This was posted on acura-tsx, but heres the link.. their are more pictures! I like that Acura on the front.



http://www.autoweek.com/search/searc...93832&record=1

 

Decent snapshot article and the front did not look bad without driving/fog lights.

 

Hopefully they offer it with nav at atleast 33K, I would be in love, but I doubt it

 

I think 33k-34k with navi is a reasonable estimate and probably 2k more for the 6MT.

 

Thanks for the link. Ordinarily I am not someone swayed by hype, but this car is definitely looking better and better. I'm seriously thinking of becoming a "beta tester".... we'll see when I test drive it in October. If I decide to buy it, THIS TIME I'LL BUY A NAVI. That's the only regret I have with my current TL.

 

Great link. Finally, confirmation on the powertrain.

 

I still think those radio knobs are too big. Why do they need to go into the trim?

 

Are those LED based rear lights (breaks?) i see in the bottom picture??

and MAN i like that interior!

Tracer

 

I think they are cool, And they light up

 

yes they are L.E.D.'s brake lights

 

Am I the only one who gets:

trying to access that link?

 

Nope, i get it also.

 

Yup As everyone guessed, the Article Was removed.. I guess Acura got on there A$$ and had them pull it since nothing is to be released til September..

 

LUCKILY I HAVE A COPY ENJOY!

(11:19 Aug. 21, 2003)
2004 Acura TL

Sharper Image: Acura’s BMW chaser gets sportier and plusher

By BILL McGUIRE

“WE WANTED TO PUT A sharper point on the pencil,” says Honda executive vp Tom Elliott. For the 2004 iteration of the Acura TL—introduced in 1995, revamped in 1999 and now in its third design cycle—the goal was to steer the plush front-drive sedan closer to the sport side of the sport-luxury equation. Buyers in the $30,000 near-luxury market are growing younger, says Elliott, from early 50s to late 40s in age, and looking for more performance to go with the pampering.


How serious are the new TL’s sporting intentions, or are these merely sporting pretensions? Well, for one thing, this is the first TL to be offered with a manual transaxle.

It is a close-ratio six-speed, with a limited-slip differential as standard equipment. Of course, the five-speed Sport Shift automatic is also available. (Acura says about 15 percent of buyers will opt for the stick.) Next, in calibrating the TL’s driving characteristics, project engineers chose as their competitive benchmark the BMW 530i. Tough benchmark.

The previous TL was offered in two versions: a 225-hp base model and a sport-ish Type-S with 260 hp. When the new TL hits showrooms Oct. 6, there will be but one model; the Type-S will be no more. But that’s okay, because the TL has 270 hp (via a 24-valve, 3.2-liter V6). While Honda no longer dominates F1 every time it bothers to show up, the company still builds some of the sweetest street engines around, and the most advanced. This one uses a two-stage intake tract and Honda’s premium three-rocker VTEC variable valve timing system to provide sound and seamless power throughout the range with either the automatic or manual transmission.

The previous TL’s clean if nondescript lines have been sharpened, edging toward the Cubist trend in exterior surface development. We’ll see if it stands out from the herd any more or less than the previous look.


The TL’s cabin is slathered with entertainment and convenience features, nearly all standard. Most notable is the eight-speaker, 225-watt DVD-Audio system, incorporating a six-disc changer, cassette player and 5.1 surround-sound technology. The TL is the first car in North America to offer DVD-Audio. While a standard CD carries two channels of audio, a DVD-A disc carries six—and 500 times the signal resolution, says Panasonic, the outfit pushing the new audio format. (While conventional CDs are also supported, DVD-A media will only work on a DVD player and will only achieve the truly impressive surround-sound effect in a 5.1 system.) The DVD-A catalog is rather limited right now but is growing, accord-- ing to Panasonic. The wounded recording industry watches hopefully: DVD-A discs are virtually impossible to pirate.


XM satellite radio is also integrated into the audio system, with a three-month complimentary subscription and service at $9.95 per month thereafter. Also standard is a voice-activated hands-free phone system that electronically pairs to any Bluetooth-enabled cellphone and can support up to six different phones placed anywhere within 30 feet of the car. Acura’s eminently usable navigation system is optional.
Driving the new TL in both the manual and automatic versions, we were impressed with the palpable stoutness of construction, the refined appointments, logical interior layout, and the relative transparency of all that gadgetry to be figured out. For comfort and value, the new TL slots in neatly near the top of the near-luxury bracket.

The TL’s new, tauter chassis calibrations offer security in virtually any road situation, without unduly intruding on the luxury ride. But for pure sport driving, does it challenge the BMW? Sorry, not quite. Here the TL runs up against the inherent limitation of its front-drive platform, namely, grinding, fun-robbing understeer at the absolute limits. Manufac-turers pursuing the extreme sporting end of the market continue to gravitate to rear-drive layouts. But most consumers seldom if ever drive that way, and many appreciate the all-weather benefits and packaging advantages of front-wheel drive. Those drawn to the new TL on those grounds will not be disappointed.



· ON SALE: October
· BASE PRICE: n/a
· POWERTRAIN: 3.2-liter, 270-hp, 238-lb-ft V6; fwd, six-speed manual
· CURB WEIGHT: 3575 pounds
· 0-60 MPH: n/a

 

Can we assume the 2004 TL will have similar performance to 2003 TLs
The 2004 TL has been listed having a curb weight of 3575lbs slightly heavier than the current TLs...
So will the few extra horses and torque lbs be noticeable off the line?

 

No one knows if that 3575 is the accurate weight, Seems kinda high, knowing the car just got shorter..

 

like my new avatar?

 

The 6 speed manual version is sure to spank the Type-S

 

Specially with LSD, Brembos, a tighter suspension which will help take corners better

 

I am thinking similar 0-60 sprints.

 

Oh god, they are rice too? That's going to get old and tired quick. At least Acura is succeeding in getting the old people out of the car. Hopefully they will get enough ricers to replace them otherwise there is going to be a problem.

 

...article not listed??? Whatupwiththat?

 

Same thing that happened to me (and others). Read through the first page and someone has reproduced it in full there. Autoweek has evidently pulled the article.

 

no.

 

WHY NOT

 

I'd assume 0-60 in either extremely high 5s or low 6s. That transmission should really transmit more horsepower to the drive wheels. IMO

 

What is so rice about a couple of knobs that light up? I mean, every car has knobs that light up somehow... now, if they were neon pink and blinked every time you farted or burped in the car... THAT would be rice! (boiled!)

Tracer

 

Old people? My dad, who is 67 years old just bought an '03 TL.

 

Thats what I am saying, it looks cool to me?

More lights dont necessarily mean RICER..

Do you call the Inspire Footwell Lighting Rice?

 

Acura TL Info on Consumer Guide

Go here for some more info on the TL.

 

All is well.

 

thanks ken 1997tl ...

that article says
1. no onstar
2. similar interior dimensions
3. $30 - $34k!! (which is good)

i wonder if the manual trans will be cheaper than the auto .. one article i read prior seemed to indicate that

 

I like the avatar I have at A-TSX, but I can't upload it here cuz the Pixel res is diff

 

MY guess it about $1,500 - $2,500 more for the manual. It is supposed to come with Brembo brakes, and they are quite pricey.

 

nah, my guess is the manual should still be cheaper. even if the manual came w/ brembos, it's just the calipers. they're not equipping the car w/ the top-of-the-line vented/slotted rotors that cost $300/rotor (retail). and at the same time, $2500 is the retail price for a kit. if Acura decided to add that much to the pricetag, Acura's robbing people blind. cost of production to them (from mass production) would at most be few bucks more than producing regular calipers.

 

The TSX auto and manual are at the same price, other companies set manual as default and make automatic a $300 extra. I bet the TL will have the same price for manual and automatic options. I'm curious to see what it looks like without navi.

 

Here you go...

http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...&threadid=2020

 

I hope you speculators are right. Manual, with Brembos for the same price as auto, sounds too goo to be true. If that is the case, sign me up!

 

The manual will be more, it'll have a limited slip differential and stiffer suspension in addition to brembos.

 

Ya plus some other small stuff, It wont be cheaper I CAN GURANTEE YOU THAT..