TL will be new and COMPLETELY different for '03
prototype photos of the '03 TL in about a month or so

All I can say

 

Dayam!!!! I really hope I don't like the revamped model! Cuz I really hate when you buy one year and the VERY next year they completely change it! Plus, it lowers the value of our '02 cars when they don't keep a similar look for several years.

Hope you're source is wrong

 

Damn... I'm going to wait until the photos come out... but if this is true... I may just sell my '02 before the '03 comes out and jump ship from Acura.... this is BS....

 

I'm not happy with the news but looking on the bright side...we own the only year that the car looks like ours. That'll definitely set us apart from the crowd which is cool by me.

 

That's true too!! We'll see what happens.....

 

I'm in the market for a 2003 when my current lease is up. I hope it doesn't change too much...it's already damn near perfect.
Motor Trend's "Future Cars" has been saying all along that 2003 would be a new design.

 

Why do you guys get so upset that they may come out with something new? The current TL-S is awesome, and you're really happy with it. Just 'cause something different might be available doesn't make what you have any less nice, powerful, etc.

 

Iceman,

I guess my glass is "half empty". The point about our year being unique & the only one that looks like THAT is true & therefore that would make our value go up. My biggest fear, aside from the devaluation of my car, is that I will like/love the '03 more than my car & be stuck! THAT'S what I'm really paranoid about. If I hate the new look, then I'll feel lucky (like I hate the new Q45 & prefer the body style of the '94 I used to have).

 

I heard this a while ago ... I was about to trade in my TLS for a TLS w/ NAV 2 weeks ago and the salesman I was dealing with was kind enough to let me in on this.

The rumoured changes are increased HP (285 to 290??), shift to the new Accord global platfrom, altered sheet metal, and various interior and exterior refinements. I doubt the change in the sheet metal will be anything as drastic as the ’02 Camry but I expcect there will be changes. I'm also hoping there will be an alternative to the black wood for the ebony interior.

So has Acura screwed over those of us who purchased TL-Ses this year? Well yes and no I guess. The Type S was not really a new version … just a freshening of the existing TL. Kind of like what Infiniti has done with their I35 this year (there will be a total makeover for the 03 Maxima/I35). Hmmm … I can see Acura p*ssing many of their loyal customers with this new model change. I dunno …..these days Acura seems to be more obsessesed w/ moving cars out of their factory than bringing quality up to industry leading standards.

Hats off to Honda for keeping this under wraps for so long …. esp with the factory being here in the US.

 

I am happy with my TLs. I hope the new ones are ugly. It will make me feel alot better!

 

I always wondered why my lease deal was so good. Bad economy and terrorists partially explain it, but the dealer seemed to really want to make the deal. Maybe he knew something?

 

Actually he may very well be right. The styling of the TLS is one of the MAJOR reasons people are choosing other vehicles. The TLS looks good, but with fierce competition in the styling dept. from BMW, Mercedes and Audi being "just good" is not enough!!

 

don't forget styling of Mazda Millenia or Chrysler 300M.

 

These corporate mofos!!! What's just cuz they vamped up the Maxima a little bit, that means they have to do the same w/ the TL. Fooking' blows man. Hope it looks ugly as sin, b/c i love my baby just the way she is!!

 

Finally someone who understands how I feel about my 2001 TL-P!!!!!!

 

I hope they make the TL even better. Im not sure what you guys have against forward progression, I think it's a good thing. You can't blame acura for trying to be competitive. Change is a good thing people.

 

You are right, progress is good and can't blame Acura for being competitive but I can blame them for the following:

cheap sheet metal
substandard paint
Less h/p
Sucky timing

They should have put out the BEST quality the first time with the very first tl-s. Why screw around with a lesser quality product and then the very next year improve it drastically????? I guess they are gambling that we will come running in, taking major hits on the value, and trade up immediately.

Don't hope it's ugly, don't want to hex them...just hope IIIII don't like the new version (although more h/p sounds great....plus better sheet metal...our sucks!)

I'm just feeling pretty jilted right now!

 

I don't have anything against progress, but it doesn't feel good knowing that progress has passed me by.

 

ahhh damn it!! i hate when this kind of sh*t happens. if its true.. im going to be quit well... actually i really cant say i would be upset. the next car i would buy would be a lot more expensive than my TL. and well, i guess it would be some consolation that we would own the first line of Type-S for the TL. i have a friend who still has the first GS-Rs made. lets jsut say if the new one looks significantly better... which i doubt these days. since cars are starting to look too radical for my taste (e.g. Rsx, celica, that nasty-ass pontiac suv, etc etc. ) i dont mind keeping this car for a couple more years.... geez, i sound like a complete jack ass..ive had this car for 2 months and im talking about how i wouldn't mind keeping this car for a couple more years.
anyways, i still like the older model cars... (94-99 accords, 89 legends..the coupe, nissan 300zx.. 94-98. ) wait.. isn't it a little soon for acura to be making a new body. dont they normally carry a body for like 6 years? i could be wrong.

 

People, cmon, Honda/Acura (outside the NSX) has always had one of the shortest product cycles. This should not be a surprise at all. TL came out in 99 so 2003 is about right.

 

I guess it's easy for me to be hard on you because I don't own a TL so I don't know exactly how you feel knowing that there might be a bigger, badder TL right around the corner. On the other hand, the M Roadster that came out just after mine added 75hp and some other enhancements, but I still like my car just fine.

As long as Acura keeps improving the product line, isn't that good for all of us? Maybe the next TL will earn some respect from 1SickLex for more than its engine...

 

Acura will probably not launch the "2003" TL until Fall of 2002. The March 2001 launch date of the current 2002 TL was very unconventional and I think Acura is most likely going to change its schedule back to a Fall launch for the new "2003" TL. So, we TL-S owners have another 9-12 months before we see a brand new TL.

Snook, any news about specs? I am predicting no RWD since it's going on the new Accord platform. My bet on the new TL is that they will come out with an AWD version, just like what Jaguar is doing by offering AWD for their (FWD Ford Mondeo-based) X-Type. By doing this and adding more power they will definitely be considered a "player" in the luxury performance market. BMW might finally take notice. Now that will make me want the new TL. What do you guys think?

 

If you think about it, it makes sense that they would change the TL and Accord @ the same time, as it would be cheaper to run both cars off the same platform, rather than 2 separate platforms.

BTW, I love my TL, and will keep it for another 3 years, and if the new TL is nice, I have something to grovel over everytime I see one on the road or the dealership.

 

It is better to know that the new TypeS will be better (such as more ponies) than the current model instead of hearing other manufactures are building faster and better sport sedans sooner than Acura.

 

Well I'm slightly disappointed too... but I'll wait and see what it looks like. I don't care what it looks like if it has that gray unpainted plastic that you're seeing on a lot of cars these days... it was the main reason I didn't go with the 02 A4.. an awesome looking car but that plastic crap just makes it look ridiculous. Acura/Honda hadn't been doing this until the MDX...

oh well, guess we'll find out next year. To me it just seems odd that they would only release the redesigned TL (not type S) for one year though.

 

This is great news for me! I understand how guys who just purchased the '02 feel. I'm going to be in the market when my wife's CR-V is paid off next November. I already have the cash for downpayment, mods and a major steroe upgrade that I plan on calling Ron about. My big dilemma was not knowing if the next redesign was going to come out in spring or fall 2003 making me wait even longer. That would also result is a worse deal when the car is new rather than having been on the larket for 11 months already and probably lagging a little for performance parts availability. If what Snook says is true - I'll be car shopping in 10 months! Woo Hoo! I've been a lurker on this board since my friend bought his Laguna Green 2001 in Oct 2000. That's a long time to wait for what you want. Now I'm finding out my wait will be over sooner than later.

I should also mention the sadistic joy I felt when Honda retired the CRX in '91 keeping my '88 yellow CRX Si current. 9 years and 0 problems. I still miss that car.

 

Im still not sure the car wil be a 2003 model, due to the fact that that would make the 99-02 TL cycle only 4 years when it is well known that Honda/Acura has been trying to move for a 5 year minimum cycle. Also when freshening changes are made usually midway through a cycle to the effect of some new sheetmetal, headlights, etc they usually stick around for 2 years and then the new model rolls out.

I think the car will be released in the fall of 2003 as a 2004 model.

 

Unless they're feeling the pressure of Nissan and Toyota revamping their lines this year. Either way for me I've waited this long - I'll wait as long as it takes to get what I want but I'll be dmaned if I'll buy a car knowing the redesigned model is coming out 4 or 5 months later if I was just a little more patient.

My Hyde - I expected a spring or fall 2003 revamp but spring 2002 would be sweet. I hope Snook's info is right.

 

maybe some uplifting words..
i got a buddy of mine who is pretty chumy chumy with some acura folks.. he has been doing sh*t to the integras for show for a while now. apparently, from what his guy knows is that acura has been trying to move to a 5 year cycle. and he hasn't heard anything about a new TL coming out till minimum late 2003. which means they will hold out till 2004. but he was also telling me that if a new model does come out in 2003, which he thinks is unlikely.. but if they do. they wouldn't release a Type-s for another year. so for me and owners of TL-s who have just recently bought one.. we are ok for atleast another 18 months minimum. hopefully we wont see another Type-s for another couple years.

 

Did he happen to have any insight on the '03 CLS 6-speed and how dramatic of a change that will represent?

 

that i read about in the dealer newsletter at keyes acura. ahhaha..the dealer there have no lives..so they have their own newsletter. but yeah..i heard a 6-speed is coming out for the CLs and the CLs only. I talked to the service guy there, probably the only guy who may actually know something. anyways, what he said was that he didnt hear anything about any significant changes with the 2003 CLs. and he asked his source why no 6-speed in the TLs', he was told that they are considering it in the new model TLs... which he says wont be till the next model change in 2004...

 

Is there a mix up between 03 calendar year and 03 model year ?!

 

mine started like a couple weeks ago, and now its got 8000ish miles on it.. so it probably started around 7500 milez.. i wonder why it all happenz around that mileage? Keep us posed on this.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking.... I think the new TL will be out in 2003 as a 2004 model. I don't know if they'll stick with the spring release for the new model, or back to the traditional late summer/fall schedule, but I have a feeling we won't be seeing a new car for a while. Think about it... whenever changes get reported in mags and such it tells you the year the car is changing, not the model year. So when it says 2003 for the new TL, it's probably a 2004 model.....

 

k, i think that is what i was trying to say. a new model TL wont be out till calender year 2003... which means a 2004 model. and a new TL-s shouldnt be out till calender year 2004...meaning a 2005 model. (hopefully)

 

This is a quote from a guy that posts on the MDX forum and works for a major Honda/Acura parts supplier. All of his posts about future changes have been spot on:

"Actually the TL redesign will be an 04 release...not sure if it is spring or fall of 03......the new accord is an 03 model due out fall of 02"

This is from Autoweek:

2002 - Acura RSX debuts; NSX freshining; CL 6-speed
2003 - 3.5RL redesign, MDX 3.8L engine
2004 - 3.2TL redesign

This makes more sense then Acura putting out a completely redesigned TL after making the changes they did to the 2002. I guess we'll have to wait and see who is right.

 

I spoke with s guy from Claire Acura and he told me that the 2003 TLs are coming out in February. Since my accident I am in the market for a new car in about 6 weeks. Hopefully I will be on of the first ones to own it.

 

Recalling that the 2001 model year (MY) TL's are virtually the same as the 2000 MY cars, there is a possibility that Acura may do the same again for 2003 MY cars which are coming out in January or February.

 

Why you leave us hangin' like this? Give us more info. I agree with most here that the new TL isn't coming out until 2003 calendar year as 2004 model. Wanna know the specs.

 

This is why I left Nissan! You don't want to get the first of a all new model, 2000 being one, so I get the 2nd, not knowing its the last already. The 01 Maxima/130 gives way to the new 3.5L cars for 02 already! If that is not bad enough, these cars will be different again for 03, and maybe RWD!!! I was forget this, and it does destroy your value. I traded out of the I30 while the I35 255HP was rumor, and the dealer still has that car along with the I35s now, several months later, discounted thousands and thousands.