I have an 05 loaner without Navi (my 04 with Navi is in the shop for a rattle in the driver door in the general area of the Memory buttons). Here are the changes from 04 to 05 that I have noticed:

Front Seat Stitching
But I bet you will still get the butt prints.

Steering Wheel Acura Emblem
Not plastic covered anymore. Doesn't look as nice as the 04.

Shifter Cover Plate
The 'P' and 'M/D' are highlighted in red letters.

Emergency Flasher
Directly above the red triangle button there is a recessed passenger air bag on/off indicator.

Regarding the look without Navi -- makes the whole center console look incomplete (IMHO) and cheapens the interior. The whole interior of the TL is first rate (as we all know), but the area without the Navi looks like something from a Mazda 3 or Grand Am...

 

I had to have the navi when I saw the difference!

 

Before I purchased the TL I wasn't planning on getting the Nav. When I looked at the car without it, I had the same reaction as you, incomplete. I purchased a TL with the Nav. because: a) It looks alot better with nav. b) I didn't want to regret it a year later. And c) the cool factor

 

As many many others have.
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they should just make Navi standard like the did on the 04 and 05 RL

 

Does anyone know how to tell a 2005 from a 2004 if you spot either on the road?

 

Check those below in the proper situations... if you can...


Steering Wheel Acura Emblem
VIN
3-stitched sections in the front seat bottom (Some 04TLs got this replacement, too)
Passanger Air Bag indicator above the red tri-angle emergency button
Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires (Navi model)
New rims (optional)

??

 

Not ME!!!

 

Additional changes:

- the 05 headliner (directly behind the moonroof) is attached differently to prevent drooping (a "characteristic" of early 04's). There are metal cross braces rather than the velco-like attachment. The area in front of the moonroof, just behind the roof console is attached better as well.
- the front passenger seatbelt is anchored closer to the front of the seat - I'm assuming that this eliminates the annoying rattle (buckle hitting the plastic pillar) and makes the buckle easier to reach.
- "Miles to empty" on the MID now says "Range"
- New binder for the owners manuals, registration, etc. (doesn't fit in the glovebox very well). Original one was a small zippered one - the new one has a curved edge and is secured with a magnet.
- The ambient blue LEDs seem stronger in the 05's

 

Awesome... Thanks...

 

According to Autoweek, price is about to go up another $200

 

Torrance, Calif. 02/14/2005 --

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today announced plans to raise prices on 2005 model year Honda and Acura vehicles an average of $150 or 0.58% on a sales weighted basis. This increase comes as a result of increased operating costs, such as rising costs of steel, and currency exchange rate factors. The increase affects all models except Honda Element, Insight, Civic LX SE and Acura NSX.

Prices on the most popular Honda car models (Accord and Civic) will increase $100 to $150, while light truck models (Pilot, Odyssey and CR-V) will increase $200. Affected Acura models will increase $200, except for the RSX, which will increase $100. The new prices become effective on vehicles assigned for delivery to Honda and Acura dealerships after February 13. Vehicles in current dealer inventories will not be affected by this change.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering products of the highest quality and value," said Thomas Elliott, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "When viewed in the context of product content, performance, quality and resale value, Honda and Acura vehicles continue to offer the strongest value propositions in the industry."

The Honda Odyssey EX and LX recently received the 2005 IntelliChoice Best Overall Value of the Year award for the overall van category over $25,000 and overall van under $25,000, respectively. In addition, the Civic Sedan, Coupe and Civic Hybrid earned best value awards in the subcompact and compact classes.

For the second consecutive year, Automotive Lease Guide (ALG) recognized American Honda as the corporation with the highest predicted resale across its full product line.



https://acurazine.com/forums/car-parts-sale-361/wtb-intake-109482/

 

I think the '05 steering wheel emblem looks BETTER...not worse.

 

No problem!! I'll keep updating as I find other changes - I have my 04 until 2/18. My 05 is significantly quieter with only 1 rattle (moon roof cover). The ride is much improved - I noticed the torque lock converter still causes slight vibrations but nothing like my 04. It doesn't seem to want to lock into 1500RPMs like the 04 did - I wonder what changed. I've been told that the engine mounts have been changed and that there were modifications to subframe to eliminate vibrations - I have no way to verify this though. (Some Bay area dealers/service people seem to know about the early "characteristics" and others act like there have been no complaints. I've talked with a lot of them.)

 

I AGREE!! The big plastic one showed finger prints and looked cheap to me. The new emblem is simple and clean lined.

What I don't like is the Passenger Air Bag light above the emergency flasher - kind of ugly and an after thought.

 

But the hazard button itself is also small on the '05. How big a button do you really need that's in such a prominent place that's used so seldom?

 

So rattles aside, is the 05 actually quieter than the 04?

 

Well, seems to be, excluding the tires. The Michelins are louder than the EL42s and the LS-Vs (3rd set of tires on the 04). But then again, the car is new (01/05 build) and only has a few hundred miles on it. My 04 sounds like a 5 year old Chevy . . . Its hard to tell if they actually insulated the 05 more - I doubt it though.