So tell me acura owners. What do you think of Acura's interior quality compared to it's competitors(Lexus, Infiniti, BMW etc)? When I step into my TL it seems to have many high quality, soft touch materials, excluding that plastic on the center console. So those who have sat in the vehicle of other luxury car manufacturers and have compared it their acuras would you say acura is above their competitors in interior build quality, on par or below?

 

Interior rattles and heavy leather wear, along with cracking dashboards, the sliding cup holder cover breaking, and the lack of folding rear seats and ventilated front seats...I can't say the interior has me speechless.

However, the interior is spacious, looks great, and everything you need is in reach. There is plenty of storage and the seats are comfortable. I like the blue ambient lighting and the overall feel of the steering wheel.

As for build quality, Acura had the right idea, but cut some corners

 

It really all depends on the models . Some of the other luxury brands have different interior options. Comparing to the more expensive models of the other companies acura is below but for most the standard less expensive models it's on par with and can be better at times.

 

It's kinda strange, because I've heard many complaints from 3 generation TL owners about cracks along the dashboard, especially during the summer when the hot sun is blazing the surface, but yet I have never experienced that problem and I've had my acura for a few years. I guess it was just a draw of luck

 

I think the interior esthetics are pretty good as well as the general design. I guess quality can be measured many ways. I have had a couple rattles or buzzes over the years, but the interior is holding up pretty well for 8 years of use. The only real problem I have had was the broken cupholder but that was a $69 part and an hours work to replace- pretty cheap in actuality and very tolerable while the part was in shipment. The A/C still blows cold and all the ventilation operations work as well as lighting and all switches and such. The seats still move and the windows and sunroof still work too.

To be fair, you need to also compare the 3G's interior to other cars of same age. Since BMW is often the yardstick for comparisons, I wonder how many 2006 BMW 5 series interiors are holding up the same as mine and what glitches those cars are suffering from?

 

I see. Would you say that the overall ambiance of the 3rd generation TL interior exudes that of luxury or elegance?

 

I'd think so.. at least for the mid-level luxury car. But only if you have one with navigation.. the non-navi center console is kind of lame.

 

I wouldn't say it exudes luxury or elegance. Quality, sure. But not necessarily luxury. Buttons and switches have a positive feel, all functions work as has been mentioned. 'Cool' is another word I'd apply to the overall feel of the 3G TL interior.

 

No interior issues, I think it's pretty solid. No cracked dash boards, no broken cup holder....not sure how someone managed to break that it seems solid to me and always works smooth and tight. Rattles are minimal with only noises coming from rear deck lid during cold months and music on at medium to higher levels. Don't forget this is not a high end luxury car and the latest one of it's generation is already 6 years old so you can't expect it to have features like ventilated seats and such. Infact the TL didn't even get those until 2012 and only on the advance package.
All I will say is for what the car is and it's age the interior is above average. I think it also looks really good too, especially the Type S all black interior with black headliner....love it :-)

 

interior is great! 03 design still holding its own. all materials are very good with the exception of the leather upholstery. That is the one downfall and it is paramount. we have lexus toyota honda vehicles and the TL leather is by far the worst in that regard. really no other faults on the interior other than rear seats not folding down

 

I would say it exudes a sense of style and technology and has an impressive look that seems to withstand the test of time. I think you would need to compare the RL to some of those other makes to have a more fair luxury comparison since those other cars are priced closer to the RL than a 3G TL.

I did not buy my car for luxury so having a super plush interior with Corinthian leather was not a priority of mine. The Acura will never be a Bentley. I would say the TL still compares pretty well to a 2014 Lexus IS which has the advantage of 8 additional years for refinement.

I also think our 3G/10 year old interior design compares very favorably to a Tesla Model S that is both newer and far more expensive. The Tesla has nicer leather, but all the switches and interior components don't seem as nice to me anyway- not to mention the ergonomics.

 

its not the best but not the worst. I havent had any cracking issues but the leather on the seats need careful care.

my dad's 01 325i interior hasn't done any better with the ceiling fabric starting to sag, and it's also garaged most days and nights.

 

In the Type-S the *only* thing that shows the age of the car is the carbon fiber trim and plastic trim on the center console dual storage compartments - because it has scratches and chips you can't buff out. If only there was a cheap way to replace it all and snap new ones on - doing that and replacing the floor mats I could give myself the "I own a brand new car" feeling.

The leather makes me really happy - you have to be willing to put in the time (about 2 hours of getting your arms sore) to treat all your seats with LEXOL - first the cleaner and then the conditioner.

I guess you guys with cracked dashboard should have gotten tint when you bought the car.... mine has had 12% all along so no such problem.

 

My 08 Type S looks great. The seats are harder than the G37 and IS350 I've driven but what do you expect, it's supposed to be a little sporty. For the money it's amazing. My biggest issue with the interior is the leather. After 6 years my driver seat and back passenger seat leather has cracked/torn along the preforations. When I clean the interior I use a leather conditioner but it didn't seem to help. Probably from the summers down here in the south. I have a 96 Impala and the leather still looks great so I am pretty disappointed.

 

It is almost like the plastic/rubber just melts apart. Mine just disintegrated last fall while I was cleaning my interior. The handle/lip and about 1" of the flexible material just fell off the rest.

 

It is exactly what I'd expect from a car of it's price tag. I get to work on everything from 50 year old Buicks to brand new Bentleys and everything in between. If a Chevy pickup W/T is a 1 and a Rolls Royce with 3" plush floor mats (seriously) is a 10, The TL is right in the middle.

 

The interior is nice and considering that this is now a car that could be up to 10 years old since production, I believe that the TL has aged well. The one thing that always bothered me is probably the navigation interface as it looks very outdated. And I'm not comparing the 3G TL's navigation to the cars that are out right now either. Compared to the navigation UI to other vehicles made between 2004-2008, the TL's UI looks ancient.