sharpwitz

Have you ever gone to the mall and bought something. Only to return home and say to yourself, what the hell was I thinking. Well, that is how I feel right now as i prepare to purchase a 2004 TL.

Did anyone by chance pick external and internal colors that simply did not work out?

Also, which color shows off this car best?

I hear black looks great shiny but dirties easily. Also, black cars oftened get "keyed" by delinquents.

Red cars get stopped by police the most often?

I hear light leather stains easily and ages quicker based on appearance. What about summer time? How bad is dark leather with regards to trapping heat from the sun? Silver car and black leather, also too hot ?

How is silver ext. with light leather int.?

Should have taken my lady along.... please help with previous experiences.

Norse396

I like silver and the Anthrocite (sp?) but those colors are everywhere. I may be biased but I feel that the Redondo Red sets it off best.

Lore

I think the red looks pretty good... never would have said that before but they did a good job with the Redondo color.

rokdok101

Colors are such a personal thing. For me, I think the TL looks the best in white, redondo red, and black, but the green and anthracite are also nice. Silver and desert mist are good practical colors but didn't do much for me. The blue looked too close to black. I ultimately opted for white, although I bit my tongue as I later looked at a red TL in the showroom. I figured, of my top choices, white would hold up the best long term.

As far as interiors go, I think parchment looks the most elegant (I especially like how the interior contrasts with the black dashboard, center stack, etc.) and makes the interior look roomier. Black or quartz may be more practical to take care of, though. I've had light cloth interior cars before - maintenance wasn't a big deal, just have to keep after it. I have no experience with leather though.

I agonized over interior/exterior colors far more than I should have. Go with your gut. It's an awfully good looking car regardless...

Norse396

rokdok101,

Excellent points!

Swat Dude

I have the Anthracite but saw a black TL with chrome wheels and had some envy. I guess the grass is always greener.

I will comment that the Anthracite does look awesome in the sun, but after 3 coats of Zaino, I just don't think Anthracite shows up the lines of this car like white or black would with the same polish job.

I ordered mine and opted for the quartz interior. It was between ebony or quartz because I liked the carbon fiber accents better than the wood. It must be a late 30's thing because I thought the wood looked more elegant but just not as young and sporty as the carbon fiber. I picked quartz over ebony because I live in Phoenix and didn't want to scramble my butt cheeks, although I think the ebony looks awesome with the anthracite.

Vffr1

I have the Antracite and I do like it... BUT, if your going to add the A-Spec kit, white (WDP) is the winner in that contest, due to the gray accents add to the A-Spec kit (if you don't believe me look at "JimtheGreek" car located on this board).

However, since I'm stuck on the Ebony and only the Ebony interior, I passed on the WDP. If you go with Antracite or Red, chorme rims will really set those colors off! I was really surprised that the Desert (Gold that is) looked great on these cars too, and in A-Spec I bet you would have a one-off only cars, since older folks tend to buy gold cars, and as such, highly likely few would be fitted as A-Spec.

I do like black vehicles, but since I had a black SR5 4x4 and a black Jetta GLX, I- can't-see-ever-buying-a-black-vehicle, during the rest of this lifetime.

Mike Smeezy

6speed

My first choice was Anthricite but I went with Desert Mist (beige) because of availability. It has grown on me. I love it. The green is nice too but doesn't come with ebont interior (a must have).

caball88

i always fall sucker to what they showcase on the website and ads. i went with the silver with ebony. the other color i liked was the anthracite but the silver to me showed the lines of the car alittle more. i did however see a white one on the road and it looked real nice. i just didn't want that cause it would get dirty real easily. i know the silver will probably get dirty as well but not as fast as white. went with the black interior because it looks a little more sporty. i am 24 and the lighter wood trim doesn't match my lifestyle.

acuraddict

White Diamond Pearl all the way. It somehow gives the car's body panels a more substantial and finely crafted look. The way the black window rubber roof panels integrate with the white just looks seamless to me.

When I look closely at the Anthracite or Green on the 2004, they look flinty and give the car a Chevy or Pontiac appearance.

The black and the dark blue don't show the lines very well, and the lower front bumper accents disappear into the paint because the black plastic becomes hardly detectable. Plus, I've had black cars and they show dirt and dust 98% of the time, no matter what I do.

I've had two silver TLs, and so the silver is a little be played out for me, but at the same time the silver paint on this generation does not have the fluid look from body panel to body panel that the 2nd generation had.

Desert mist and red are just not options for me. Desert because its too understated and neutralizing, and red because the only cars I like in red are sports cars, and additionally the TL red paint totally clashes with the tail lights.

Bartman_RENAMED

IMHO, the best all around color is Red. It is not an "in your face red" like so many you see out there. It shows the lines of the car and at this point you will not see 3 of them everytime you hit the streets.

I like the Ebony interior with carbon fiber accents for a little more sporty look. Lighter colors with wood accents are nice for those seeking luxury look.

Of course I own a Redondo Red w/Ebony, so I am biased

KJSmitty

I too would agree,

I chose/and reeeeeaaaally like the WDP w/parchment.

However, once I witnessed the Redondo Red outside in the sun, I did experience a drooling moment of envy...

Smitty

TLaskin

I have SSM with ebony interior. I just loved the way it looks. But if I could of I would've bought the WDP if it had the ebony as an interior color choice.

Lastdra900n

I drive a pearl white one, but i have to say, the black ones look better

msu79gt82

Since I have WDP now I'm looking to go with a dark color. I'm thinking dark colors; Abyss Blue looks good in person but I want to see the Dark Green Pearl (if its anything like the MDX Sagebrush Pearl that would look great) and the Redondo Red (although I think I want Quartz interior).

Skeedatl

It's wierd to me. I chose black 'cause I can garage park it. But in seeing white ones, the white makes them look bigger and with dark tint look great. Red for me looks bland in that you lose the taillight styling (everything blends in) which I like. I favor lighter interiors 'cause it makes them look bigger, but then you can't get the simulated carbon fiber.

But to be honest, I haven't yet seen a color combo on a TL I didn't like. As for gfx, I haven't seen any that looked good (as in make the car look better than if they weren't there), even the ASPEC kits just look too plastic and aftermarket...like an afterthought...I think it's that the OEM 17 and 18" wheels look too small in comparison.

DMZ

As always, color is a matter of personal choice. Let's face it, this car looks hot in any color.

The Deep Green Pearl is actually a greyish-green that looks like a cross between Anthracite and the MDX's Sagebrush. I thought it was Anthracite when I first glanced at it in a dealer's showroom.

Rendondo is attractive for a red color. Red cars in general are the ones most often pulled over by cops.

The silver contrasts well with those desert backgrounds in the commercials.

White is, well, white, what else can ya say?
Black.........ditto.

Abyss Blue Pearl is great if you like dark blue, shows best in direct sunlight. Sharper and richer when coupled with the camel.

Anthracite......nifty and classy, but very common like the silver.

Desert Mist.......for those who always appreciated champaigne beige metallics. Looks good with the gold emblem kit. Why they only offer Parchement or Ebony inside is beyond me.


My 2 cents on colors...........

mrtech

The black always looks elegant when clean. But hard to maintain. I have 2 cars that are black. I went for the Silver TL since it is an easy color to maintain. Dirt and dust is not too obvious when dirty. I do have a black interior. Do not know how hot it will get in the summer time (live in No. Ca). I did have a choice of Anthracite or Silver when I bought mine. Personally, I think the anthracite looks a bit better than the Silver but I was going for more of the lighter color this time around.

digital_b

acuraddict you said it best. its why I bought the wdp. the subtleties that are brought out by the wdp are amazing when you take a slow walk around it. and it makes it look like a 35K car too. but some of these guys nbp pictures are excellent too. just too much maintenance to keep that look for me.

Monte TLS,MAX

WDP looks best and shows the lines of well.

blufox

Abyss Blue with Gray interior all the way

winstrolvtec

Have to agree WDP. I dont really know why but white gives the TL a different look compared to the other colors.

casooner90

I live in desert climate, but I went with the black.

Why? Heat stroke? No, it's because I've always wanted a bad a$$ black - a car with an attitude.

My TL with limo tinted rear window looks like a killer after couple of Zaino coats. However, boy does it look like a mess after a rainfall. I realize that this color isn't very practical, but then this car wasn't meant to be practical.

ps: NBP really shows the blue after couple Zaino coats and bright sun light. Check it out if you get a chance.

TLXLR8S

casooner90 i have to agree with you. lighter colors look less sporty and more classy. black is so sporty and i love it with the front grill. ebony interior and dark tint is the ultimate "bad a$$" car.

casooner90, what interior?

with a little dusting every once in a while is worth the sexy black.

sharpwitz

I've been paying more attention to TL colors on the road as I've observed them in daylight and at nighttime. It's ironic, but the other night, i saw this really expensive white car drive by and I was checking it out pretty hard, and suddenly realized, holy s.... that's a TL, I can't believe that I didn't recognized it. Never in my wildest dream would I consider white for a car color so now I'm confused.

The dealer informed me that black looks great but scratches show up quickly. So as much as you clean, you can't rub off scratches. So I thought about silver. But I saw a silver one drive by in the daytime and it just looked so cheap.

Green looks geriatric and blue, well, i was indifferent. So it was back to white again. I don't have much experience with white cars, but do they dirty easily and when the car loses it shine, white looks really bad?

On another note, is it me or is it that the wood interior just doesn't have enough wood to give it a full blown luxury look?

I admit, all black interior looks pretty damn sporty. Sporty always beats out class.

do light leather dirty quickly?

JetJock

Black is awesome, but after 3 black Acuras starting with a Legend, I'm sick of the hassle of keeping swirl marks away. I ordered anthracite/ebony just for ease of cleaning. I saw all the colors at Rick Case Acura 2 weeks ago, in the back lot before prepping, and all were dirty, and the anthracite still looked cool as did the silver and white. The black looked horrible sitting there with water spots and stuff. Also, I've got permanent acid rain spots on my 2002 TL-S, and I'm sure it's from the black/sun combo since the car's never been driven in the rain, and only sat outside once during July, and the water spots etched right into that black one day after a little sprinkle then the sun came out and burned the paint. Never again!!!!!!! Anthracite for me!!!!
but......all the colors look great.......this is one awesome car...and all my friends are drooling.

TLXLR8S

if you use zaino it has SPF40 and the rain can allways be wash off. and if you love to wash your car like i do on a nice sunday afternoon, take the black.

automophile

It is really different for various cars depending on the shape. When I first saw the TL I was SURE I would buy the anthracite or silver, and that the white looked poor.

A month later, I bought the DWP, and I am SURE that it is the best looking. The car is SO RICH looking. However, it really needed the window tint to show off the car's shape.

I must say that I am not impressed with Acura's color selection. As you look around, you can see MUCH BETTER colors on other cars.

I was also very dissapointed that I could not get the very rich looking black interior in the white car. Honda seems to have a phobia about that. It ALMOST kept me from buying the car.

ed99

Personally I like the Pearl White just the fact that TYPE "R" only comes in that color. And the pearl shine is great in the sun. I would of gone for the white however I went with a black on black because my last car I had was the Racing White Type "R" integra. I thought I would try a different color this time. It took me a very long time to decide but I guess you have to try something different. But all in all I like both the Pearl White and Black.

mgokool

I got the Green Pearl w/ Parch / nav......Goregeous car...

I originally set out for the Anthracite/ebony but then i saw the green on the showroom floor wit the parch, and it got my attention....

When i picked up the car it was at night, so i really couldn't check it out much....but during the day, it looks good, after a few coats of hand polish and wax, its beautiful...

BigDog0598

i noticed that a lot of you guys think the red looks good, but i can't get past the fact that it looks like Sebring red, i am deciding between the white and "charcol"

kfh

I like the white color best. I want a white one!!! But, you cannot get it with the ebony interior so I am "trying" to wait for an 2005 and hoping Acura will add the white/ebony combo.

White cars in general do not show dirt.

If I cannot get a white with ebony, I would definitely go with the Anthracite with ebony interior.

The red...I wish it was more red...but...make sure you see it at night (I do not like it at night) to make sure you like it. (goes for all colors).

The only interior I like is the ebony. Thought I liked the quartz based on pictures on the internet and the brochure, but once I had seen it in person...it is not for me....same with all the light interiors.

The light interiors are basically two-toned (I personally do not like that...but if you do, you are in luck).

To me the quartz just does not look good with the two-tone look on the door panels and the dash.

B]But...Make Sure You See Whatever Color You Think You Like In Person Before You Buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/B] (both in daylight and at night under the lights)

jdimaria

I think the NBP is the best. Even though you have to wash it often nothing look better than a shiny black car. IMHO. Doesn't matter day or night it still looks the best. Elegant yet sporty. Black all the way for me.

TLXLR8S

you go jdimaria, iam with you 100% all the way

PMF13

Looks like I'm going to have the only Desert Mist TL on the road! I've had dark coloured cars with black leather interiors for the past 14 years (Forest Green MX-6 followed by a Black Maxima SE) and I'm tired of cooking in the summer. I think the TL in Desert Mist looks classy and I like parchment interior. I also like the idea of being able to pick mine out in a parking lot from all the popular colours.

tonyg24

if u turn left or right ..u are sure to see a silver car..i went with the Anthracite...ebony...i wouldnt be caught dead in that green one,,,allot of colors are ok but it depends on your age..i cant see myself driving around in the beige color either...or the red one...black is hot but just too hard to maintain..always dirty then when it is clean and sunny u get those buffer circles all over the car....but hey everyone has there opinion and thats mine...

acur8ly

iTrader: (1)

ok if the car is plain (no spoilers) NBP, if you have the spoilers WDP

Donte99TL

Black and if you think another color looks better then you suck:wow:

Almost Jake

My opinion on a few colors.

Black - looks great when it's new, but it looks crappy after a relatively short period of time. It shows all marks and dirt. You'll only buy one black car. Very high maintenance.

Silver - never cared for it. Reminds me of old peoples cars. Plus, it's difficult to see in the rain, a safety hazard in my mind. Hides dirt fairly well.

Anthracite - love the look, but it's still a little hard to see in rainy weather.

Redondo red - love it with the Camel interior. I think it's the best combination. Sexy yet sporty. When I buy, this is the combo. I believe this is the combo Acura chose to display at the LA auto show.

any color - don't care for black interior. Living in the south, it's just not a good color option. I've had black interiors and suffered every summer. Never again.

Hoffer

I had a black car once. When that thing was cleaned, it looked awesome!! Problem was that an hour after a wash, you could already see dust on it. I picked silver because it looks good and it's safe. I know I won't regret silver.

I'm not too worried about a lot of people getting silver. I hardly ever see an Acura TL, new or old generation. I did see a silver one at an intersection about a month ago. That thing looked sharp. :up: