swoosh

iTrader: (5)

just remember if you want to sell your car or trade it in....getting type-s parts will be kinda tough....so whats a pro is a con as well....think about it....but either way i would go for the type-s....i bought my car in 07 (05 model) and my budget was 22-23K....and when i saw the type-s, i was like WOW....but i didnt have the extra $$$

geezr98

My point just like the iPhone commercial lol
If you don't have an iPhone you don't have an iPhone!!!
I love my S!!!

ParaSurfer1979

Exactly... If someone buys a base to make it a type-S well thats just dumb PERIOD. If you add parts to a base it will yield higher gains than the tuned to the max RL 3.5 so you'll def get hp numbers get bigger numbers from doing the same mods as you would a Type-S while still keeping money in your pocket is all I'm saying. Do I dislike the Type-S? Absolutely not but do I dislike my car any less because its not a Type-S? NOPE. lol. This maybe why i didn't waste cash on that premium. I could understand if the Type-S was the M3 model of the TL then you bet I'd pay a 7k premium for 100+hp. but 28hp??? Nah.

I dont have an iPhone because my EVO 4G does so much more and faster and keeps calls better so a bad example hahaha....

Italiano

THIS, NICE AVATAR

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

LOL, "fast" is a pretty subjective term. I personally don't think any N/A TL is very fast, but that's probably because I've been in 11 second cars that will plant your head into the headrest and keep it there. Conversely, my nephew thinks my TL is fast since he's never been in anything else that can trap over 85 mph. It isn't even really fast in its own class, where mid 13's and 103+ traps are pretty much the norm in stock form.

And sure, it might edge out e36 M3's, but production on those ceased at the turn of the century. Technology moves quickly. If you could take your TL back in time twenty years, then it would be fast. It would even keep up with a '91 Vette or 300ZX TT.

Krazzyie

Be patient and you will eventually find a type s for a good price. i have a base TL but thats because in 04 the type S were not out yet. Base is still fun to drive, but I would rather have a type s.

Joneill44

For those who got the base, why didn't you get the type s?

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

lemme put this in perspective here. people say you can get a base tl and save the money for mods and be better than a type s. well, whats so different about that than if someone said they can buy a cheap EG civic for $2000, spend $5000 on mods and beat A LOT of cars for all under $10k? everyone likes to start somewhere, and we just all have different preferences on what car to start with.

that being said, a type s tl does command more respect from more people because its a type-s. sometimes you buy a car for its name, otherwise i could be saying we could all have bought honda accords, since the TL is basically a glorified honda accord.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

if i could do all my mods including weight loss, the tl-s would be a fucking beast.

my friend with a stage II STI, said he was surprised with the TL.
imagine what kind of damage the 6mt tl-s would bring.

especially with the new ecu available.
you could turbo it and beat all kinds of exotics all day every day.

even at 300whp would be enough for daily driving, hell my shit is so high strung its scary.

I wish there was moar low end torque, but i digress; I have a honda.

I enjoy making power.
so all that say that this car isnt fast. I enjoy wrenching and making something moar of what it is. kind of like computers and overclocking. I bought this car because it has the perfect balance of both luxury and sportiness. (i dont think i would enjoy the RL, as plush as it is.)
if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have waited a year, saved money, and bought a TL-S 6MT.
A year later the TL-S 6MT is the same price point as when I bought my 06' 6MT.
Its the same amount of money, and I would have got the better performing vehicle.(Although, I do enjoy the base looks over the type-s)


Go for the TL-S 6MT.
you'll thank me in the morning.

GoldenShoes

I agree with this comment a lot. here's my example:

pick up an EG/EK hatch with a Kswap in it for 10-12k or buy an ITR for the same price

people will say "ooh ahh that's a sweet Type R" to the one guy, and then the guy that bought the Kswapped hatch will be laughing their ass off when their car is 3-4 car lengths in front of it.

in the end, what I'm tryin to say is there's a lot of hype in the name. don't get me wrong the Type S is an amazing car, but so is the TL in general.

in my case, I had 2 choices.
a 06 AM 5AT base with 50k miles that was Certified Pre-Owned with 1 owner and all dealer maintained for 19,981
or
a 07 CGP 6MT Type-S with 28k miles and they wanted 26 for it.

I chose the base because in the end I saved $6k and got a CPO vehicle that I knew was driven by a 50-somethin year old woman. the Type-S on the otherhand couldve had the piss beat out of it, u never know.

lastly, the OP is 19, I'm 25 and I'm pretty sure even with a decent driving record my insurance is 200/mth. for a 19yo, I believe that the Type-S is gonna pull a pretty decent hike in insurance just for bein a "sport" model.

there's my 2 cents, hope it helps out.

dc5k20z1

i bought an 08 base auto w/nav and im happy. my only regret is not getting the 6MT, now that I have the auto, I realize how much fun driving a manual car is and miss driving stick a lot. But I'm still happy with my purchase nonetheless.

The TL-S was not worth the extra money for me. I hated the wheels and the extra 30hp was not worth the 5k to 7k. I also didnt fancy the red inerior lights too much either.

Rock2534

The price gap people are referencing is not very accurate, or so it seems to me. They are saying how the TLS it is 8k more than the base, but that is only when comparing an 05 to 07 or 08. If you compare same model years, the gap is substantially less, more like 3k. This is if the base is optioned in the same manner as the S, navigation for example. So for 3k I think the point is somewhat moot, especially if you are going to mod your base with wheels, exhaust, body kits, suspension, etc.

I look at the Type S as a slightly more "hooked up" version of the base, which is a great car in its own right. If you want the more aggressive look get the S, if you want to save money get the base, but if you go and spend the 3g's+ then you what have you really saved? As long as you end up with what you want is the main point.

Joneill44

^ ya I'm only comparing the 04-06 base to the type s. If I was comparing the 07-08 base I would buy the type s without a question.

geezr98

Evo 4g eeewwwwww!! Bulky as sh!t !!! Type S or bust!!!! Lol

I hate cars

That basically sums it up. Both models are far from fast. Most differences are in the looks which are subjective. You get a few more hp and a more performance oriented suspension. I've now driven a few TL-Ss and I had to really pay attention to tell a difference.

If you love the looks of the TL-S that much and you plan to keep it stock forever then it might be worth it. If they had a TL-S in late '05 when I bought mine I might have gotten one especially back then, thinking I was going to keep it stock.

The one thing that's swaying me in the TL-S's favor more each day is the number of old fat people in super dirty base models or kids with them slammed to the ground with giant exhaust and driving like idiots. It seems like you don't see that very much with the TL-S.

scv76

Type S ups your insurance and costs more for brakes

I hate cars

The problem with this argument is the TL and TL-S are 99% the same car while the TL and Accord are not. The average person is not going to be able to tell the difference in the base and S besides the really obvious stuff like rims. The average person does not know the Accord and TL are related.

The Civic is a few classes lower than the TL. You have to start somewhere but who wants to start with a FWD shitbox. IMO, comparing a Civic to a base TL is wrong even though I understand what you're trying to say.

Joneill44

Do you know by how much? Or have a ballpark estimate of the difference between the base?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

call your insurance company and find out, smart one.

JohnBlack

Your right I got the base and now I'm about to trade that in for a Type-S

scv76

^
This
Check any on-line auto parts store for brake prices of base vs type s

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

come on, seriously? using brake pads as an argument? yes the oem brembo pads are more expensive but there are a lot of aftermarket options that people go with anyways. duralast gold cmax can be had for $55 or hawk hps for ~$90.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

Never really cared much for the looks of the S, except for the quad exhaust and rear bumper. They're still nice and all, but the wheels, S badging, red lighting, two tone seats, chrome grill, tails etc, just aren't my bag. I still don't think it's worth the premium Acura charges. I mean c'mon, they could've at least equipped it with 18" wheels.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

LOLOL. im pretty sure if your concerned about the cost of brake pads a TL is not the car for you. Insurance differences are minimal I have had both. Plus I would gladly pay a little more for a superior brake.

James

SilverJ

Not if they are both 6 speeds. Brembos are brembos in base and TL-S.
My insurance went up 34 dollars for the year going from a base TL to Type S. Hardly a deterrent.

SilverJ

In the history of this forum---no one has ever regretted getting a Type S, and no one has ever regretted getting a Six Speed Manual. Other way around ? Hell yes.

I hate cars

You might want to go over that history a little better. I've seen people regretting the 6mt.

Of course no one is going to regret getting the TL-S, it's better in stock form even though it looks a little "boy racerish" to me. The topic is whether or not it's worth the extra money.

I agree with others, brakes and insurance are not deterrents especially if you do your own brakes, costs are pretty much the same for the wear items anyway.

SilverJ

Haven't seen one person in 8 years. If someone does regret it its probably because their wife needed to drive the car or something. Never because they yearned to drive the auto.

I hate cars

Nope, you've got to search better than that. Saying "probably" is just guessing.

I have an auto and have never regretted not getting the manual. I can understand the people that like manuals but the TL is a slow FWD car, there's not enough power or sportiness to justify a manual unless you really like shifting gears that much. Some people love shifting gears and there's nothing wrong with that but some people act as if it takes some extraordinary skill to drive a manual that only they posess. If it were a sports car it would be a different story.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

^+3982755442432

makes me feel better about my auto

geezr98

I love shifting gears!! N glad my gf can't drive my car bc everybody knows women can't drive!!!!

JohnG1920

Really love my base 2007 with the blue interior lights. And the wheels look sweet. Damn good looking car in silver.

Rock2534

I hear you. 04-06 can be a very good deal if you can find one with mileage you are comfortable with.

No offense at all, but for what these cars cost, if that small difference is a deterrent, then this is probably not the car for someone in that situation.

SilverJ

I love to shift gears. I hate it when I had auto it would go into a gear I didnt want. I like "feeling" the car. Its a personal preference. To me Autos are boring, but thats me.
Sure there are faster cars than the TL-S. But how many have all the TL offers and dont cost 50k plus ? Its the whole package.
Just out of curiosity being Im not a master searcher or anything, can you post a link to one person who regretted getting the manual and traded it in for an auto ? Just curious if that person even exists.

I hate cars

I agree on pretty much every point. I also like shifting gears but only part of the time. I'll try and find a link when I get home, working the weekend. There was one in the last few weeks wanting an auto because of the stop and go traffic, I'll look it up later.

Honestly, my only problem is the people that get on here and pretend the manual is a different car and only a select few people know how to drive a manual and they're one of the chosen ones. That's it. There's no doubt that a manual is more fun.

SilverJ

Well, it IS a different car moreso in the 04-06 TL(not sure if auto tl-s still has brembos). Anywhere from a .5 to 1 second faster 0-60, stiffer suspension which would result in improved handling, better stopping power. That does make it a pretty different car drive wise doesn't it ? As far as who can drive it--anyone can drive a manual I would think, but not everyone wants to drive the car, some people just want to ride in the car and make it as easy going an experience as possible.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

G37 actually offers quite a bit more at a very competitive price; more power, speed, and RWD driving dynamics. I REALLY wish I liked Nissan/Infiniti more than I do.

I hate cars

Same springs and shocks, just larger swaybars for the 6mt.

Brembos make no difference in single stop stopping distances, only after repeated hard stops do they start to have an advantage over the standard brakes. The tires determine stopping distance assuming the brakes are not faded.

IMO, the Tl is the type of car you want to go from point a to point b as easily as possible. .5 seconds to 60mph and in the 1/4 mile is just not worth it to me because you're still in the 14s either way. If you like shifting that much, go for it. I don't find any fun in drag racing a TL whether it's a 6mt or 5at. Corners are a different story.

The truth of it is, an excellent driver of a 6mt will beat the 5at by about 1 carlength to 60mph and 3-4 carlengths in the 1/4. An average 6mt driver is barely going to beat the 5at to 60mph and have a carlength or two at the end of the 1/4. Put a crappy driver in the 6mt and it's anyone's race.

I would love to be able to swap the 6mt in my TL for track days but track days account for maybe .05% of my driving so it's not worth it.

Again, some people have different priorities and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with preferring the 6mt. Like I said, the 6mt is definitely more fun. A lot of it comes down to the fact that I have a fast drag car already so there's just no excitement to the TL in a straight line. In fact, I literally can not feel it accelerate at full throttle at all after a few runs in the GN, there is no sensation of being pushed back in the seat. Imagine you owned a ZR1 Vette/Viper/Hyabusa and you drove the TL daily and the other on the weekends. Would you still want the TL in a manual as badly? The perspective changes a little. I would have considered the 6mt a little more if the TL was my only car. Many members on here have the TL as the daily and a fast car or bike for the weekend fun so I know I'm not alone here.

SilverJ

Good point. TL is my daily car and its my only car. I don't think the need would be there as badly, but for me, its not just about loving a manual. Its about hating an auto, being bored by it, and also having to worry about the trans. Lets face it Honda hasn't had the greatest history in automatic transmissions. I just like manuals, its not because I feel its THAT much faster than the auto. I liked a manual when I drove a honda civic, its just more fun to drive, not to mention better gas mileage.

Joneill44

I don't need a "fast" car. If I wanted performance I would be driving an Evo 8,but they don't have the nice luxury aspect to it like the tl which is pretty quick for a sedan.