I noticed the car handles very well, no body roll, however I think the car has a lot of nose dive, how can a car handle so well yet still have nose dive?

 

No body roll? What car are YOU driving? Personally, I don't do any nose diving. I am always on the gas and I am always nose lifting. HA HA

 

Springs would definitley cut down on the nose dive and body roll in the corners if it bothers you that much, but the TL-S is a heavy car which is sporty, but also geared for comfort as well, and its very tough to have it both ways although the 540 gets as close as it gets.

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Just call me..................Mr Hyde

TL Type-S Forum Moderator
02 Aegean Blue TL Type-S with Navi
Accord Forum Moderator/Honda-Acura.net

 

Personally, what I've noticed is that the TL-S goes into turns very well and feels well planted. However, when pushed to the limits, the tires give out and the rear has a tendacy to loose control (partially as a result of the "nose diving").

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2002 Satin Silver TL-S With Navi
Xenon Plus Fog Light Bulbs

 

you guys are talking about understeer. YES is true the TL does understeers. Springs and sway bars are the best help to improve this.

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Nosedive is not understeer - rear end coming around is oversteer.

 

Understeer is when you turn but the car continues in the path it was on. Oversteer is when the rear end slips out.

 

I know what oversteer and understeer is. Now what do they mean by nose dive?

Couldn't agree more.


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Nosedive just refers to how when you mash the brakes the front of the car dips down to the ground, and the rear of the car goes up in the air. The softer the suspension the worse it is

 

That's it.....That's not true....at least mine doesn't compare to other cars I have driven. I thought the guy was getting somewhere else. Ok whatever!!!!!

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I'm sure my "TL-not-S" is worse fellas! (the nose dive is really annoying compared to my RX-7)

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

 

If I followed this correctly, what may be happing is that you are your hitting the brakes too hard before entering a turn. And as a result it makes it more difficult for you to negotiate a turn. Typically the car will continue in the present path of momentum. Which may cause some people to confuse that with Understeer.

By the way. The TL's heavier front end will make nose diving more noticable. However, the tighter TL-S suspension minimizes it some. So yes, springs and shocks will help minimize nose diving. But it will not help out the perceived Understeer problem if you are applying your brakes too hard or too late in to a turn.

Perhaps some circut racer can elaborate on this as I'm really more of a drag racer. :-)

 

I think this car handles great. But that's from a personal standpoint. I've been driving around nothing but american cars (this is my first foreign car) so I don't really have much to compare it to. I figure the nose dives will always be there no matter what kind of car you drive, and if you experience frequent nose dives during stop and go traffic, that usually means you're tailgaiting too much As for the tail whiping out on you, I can personally say that if it wasn't for VSA, my car would of kissed the cement wall on the right side good bye. Although this car handles great (in my opinion) it still cant do 70 mile an hour turn on a 35 mile zone.

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2002 3.2 TL Type S with Navigation
Exterior: Aegean Blue Pearl
At 3% over invoice, who can complain?

 

Nose dive and Squat...depending on whether you are braking or accelerating....

From a steady speed when you floor it, the car squats quite a bit before it takes off...should improve with stiffer springs...

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2000 Naples Gold 3.2TL/Navi - Factory Stock but with up-graded tires

 

It's interesting to compare the handling in my TL-S to my Fiero (V6, 135hp, 165 ft-lb, manual 4-speed, 2790lbs, mid-engine, nearly 50/50 weight distribution). The TL-S will blow it away off the line, with nearly twice the hp. However, I can take curves a *lot* faster in the Fiero. The Fiero has hardly any body roll, and feels like its on a rail through a tight curve. Way fun. Of course, it will knock your teeth out if you drive on bumpy pavement (I avoid I-880, because I'm afraid I'll break something...).

That being said, I also test drove an Accord EX, loaded up with everything to get as close as possible to a TL. That car had body roll, man. Fine if you are getting from point A to point B, but unacceptable if you are driving.

Someday, I'll set up a bunch of cones in a big parking lot. If the course has enough turns, I bet the Fiero will blow away the TL-S.

(that being said, nothing in this post should be interpreted to mean that I don't absolutely adore my new TL-S, a totally rockin' car and a fantastic deal for the money. Plus, it's not a mid-80s GM car. )



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2002 Acura TL Type-S Dark Emerald Pearl
1986 Pontiac Fiero SE V6
1994 Ford Explorer 4x4

 

It's too bad the E-brake is 1. at the left foot, and 2. a push-in/lock/push-in/unlock variety .. no fun w/ the FWD. I'd love to compensate for the understeer in a tight turn by pulling up on the center E-brake... letting the back end out, and then gunning it into my point of direction once I got the nose around to where I wanted it.

 

That's awesome, but I only have the guts to do that on gran turismo.

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- Nick
waiting for my 2002 Type S (Satin Silver)
1990 Eagle Talon tsi awd (barely stock)

 

Great fun those hand E-brakes are. I also liked using them to lock up the back and whip it completely around. But doing those things with a read wheel drive car is just as much fun. Of course you are using the big horse power to brake the back end loose to do it. :-)

 

You're absolutely right! It also takes much more skill to "manage that rear end!"

 

Amen on that. One time she broke loose and came around so fast and hard that I almost lost it. The opposite rear tire felt like it was coming off the ground!

One of my best ones was while making a right turn into a four lane from a two lane. I started the move to the left lane as I approached the turn at 55MPH. I started turning the wheel pointing the tires where I wanted and nailed the gas. The backend broke loose and as soon as the whole car was face the way I wanted I straightend out the tire and gave it another punch and it took off straight down the line. Never got below 45MPH the whole time.

The only problem was that my buddy next to me ended up right on top of the shifter. And yes, he had his seatbelt on. :-)

 

Yeesh! I don't think I'll ever have the guts to do things like that... I gotta go to one of those "professional driving" schools first.

There's a NASCAR track that just opened last week here in Kansas City... hopefully a driving school will pop up there some time soon!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by daverman:
[B] Yeesh! I don't think I'll ever have the guts to do things like that... I gotta go to one of those "professional driving" schools first.

It doesn't always work out that way. I lost it one time on a slick road and the back end came all the way around and I was doing 360s and endup in a freshly plowed field. It took me 5 minutes of rocking to get out of the mud. I also ripped my exhaust brackets loose and bent an original wheel cover. :-(