Hi all,

Wow, this is my frist time posting on this board... I've been reading topics on this board. Very informative information! I have 1 question for you all... Should I get the 03 TL-s? I know there have been problems with the previous years on the auto transmission... I was told by a sales man at Acura that problem has been solve and shouldn't have anything wrong with the 03... Can any one tell me if they just want to make a sell or they did actually fixed the problem.. I just want a reliable ride since I am getting rid of my 01 Prelude...

Thanks guys..

 

I'm getting an '03 Type-S in June. I've spent over 100 hours doing research on the thing (pricing, availability, financing, mild mods etc.). In the next couple of months you should be able to get a pretty good price on one since the '04's should hit the dealer sometime in September or October. The dealer usually orders cars three months in advance. So the dealer should be wanting to get rid of the '03's pretty quickly. The '04's will most likely be larger, have a more power and most of all have an MSRP in the mid $30's (ick!).

I wouldn't worry about the transmission thing that much. The car comes with a 4year/50k mile warranty to begin with and it's definitely covered provided there arent' any serious mods done to the trans. I plan on putting a Comptech trans cooler on mine just for a little insurance. I don't drive hard all that often but it's nice to know the car is protected if the time rears it's head for a moment.

Now if there's evidence of some obvious thrashing of the vehicle (read- street/track racing) then don't always count on getting something fixed under warranty. Also, it's a good idea to get to know how to use the SportShift but I would make a habit of using it all the time. The computer controlling the trans. in auto-mode will almost always have less wear on the trans.

 

y not?

 

I have been checking around for prices here in TX too.. One dealer offer me 31,8 something with factory kit and spoiler.. the other 31,700 with nothing.. I guess I better wait too since the 04 is coming out... I just want to get a reliable ride and not to worry about when the tranny will go out...Even though is under warranty.. I don't want to take it to the dealer every so often knowing that there would be a problem and yet still get one. Any other 03 TL owners have encounter any problem yet? Btw Tom Blasing, where are you located and what is the cheapest you can find?

thanks..

 

Got my 2003 TLS Feb. 28, 2003 and was skeptical in the beginning but this site has some pretty first hand experiences and tips. I drive my cars extremely hard and I shouldn't have but I gave my TLS a pretty good beating the first minus the break in period and no shutters or hint of troubles. I would go for, like someone mentioned earlier, 4yr/50k warranty if something was going to go wrong it most likely would before then. Acura is known for their service and standing behind their products so don't sweat it and do it!!! You won't regret it! I got mine for $28, 500 no body kit but wheel locks, mud guards and spoiler. I don't think anyone on this site has had any problems with their 03".

 

I have a 03 TL-S That I bought in August and I love it. They just up the warranty on the tranny to 7yr/100k. So dont worry about the tranny. Plus they give a loaner so there really isn't that much of a inconvience to you.

There is always going to be something wrong with a car. Look at the new BMW 740. People had there cars at the dealer cause of electrical problems and thats a 70k to 80k car.

Mr
03 ABP TL-S
New Jersey
Mr_@yahoo.com

 

There is NOTHING on the market that is as big, as fast, as reliable, in this price class, with the 4/50 warranty and service network as the Acura TL-S. Nothing...
You can spend 500 hours and still come to the same conclusion.
I have a 2002 and I run mine to death. The tranny may go, but I'll get a loaner and I've driven it to death in the meantime...The rotors and pads had an issue, but one day in the service department and I've got new and improved ones and have had no issues with them at all.
The only vehicle I ever had that was better was a '00 Toyota 4Runner and beat that thing into the ground and did nothing but service to it. Then again, Toyota/Lexus makes nothing as sporty in this price range...

 

Oh yeah, go buy the freakin' car already!

 

Hey, why did they up your tranny warranty? Did you start to have problems?

 

Tls22-

I'm in Cincinnati, ya know "The Conservative Capitol of the Country" and I haven't talked price to a salesman yet. I so now the Dealer Cost is somewhere around $28,100 after the Holdback 3%. I plan to fax a bunch of dealers (within 150 miles) to see if I can get them into a bidding war (that'll be fun).

Here's something else I learned. E-mail the dealer you want to do business with and you'll get a response back from the Internet Sales Manager. From what I'm I understand the Internet Sales Mgr. doesn't work on commission but rather bulk sales (i.e.- Fleet Sales).

Heres a link to a neet site for strategy:

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

 

Yes, you should definitely be able to pick a Non-NAV one up without spoiler, for no more than $29,000. I paid 29,400 a couple of weeks ago, but now that I have read more on this board, I'm sure I could have gotten one for $28,500 with a little more shopping around. So far, I love this car. Oh, try giving the Infiniti G35 Sedan a test drive. I did and really loved the car -- even more fun than the TL-S. I ended up with the TL-S because I wanted something a little more conservative with better gas mileage and didn't want to pay the extra 2K or 3K the G35 would've costed.

 

F*ck. I bought my '03 TL-S with mud guards/wheel lock/etc. for 30,200. Then again, it is a filthy rich area (not me, though), and it's the only Acura dealership here.

 

I picked up my 2003 TL-S back in November 2002 for around $30K w/ factory trunk spoiler, mud guards, wheel locks, & trunk tray. Not a bad price considering there is only one Acura dealer within 2,000 miles (I live in Hawaii). NAVI isn't even available here because it doesn't work in Hawaii (no satellite coverage). I love the car! Never even looked at a G35 (too weird looking for me & cheap interior materials). Probably the biggest competitor was the 2004 Accord EX V6 - but I hate the rear end styling. Considering that the 2004 TL will cost thousands more than a 2003 (due to "Dealer Mark Up" on the 2004 and price discounting on the 2003), it may be worth it to buy a 2003 now. Of course, Acura is pretty tight lipped about the 2004 so who knows how much better it will be?

 

If this is the type of vehicle you need then it is simply the best value in it's class.

Now, if you want something more sporty then in all honesty I would say that the G35 is probably more sport oriented because of it's RWD configuration.

But you will pay a bit more for it and give up some reliability and that oh so perfect Honda/Acura ergonomics and attention to visibility which I feel is very important.

I have an 02 TLS and even though I could afford a car much more expensive, I still love it and it's here to stay for a long time.

(Unless Acura makes an AWD wagon version then I'll do the roll)

I took a careful look at the FX35/45 but the trunk space was dissappointing for something that claims to be a utility vehicle.

 

Oh yeah, just another extra tip that will save you some trouble in the long run.
When geeting the TL-S without the bodykit. DONT PUT ON THE MUDGUARDS!! these things will scratch and rust the body in a few months. And since ur from TX, you dont need them because there no snow.

 

They gave everyone with a 99 to 03 TL 7yr / 100k tranny warranty. You should of received the letter.

The reason they are giving a longer tranny warranty is because of the tranny problems and they don't want to recall thousand and thousands of TLs. Its more cost efficient this way.

Mr
03 ABP TL-S
New Jersey
Mr_@yahoo.com

 

Thanks all for your comments.. I'll consider getting me an TL-s with the factory kit w/o mud guard & spolier after I sell my 929RR and my prelude...Hopefully soon...

Thanks again.

 

Regarding the styling, I don't know, I thought it was not that great looking at first, but now I think it looks really good. And the interior is definitely in the same league as the TL-S. I don't like the amber/orange nighttime dashboard lights, but I thought the power seat adjustment was much better than the TL-S, despite the strange location.

After having a Nissan Maxima for 6.5 years with absolutely no problems and not a single dashboard rattle (even after 99,000 miles), I think Nissan/Infiniti quality is at least up to Honda/Acura quality and reliability standards. Maybe even more so, since the G35 is Japan-made and the TL series are mostly made in the US. Ergonomically, I agree with you, Nissan tends to be a little bit quirky and Honda is solid in this respect (although I don't like the placement of the door lock switch in the TL-S). Visibility -- hmm, I'll pay more attention to this.

 

I must admit that the G35 coupe styling is growing on me - maybe even better than the Z's. But I see quite a few G35 sedans on the road and the rear styling is a bit awkward. No doubt that RWD is a better setup for performance driving, and a solid 260 bhp (280 in the coupe) from the great Nissan 3.5 V6 is a winner. It is obvious that Nissan/Infiniti spent their money on the powertrain, and skimped on the interior materials. Ever feel the interior materials in an Altima? Yikes! It feels like a rental car. Of course one of the car magazines (either MT or CD) said that the 2003 Altima is the FASTEST Front Wheel Drive car they ever tested. And the G35 puts up some serious performance numbers for a $35K car. Reliability is probably about the same. I guess it comes down to all out performance (Altima/G35) versus superior look and feel (Accord/TL). Tough call. Any G35 owners out there that could give us their opinions?

 

One other thing - not all 2003 TL's get the extended warranty on the transmission. Only those 2003 TL's built early in the model year (I believe the VINs were 000001 - 019xxx) qualify; all others built after that (including mine that I bought in November 2002) DON'T qualify for the extended warranty. That's because they supposedly received the new and improved transmission. Let's hope so.

 

I think I spent about 200+ hours shopping around for a $30K sedan, and always came back to the TL-S, especially when you look at the price/features. I think the A4 handles better, and the G35 is unquestionably faster, but nothing gives you the value/quality of the TL-S. I got mine 2-28-03 and am really happy with it. The only bad thing about the car is the tires, the factory Michelin's are BAD.

I am sure that if you get a TL-S you will not be dissapointed.

 

Sindial. Can I ask what you paid? Do you have the Nav?

 

GO BUY IT! I love my 03 TLS. If you like the 03 body style, then don't worry about waiting for the O4.....

 

I hope your right because I haven't received a letter.

 

I paid $29,600 without Navi. I have read that some people in NY have paid under $29K with the spoiler and some other accessories - that would be an amazing deal!!

I actually leased mine in Feb. when Acura had a lease special, and really got a fantastic deal. I am paying $380/month (including 6.5% sales tax) and put $0 down, 12K miles/year, 39 Months (payoff is $19K).

 

Mine was built 1/03, and does not qualify for the ext warranty on the tranny. I took delivery the third week of Feb and paid $28.000 w/o Nav or any other options. The mud guards are on it, but there was not a seperate cost for them. I also told my salesman about the 2.9%, 60 month financing from Honda, that had just become available, and took advantage of that also by adding another $1500 to cover the mods I'm buying.

Wait till the end of the month, any month, and the dealers are more apt to deal on the price. Do your research, edmunds.com is a good place to start. Good luck! Buy the TL-S, you won't regret it.

 

The new Acura comes out start of April, people might forget about the TL-S and Im thinking I will get a better deal.

 

Are you talking about the 04 TL?
it doesnt come out until september of 03.
You mistaken with the Canadian A-Spec TL-S which due out this april.

 

Im aware of that, I meant the the new nxt (or whatever the initials are).

 

My family has a TLS and a G35, both nice cars however the one that puts a smile on my face every time I drive it is the G. It is simply fun to drive, bmw fun to drive. The egronics are terrible however, if you want to turn the radio down fast, it is impossible, you have to push the button 20 times, if it is on volume 20. The handling in the G is far superior in dry weather. It all depends on what kind of a driver you are, if you are an agressive driver you will be happier with the G, if you are more of a cruiser the Acura is far better looking, and more comfortable ride.

 

I have a question which may have been asked and answered earlier but I can't find it. How would my TLS line up with a G35? Would it smoke our car by a few car lengths or what? And what about the IS300? I need to know because I know I'll be runnin with some of them this summer. Thanks for the heads up guys.

 

http://www.car-stats.com/stats/default.aspx

 

u'll smoke the is300, but with the help of comptech icebox and headers, i think u could eat the g35

 

Just purchased today
'03 Tl-S with Navi
30,900 (also wheel locks).

 

congrads!!

man that's a great great price.
got my for 30.5k without anything.
but that was in april of 02.