AcuraFanatic_RENAMED

This probably has been asked before. If it didn't involve losing so much money I would.

black2000

Not me. I've got no "buyer's regrets" about my beautiful 2000... And it's way too soon to think about my next car!

RAdams

I was thinking about getting a TL-S when the lease on my 2000 is over.. but frankly the transmission problems that seem to be popping up as of late have me a little worried. I love my 2000 and have not had any problems with it to speak of, but I always thought Honda/Acura was like any other major Japanese manufacturer in that the car worked like an appliance... you never had to worry whether or not it was going to let you down... you could always take it for granted that it would work right every time. I would be violently pissed if the tranny in my 2-month old car gave up the ghost as did Redlined's.

I hope someone influential from Honda/Acura is reading... because I'm keeping my options open now...

imax

Already did. . . . .

Traded my '99 3.2TL on my '02 3.2TL-S

Tleast

Too late for me as well. Traded my 99TL for a new 02 TLS last month.

mikester

Traded in my '00 TL with only 16k miles for an '02 TLS back in April.

I didn't take as bad a beating as I thought I would, but it still hurts a little when I sit down.

In the end (Ahem) I think it was worth it.

acuraguynj

Traded my 99TL with 30K miles for a new 2001 Lexus GS430. I looked at the TL Type S and it's sweet, but it looks the same like my 99TL and I wanted something different. Used the 99TLs trade in value to help offset the higher cost of the GS430. Love both cars, but there is something about that Lexus V8 that is so damn sweet. TL Type S is still the best bang for the buck out there!

Eskimo

Na, I am keeping my 2000TL for many years to come. So far so good. It does everything I expected it to. No major dissappointments except for the odd beef I have about Acura quality (squeaks, and that cheap plastic cover the inside B pillar).

For you guys that traded up to a TL-S did you find the extra 35hp very perceptable??

maxim5

I would not. TLs is pretty much the same car and I'd like to try something really different when I buy a new car (even if it's not going to have such a great price value as TL/TLs). I can change my mind if Acura surprise us again with some major TL redisign (6sp, V8, ...).

Bitium

I have a 99' TL with over 50k miles. I was thinking of selling and buying a 03 TLS when it comes out, but I will NOT buy it unless it has a manual tranny. Like Radams said they still having problems with the tranny. Mine got replaced under warranty when I had like 45k miles. It wasn't giving up on me, but it was acting weird, so I had Acura replaced it.

oblio98

My 99TL lease expired so I got a 02 TLS. So far, I have almost 11,000 miles on it with no problems, tranny or otherwise.

(He boasts with fingers crossed!)

:-jon

Robbdogg

Traded in my white '99 TL for a '02 Silver TL-S a week ago!!

BarryH

Some thoughts on this:

1) We don't know what happened to Redlined yet - could still be the ECU (hope so for his sake). While this still isn't good on a new car it happens.

2) When you consider the number of TL's sold, the posts on this board (and the CL board) represent a very small percentage of cars with transmission problems. Let's assume this board has 2,000 active members. If Acura has sold about 150,000 TL's since '99 we represent the experiences of less than 1.5% of all TL purchasers. Not necessarily a really valid sample.

3) As the transmission is categorized as a "safety related" item by the U.S. watchdog agencies if the failures were statistically high enough they would force Acura to recall the cars or at least launch an investigation.

4) Most forums lean toward conversations on problems and defects not posts on how wonderful the car is. When I first joined the MDX forum I thought - "what a POS this car is". When you look at the trends in the posts though there were maybe a dozen people that experienced significant issues - the rest were expressing fear about getting the problem or asking if unrelated stuff had anything to do with the problem mentioned.

5) Everybody drives his or her car differently. On the CL board, most of the posters with transmission problems have modded their cars that would lead me to believe they drive them harder. They still shouldn't break, but I'm pretty easy on my cars so it makes me a little less concerned.

Like you, major problems such as transmission failure get my radar up but we should all keep this in perspective. I'm not sticking my head in the sand - just sharing a different viewpoint.

bigman

If acura takes the blinfolds of their eyes and make a body kit for the cl, similar to sema one, or wings west makes a kit. I will get a CLs. As far as getting another TL with the same looks, except for front end, its just too much of the same. I need some variety in my life. If there is a new model in 2-3 years, i'll be on line to get one in a heart beat. From what i head, acura is not Keeping the TL around and is thinking about bringing back the legend name. Isnt TL there 1st or second best seller. That would kill AC.

rockinTLS

Barry, I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. Acura is still ranked way up there in quality. The Marysville assembly plant is ranked up there also. I love my car and have no squeaks or rattles.

Admittedly, it is difficult to remain objective when you hear alot of negatives expressed. It's not that they should not be told, it's that each individual needs to remember that this forum represents only a minority of owners.

I sometimes wonder if ignorance IS bliss!

dj5

Traded my black/parchment 2000 TL for a Black/Parchment 2002 TL-S last week. The dealership made me a deal I could not refuse.

My 2000 only had 16,500 miles. I really liked my 2000 but I love the 2002 TL-S. It drives much better.

Eskimo

dj5, do you feel the difference in the extra 35 horses? And how is the handling with the 215 tires compared to the 205s on the plain TL??

FTM-1

I would not trade for a Type S model not at all.
My 2000 just hit 14,000 after 18 months of ownership.
I have been driven the car more in the last 4 months mostly highway miles instead of short city trips. The onlyway I would get rid of my 2000 would be a bad crash or many problems.
I prefer buying a car then getting rid of it. This shows up good on a credit report. The look of the cars are still pretty much the same. I will wait until its paid off by then they will have a new bodystyle & more advancements to the car. Who knows by then the RL could be on my shopping list. Iam not saying I would not want a 2002 TL Type S. I just can't see if you have not fully paid for it jumping out of one car into another.

acuraguynj

My 99TL was great and solid too. Reliability was near perfect, of course you have have some minor problems, but you have that fixed by the dealer.

I just got tired of my TL and I too wanted a Type S, but the looks are almost the same, nothing totally revamped. So I traded in my TL for something different (Lexus) and it's working out great.

For your reference, 99TL (NO NAV / Spoiler) with 30K miles, brought in around $20K to pay off against the Lexus. This trade in value was the book price. Hope this helps.

DniCeE TL

Well i am not Donald Trump so i guess i am sticking with my
2000 TL . Plus it is my car its me.. i luv my car for some reason i have a bond with it . i just cant get rid of it......

dj5

Eskimo, yes I can definitely tell the difference in the 35 additional hp. With the stiffer suspension and wider and lower profile tires the TL-S handles somewhat better than my 2000 TL. Really like the six disk CD player, titanium gages, seats and wheels much better that the 2000 TL. Also like the memory seats, fog lights and the grill on the 2002. I liked the 2000 but this TL-S have everything that I want on a car. Got my TL-S for $29,300 and they gave me $24,000 for my 2000. I will hang on to the TL-S for a few years. I have never traded a car with so few miles before.

Lrpba300

I see alot of negitives on the site, need something new, etc. I love the TL, but will probably trade it in when the time is right. I think the looks are great, & the TL-S is even another step above. I want 2 stick with a winner I just have 2 wait until the time is right & will get a good price for the 2k TL.

TLinBama

I traded my 9 month old 2000 TL for a Type-S back in May. So I had about $1500 in negative equity, big deal. The way I looked at it, that's a bargain for the sportier suspension, better tires/wheels, 35 ponies, Inspire tails, etc. Don't get me wrong, I loved my 2000! I just saw the value in getting the sportier version for a mere $1500.

bobowah

I'm considering it next year for 03...

My 99 is getting kinda tired ... or maybe I'm tired it of it and having moomaster car drive so fast i need to keep up... also all my Comptech parts are interchangeable... =D


Looking forward to a faster ride .. I wish the TL-s had the CL-s seats...

-J

JusMan

giving my silver 01 TL w navi to my brother.

getting a green (or silver - but i personally dislike the bowling ball interior) 01 TL-S w navi.

reason: i like the TL-S driving experience much more.