for $20,000.I did not like the black ebony interior,but I think its a good deal.Is it?
The navigation screen looks small.How easy is it to operate?
I tested the navi with the distance to the place I was buying the car and my home.
The navi in the acura showed that it was 3 miles more than the mapquest directions I had.If I buy the new version navigation DVD,will is it more accurate or it just has more cities?
Also hows the Bose system?Does it play burnt cds?
Thanks for the help.

azninvazion

cant tell u anything about the navi cause i dont have one as for burnt cds you should be fine jsut dont put a label on teh cds or they will get stuck. i learned that the hardway. and WELCOME!!!!!! to acurazine

HBaJ

Is ure's certified?, my dad got his last week for $17 including taxes- but with 60K miles..Navi is verryyy easy to operate, but is not as accurate as i'd like regarding route selections- seems depend on main roads a bit to me

vidhartha

that price seems kinda high, even with only 36k miles, id try to keep lookin around

LiQiCE

NAVI is easy enough for me to use ... The touch screen is sometimes a pain to use, but overall I think its good. Its not the best at planning the routes, but if you're unfamiliar with the area, it'll get you to your destination ... which is a lot better than being lost.

stick

i think its a good deal. ive seen similiar ones go for a few thousand more.
the navi is great considering it came out in 2002 so the 04+ models offer a 9" screen whereas ours are 6".
you may need to upgrade the disc but the one u have should suffice. roads are changing everyday. i have navi and hardly use it tho. once u get the hang of it, it will come in handy.

as for the ebony interior, luckily the AC system blows pretty good and cools down quick. i would get tinted windows, legally most dark if possible, and get a sunshade for the windshield. those will help dramatically.

bose systems sounds great although doesnt hit as hard as my 95 Legend. u really have to crank it up past the half way mark to get it loud enough to enjoy CD's and yes it does play CD R's.

welcome and congrats on the purchase.
im sure ur gonna enjoy it.

Leo Type-S

It's a good deal.. if you blue book a 03' TL-S in mint condition and low/avg mileage it goes for 22-23k. I don't know if that's w/ or without navi but i think it's a good deal. How do u not like ebony interior? it's sooo sexy.

BIG_KOUT

sounds like a great deal to me, a few thousand under retail value actually. The Honda/Acura navi is extremely user friendly compared to the Toyota/Lexus navi. In every scenario I've put the navi system through it is very rarely off, or inacurate. The screen brighness hsowss up very well during the day and night. Sometimes during the day if it's cloudy and I have my lights on I have to take the screen off of Auto brightness and onto day time. But thats second nature now. Bose stock stsyem is pretty good, but if your any kind of music freak you'll disconnect the stock sub and put a system in the trunk. Overall though, The Bose speakers sound real good and clear. I wouldn't swap the speakers out for any other aftermarket out there. As for the black interior, It's definitely classy, and the leather doesn't stay very hot in the summer. Imo, the black looks a trillion times better than the tan. At any rate, you'r gonna love this car.

vjdude

Thanks for all the posts.I have another car to look at -2000 Acura 3.5 RL w/ Navigation - $14500.It has 77900 miles on it. Hows the deal on that as compared with the TL?

drcookie

I have a 2002 TLS w/ Navi. In my opionion, Acura has the best navigation system in the auto industry. First, the navi is the touch screen and has an optional joystick. Order vendors only provide either joystick or a nob for you to enter numbers and characters to the navi. You was a pain in the a$$ if you compare to touch screen. The screen is a little tiny but the direction works great. It works better than the Nissan Navi on my 2005 Armada.

Good luck on the car hunting

BIG_KOUT

If you're already OK with spending the 20, I'd go for the TL, cuz it has 40 thousand miles less on it!!!

HBaJ

Also looked into an 2002 RL, it just doesnt do it for me- same features, ride is too floaty and its not as responsive as the Type-S, its near 2 ton weight might have something to do w/ that. I would go w/ the TL and 36k miles is mint..

stick

RL is not as sporty, heavier, and under powered. gas mileage is even worse.
i would go for the 2003 TL S w/ navi.

UglyPsycho

Ill trade you my tan interior for your black. Ill even do the swap

Carson89X

good deal especially if it is certified.....the local acura dealer in west chester wants $26k for a white 03 type s nav with 30k miles, and the most they would move is down was $24k......the certified warranty is nice.....good luck!

JMAL

burnedd cds are fine in my bose, just use better quality cds to be safe. burn at lower speeds too. i paid 23 for my 03 tls with 27k certified last aug.

Alex23

i'd say look for a better deal. i got my 2003 tl-s non-navi for similar price and mileage- but 2 years ago! now you can get one for closer to $17k i think.

ProvidenceLeaf

It's a good price since it's certified. I got my 03 TL-S w/navi last October for a little under 20K.

BTW...the navi is fine. I bought the update DVD and am very happy with it. ALL navi systems are a little off here and there. Good luck with your decision!

CL Platano

Yeah thats a fine price for a Navi w/ that mileage.

snorman

Prices are going to vary depending on whether you get one from a dealer or private party, and what part of the country you are in. If anybody thinks you can go find an '03 TL-S for $17K at a dealer (around here anyway) I'd like to know how!! Even '02 models are listing for $20K+.

Also, sometimes you will find one cheaper listed but find out it's not a type S, or it has no Navi, or very high miles, etc. If you buy private party you might have to buy brakes, tires, etc. very soon which altogether might cost another grand or two depending on what you needed to do.

$20K seems reasonable to me.

CL Platano

I got my 03-TLs Non-Navi for 17.5K with 34k miles in December. Sometimes you just have to keep your eye out on a non Acura dealer to get a good deal. There is another one by my house for 18.5 with 50K , non certified of course but certified doesnt mean anything, its just a gimmick to throw a few more thousand on the sticker.

skwerm

dude, buy the car. i've had my 03 TL-S since April '06 and i love it (ebony interior included ). i wish i had navi though. but yeah, they're great cars

smooth~silver_type_s

if you do buy this car, check the build date. I won't buy any tls built before august 2002 because of the 3rd gear clutch pack issue. Also buy a comptech transmission cooler for this car.

Black03CL-S

I agree, go ahead and buy the car. I'm near Baltimore, but from what I've seen recently 20K for a certified car with low miles is a good deal. I have an 03 CL-S but they seem to be very similiar in price to the TL-S, at least when I was looking a few months ago. I paid 21.6K for my CL back in March, it was certified with 43K miles. They were asking 22.5K, and that was the best I could do. Another dealer was asking 23K for an 03 CL-S with 36K on it and would not budge one cent.

ProvidenceLeaf

Why would you say that? There are many people who have had tranny problems when the car was built after August 02. MINE INCLUDED. Also the tranny cooler doesn't help. There are many people that have installed the tranny cooler and their tranny still failed on them.

This forum is here to help people when they have questions...not give them wrong information.

You should know what you're talking about before you post!

maxx96

I have an '03 TLS and I love it. I must agree with the CDs deal, no labels, I have mine stuck too, they come out eventually but it is still a pain.
The price is just average but if it is in good condition it might be worth it.
I don't have a Navi on mine but my understanding is that it is very easy to use and fairly accurate, just update the DVD and you will be ok.
As far as other comments on transmission issues, I have 83K miles on mine, took it to Gainesville Raceway twice and I'm still on my original tranny. I do take care of my car and I replace the tranny fluid every 15k, but it is use as it was intended, a sports sedan. Ultimately it is your decision. Good luck on your choice.

smooth~silver_type_s

WiLLs TypE S

And I think you mean Advice...because u want our opinions...For a second there..i thought this was like a warning bout something. PLEASE dont scare me like that.

snorman

Yeah, there are deals to be found but not always with everything you want (I wanted Navi, TL-S, Silver, '02+, reasonable miles). Also I'm not sure what area you are in, but I am in the Seattle area where dealers for example try to add $4K to all new cars with the line item "market adjustment" (which I've always gotten them to remove) - geez!!

Did you buy from a dealer or private party?

vjdude

thanks for the advise all...
I have 2 choices-'03 TL-type S with navi-36k mikes-$20,000-private seller
'03 TL -3.2 without navi-33k-$17,900-dealer.

I am leaning towards the $17,000 TL..but is the 35hp difference between the TL and TLS a lot?I plan to buy it for $ 17,900 and spend $2000 on a alpine dvd/navigation system fitted in.hows alpine navigation compared to the acura one?I heard acuras navigation is from alpine..plus this one has a dvd/mp3 player.
Thanks again folks..this will really help making up my decision.

CL Platano

Yeah I bought it from a dealer and the one by my house is also from the same dealer.

seahawk

Buy it , that low mileage is a real good selling point , nothing knocks down the value of a car more than high mileage . You'll probably learn to love the Ebony interior and I just know you'll love the car .