Republican TL

I just did a little road trip action to AC to play some no limit Texas Hold'em tonight. This car is just awesome for a number of reasons. 1) I averaged 28 mpg doing 75-80 mph on a still green engine (now up to 900 miles). 2) the car handles fantastic...has anyone compared the numbers for handling to the NSX....go take a look at one of the car mags...they do the same in the slalom, pull nearly the same G's and stop within feet of each other. 3) The car looks like its been chiseled, then laser cut. It's an impeccable design. 4) the radio is awesome....between my CDs and XM, I did not have to hear one commercial, and now that I have the sound settings the way I like, the stereo system just rocks. I wish there were DVD-As that I could get to fully exploit 5.1 5) after the long trip, I felt refreshed coming out of the car. I did not feel "beat up" or tired from the drive...truly the mark of a fine cruiser. I mean take a look at the time I'm posting for proof!!

Anyone on the fence that is looking at the TL and can't decide, just go "All in" with Acura. It will be the right decision.

runopenloop

I have to agree! Took mine on a trip this past weekend. Before the trip I had about 210 miles an was getting 21 mpg. Drove from Denver to Albuquerque and back with a fair amount of driving around ABQ and the mountains there. Trip computer said 1154 miles and 31 mpg. After passing the break in mileage it was great to open it up and do some spirited driving!

carcar

I just have a few questions about the TL.

It seems like you really really really enjoy your new car, but did you have a car that ran on regular fuel before the TL (87 octane vs. 91) If you did, how much of a noticeable difference is it at the pump. I'm just wondering because my current vehicle is an 87 octane runner, and I'm looking at the TL/ES330, both running on 91.

Is your Acura dealer close to you? Mine is an hour and a half away, but I go near the dealer about once a month. I don't know if this would be a problem for me, but if it does turn out to be a problem, can I get my TL serviced at my 30-minutes-away Honda dealer? Would they honor my Acura warranty?

Does anybody know if the TL handles well in snow? It seems that it would because its FWD, but with all the "torque steer" some people mention and all 270 hps going to the front wheels, i just don't know.

Is the leather of high quality or does it feel cheap like the Accord? Is it easy to clean with the perforations and all? Is rear seat room abundant or does it feel cramped for adults/teenagers?

Thanks in advance for helping me out. I'm going to the dealer not today, but next wednesday, so I'll be able to find out more. I just wanted to get a current owner's perspective on things before i head out and test drive.

It's gonna be a close election!!!!!

regards,
carl

jdone

No flame really intended, but if an extra 20 cents on a gallon of gas make a difference you shouldn't be looking at cars in the TL/ES330 price range. The TL was designed to perform best on gas >91 octane. It will run just fine on 87 but it will deliver lower MPG thus negating any savings.

04TLMan

With respect to the gas mileage, are you calculating from full tank to full tank, or are you using the MID display. My last weekend run (400 miles) my MID said I was running 29 mpg, but when I filled the tank, it calculated to 25.5.
Just saying, best to calculate it to get the best numbers...and if you have the NAVI, you can you the built in calculator

J RIDE 81

I don't think you'll notice a huge dent in your pocket from the fuel. I believe that Honda dealers will honor your Acura warranty. The leather feels great. Better then most luxury cars out there. In my personal opinion, I believe that car is more comfortable then any car under 55K. You'll see for yourself after you slid into the car. It is rather difficult to clean. The back seat does have a lot of room depending on how big the front passengers are. Never had a problem in that department. Good luck with your decision. You wont regret getting this car.

meathead

i love the car, but as for winter driving it isn't good. i don't think it's the torque steer, i'm not sure what it is - could be the tires that have poor snow ratings, but the traction i thought sucked.

Mike_TX

Don't want to get in a pissing match, but calculating your own mileage isn't always the most accurate way. Keep in mind that you don't (can't) always fill your tank to the same level, so your calcs are always going to vary. Even if you always go just to the first "cutoff" at the same pump at the same station, things like heat and barometric pressure and air trapped in your tank and all sorts of different factors keep you from getting the same amount of gas in your tank each time. Therefore, your calculated mileage will not be accurate.

On the other hand, the trip computer measures fuel flow and is usually very precise about it. Just about every car forum has a thread or two about "How accurate is the trip computer?", and there's always arguments about the trip computer being too optimistic or too pessimistic. But in most cases, it's more accurate in the long run than you can be using tankfuls and miles traveled.

Just my $.02.

Mike

04TLMan

No pissing...just discussing. I did the math and the delta gas for my trip (180 miles) would have been 0.8 gal. Is it possible that the fill ups can vary that much?

So is the trip computer calc. for the last x miles or since the reset? I assume it is reset, but did not find it defined in the manual.

DavePA

It's the tires. Winter tires make all the difference in the world. When it comes to snow & ice traction, the tire is more important than the car to which it is mounted. 'Nuff said.

Tedanddenise

I couldn't agree more - this car is simply amazing. However, I do have one BIG complaint - I AM GETTING WAY TOO PROTECTIVE - I hate parking lots for fear some turkey will dent it, scratch it, look cross-eyed at it, etc etc - you get the idea. Been buying cars for many, many years and this is the best driving car I have ever owned - in all categories.

Formula 350

I have found that the MID is accurate.... it has not been off more than .1 MPG when I calculate...

To test, I think I will do all of my tanks and do an average to see how close it is.. over multiply tanks the calculation is the most correct as the delta will become so small as not to matter. But the weighted average of the MID can be way off if it is off per tank...

Anybody else want to try this?

lakeman

I have 10K miles on my 6MT and I record and calculate each tank and compare to the MID. The numbers have always been within 1 MPG and usually within .2 IMHO the differences come from how full the tank is actually filled. I am about due to recalulate my overall mileage for the life of the car. At 5K, I was averaging about 26MPG (mostly highway)

varanelli

Generally agreed. However, more important than anything is the driver. I am a native New Englander and have noticed an enormous difference between winter driving skills "up there" versus "down here" (and some would argue Northern Virginia is not even really the South).

Bottom line: I have had my TL since January 2004 and have found that it is as good as any other FWD car in winter driving.

dseag2

Totally agree, Republican TL. I just took a 700-mile trip from Miami to Orlando (roundtrip) last weekend. The car was great on the highway, the seats were comfortable, and I didn't feel the least bit fatigued after driving for 3 hours. The entire trip back to MIA was filled with rain, rain, and more rain but the car still felt completely secure. Averaged 28-29MPG, reflected in the Trip Computer and using the calculator.