LoveMyTL-S

Not sure exactly.........but it's in your personal settings.

jaxxx123

email me allstart1234@yahoo.com.....

LoveMyTL-S

Go to your control panel......then edit options and then check able to recieve PM's.

jaxxx123

ok try it

LoveMyTL-S

you can get to that area by clicking on the work message up in the top right hand corner of this page......

jaxxx123

says i dont have permission, oh well.. email me if you can

LoveMyTL-S

Email sent.

gr8ness97

iTrader: (5)

to sum it up...yes, WORLD of difference

jaxxx123

test drove the Type s today,
I really liked tthe cosmetic differences and additions it has over the base, the car did feel stiffer but nothing I coudnt live with. Im not sure if I can notice the extra power but the car did have more "soul". The engine note has very nice going through the revs and the paddle shifter was fun to have.
The seats felt great and well supported and the Navi and the voice commands is a great "toy" to have in the car.

Ill definitely try to get a type S for the right price, if not I'll wait for the new TL or save up for a IS350

LoveMyTL-S

Cool.........glad you tried one out. The Type-S is stiffer and handles a little tighter than the base TL. As far as the 09 TL is concerned......I think it's going to look very much like the new 09 TSX in many ways...... We'll have to wait and see.
I've never been in a IS350. I kinda like the styling of the exterior. I've never seen the interior so can't talk about that. But I am very much satisfied with the TL-S.

Bearcat94

IS350 = very small back seating area. Esp compared to the TL.

There is a Real, Live, No Camo, Honda/Acura promo pic of the '09 TL (front quarter shot) on the last few pages of the 4G Picture thread.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

It's so close it's going to be a driver's race. TLS-5AT=235-240 whp/Base 6MT=220-225. That 15 extra horsepower in the S has to push 180 extra pounds of curb weight and overcome a slightly sluggishly shifting transmission. Stock Base model 6MT is a 14.2-14.4 car. We have one SLIGHTLY modified Type-S5AT on here who has run a bunch of mid 14's and a best of 14.3x. It's too close to make a definitive call.

I hate cars

Agreed. That was exactly my point.

As far as suspension, I really couldn't tell a difference between the 06 base and the TL-S. There is supposedly a larger gap between the 07-08 base and TL-S so comparing what's available today, maybe it's worth it.

The bigger motor is a better starting point for mods but in stock form, I don't think the extra money is worth it unless you get a great deal on the S.

csmeance

Ok, let the master of TL differences sort this out:

BASE TL VS. TLS

The TL-B and TL-S are targeted at much different crowds from each other. The TL-B is much more softer and smoother than the TL-S. It is meant for the older people that can't justify 15+K for an RL. The TL-S is targeted more at middle age and younger people who want something fast and powerful, but something luxurious and comforting when with passengers or cruising.

TL-B 5AT vs. TL-S 5AT and 6MT Stock

Performance (straight Line)
The TL-S wins hands down, 6MT then 5AT you can feel a difference in acceleration and as well the exhaust note is great. The flappy paddles are cool, but not really that practical. The 6Sp is very nice and has close gears, but 3rd gear is a problem time to time (fix is out)

Performance (curves)
The TL-S 6MT , then TL-S 5at wins hands down again, the car is flat and the seats keep you in nicely.

Luxury (rough roads)
TL-B on this one, the TL-S has a great suspension that is the perfect combination of sporty and luxury, but the Base TL absorbs bumps much better.

Luxury (style)
The TL-B is toned down both on the inside and outside. It's great for that perfect night time cruise with soft blue lighting and as well bolstering that doesn't squeeze you. TL-B wins this because its more comfortable. The exhaust note doesn't bother the occupants and the car is silent.

Aggressive (style)
The TL-S is much more aggressive both inside and out. It's good for those times when you feel sporty and want to have some fun with the guys. The Red lighting is a nice touch to add to the sporty style, and the two tone seats definitely give a sense of racing style. The exhaust gives a better and louder tone than the base one, at lower revs its non existent, but at high rpms, the motor roars.

Modded TL-B vs. modded TL-S 6MT and 5AT
Nod list for both
Tien SS
Intake
Exhaust
J-pipe
Test pipe
UR pulley
P2R spacers
E-Shift Pro Cats
Progress RSB
Fastline endlinks
Big Brake Kit
*Note - The TL-S has the same mod availability as the base tl, but there is No supercharger package available YET

A modded TL-B vs. A modded TL-S is hard to compare. The TL-S has the upper hand with more power and/or the 6MT.
Curves
Through corners, the cars will be the same in terms of performance, but the TL-S will have a slight upper hand as the driver will be fastened into his seat firmly and not move around as much as in the TL-B.

Straight Line
On a straight line, the cars will be much different, the TL-S will pull ahead due to the excessive Tq bump over the regular TL. The Ur pulley will also benefit the TL-S as the components are a bit heavier on the TL-S. The 6MT will win definitly, TL-S in second and Base TL third. Both 5AT's will be close, but the S wins.

Luxury
The cars will be almost even in this aspect, but the TL-B wins. The TL-S has that red lighting that not to many girls dig, and as well the bolster still squeeze you.
BUT if you are more the person that hangs out with the guys and like to be sporty, the TL-S wins.

Just to sum it up, the TL-S straight from the factory is a great bang for the buck. The improvements to make it sporty are worth it. But if you plan on modding the car, the TL-B may have a slight edge as the supercharger can still be adapted to it. This may change in the future, but time will change.

This is coming from a guy that has had every year 3G TL with every different trim. For those wondering why I have the 2004 5AT, thats the one I own, the others I had for a month each.

csmeance

Just to add the 3G 2004-2006 TL to this differences, from the factory, the TL will fall closer to the TL-B than the TL-S. The suspension is really that changed that causes any feel for the road, but the minor things such as the CF trim doesn't affect the drivability of the car.

BUT when it comes down to a Modded TL in the mix, the Modded TL ties with the base TL. The reason for this is that the TL and TL-B have only the suspension difference, and that is negated with Tein SS suspension in all 3.

miker_types

lol, that was official up there, im feeling kinda torn between the two also, but searching for either a used base or s, also waiting for the 4g's to come out so i can get the depreciated price with a new model out and all...

csmeance

I can help you out with that. Answer these few questions:
1. Do you have many passengers in your car, how often?
2. Do you drive over bumpy roads or smooth roads?
3. Do you like speed or comfort?
4. What is your budget?
5. What is your time frame of buying?
6. Do you plan to mod it at all?
7. age/gender

PM me and I can help out

acuraman211

yes, i understand that....but the real question is.... realistically, are you going to be racing your car at every redlight or so? The only advantages of the 6 speed being faster is if you rev out each of the gears. But we are talking little performance difference. Like i said before, between the 08 base and S in AT, you will mainly feel the difference once you start redlining it. Regular driving between the two, you will hardly notice. they dont offer a 6speed base in the newer years so i guess we shouldnt even mention anything about it. so it doesnt matter

only thing i dont like too much about the S is the crappy front lip that acura has.

xmrgoodcatx

iTrader: (1)

Here is some information I have found stating the differences between the tl and type-s suspension.

http://www.hondanews.com/search/rele...styled&s=acura

From my personal experience the type-s feel is a lot different then the base. I bought my tl-s 6mt about a month ago and I test drove both numerous times before purchasing. I come from owning a 5th gen prelude which in its day was one of the best handling cars in the 25k-30k range and wanted a similar feel, the base did have a sporty feel but the type-s felt way better going in and coming out of the corner and acceleration was a lot better.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

I've never driven the Type-S... and couldn't wait for the type-s to come out when I was in the market..

I'd love to drive it for a little...



Type-S >>> Base

LoveMyTL-S

Don't feel bad......I've never driven a base TL........

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

I feel much better

TL|GTX

Okay for the price of an 08 Tl-s u can get an 08 G35 journey, and will smoke the tl in every performance catergory. Thats the best chioce.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Okay, the OP didn't ask which car should I get; a TL-S, TL or a G35? Let's keep this discussion on topic and not clutter up the OP's thread with off topic posts.

VegasRPh

OH YEAH. I drove a TL (loaner) while my A-Spec body kit was being put on my 08 TL-Type S. Night-n-Day difference.......IMO. BASE TL.......just felt "weak".

I have a Progress 24mm RSB + K&N Air Filter on my 08 TL-Type S. Both helped in the "performance" and "handling" department.

A-Spec BODY KIT = SEX on the TL-Type S!!!

say when

[QUOTE=csmeance]Ok, let the master of TL differences sort this out:

BASE TL VS. TLS



Performance (curves)
The TL-S 6MT , then TL-S 5at wins hands down again, the car is flat and the seats keep you in nicely.

Not sure why the 6MT would out handle the AT unless the limited slip diff is the factor at which point I can see it at slow speeds tight turns.

csmeance

[QUOTE=say when]The LSD, the lighter weight and more power to get you out of the curve.

jaxon

Coming from a guy who has both...

I bought my first TL in '05, a NHB TL 6MT. Great car, very solid and able to handle semi-icy conditions, --the reason I bought a FWD car. Over the last couple years I ran up about 70k miles on it, did the GM tranny fluid change, navi hack, video mod, comptech springs (christmas present), and that is as far as I went with mods.

In January, my wife totaled her MDX. It wasn't her fault but she needed a new car anyway and I had to act swiftly to stop her from getting another SUV. Sooo, down to the Acura Dealer I went to check out the TL-S. I didn't even check out the '08 Base, as I had already made up my mind. She got the '05, and I settled in with the '08 6MT S.

Since then, I've done lots of back and forth comparisons, as I still like to 'steal' her car during the days, (she works the graveyard at the Hospital).

Suspension wise; with the comptech springs on the '05 TL, and the 'sportier' suspension on the '08 the difference is negligible. I attribute much of the difference in sensation to the seats, because deriving a performance-handling difference from the two would not be possible on public streets. The dynamics are virtually identical as the cars themselves are virtually the same in this category. We have speed bumps in and out of the neighborhood in front of schools, and the TL is seems to handle this much more pleasantly. At times I feel like I'm damaging the S more going over pot holes and speedbumps from the jarring effect, but on perfectly smooth roads the sense is slightly more confidence.

Power wise; well this depends. Initially I was all over the increase in torque, starting from stop lights, etc. This I attributed to the increase in torque, but as all TL's, the summer heat really does away with this. Now, between the two, you REALLY have to push them to tell a difference. My brother in law came over in June and of course, we took them out on the way to the lake. Of the 3 times we ran them, the S took the TL twice but not by as much as I had hoped. (Yes, the S has 9k on the odometer, it is broken in) Again, we really had to string these guys out. The other time, I must have been on another planet because he managed to pull about a car length on me by 85. (Open country, Texas) I've been driving manuals since my first car, so I didn't miss a shift, but I might have compensated a bit too much for the wild wheel hop we all know and love.

Looks wise, I love the lip spoiler, and the dual pipes. The wheels, well it's a toss up for me sometimes. I still love the 5 spoke on the base TL, it never got old. And I'm not looking forward to pricing tires on the 18" rims, but no worries there. I still prefer the blue interior to the red but I hope to be able to remedy this on my own in the future if I stick with the S. ('09 awd? S?) Nav. traffic is cool, but useless much of the time for me in S.A., and the roads are still wrong much of the time but that is a problem across the board, not with the S.

Bottom line: Is it a 'totally different car' as some like to say? Not for me, no, and I drive these guys back to back everyday. They both still suffer from severe torque steer in the right conditions, and are heavy FWD, 4 door semi-luxury sedans aimed at the 'bang for the buck' market. We are very fortunate Honda has targeted us late 20-30 somethings with this vehicle. Neither is a sports car, a G35 or an IS350 will eat either one in a performance comparison any day of the week, no matter what you bolt on but this shouldn't be why you get the TL. 99% of the time I don't race or speed for reasons I will discuss in a moment, I grew out of that stage many years ago when I sold the Cobra and the R1. In the last three years, I've played around on the roads maybe 3 or 4 times, all of which I discuss in this post. I enjoy the ride comfort, sound system, fuel economy, and reliability of the car -both of which offer equally. The slight mechanical tweaks of the S are just a bonus, one that I only get to appreciate a very small percentage of the time as there is always someone in front, beside, or behind me because I don't live in an Acura car commercial where I carve my way through the world in the open mountain roads at extreme camera angles.

On a side note: My neighbor has a new accord, with some type of mod he isn't telling me about *I hope*, and we got to playing around on the way to work one day...I will warn you now, and you won't believe me until it happens to you, but those things are fast. Real fast. Had to tuck my tail between my legs that day, and remind myself of all the extra sound deadening material we have.

Don't fret if you don't have a Type-S, as something 'better' is always just around the corner and waiting may serve you well. Let that guy egging you on in traffic have his day, he probably needs it from eating wedgies through grade school. Unless of course it's me, then know I am Andretti and I am going to get to the supermarket before you to pick out all the fresh milk and bread.

Oh yeah; I am 32 years old/young and my profession is a Forensic Engineer. I have seen in person some of the most horrific automotive accidents to have occurred in the Western United States in the last 8 years. I don't think I have to mention how many of those were the result of dimwitted imbeciles trying to prove something through a contest of metal. Both cars have equal crash test ratings, and air bags in all the right places. This may be the most important aspect of either vehicle to you or someone you love someday, so consider it above all else. Enjoy your car, whatever it is.

I hate cars

Nice review. I totally agree. With your automotive background with the Cobra and bike you know what fast is and know the difference in straight line performance is very small.


I would still get the S if I got a good deal on it though but I get made fun of by the girlfriend for driving like an old man already so it really wouldn't benefit me that often.

Xpditor

A new member can't send or receive PM's until they get 1 post and have at least 3 days in the forum. When you get your 1st post, and it's at least your 3rd day here, give the computer time to update, then check your profile under "Contact Info" and it should say "Send a private message to (your user name)", and then you can do PM's.

Also, from my read, it seems that the TL-S owners are quick to justify their purchase. That is understandable. For most of us 3G owners, we didn't have a choice at the time. Personally, I am totally satisfied with the performance and handling of my '04.

For those who have no dog in the "fight", those who have or have had both, it seems the differences are experienced mostly at + 8/10ths. But, they are there and significant at that time.

I have also learned that the '07-'08s have softened the suspension in the base model over the previous base models.

I also seem to vaguely remember that, on certain models, the computer limited the power curve in first and second gear to try limit the tranny load and control torque steer and wheel hop/spin.

Anybody have more info on that?

BEAR-AvHistory

For what its worth "feel" does not mean very much when it comes to trying to account for a few tenths over a quarter mile.

IIRC a number of TL base 6SPD have had their time slips posted here & the best for a relatively stock car was 13.99 with quite a few in the 14.01 to 14.04 range. The best posted for a TL-s was around 14.06.

If someone has done better with the Type S please post the time slip.

Additionally, the 6SPD base will top out at 153-155MPH while the Type S 5AT will do about 135MPH.

With the difficulty in getting an 08 6SPD today & would look to an Infinity G-35S or a BMW 135 which will run with the last generation M3.

BEAR-AvHistory

The torque level in the Type S is pushing quite close to the 6SPD's maximum rating.

They programed in a power reduction during full throttle at the top of 1st & 2nd along with installing a restrictor valve in the clutch engagement system to slow down the clutch engagement & lessen its impact on the transmission.

paliknight

this thread is interesting. i thought the TL would match up to the new G35s. but back to topic,

ive never driven a base TL, but my Type S is simply amazing. i think its definitely worth the price. try testing its limits and you will be surprised from what it can do STOCK. imagine modding it.

sensualscorpion15

the bottom line here people is that the base tl is like any other,..............they are a dime a dozen!! i see them everywhere and everyday.............its a plain jane car.................body style just like the type-s so its a beautiful design.......but as far as power,handling,whats inside,all the toys,the way a type-s looks inside and lights up all in red and the rims it has,the quad exhaust,etc.................in my opinion it is the best car out there for the money,i would highly reccommend it to anyone..................i got my black 08 type-s in oct of 07 and i get complimented on it everyday and everywhere i go!!!!................so although the tl is a nice looking car,in all other aspects of what a sporty,and powerful car should be..............the tl is and always will be just a "PLAIN JANE"..................in comparison to a sleek,sexy,powerful...type-s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate cars

While I like my TL a lot and I like the TL-S a lot, calling the base TL a plain jane and saying the S is so much better is retarded. There's almost no difference. A couple hp, slightly stiffer suspension, and different exhaust tips. Sure, I would've bought a TL-S if it was offered in 06 but after test driving a few S models I decided it wasn't worth the "upgrade".

It's not a legend or a show stopper like you are implying. Hell, I get stopped everywhere I go in my old ugly Buick GN, can't even go to the grocery store without people wanting to see under the hood and asking a million questions. The TL will never be like this. It's a nice car, great bang for the buck, but not once has anyone ever pulled me over to look at it nor does it really stand out in a crowd. Maybe it's different for you with your quad exhaust tips and "S" badges.

TeknoKing

Can we close such threads or move them to Rambling?

We are arguing and competing with each other... HELLO, we are all on the same team.

I hate cars

My only problem is people acting like the S is a whole different car. It's a regular TL with a couple very minor upgrades. Saying it's like a different car is crazy.

Stew4HD

I have a base '08 model and I love it. It's a sweet car, very refined, comfortable, plenty of pep.. etc. These guys on here acting like a base TL is similar to a Toyota Tercel compared to a Lexus or something.

WVUNavyvet

Huge difference...I had both for 3 days each before I decided. I've had my 08 Type S for a year now and LOVE IT!!!

I hate cars

Yes, <30hp is a HUGE difference.