Hi
I saw this from another web-site about the type S:
"All of this is nothing compared to the ride. It’s just plain awful, worse than anything I’ve driven in recent memory. The Type-S reacted sharply to just about every imperfection it encountered in the road. I thought my Contour SE, with a very stiff suspension, road poorly, but driving home from the dealer I suddenly realized that the ride just sounds bad; you hear more than you actually feel while hitting bumps and potholes. In the Acura these were both heard and felt."

Can anyone confirm this??? Since Im thinking of purchansing this car, I will like to know if this car is smooth in the road....to let you know what I think is a good ride...is a 99 civic...as you can see, that will make me happy....let me know if TL-S is good in the road????

 

every one has their own ideals about their perfect ride, or what's worse/good...so why don't you test drive for yourself?!?!?!

they should be free!

 

Sounds like someone was more jealous of the Acura TL-S rather than providing a good critique of it. May I ask where you found this review?

 

Definitely not from a TL-S owner. It's fine that everyone has his/her own opinion.

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2002 Satin Silver TL-S w/ Navi

 

The TL-S ride is awesome! Everyone who's been in my car can agree. It is firm yet smooth. There has been a trend from new TL-S buyers that the tire pressure upon delivery was way too high from the dealer. Mine arrived with the tires around 40 PSI when the reccomended pressure is 32. I personally use 34. The ride was definitely a bit harsh until I realized about the tire pressure. This could be the case with this person's "review".

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2002 TL-S Aegean blue

 

Massachusetts has a lot of potholes and bumps, I am sure Oracion and Acuraboy will agree. I love my car, the performamce and the ride. If you encounter a series of potholes, the ride can only be as smooth as it gets. If you like the CIvic, you will LOVE the Types. I believe Oracion had a Civic, care to comment?

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Those who know, don't talk.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by thephantom on June 14, 2001 @ ]</font>

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by thephantom on June 14, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

that person must have been smokin some crack...
the tl-s has one of the smoothest rides out there. Today I took my other car to work to give the type-S a break (350 miles in one week), It's not until you drive another car that you realize hust how smooth the ride in the tl is.
Take it for a test drive, see for yourself.

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

 

The above guys are right, the TL-S is smooth as butter. I mean, even Car & Driver Television liked it, and they only usually like Bimmers!! Just drive it yourself... you'll see!!



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1998 Acura CL 3.0 (Iced Blue) ** Some mods, but who cares,
I want a Type-S... (CL or TL)!!

Moderator - 1st Gen Forum @ www.acura-cl.com

 

It's been almost a week since I got my car. All I can say is that I love it! I always wanna drive it. I just can't wait till my break-in period is over! I have almost 600 miles, but I wanna wait till 1000 miles till I beat on it.

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2002 TL TYPE S
SATIN SILVER/EBONY w/NAVI
[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1212504&a=8950241&p=50260985&Sequence=0&res =high
[/img]

 

Yep, I agree with the rest, matter of fact the reason I was hesistant to put springs and sways on this car was because I didn't want to negatively affect the nice ride. I talked with a guy at H&R who has a type S and put the sport springs on and he thinks it rides better than stock....so I am heading up there tomorrow to get a ride in his...of course I'll take some money with me....

 

The ride is certainly firmer than a Civic or Accord, and the handling is commensurately better to go along with that. If "firm ride" is not what you like, then you should definitely get a test drive.

On the other hand, the ride is a lot softer than in a more dedicated sports car, or a truck-based SUV.



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

 

I bet I know exactly what's going on here:

TypeSoon, there's been an issue with Acura not remembering to deflate the tires on new-ly delivered cars from 40 psi during rail/truck transport to the recommended 32psi after delivery. MY CAR was delivered with the incorrect pressure (40 psi) as were MANY others here. It is only because I read about it here on this forum that I thought to check my tire pressure. Sure enough, it was wrong.

In fact, when I mentioned this to the dealership, turns out MOST of their cars on the lot were at 40 psi (pretty funny too, cuz my saleslady told me she just took some guy on a test drive in a brand new 3.5RL, and he complained about the ride being harsh...well, now they know why!)

Once you get the tire pressure down to normal or near normal, the ride is awesome. Smooth, stable, responsive, compliant, whatever. Still handles great too. But while my car had 40psi in the tires in Hot-as-hell Florida, believe me, it was brutal. So go check!

 

I recently drove the TL and TLS 2002 models, and the TL had a much quieter and smoother ride than the TLS. Obvously the acceleration is far better in the TLS. Both cars are extremely smooth and quiet.

 

For your own satisfaction go drive a TLS. And for crying out loud go buy a decent tire pressure gage. The best types are digital and read out in 1/2 lb levels. BUY ONE AND USE IT.

 

When I rode in the TL-S, I found the ride exceptionally jarring and uncomfortable. Perhaps the dealer had the tire pressure too high, but I have seen this mentioned in a magazine or two also, so now I'm not so sure.

By comparison, when I drove 5-series BMWs, both the sport and the non-sport absorbed road irregularities much better. You could feel the road, but it didn't feel like your fillings were coming loose, like the TL-S did, IMHO. YMMV.

 

The tls ride is firm not harsh when properly broken in. In my opinion the tls rides much smoother after 1000 miles. However, when the car is new it is a little on the harsh side, until the springs and shocks are fully broken in, so hang in there until 1000 miles a you will enjoy the ride!!!!!!

 

Its a sports sedan - of course the ride is going to be firm with the low profile tires...but that is why the handling is awesome! I just drove a BMW X5 w/Sport pkg the other day and the ride was much worse than the TLS and its a much more expensive vehicle!! I do not know what logic he is applying here...

The ride is slightly worse if you're used to an Accord. If you're coming from a Lexus it is going to feel like you're riding without a suspension :-) If you're used to a Jeep Wrangler it will be like you're on Cloud9..so his experience has no meaning at all!!

Looks like that guy wants to have his cake and eat it too!! When they make a vehicle that rides like a Lexus and handles like an Acura I will be in line to buy it :-)

 

I lowered my tires from the dealer-enabled 35psi down to 32psi, and the ride is simply sweet.

Everyone who rides in or drives my TLS (the rare few) comments how smooth and quiet the ride is (until I pass somebody to show off the VTEC :-))

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Xorg on June 14, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

I made a similar comment to my boss one time, and he said, "Of course they already have. Think about the 7-series BMW." Never having had the privilege to drive such a vehicle, I don't know if that's true. And, since a new 740iL is about $90K, I'm unlikely to.

(on the other hand, you can get that car with the armor-plating package....)



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

 

I traded my 98 Mercedes C class for the TLS and honestly, the TLS rides muuuch better than the mercedes. It's much quieter and smoother than the Benz but on the other hand you get the feel of a "sports sedan"... The ONLY complaint I have about the car is the head room... I mean, the TLS is bigger than the C class, but the C class seems to have a little more head room.

 

The BMW X5 is an SUV, I would expect a harsher ride. I was talking about the 5-series, which is a sedan. Both the sport and non-sport _were_ smoother than the TL-S. Like I said, maybe this was due to overinflated tires or springs that still need some breaking-in. But the fact remains, that is the way it was when I drove.

 

This is the site with the negative comments:
http://www.epinions.com/content_20484165252

 

I wouldn't call the TL-S ride smooth as butter. The TL is clearly smoother. I think it is pretty good though. A firmer chasis would help. One thing that is kind of annoying is that the entire chasis shakes and flexes when going over speed bumps (slowly of course). Still, I think it is pretty good. It can get a little jittery... but not bad. Not sure if that is the chasis. In a BMW 5 series, I've never got that feeling of the wheels bouncing over bumps... it sticks to road irregularities like it's magnetized.

The most amazing suspension I've experienced was on the S4. I live in the midwest, and drove the S4 over some nasty bumps (these are bumps you would NEVER see in Cali)... it just glides right over them. Yet, when you push it around corners, it can really hang on. The S4 felt REALLY smooth all the time.

I think the ride is better on a 5 series than the TL-S, and with all the engineering (and price) they put into it, it should be. You feel everything, yet are jarred by nothing. It's kinda strange. I've never driven another car (including the 3 series) that rides like it.

The Japs usually mask the small stuff in the road, but that usually ends up meaning harsher impact on the larger stuff. The GS is a classic example of this. I really think the Germans make a better sport suspension, but that is probably due to the fact that most standard Euro spec cars ride as firm as the supposed 'sport' suspensions sold here. In other words, they've been making them like that for years. I'm sure road conditions and freeway speeds have a lot to do with that. Driving a Cadilac 150MPH is insane. A 5 series (I'm told) just glides along. I've driven 90 in a 5 series and it was almost boring. Most Americans demand a cushy ride. That's bad news for us who like it sportier

Finally, it seems to me that the TL-S rides bumpier in the passenger seat. Am I crazy? Anyone else notice this? Maybe it is because my hands aren't on the steering wheel?

-Scott

 

Also, I was impressed with the sport suspension of the new MB C Class. It handles really well, yet it definitely rides better than the TL-S.

I've never driven the previous generation C Class.

 

Contour SE has stiff suspension?? Hm... if it's a SVT, then maybe, but SE?? I thought Civic/Integra/Focus has "stiffer" suspension??

But back to topic, sure TL-S doesn't ride like S-Class/7-Series/A8 in terms of comfort, but it's not harsh at all!!! I found it to be very supporting, and compares well with some of the best in that price range(A4, 3-Series...etc).

Whichever TL-S you have driven must have over-inflated tires, and/or modified in some way....

Andy Kuo

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'92 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
Pearl Grey/Black

'02 Acura TL-S
Satin Silver/Ebony, w/out NAV

 

I had the opportunity to test drive one yesterday, it was the demo model with around 6k miles on it. Let me tell you, it was smooth. The salesman told me to hit every pothole I could find!! Well, I did, and I barely felt a thing.....



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1998 Iced Blue CL 3.0
Mods: * PIAA Superwhite Headlights ** Rabrig Superwhite corners ** PIAA 1100x Superwhite fogs ** Clear Bumpers (finally) ** tinted windows (20% rear / 35% rest) ** Weapon-R F1 Carbon Intake ** (NOW FOR SALE!!)

Moderator - 1st Gen Forum @ www.acura-cl.com

 

Well, I hate potholes! When my Civic was just on the ground for two weeks, a tire was slashed on the sidewall by some stupid old train track exposed in a pothole.

As far as the Civic goes, Honda should come up with something more than the Si. I think there's a Type R version in Asia.

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2002 Satin Silver TL-S Nav


<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by oracion on June 16, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

Again, I feel i should restate for those who didn't really catch my previous post or read it from earlier threads -Acura dealers (like mine) have been forgetting to lower the tire pressure from the 40psi used during shipment to the 32psi that's recommended. Anyone who thinks that the TL-S ride is harsh *really really* needs to check the tire pressure on the car they drove. I have had mine at 40, 35, and 32. Believe me, at 32psi, there is no way you could call the TL-S ride harsh at all, unless you just drove over a meteor crater at 120mph. Happy trails!

(We should probably forward this little factoid to those people who are criticizing the TL-S ride, like that dude on the epinions. com link above)

 

Well, I have a friend who is buying a TL-S soon, so once he takes delivery and checks the tire pressure, I'll take another ride and see how it feels.

 

Happened to me as well.. I finally checked my tires and found that all four tires were at a different psi, ranging from 34 to 38!!
Well I lowered them down to 34 rear, and 35 front. This improved the ride quality (smoothness) considerably. I´m not sure about going all the way down to the recommended 32 though.. seems like these side walls are already too soft.. taking a hard corner feels as if the tire is going to peel right off the rim.. Definitally check your tires!

 

My girlfirend's tires were 35psi rear, 36psi front, and on our crappy roads, it was a little too much on certain stretches of road. Most roads are fine though.

On smooth roads, the TL-S seems to glide, and if you live in a climate that doesn't suffer from freezing and thawing 6 months out of the year, you will probably think the suspension is nothing short of outstanding.

If you have some rough roads like we do in Omaha, then you find out how sophisticated a suspension really is. The TL-S can be harsh... it doesn't seem to deal with several bumps right after each other as well as the more expensive sedans. I agree with the review in that link... firm/harsh does NOT equal performance. Take a Porsche Boxster out for a spin and you'll see what I mean. It EASILY outhandles a TL-S, and it rides much smoother over bumps. But then again, it's not $30k either. The S4 is a brilliant example of this too.

There are much better handling/riding cars out there. I prefer a firm ride, and I'd take firm with some bumps over cushy. But Acura could have done a better job at making is smoother by lowering the unsprung weight or something. If this car were designed from the ground up to do what their sales pitch says it does, I'm sure it would. But it is built off the Accord platform, and they obviously don't want to stray too far from that. And why should they? They can't keep these things on the lot. Sales are great.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying the handling is bad... but it doesn't compare to the more purpose built sport sedans like the new C class, BMWs, or Audis (all with optional sport suspension). I'm sure the acceleration the TL-S has more than makes up the difference for most purchasers though.

-Scott

 

I agree.

Check your air pressure!!!!

When I drove my TLS back from the dealer I was alarmed by the "hopping" when I drove over rough roads. I was alarmed because this was NOT how I remembered the demo car handled.

Got back and checked the psi. guess what? Rear tires were 44 and the front tires were 49/52!!!!!

Lowered the pressure to 32 all around and the handling inproved phenomenally. The tires absorbed the bumps a lot better. There is still what I consider "excessive" road feedback but hey this is a sport tuned suspension with stiffer springs.

Moral of the story get out there and check your psi. You may be surprised.

 

WTF - I just checked mine after reading this and after driving around for a couple of weeks. They were all close to 40 psi! Since they had only sat for about a half hour (after a 10-min jaunt), I only lowered them to 34 (I'll check and readjust again tomorrow morning).

WHY ARE THE CARS BEING SHIPPED AT 40 INSTEAD OF 32 ???

 

The ride is great now....my only concern is when I get comptech springs. I'm hoping the ride quality will be similiar....

Anyone who has them care to comment on the difference from stock...

 

I read somewhere once that manufactures transport cars with increased PSI in the tires because during transport the cars are chained down to the auto carrier decks and the stiff sidewalls keep the car from "swaying" too much as the transporter goes over bumps, railroad tracks, etc. If you've ever seen cars on a transporter you know there isn't much room between the side of the car and the metal frame of the truck. Part of the dealer prep when they deliver a car to a customer is to lower the PSI to the manufacturer's operating spec, which apparently a lot of dealers forget to do.

Matt

 

Obviously many dealers are not spending enough time on the prep job. In my case they started prepping the car AFTER I arrived to take delivery.

Let us know whether you feel any difference after lowering the psi.


<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by 1000bpm on June 18, 2001 @ ]</font>

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by 1000bpm on June 18, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

Checked mine this morning (after 2 weeks). They were all at exactly 40 psi. Lowered to 32-33.

I didn't feel a big difference, but my commute is pretty short on good roads.



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

 

I definitely notice a difference. I was starting to wonder if my car was the same type as the one I test drove!

P.S., Mileage for the first tank of gas was 21-22, mostly for short communtes to work. Hopefully the lower tire pressure won't reduce the mpg much.