I would like to get a TL Type S but after driving it found the suspension to be rather stiff. I did not really mind it but my wife was "not impressed" which means I will be hearing about it. (after 33 years of marriage, I have learned to keep her happy. My question is, if we felt we wanted a softer suspension, would replaceing the Type S springs with regular TL springs soften the ride? I really like the car and do not want the TL premium due to engine, tires and wheels.

 

Unless you really feel that the TL-P doesn't have enough power, why not just get the P and add nice wheels and tires? Probably save a few bucks



<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by doopstr on March 17, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

I just test drove a tl-type s today and totally agree. It was very rough riding, even more than my Z-28. It is a much quiter ride than my Z. It has good acceleration and handles pretty good. I bought a white, tl-s and will pick it up this Friday. I figure part of the rough ride will loosen up some as I drive the heck out of it. I drive about 25K a year and got the Nav. system. The lexus IS300 was also rough riding as you would expect from most sports cars. You just can't have it both way. I also drove the RL and what a car. Dealers are selling them cheap.



<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by wv5b on March 17, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

TL-S suspension rough? I definitely disagree with this statement. The supsension is very refined, and is not rough at all. I just test drove one this morning, and don't understand where you guys are coming from on this issue. I also test drove an IS 300 today, it's suspension is a tad stiffer than the TL-S, but definitely not hard (harsh). Please keep in mind that the TL-S and IS 300 are Luxury Sport Sedans. You guys would be better off with the TL or the ES 300.

 

How does it compare with the CL-S?

 

I agree with Anthony.
This car is mild compared to the BMW or Mercedes.

 

I drove the car again today on roads from home to work that I was familiar with. It felt much better today to me. My problem in judging the ride is that we now drive an RL. The ride on the RL is very soft so that may be why the Type S felt stiff. I think the RL is boring so want a more sporty car like the Type S. The type S handles great and the power is awsume. I also felt that the TL Type S was just as quiet as my RL. Outside noise and road noise was minimal. We are going to get the TL Type S.

 

"I drove the car again today on roads from home to work that I was familiar with. It felt much better today to me. My problem in judging the ride is that we now drive an RL".

Thank you for the clarification as to what you were comparing it to.

Anybody else have any comments on the suspension?

 

I disagree with this guy. The TL-S is a rougher riding car. I've driven both...this guy is wrong.



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2001 TL Silver w/ Black Leather
CL-S Wheels w/Pilots
Alpine CD Changer
Burlwood Shift Knob

 

I presently drive a Nissan Maxima SE (lease comes up in May'01) with sport suspension. Can anyone compare the ride of the TLS to this vehicle. I have driven the Nissan Infnity with sport suspension and that is a smooth riding car.

Comments on this forum on the suspension of the TLS vary a lot. Is there any concensus?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Raptor on March 18, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

If you can find your way to your nearest dealership, I would suggest that you take the TL-s for a spin and decide for yourself.... do not base such decisions on second-hand knowledge.... what is a soft ride for someone else, may be stiff for you...and vice-versa.




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

 

 

raptor:

If you currently drive a Maxima SE, then I would predict that you would be perfectly happy with the TL-s drive characteristics....also since the TL-s has a longer wheelbase than the CL-s, it would definitely be more comfortable, ride-wise. On rough roads, the TL-s would be way better than the Maxima SE due to the rear suspension of the TL-s being an Independent one.

Also, a tester from a top automotive magazine (I forgot which) commented that the TL-s seemed to feel more planted to the ground than the CL-s, maybe due to its longer wheelbase.

Hope this helps.



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

 

hunter001:

That's the kind of feedback I have been asking for the past 2 days. Thanks.

 

I did test drive TL & TL-S today.
Here is my feedback :

TL-S : Faster but noisy, annoying outside noise + wind noise + perfect ride : happy + unhappy + happy

TL : O.K(accord ex v6) coming to noise, better than TL-S. But lack of wheels, gauges.... still O.K : unhappy + happy + unhappy.

so I would say TL-S is better than TL if you can compromise with some rough ride.

 

1) Make sure the tire pressures were at spec
2) I find Hondas generally are less compliant than the BMW's, which seem to have a magical blend of ride and handling
3) The lower profile tires will relay tar strips etc more harshly.

I drove a CL-S and found the difference marginal.

 

Regarding the Suspension: I do notice that I can feel the road. But, it seems to me that you get a similar feel with the BMW 330. It isn't that bad though IMO. I prefer the firmer ride for the sportier handling. I agree though, that the TL-S is better than the CL-s. The CL-S felt too rough. It was also louder and that was a concern I had for the TL-S before it came out. I am totally satisfied the the purchase though. I think that the car runs great, handles like a much smaller car like my Integra. Don't think I'm going to do the Comtech sway bars after all. Just my 2 cents.

 

Hey Raptor: I am getting my TLS from Erin Mills Acura. I was talking to the sales manager on Friday and he expects my car within the next 3-5 days. That is a lot sooner than April. Maybe you should give them a call.

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99 TL black/black

 

In response to Tea Elle stating that my comment about the suspension is "wrong." Isn't this the same guy who had seven complaints about the TL-S including the one about the in dash six-disk CD changer? Something along the lines that he would have to bring the jewel cases for the CDs with him, instead of loading them into the removable CD case in the back of his trunk mounted CD changer? I don't recall the 2000/01 TLs coming standard with the six-disk changer. I believe that is an option.
See Tea Elle's complaint for more info. What a character, that Tea Elle.

 

If TL-S suspension is too stiff for you, go get yourself a Lexus.
Even though there is a noticable different between TL and TL-S, it's really doesn't affect the comfort much.
We tested TL and TL-S back to back.
It took my wife 10 seconds into TL-S to decide on the Type S.
But of course, either one is a huge improvement from her s2000.

 

What did she like about the TLS to make up her mind so fast?

 

It's not the suspension that's rough... it's those crappy tires. The only thing they have going for them is ok dry traction. Get yourself some 55 series touring tires and you'll be in fat city. Pretty much any tires but those.

 

Anthony, these two things have absolutely nothing to do with one another. I used the Alpine CD changer from my 94Legend (traded in) in my 01TL. I've heard numerous people say the in-dash cd changer is not as easy to manipulate as the changer.

I still think you're wrong about the ride quality...and it appears that lots of people on here echo my sentiments.

Dude, it's all about discussion, debate and sometimes disagreement. What's the problem?



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2001 TL Silver w/ Black Leather
CL-S Wheels w/Pilots
Alpine CD Changer
Burlwood Shift Knob

 

I agree with most ppl's response after driving my new TL-S for 2 days now: I can actually feel the cracks and small inperfection of the roads. This reminds me of my previous, the '92 Integra GS-R with lots of suspension works on it. It had Tokico Illuminas with Ground Controls, Eibach Swaybars and Energy Suspension bushings. After driving the TL-S, I feel that the rough rides is possibly caused by thickened swaybars, which reduce the work of the independent double-wishbone suspension. Also, lower profile tires may contribute to the roughness too. But, when taking the car on a sweeper at some speed, I feel the springs or the shocks are kinda on the softer side. SO I am kinda limiting the cause to either bushings, swaybars, or the materials made up of the sidewall of the Michelin tires, which is only 2-ply polyester. I had Bridgestone RE-730 before, I think anything with Nylon or Rayon as sidewall material will help in a more "high-performance" driving.

 

Tea Elle. No problem with this friendly debate. I currently have a 92 Prelude Si with a 12-disk CD changer mounted in the trunk, and actually brought CDs with me on my test drive of the TL-S to check out the stereo and in dash 6-disk CD player. I was very easy and straight forward to use, and didn't really notice any inconveniences as compared to my 12-disk CD changer.
As far as suspension, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. I've very recently test drove the 2001 TL, CL-S, and BMW 330i. In my opinion, the TL had the softest suspension, followed by the CL-S, and then the 330i with sports package. The CL-S and TL-S suspension seemed to be very close to each other, and just a little softer than the 330i.
Again, I drive a Prelude Si, on OEM Michelin XGT-V4 205/55-15s, which are Ultra High Performance All-Season VR rated tires. Driving performance with the Prelude's suspension and these tires is incredible, but you definitely trade comfort for performance and handling. But then again, the Prelude Si is a Sports Coupe, just as the CL-S, with TL-S being a Luxary Sports Sedan. The suspension of the CL-S, TL-S, and 330i all feel much softer than my Prelude, which is the basis for my comments on the TL-S's suspension. What it all comes down to, is just a matter of preference.

 

The reason why Acura offers both the TL and the TL Type S is to cater to those who would compromise a bit on the ride quality for the better handling and feel and to those who want a more comfortable ride.

Ride harshness is relative. The Zanardi Edition NSX suspension (which I retrofitted to my regular NSX) is harsh and bouncy to most people but I love it for its great feedback and handling improvement. It's probably 2-2.5 times harsher than the TL-S. The S2000's suspension is probably about 50% harsher than the TL-S but I still like it. For a performance sport sedan, the TL-S's suspension tuning is about as optimized as it can be for OEM right out of the factory.

 

Try not to confuse ride harshness with the car's ability to communicate the road surface. BMW have recieved tons on accolades for the ability to perceive the road conditions, particularly through the steering. One of the car mags last year did a test to demonstrate this effect. They determined that they could feel the effects of the two quarters stacked up, when they drove over them at speed. Think about all of the road imperfections and how they would be communicated via the steering. It is a balance to communicate this type of info vs. provide a soft ride absorbing ride. Go drive a Town Car for a smooth ride, but then try to get any handling info out of it. You'll see the difference.

 

She decided to support my decision for a Type S, after the redlined the TL-S on a backroad.
She thinks it's worth the 2400 bucks.
Maybe she liked the seats already when she got in. Who knows.......
I'm just glad that she didn't veto it.

 

To flying pig:

"She decided to support my decision for a Type S, after the redlined the TL-S on a backroad.
She thinks it's worth the 2400 bucks.
Maybe she liked the seats already when she got in. Who knows.......
I'm just glad that she didn't veto it"

Congratulations.

 

Hey OldGuy:

Acura North just called me this morning. My car is in. I'm going tonight for a test drive.

Regards!

 

For sporty driving, you have to feel the road with your hands on the steering wheel because you need to know if the tires are starting to slip or at the edge of adhesion. This is a good steering design because the driver is getting feedbacks from the steering wheel about the road conditions.
The amount of side walls on the tires and the construction of the side walls also contribute to the ride harshness, not just the suspension tuning. The lower profile tires will give a harsher ride. V-rated tires will give a harsher ride than H-rated tires because the side walls are stiffer.
So for someone not looking for performance can buy the TL. For someone looking for performance and better road feel can buy the TL-S. For someoone looking for straight line performance but comfortable ride can buy the TL-S and swap the 215/50/17 tires with a regular TL's 205/60/16 tires. I'm sure many of the members here are more than willing to swap tires with you.

 

I test drove the TL-S tonight and agree with Hunter001 and TL-sorMaxima completely. I have a Maxima SE and my 3 year lease term that comes up next month. I have enjoyed the car very much.

I joined this discussion forum to find what others thought about the TL-s and in particular the power and "ride" of the car I found that Hunter001 was right on the money that I would feel a marginal difference in suspension between the Maxima SE and TL-s. and that the TL-s would be in fact better.

I test drove the CL-s a month ago to compare the power of the car and TL to compare the ride. The riding of the TL-s is no comparison to the CL-s. The CL-s engine roared loadly when I stepped on the gas and I felt every bump on the road. It was a very "rigid" ride. On the other hand the TL had a nice ride.

Tonight, I test drove the TL-s over the same roads and it was an "experience" all onto itself. I test drove on the same road as my previous CL-s and TL test drives and highway. The TL-s just "hugged" the road on a 270 degree turn onto the highway. Just like some of you described it.

When I stepped on the gas pedal to merge onto the highway lane there was was no hesitation. You can sense the abudance of power this car has - it's great!

The shifts in transmission felt seamless as it accelerated. NO ENGINE ROAR! The cabin was quiet with minimal wind noise. I then turned on the radio and it sounded great.

All I can say is goodbye Maxima SE and hello TL-s!

... and yes ... I bought it!


<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Raptor on March 21, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

You got a wonderful car there....I almost envy you TL-s owners...have fun



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