Redline_Geoff

Hey Everybody..I'm new here...And I'm 15..almost..
I was looking for a nice luxury midsize car for my mom and well I had looked at a Nissan Maxima SE. And then I saw a commercial for the RSX-S and well I thought maybe Acura has some nice car that would probably change my mind about talking my mom into a Maxima. Well so I went over to Acura.com and I checked out a RL..thought..too big. And then I checked out a CL-S and thought wow! That's nice...but it's a coupe and so I checked out a TL and the standard list of options..and I thought wow! For the price all we need is there for a price almost the price of a Maxima, but more luxurious and nicer looking ( and a sunroof and in-dash cd Changer?? Wow!! ) I checked out the colors (US Colors) and I saw a Aegean Blue Pearl. That's the color my mom likes...and I checked out the Acura Canada site..and NO AEGEAN BLUE PEARL IN CANADA! What is going on here?? I hope you guys will give me a nice welcome here and hopefully some help. By the way, is the TLS reliable? I mean I don't want my mom getting some LEMON! Thanks Everybody!
Geoff.

oracion

What colors are available in Canada?

Redline_Geoff

Is the Eternal Blue Pearl almost the same shade of blue as the Aegean Blue?
Colors ( as shown at Acura Canada )

-Nighthawk Black Pearl
-Naples Gold Metallic
-Satin Silver Metallic
-Eternal Blue Pearl
-White Diamond Pearl

And also how much is it compared to a Maxima SE fully loaded..?
Thanks Everybody

Geoff

hemants

I've seen the blue in Canada and it's very nice looking!

The TL is about $2k more than a loaded Maxima SE, and the TL-S is about $5k more than the TL (CAD$ of course).

But you are talking apples and oranges.

TL adv - more luxury features, "tiptronic" shift 5 speed, better looking, xenon lights, larger trunk

Maxima SE adv - smoother engine, bigger back seat, rear folding seats, less body roll, better brakes.

It really depends whether she (or maybe you?) are tilted towards luxury or not.

I think the TL-S suspension would be more in line with the Maxima SE but I haven't driven the TL-S.

Also, keep in mind that a new Maxima with 260hp is coming out in mid September which, if it is priced $5k or so below the TL-S would be a tough one to pass up.

Redline_Geoff

I don't know..Hondas are reliable as hell and Acuras are very nice..I was reading the Edmunds thing somewone suggested in another topic, and it beat out the Infiniti I30 ( was it? ) I'm not sure on which one..
Are your Type-S reliable ? We have a Pathfinder SE and a Mitsubishi 3000 GT SL and they are all Japanese and they are very reliable...the 3000Gt is a 91 and still running strong. Is the Type-S going to last me, us that long??

derrick

I've owned an Accord EX since 1990 and had no serious problems with it (other than the alternator dying in '99). Body lasted the winters without rust and the engine was smooth.

I've upgraded to a 2002 eternal blue Type-S (an exclusive colour along with the white among TLs) this past May. I've had the moonroof squeak and a misaligned trunk latch (probably due to the dealership installing the rear spoiler) but no problems since then (knock on wood).

If you're wondering about reliability-- Honda is the world's largest engine manufacturer. As long as you change the oil and do the regular maintenance services, your car will last. Ottawa is darn cold (I've spent time there in the winter) so it's really important to keep up with the servicing!

Not to knock the Maxima-- it's a great car with a loyal following. But if you're talking about $$$, sure, the Acura is more expensive but resale value-wise, the Acura can't be beat! (Nissans generally don't do well with regards to resale value.)

That's my $0.02.
- derrick

yee

your family has a 3000GT in Canada?! ... wooh, you must get plenty of looks!

if you mom main concern in safety, and she wants a 4 dr, then the ought to wait to the upcoming 2002 Audi A4 quattro...Don't get me wrong, TL & TL-S are great cars, but you'll need to change the tires during the winter. And that's alot of hassle for a lady.

But if your choice is either the Maxima & TL, then I'd go for a TL simply because it looks better. The tail of a Maxima is a big turnoff...but that's my opinion.

lilboykorea

NICE....u 15 too? up in canada..same here bro, but i live all the way west of u...heheh

happy to see another 15 year old on the forum......

we got a white type s...very nice...very pleased with it...

i mean performance wise, when i race other cars on the road, i'll be able to beat quite many...

wait and get the 6 speed manual lots more sporty....

pce

CoNfUzEd ChIlD

From the color sample's I've seen. The Agean Blue and Eternal blue are the same thing. Or you'll be hard pressed to see the difference. I think the name changed happend becuase Agean doesn't sound right in French.The really big benefit is that in Canada we get the parchment interior with the Blue exterior which makes the car look so much better. At $41,000 the TL-S is quite expensive; but you feel so much better knowing that we pay about $5,000 less than anyone south of the border. Too bad we don't get Navigation (because Acura doesn't want to make a french version) Damn those Quebecer's holding us back.

AKRY

Ethernal Blue has darker hue than Aegean Blue, which is actually closer to Electron Blue of SiR/Blue on 2001 Preludes.

Ethernal Blue is more like "Oriental Blue" on BMWs. If you are not sure how it looks. Go take a look at any Blue 2001 Accords. They are Ethernal Blue.

Personally, I think it's pretty decent color, though not as good as Aegean. However, if you like Parchment leather, I would go with White Diamond Pearl instead....

Andy Kuo

Redline_Geoff

derrick : So the Acura has a better resale value than the Maxima?
I didn't think about that..

yee: Yes we do get a lot of looks...and the Maxima's tail is a turn
off for me too!

Well I was at my local "Cruise Night/Car Show" and guess what pulls up..an Eternal Blue TL-S!!!! It looked almost like the Aegean Blue! I talked to him at the stoplight and asked him how much, and so forth, light went, he just flew out of there! Those TL-S must move mountains!!!

Geoff.

Edward'TLS

A large percentage of Canadian A4 quattro's come with SP8000 or SP8080 high performance summer tires as OEM tires. So they will still need to change the tires during the winter. Those tires have absolutely no traction on snow or ice.

yee

Edward'TLS - maybe in B.C., but in Toronto ( I grew up there) we're fitted with all seasons tire...snowtires are recommanded, but you'll only really need it once or twice a year..

hemants

All season tire = No season tire.

Get snows!

Redline_Geoff

Is The Type-S reliable enough that it won't keep me up at night thinking about it?? And is the Type-S worth the money? AND how difficult is the shifter?? i saw a pic and I was in a state of question..is this g/d ****fter easy for anyone to operate????

GOT PSI?

The Eternal Blue is a slight shade brighter than my Monterey Blue CL-S.

derrick

Like I said before... Honda engines will last so as long as you keep up with the service intervals as per the owner's manual -- in Canada-- we follow the 'extreme conditions' schedule which is service every 6 months / ____ kms (I can't remember exactly). The only thing that will keep you up at night is if you live in a high crime area and people will want to 'jack your car or lift the front headlights (I hear it's a big deal in east coast US and So Cal...)

The shifter is a little intimidating at first but very intuitive. Go with your folks to the Acura dealer in Ottawa and go for a test drive. Very easy to use and no, you won't break anything!

Good luck with your car search. I'm sure you will do a lot of "research" for your mom...
- derrick

AKRY

That's right... but if you want deep blue look, Monterey actually does a better job, IMO.. I prefer Monterey over Ethernal, but Aegean Blue over both Monterey AND Ethernal...

Andy Kuo

GOT PSI?

I agree...too bad the Aegean Blue was not available in Canada. Which dealer did u get your TL-S from & how much? My brother in law (powerfade is his ID on this forum) just picked up his TL-S from Richmond Acura also in Satin Silver.

GOT PSI?

Aegean Blue has a slight shade brighter than the Eternal Blue...Eternal is closer to Monterey.

Redline_Geoff

I 've been looking at it and I figured it uses a 7 movement...well we'll just have to go on Monday when she comes back from her trip..
Oh yeah before I forget again TL-S owners!
A few questions please....

Ride- How is it? Nice and smooth? Engine noise?
Comfort- Soft leather ? Good amount of legroom?
Handling- Would I need anti-sway bars? (actually that is the stupidest question to date on this forum)
Power- Does it have that special pick-up and go ?

Thanks a lot guys !

derrick- Yes the research I'm doing is for this car !!


Should I get the body kit to make it look nice...? I looked really nice on your cars, guys!! I am fully jealous of you!!

AKRY

I got my TL-S from Logheed Acura. I traded my '93 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited in, pluse $35,000(include taxes and freight).

BTW, the luxury tax limit went from $31,000 to $47,000 now... anything below $47,000 won't have luxury tax any more. I got my car BEFORE the change... so I had to paid luxury tax...

derrick

<i>Ride:</i> So as long as you go to the recommended 32 psi on the tires, the 'stiffer' sports suspension will be softened significantly.
<i>Comfort:</i> I like the 'cooshiness' of the interior. Unlike other entry-level luxury cars, I have to say the simple layout of the front dash along with the large buttons makes things easy. (Aside: I drove a '95 BMW 750iL up from Windsor to Toronto last weekend and I had to refer to the owner's manual to use the cruise control! ) Legroom's fine up front but if you're in the back and over 6'... make sure your rides aren't cross-country. Two in the back's okay... three is close for comfort. (I have to say my parent's Volvo S70 is comfy in the back!)
<i>Handling:</i> It'll hold its own. I went on a BMW comparison drive (see other thread about it) and have to say if you wanna push the car, you'll be disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it'll hold its own but if you know what's out there, you may be not be 100% satisfied. (But who drives their car like a Formula-1? We just want to get from A to B in style and a little quicker than most, right??? ) Sways? If this is your mom's car... I don't think you can justify the expense... maybe when you're old enough to go have a G2 license...
<i>Power:</i> You will have more power than what to do with... 260 bhp and 232 lb ft torque in the usable band range? Trust me, you'll want to use the sport shift and reach redline to hear what the engine is designed to do!
<i>Appearance:</i> This is the last thing I debated... I think the car looks really sharp with the factory spoiler and underbody kit. However, C$2000 for the kit?! If you add 15% to it, you're talking some serious $$$. Hey-- if you've got $$$ to burn (Ottawa people are rich compared to us poor Windsorites), you'll be glad you did. But if you get more than 15cm of snow... you may be digging yourself out more often than you'd like! (That's something I can always add later on... little snow down here...) So I would say it's probably in your best interest to forget about it, unless you're NOT going to drive it in the winter... (yea, right!)

Hope this helps.
- derrick

GOT PSI?

What was the final price of the vehicle? What did they give your for trade-in?

Redline_Geoff

How much did you pay CDN? Did you haggle them down? I heard it was 47.000$! I am not prepared to spend that...how much is it really with taxes and everything?

lilboykorea

in alberta here...

mines got the extended warranty and it was around 49, 000...some where there forgot the exact price...

yo, if ur 15,... and u drive... u would juss LOVE the car... =)

thats exactly how i feel rite now...GET ONE!!!...

ride is very good...not as hard as BMW Sport pakages...but not soft like a buick... its a perfect balance....

Redline_Geoff

49 000???

ACH!! I just want a base one! No opts but block heater. That's it..49000? I talked to a guy with a TL-S and he said a mere 43 000 CDN! What is going on here??
Is the sound system good on that? We got Bose on our Pathfinder and it's pretty pumpin...later

Geoff.....

49000 IS 6000 too darn much!!!

AKRY

Dealer gave me roughly $12,000 for my car. So, the whole car costs about $47,000 included all taxes/freight.

Redline_Geoff,

$43,000 is impossible!!! It must be either he's an Acura Employee or it's only a TL-P(Premium model, none-Type-S).

Andy Kuo

Redline_Geoff

Ok ....

So I guess I'm paying for high luxury. Now I really hope my mom would buy the car! I really like it...especially the gauges and the interior and the power that lies beneath. When do the 2003 model year cars come out, because there's usually a good chance of sales down at Camco Acura.

bigbadboss101

It is $41950 with pdl etc, then add tax after that. Then you can add the spoiler, sunroof wind deflector, etc.

Redline_Geoff

Well I guess it is worth every penny then isn't it ????:o :o :o

derrick

I've posted this before in a previous message. The 'invoice' cost of a Type-S in Ontario is C$37800 (give or take $100). My dealer showed it to me before I negotiated the price. If you can walk out 5% over invoice for such a car, you're doing well.

I don't know what the demand is like in Ottawa area / BC / Alta, but down here in Windsor (closest dealership is in Detroit, MI! but realistically, I have to drive 2 hours up to London, ON for major servicing), the exclusiveness of driving an Acura is a big thing for me.

Going back to your question: 5% of $37800 = $1890 -- making the negotiated price of C$39690 before taxes is a good place to start. Add GST & PST, you're talking about C$45643.50 for the car. Of course, I'm not including freight, licenses. I had a '91 Accord with low mileage and no rust and cut a cheque for C$41000 for my car, out the door (give or take $500). Remember, I have a spoiler (about C$500 invoice) and wheel locks (C$50). I think I got a good deal (about 4% over invoice). It's easy when you work for the wife of the Honda dealership manager!

So... I would say that C$47000-48000 out the door is reasonable. C'mon, you're on an upper echelon if you're talking about a Type-S in Canada. Is it worth it? I think so! I get high praise from enthusiasts and even people in my neighbourhood. Only thing I'm looking at right now is the (factory) underbody kit and maybe some sways and springs after my warranty is up. (Comptech sounds like the way to go, based upon most of the board posts...)

That's my $0.02...
- derrick

AKRY

Derrick,

What % of taxes are you paying in Ont?? I had to pay 14%(GST/PST), then another 3% of luxury tax.

BTW, you have pic of your car??

Andy Kuo

power-fade

Paid $39,200 including freight, pdi, documentation & A/C Tax. Then add PST, GST & Enviro Levies to total $45,885.

Dealer total invoice cost for TL-S is $37,720 plus $950 Freight plus $100 A/C Tax to total $38,770.

tlsint

i have quote tls in ontario. i got $39100 plus feight & PDI.
as your figure your the dealer only make $430 dollar!!
if it is the ture deal, could you please post the invoice to this forum? so we could use it as a proof to buy our tls

thks

power-fade

Go to see the fleet & leasing manager for the price, however, one dealer in vancouver showed me the invoice cost price, fleet price & lease price. The fleet price is $39,200 include freight, pdi, documentation & A/C Tax.

derrick

Ontario has 8% PST and we all can't avoid 7% GST. It's an eye-opener to see people getting prices slightly over invoice in BC. It must be a supply-demand thing. $430 over invoice? WTF?! Well, that's the price you pay when you buy the car less than a month when it comes out!

<i>AKRY</i>, if you wanna see what the car looks like, I have it posted on <a href="http://www.geocities.com/soonger/scans/newapge00.html">my webpage</a>. There's some extra crap included on it. (I'm not 100% sure how to attach files here... someone help me on that?)

- derrick