Hi guys,

Okay so this will be my first time purchasing a TL. I have no experience with these particular cars at all. So my maxima was totaled a few days ago and i was looking at an 02 TL-S. It has about 52k miles. I know that these cars have tranny issue, but what else should i look for before buying it? I used to love the torque in my maxima and i know im going to miss it on the TL but luxury is what im looking for instead of the performance aspect. i was be nice to own an auto for once because my last car was a 6spd and it sucked in traffic.

So basically to summarize, what should i look out for on the TL-S?

Thanks guys.

Also: What is a TL-p? I keep seeing it all over the forum lol. Im still used to the maxima.org lingo and this is all new to me.

 

TL Premium is the basic TL. TL-S is actually more upscale the "premium".
In actuality, the Maxima is more luxurious than TL of that generation. Maxima has more gadgets, and power everything, TL is pretty weak in that area.

If I have the money to spend, I'd invest in a 04 Maxima Elite, it's got power, performance as well as luxury, cus it's got 4 bucket seats like in the bently

 

i my self have driven acura's since 1998, love em. the tl-s is a great car and you will love it. test drive it a day or so. if you still have questions let us know. i my self drive a 03 nbp tl-s, one great car.

 

Are you kidding? a 2G TL-S is much more luxurious than a 5.5G Max. The fit and finish of the interior is far superior.

To the original poster. Your 6MT 5.5G Max is noticeably faster than a stock TL-S, but with a few inexpensive bolt-on's a TL-S will be on par or surpass the Max and with all the bolt-on's will toast it. More luxurious and you've got a tranny warranty on the TL-S and the new replacements have been holding up very well. The TL-S is a very friendly commuter and can be a stoplight warrior and still look like a classy sporty sedan at the same time. Get the TL-S, get a few bolt-on's, upgrade the brakes and you'll be very happy.

 

2g TL-S > Maxima

And thats all I have to say about that.

 

hey thanks guys. back in march 07, before i bought my maxima i was looking at the TL-S but i was like i wanted something that was a 6spd sedan that had everything i was looking for and the maxima did at the time. I encountered many problems with my maxima, just subtle things but problems none that less. It would burn about 1.5-2 quarts of oil every 3000 miles and the motor only had 75k on it. Random SES lights which i think it common throughout the Nissan family. Replacement parts were expensive as hell and most of the aftermarket stuff was very subpar. Oh, it required premium for "optimal performance" so i really didn't want to skimp on that because the knock sensor would kick in. The car was like a girl, so sensitive to every little thing that would go on. For Example: i had the car go into "safe mode" which was basically didn't want to rev past 3.5k rpms and it turned out to be a $450 MAF plus the $80 to have the ECM reprogrammed. After that i made up my mind that i would go back to the company that i know and trust and thats Honda. Oh btw, i had a Honda before my maxima and it was awesome. So now im tired of driving a stick in NOVA traffic so im getting a auto plus something that is good on the eyes. Ive always had a thing for the TL-S so i guess its only a matter of time till i find the right one. Thanks for reading my rambling lol.

 

You can save a lot of time (while waiting for answers) by browsing the Forum and reading ... there's a TON of information here, and many questions like yours that have been answered by a lot of experienced owners ... check it out!

You should do the same checking you'd do for any vehicle. If you can get the VIN, get a CarFax report, and others will tell you how to check with Acura on recalls. I was able to locate the servicing dealer on the '03 that I bought used, so I learned the entire service record before I bought it, because they told me what they had worked on.

Good luck!

 

I had this argument a few days ago with a co worker who has a 04 maxima fully loaded. I drove his car for a few days, and though I like it, I wouldnt trade it long term for my TL-S.

 

well i got the unlimited for 30 days from carfax and i looked at the services records for the one that i want to get but i dont see how you can see all the records on the car? are you saying to call the dealer that it was serviced at and get the service records?

 

Acura Ownerlink.

It'll tell you if the recalls have been taken care of, service records, etc. its handy

 

You can go to Acura Ownelink (I can't remember the web address) and find out anything that's officially "on the record." When I was checking mine out, I saw a sticker on the windshield for the next oil change and it was a dealer about 45 mins from me -- I did call and asked to speak to the service manager, and he told me what was what with the car by referring to the records. No every service manager or service writer will do that -- this guy was excellent.

When I had the car in for a pre-purchase inspection, my mechanic also called the service manager at the servicing dealer and got the same excellent response. Just be prepared for the fact that if the car wasn't serviced at a dealership (I almost never take it there unless the issue can't be dealt with by my mechanic) then this advice will mean little. Good luck! I've LOVED owning my used TL.

 

This is the OwnerLink Site https://www.ahm-ownerlinku.com/login.asp?brand=acura but I don't you can get any informaiton there without having the owners user name and password.

I've heard you can call Acura Client Services and give them the VIN and they can tell you about recall and/or warranty service performed.

The '02 TL-S is a very good car. We've had ours for close to 6 years and the ONLY problem we had was the light bulb behind the clock. It still has the original tranny and has not been an issue (I know, sooner or later ....).

I suggest you look for all the "normal" things:

- Dings/Dents
- Interior Wear and Tear
- All Electicals Working (lights, radio, cruise, etc)
- General Appearance
- Service Records
- Ride and Handling
- Acceleration and Engine Noise
- etc.

With that age and mileage, there should be no tears, cracks, etc in the seats, although the carpet/mats are probably stained and a bit worn. Expect a few dings, rock chips, scuffs. Engine should run well and all electricals should work.