Hi all! I was recently in the market for a new vehicle after my 2004 TL was totaled. The first thing I did was test drive a couple of 2007 TL's. Since they were still 3Gs, I thought of them as straight-up replacements that were a few years newer and maybe had a couple extra features.

I test drove two, and for some reason, neither felt as nice behind the wheel as my 2004. I can't quite put my finger on it, it must have primarily been the interior that made me feel this way, but the fit and finish didn't seem as nice and materials seemed generally "cheaper" to me.

It could have been nothing, or it could have just been me. I would have dismissed it as one of those two, had it not been for my wife, who was with me on both test drives, stating the same thing to me without me ever mentioning my feelings to her. Women are generally way more observant about these things than men, so her opinion carried more weight with me than my own questionable impressions.

Does anyone really know whether there was some kind of change in quality of parts between the two model years? Has anyone else had a similar experience? It's no big deal, I'm just curious.

 

I think you're on drugs. Pretty sure they're the exact same part numbers in both cases, especially if both interiors are the same color.

It's not like acura rebuilt the entire interior with cheaper parts the second time around. That really wouldn't save them any money at all. Just my

 

The quality of the transmission part is better in 07 08.

 

If anything, the 07 has more features than the 04.

 

That's a first of hearing this type of observation.

 

Was it Nav or Non Nav? I think that the non nav screens look better in the 04-06 models. But I think that the interior of the 07-08 looks a little nicer overall, especially the steering wheel that is much larger

 

Back in '08, I had an '07 or 08 loaner and I thought the revised center stack (non nav) looked a little cheap compared to the '04-06 non nav center stack. The gauges are also slightly different, and the steering wheel switched to three spoke, but all the rest of the interior parts are the same/same quality/fit and finish. I still like the '04-06 wheels better, but the '07-08 has the better front end and tail lights.

 

 

you're also comparing USED cars.
dont forget that.

what the previous owners did or did not do will make a difference.

 

Yeah that's true^^^ a beat up used 07-08 can give the impression of being just all around lower quality. However new V's new the 07-08 interior should look better and more up to date. Things like the nav software look newer, much improved instrument cluster and steering wheel, new key, footwell ambient lighting etc etc. besides that, materials should be identical. So any feelings you are getting that the 07-08 is of less quality is absolutely not true. Without a doubt go with the 07-08.

 

I'm going to have to go with this - the fact that maybe things just seemed different to me and that made them feel "off." I remember that the steering wheel felt thinner; not necessarily a bad thing, but a difference.

My '04 did not have Nav and the '07 did. As anx mentions, a lot of the difference (and maybe the feel of "cheapness") was probably in the center stack. I didn't feel that the quality of the leather seats or the headliner or anything was "cheaper."

Although as mentioned, the way a vehicle is maintained does make an impression. I drove two 2007 TLs and one had a loose driver's sun shade and and the driver's side mirror had a vibration. The other one seemed very well maintained though and didn't have issues like these.

My impressions also may have been thrown off by the fact that I had immediately prior test-driven both a 2009 RL and a 2008 MDX and the interior of both of those seemed more luxurious than my 2004 TL and either of the 2007 TLs. In retrospect, this may have been more the issue than anything.

 

Yesterday, I drove a Bugatti Veyron... I went back to my TL and it was a POS so I just drove it off a cliff..


I think you may have realized it by now but human nature, opinion, and feel has so many variables and you gotta take a step back and be a little objective when making a used car purchase. Hell, I bet if any of the owners did a full interior detail, you'd be singing a different tune.

 

+1 thoiboi

The interiors on the 09 RL and even perhaps the 08 MDX might seem superior to the 07 TLs, the RL especially but other than that...my son has an 04 and his fiance' has my old 08, the interior of the 08 is a little better than the 04 imho.

 

overall the 07- 08 is better than 04 - 06 since the tranny is revised and more tech features added