Boulder GT3

I've just cleared having my '05 TL for a year. I wondering if people are happier with the car after a year or not? I would say I am pretty mixed.

+'s

Love the nav system
Like the size.
Zero warranty problems
Good power
tight steering rack
the look of the car still appeals to me.

-'s

Hate the doors that fall back
drives way too heavy and has too much FWD understeer. Not nimble.
the nav prompt is annoying every time you start.
Not great MPG

In general, my passion for the car has not help up very well. In contrast, I had a Legend that I liked better the day I sold it than when I bought it. How are the TL's wearing with others?

yohan81718

MPG is alright.. other cars in the same class gets same or worse than TL.. no??

I read somewhere that the turning radius is greater than the average of the same class... so yea.. i hate the turning radius

Of course... rattling is bad for all honda cars...

neuronbob

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for your review, we like long-term comments so that noobs get an idea of reliability. Some comments:

Hate the doors that fall back
Ah, yes, the automatic closing feature. It's a safety feature. It is a little aggravating but there are times it does come in handy. I've gotten used to it and much of the time I don't bother to pull the door closed, the car does it for me.

drives way too heavy and has too much FWD understeer. Not nimble.
Put on an A-Spec suspension and a Comptech rear sway bar. Problem solved. Trust us on this.

the nav prompt is annoying every time you start.
The nag screen is a b****. All nav owners, including myself, agree with you. It is clear that lawyers run our lives.

Not great MPG
How do you drive? Are you a leadfoot? Mostly city or highway? How many miles on the car? Most people here will tell you that the highway mileage is great (around 30, some get more), but those who drive mostly in the city get poor mileage (I've seen as low as 17 posted here). If you have low miles, the car's mileage should improve as it gets "older" in miles.

Your positives I agree with, other than that I had a warranty issue once, but it was easily resolved.

Happy driving! I'm still excited about the car after almost 2.5 years. Can't believe it's been that long.

SouthernBoy

My feelings about my '04 manual TL have not diminished.. in fact, they've only improved. The machine still puts a smile on my face and one those mornings I take it in to work, I actually can't wait to get dressed and going in it.

Boulder GT3

Thanks. I just joined the forum to look for some relief on the door issue.

I've logged 22MPG over the course of the year. Mid 20's on road trips. My wife drives it and she's pretty gentle . Again, it's not terrible but I've got an M3 that get's about the same MPG that is more performance slanted.

The other thing I'll give the car credit for is the air management. It's stable at high speed and I think Acura has done a good job on the aero work.

Ken1997TL

I dislike the firm ride on my '05. Also the steering lacks feel. I like the heft but it feels dead.

I otherwise am very happy with the car.

subinf

i didnt mind the handling so much until i drove a TL with the aspec suspension...god damn. thats the next purchase i make for the car

Ken1997TL

It depends on what kind of tires you have as well. Grippy tires have high rolling resistance, meaning you'll brake better at the expense of fuel economy.

On the '97 TL I installed some Toyo 800 high mileage tires. They are fairly quiet, handle ok. Brake performance is a bit poor compared to the previous tires though. I DO however get 27 mpg easily. EPA rating on that car is 19/24. Not bad. In fact, the '05 TL does about 28 or 29 mpg for me.

So its a trade off you make. There are other factors as well, but tire grip is something I think people overlook.

Boulder GT3

To each his own. I really like the way the spring/rebound/dampening is set up on the suspension. Not included in my MPG computation was a blast I took across Utah a bit ago. The car tracked really well straight and through some sweepers at 120MPH and above.

I think what you are calling dead is what I meant my nimble. I agree. It's just a bit nose heavy and I'm very aware of it.

Y.O TL

I hate the turning radius on the car. I have curbed it once and broke the piece that hangs down under the car Thought I had the turn covered and... scrape.

The other thing that bothers me is the MPG. I have gotten as little as 15mpg on regular driving. Granted i open her up about 3 to 4 times a gas tank but it shouldn't be that drastic. Just this week i got only 236 total miles on a full tank of gas. I do about 50/50 highway and city driving so i dunno. Maybe it's time for me to check the damn air filter lol.

Lasty the most annoying thing for me inside the car is the damn front seats!! I swear i have lost so much change in between the seat and the arm rest that i think that could be the source of a few rattles i have!!! I just can't fit my hand in between that space to get at anything.

These 3 things, as annoying as they are to me, does not change my overall feelings of the car which I think is a great one at that. I would recommend this car to anyone who wants a great car with great features and fun to drive, all for an affordable price.

Boulder GT3

I'm all stock. 15K on the Michelins.

SouthernBoy

Wow, you're only getting mid 20's on the highway? Last September, on the first leg of our vacation, at speeds running from 62 to 78 MPH with the A/C on auto the entire time, my '04 6MT got 33.94 MPG. This is a calculated mileage, not (of course) from the on-board system.

Around town back and forth to work, I average in the mid 27's and have gotten 27.98 (these number are for the summer months - a drop of about 2 MPG occurs in the winter months).

So as you can see, I can't complain at all about the mileage my TL gets.

Boulder GT3

You are getting great mileage. I spot check the on-board MPG and it's always been accurate. Is there an issue there?

I appreciate the comments back on the car. it gives me some positive feedback as I try to "renew the love" for the TL.

I'm still cranked at the dealer for saying the door slamming on people is a wonderful feature when he has 3 owners standing there saying it's awful. I felt like choking the nitwit.

yohan81718

i get 27mpg.. but i do mostly freeway runs

JustinZ

my TL is less than 2 month old
and i must say i HATE the ride - it is waaay to rough; and it doesnt even handle that well
also the speakers are pretty cheap


and i think my steering is screwed up, pulls left then pulls right - all on a straight road


im still satisfied with the purchase - but not too far from the other perspective

Russdaddy

Next month will be a year with the TL and the only complaint that I have is the tires. These tires are simply the worst that I've ever had to deal with! But even with those sorry tires I still enjoy driving this car. But I do plan on selling it this summer because I plan on getting the six-speed that I've always wanted. Shoulda never listened to the wife, I'm telling ya!

CSI

2 yrs and 3 monthes with it.
+
Love the sporty styling
Love the Navi
Love the Power
Love the comfort
Love the high score in crash test
Love the safty features (eg: TCS, EBD etc.), although got EL42 TIRES, never lost control in the rain when flooring it... even when attack corners in the rain... It just hard to lose control...

-
Rattles
Vibrations when the car is not moving...
Bridge stone EL42 Tires
expensive body KITS...

SouthernBoy

The manner in which a car rides is a subjective thing. I don't like a soft riding car at all.. they're dangerous and besides, I like a more firm ride. See.. subjective.

As for steering, I still have the stock EL42's on my '04 manual and it steers and tracks perfectly. No wandering or pulling or unusual tracking. Just spot on straight and true. So I have no concerns or problems in that department.

As for general handling, while it's not an SVT Contour (perhaps the best handling front drive sedan ever offered to the public), it's darned good for what it is.

It still puts a smile on my face every time I get in and drive it off. There are a few things I'd change, but in the larger picture, they're minor. This is probably the best front drive sports sedan on the market today.

1gokart

Same here. I'm on my third month of ownership and although still pleased have some negative feedbacks. The ride is a bit on the rough side with some road noise. It's not as smooth as a Lexus ES300 and doesn't handle as good as a rwd within this class. The fwd setup does make for oversteering and torque steer problem. The door closing on you is a pain in the butt same as the Navigation prompt screen. The voice command for the bluetooth cellphone sometimes really pissed me off. I know I'm Chinese and have an accent but I have repeat myself a dozen times before it gets it right :angryfire The clutch iis still difficult to get accustom and sometimes I have a problem shifting to 3rd gear. My fuel economy is anything but good (average 19-20 mpg). Sometimes I wonder was it worth it trading my Saab 9-2X aero for this TL. Dispite all my complaints I still love my TL, altough was also happy with my Saab as well. Now as for the Audi A4 that's another story. Never going back to Audi or VW unless someones gives it to me for free.

zombieman

1gokart,

So what were YOUR issues with Audi/VW? Maint.? Service from dealer? Build quality?

Don't know myself, but have heard things from co-workers/owners.

1gokart

Just about anything that moves are problematic on Audi/VW's. I had a 96 A4 and sold it with less than 70k miles because I couldn't afford fixing it. The suspension bushing are all worn out(everyone who owns a A4 knows this), climate control switch flickers, heater and a/c works sometimes (like an old American TV, I opened the glove box and wacked at the unit to get it working), sunroof opens and closes by-itself(damn german germlins), replaced two 02 sensors, moisture built up in the intake manifold area and inside the valve cover(also somewhat a common thing for that engine), engine light keeps popping up every5-6 months. All this happened during my ownership of it from 45K-70K miles. I sold it for 5K and was ever so happy to have gotten rid of it. I still like Audi design but as far as purchasing one, never, leasing one new maybe. They're awesome cars when it's new and none of the problems show up.

Teh Jatt

are you serious?

K-80-123

Little over 5 months with my 06...the doors closing in all the time is a pain...I lock the door with the button on the door and have been locked in several times... when I am about to exit and here comes the door....once I sat long enough in the car( talking on the phone) after the AUTO door shut... the car armed when I opened the door the alarm goes off ....all in all it has been good so far....only getting about 21mph but most is town driving....no rattles at all...3 coats of Zanio she looks great.