It's a matter of opinion. You think the two tone looks terrible? Really? I think it looks nice. And you are missing quite a few things in your Type S features...

headlights
tailights
fog lights
front bumper
grill
sidemarkers
type s logo on steering wheel
type s logo on headrest
type s suspension
stitching
3.5L
286hp
wheels (matter of opinion)
rear bumper
quad exhast
red interior lights (matter of opinion)
Navi is standard
Rear deck lid
turning signal on side mirror
rear camera
kinectic blue pearl (color option)

I'm sure you can save the money and mod it like a Type S but at the end it's not a Type S.

 

Yes i know but I think it's better to get type-s with manual. Maybe i'll learn and buy one

 

Don't forget the Type-S badge.

Oh, and the foglights and turn signal on the side mirrors are on all 07-08 models, so not really a type-s specific feature. I guess if you have a base 07-08, you're a couple of things closer to a Type-S than a 04-06. =)

 

6MT is the only reason to get the Type-S now.
If they are priced out of your budget then go with an 04-06 6MT.

The 04-06 Body looks a bit more cleaner than the 07-08's but everyone has their own opinion.

With 3.5L you will also get a little bit more out of your mods so keep that in mind.

 

My brother passed down his '07 Type-S to me and I completely love it. I believe I would feel like I'm missing something if it weren't an S - just saying...

 

I had a '02 TL-S and didn't even consider the 3G TL until the TL-S came out. I saw pictures if the 4G and didn't like it so I went out and bought on of the last TL-S in my area. Get the Type S if the budget allows.

 

$37K-$40K WTF??? Where were you shopping??? We got ours brand new and fully loaded (navigation I think was the only option). We paid $30,200 with $1.9 financing. No money down and we did not make a payment for 2 months. We also custom picked our color combo so they had to get the car trucked in from out of state. The car was not collecting dust on their lot.

Thank you. Not sure why folks are giving the guy a hard time. The title of his post was not misleading. Just don't click on the post if you have nothing to contribute or you are just going to bash the guy. Very immature. It also looks like the couple guys dishing it out the most have Type S envy.

 

MAN!!! I missed a ton of things. I guess I didn't realize there were that many differences. Honestly though KBP is the only difference that really matters to me. I love that color Thanks for taking the time to make a list.

 

I believe Nav might have been an option on my 2008 Type S. That and the summer tire package were the only 2 choices. One way for Acura to keep costs down, control inventory and maximize production efficiencies.

You also get the great Brembo front brakes!

 

^^^ you got hustled....

NAVI is standard on all Type S....just like the rims

 

hustled?? Check post #88 Maybe my sales guy had it wrong or I just had it wrong.

 

^^^ yeah the sales guy prolly had it wrong....

and you got a brand new type S for 30K ?

when i went to the dealer in May 2007, they had the 07 type S for 38K and 07Base for 32K and fully loaded base for like 35K something (if my memory serves me right)

 

We bought it weeks before the new 4G were released. Dealers were afraid they would be stuck with the old gen so there were awesome deals to be found. The particular dealer had a waiting list for the 4G when we bought the 2008 3G. Too bad the folks were not able to see how ugly they were in person compared to the previous gen.

 

^^^ WOW that is a great deal....

on a side note i dont believe you LOL....i just have never seen a car price drop down 10K (25%) just coz a new model is coming....till date people pay ~25K for a Type S (08) with 20-30K miles on it....that means a 4 year old model with miles on it is only 5K cheaper than what you got it ?

in no way am pulling the BS flag out, you might have gotten the deal, just that i dont believe it....

EDIT: to state my theory, couple examples
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

 

Ok well then I guess you couldnt fathom on buying a BMW M3 or M5, or a Corvette Z06, or a G37s, or a Lexus IS-F, or a SRT8 etc etc..... My point is, you do realize that any performance model has exactly the same things done to them that Acura did to the Type S to make it the performance version right? I guess if your not into the high end model theres nothing wrong with that, but to say your paying 6K for headrests, tail lights, and exhaust is just ridiculous because there is soooooo much more to a Type S that that, not to mention all the nice changes they made starting in the 07 model year.
Actually, when you really look at it, the TL-S has very little in common with its base versions. The ONLY parts on the exterior that are similar to the base model is the sheet metal itself. Lets see, the front bumper, headlights, brakes, wheels, engine, exhaust, side skirts, interior, spoiler, tail lights, rear bumper, suspension. Riiiiiigghhttt, 6K for headrests

Now I know the Type S and base model are not far apart performance wise where as say for example a Z06 corvette would walk all over a base Corvette in every category. Im simply just trying to make a point that some biased base model owners on this forum dont give enough credit where credit is due. The Type S is a real nice package I think and it all comes down to money. If all things are equal then yes the Type S will be a bit more expensive, but to me its worth it. If money is the issue, but you still want the best car you could get, then the base model TL is still an excellent car. You cant go wrong either way!

James

 

I'm not arguing that the type s isn't a nice car. It is and I think they are great looking cars but it's mostly cosmetic differences. You cant compare it to the SRT8, M3, M5 or Corvette Z06. Those cars compared to their base model counterparts are wayyyyy better performance wise. You can't compare a base model Challenger with 305 HP to a SRT8 with 470 HP. Same with the others. It's just not realistic to compare them to the base model versions. I was exaggerating a little when I said it was just tail lights, exhaust etc. I'm not trying to discredit the Type S. It's a great car. I'm just happy with my base

 

I regret that I didn't search for a type-s mostly because I wanted a manual...that is the only way to get one in a 2008 TL...sadly

BUT...I still LOVE my car, I think that it looks just as good as a type-s

 

im sure u can learn and be comfortable driving manual in a day...if you enjoy driving, which im sure you do since you are on this forum, then i am sure you will LOVE driving a manual car. its SO much more fun. Sometimes i dream of driving my TL and its manual, especially after driving stick in real life, then i wake up sad

 

I'm pretty sure Justn regrets getting a Type-S.. something about being associated with a group of guys who like to masturbate in ring.. idk, sounds wheirdh to me.

 

Yes I did. My first TL I bought new was a ASM 2006 TL NAV Auto that I bought in Aug 2006. One month later I saw the NEW 07 TL Type-S coming out. I WAS ANGRY. So 3 months later I took a BIG HIT and tradded it in for the NEW 07 Type-S and LOVED IT MUCH MORE !!!!. Then I bought a new 07 Civic Si because I thought I was going to loose my job and lowered all my payments. The salesmen at Honda thought I was NUTS. ??? Why are you doing this Jeff ??? I said its for personal reasons. About a year later, my job seemed much more secure. So in Dec 2008 I tradded in my 07 NBP Civic Si sedan in for a Certified WDP TL NAV 6-speed manual with 26,000 miles for $26,000. I spend $10,000 in mods on it and LOVED IT. But I missed the Type-S. Then like a fool I tradded that car in for a new LOADED 2010 Camaro LS3 SS/RS. I got rid of the Camaro for personal reasons. BUT I NOW KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WANT NOW. An 07-08 WDP TL auto of manual with ebony/grey 2 tone leather. In July 2012 I will have enough $$$ to pay cash for one. HALLELUJAH

I highly suggest waiting and saving for a Type-S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I bought my TL in August 2004 and there was no TL Type-S at the time (just an RSX Type-S, as far as I know, and I never considered buying an RSX, though now my wife has an '03 RSX Type-S). So no, I have no regrets at all, and the thought of trading it in (and restarting car payments) never once crossed my mind when the Type-S arrived on the market. I'm still quite happy with my 6MT, especially on long drives.

 

damn i thot i rant too much....i bet ur friends hate running into you while shopping

 

 

no regrets =) I am very content with what my car has to offer completely and I am no way taking my car to such limits that i'd want "that much more" from the tl-s although this whole thread is biased and it really is subjective. Weigh your entire options and buy accordingly to your needs and budget, atleast with me anyways, I have never had a point where I regretted a choice on vehicle or component for it so far

 

So It looks like I'm gonna go pick up a NBP type s next week. Only thing is I really want a WDP. Anyone regret not getting the color they originally wanted? lol

 

You sir, have a clean ass NBP TL seems like it's well maintained!

 

5.5 years of ownership with no regrets on not getting a Type-S. I waited for the announcement, saw there was no AWD and decided on an 2006 and haven't looked back. I would have got the Type-S if it had the SH-AWD though, but that took another two years and body style change. I do kind of regret not getting the Ebony interior, but such is life.

 

I'll drop my as a TL noob. I recently bought an 08 base with navi. However before that decision, I test drove an 08 type-s. In the end it came down to comfort for me. After driving a WRX for 8 yrs and 150K miles ride comfort was the most important feature to me. To me the base was just more comfortable and gave a smoother ride. So that's what sold me. Interior was pretty much the same between the two so that wasn't a major factor. Besides NOVA/DC/MD Traffic wont have me using paddle shifting very often. I will say I'm partial to the type s smoked rear side markers and trunk lip, but other than that for me the base with navi stacked up more.... just my

 

If the S was available in 2005 when I bought my car I would have undoubtedly ponied up the extra 2-3k grand to buy it. My car stickered at a little over 35k. However, I'm not going to run into the dealership to trade it in for one. Not worth it IMHO.

 

Exactly. If you didn't buy a type-s from the beginning there is no point in trading a base in for one. I enjoyed my base very much, I knew I would because the most important thing for me was the 6mt transmission

Good luck OP!

 

These were my thoughts when I selected mine in '08. I wanted fastest to PIF and best gas mileage since the economy was headed south.

 

I dont regret it. Both TL's offer the same luxuries while the non-type-S still has a responsive ride, it's a more forgiving ride when/if you live in parts of the country where the roads could be harsh. Power delivery in the base is VERY good. The only difference one will see in regular day2day driving from the Type-S would be some added low-end. Most people (me not included) don't floor their cars to redline in every gear to feel the added top-end from the 3.5L. No matter what the TL is one of the best cars in its class. Even against todays luxury models i still feel that it puts up a good fight against them. Either you want 0-60 in 6.3sec (Type-S Auto) or 6.8sec (base auto).

 

You do know the Non Type-S front springs are only 8% softer than the type-S right? Both cars to me ride nice and solidly firm. It's def not a "cloud" ride. Honda's Accord isn't even soft riding...lol. You described the TL as if it rides like a Toyota Avalon which def isn't the case...

 

Now that I'm a TL-S owner, the only thing I had regretted not getting when I had gotten my '05 was the navi. I didn't realize how much more features it had with it besides giving you directions. Other than that, I can't comment on the handling as my S is still stock while my '05 was modded.

 

For the longest time I considered '04-06 6MT or '07-08 TL-S 6MT. After looking at how ridiculous the non-navi dash was (I don't care about navigation), I couldnt get over that one aspect of the car. Not to mention I really like foglights not built into headlamp housing.

When it came down to it, I test drove an '08 TL-S 6MT that magically appeared while at the dealership still warm on lease turn in; I put money down and bought it before the dealer had even checked it in.

My opinion, glad I waded through 2 years of SEDAN deliberation (330i ZHP, G35S 6MT, Accord 6MT, Grand Cherokee SRT-8???, E39 M5, Base TL 6MT, TL-S 6MT, etc, etc...) for my TL-S. Love it and it's year round capable for MN winters.

EDIT: Hahaha... The TL-S has many nice differences compared to all other 3G TLs. It wasn't just a 6MT thing!

 

I test drove a 08 Type-s, and love the features more than the quickness and firm ride vs a base TL. A few months later I purchased an 08 TL /w Navi. Saved about $5k with no regrets.

 

WOW. I will pray for you

 

Didn't realize you have a Type-S now, cool What happened to your 05?

 

i would love to get a type s...but at the time, the deal i got for my TL with the nav package was very, very good. could not pass it up, and i still find the car to be overall pretty spirited to drive when i want to, while still be being conservative if i desire that

 

I had totaled it while having a temporary lapse in judgement last year. I need to do the GM SMFM change soon since shifting into 2nd and 3rd are notchy at times.