For some time now I have been looking for a new car to purchase. I visit this site often to stay inofmed with the TL. The TL is one of the cars on the top of my list, but I am somewhat tUrned away from the things I have been reading here. For example:

The color of the bumpers not matching the car, the fading of the dash, the issue of the leather wearing to fast, and also the transmission problems.

Were any of these issues addressed for the 06 model. Now knowing of the problems that this car has had do any of you regret the purchase.

Any help would be appreciated.

P.S You all have a great site here.

 

I am considering the TL with Navi..Is it worth it?

 

Hey! welcome to the forums,

the 3G TL is a great car...and one thing you have to undersand is that this is a forum and people come here to praise and punish their problems....so youll hear a lot of bad stories from a select few of people...so not all of these problems happen to people...but as for the issues u listed...

the dash fading - acura made a service bulletin...and they are supposidly working on a replacement dahs that won't fade that they will replace in cars...there is also a 303 type treatment that is applied to the cars which reduces the splotchyness and the fade...so it won't be that big of a problem if u jump on the problem early.

the bumpers not matching - this is a problem with a lot of cars...but it mainly pertains to SILVER...ANTHRACITE and ESPECIALLY WHITE....its something that u juts have to deal with...but i wouldn't worry about it so much because the TL is a great car...if u plan to buy the TL just make sure that the car u are specifically purchasing matches well....

the leather wearing fast - im not sure what u meant by this but if u zaino the leather....it should increase the life of ur leather...as well as the butt prints issue was taken care of for the 05's and the 06's...

transmission issues- i havn't heard of any transmission issues with the TL...except for the 3rd gear manual problem which pertains to having to push into 3rd gear with force...a TSB will take care of the issue by just swapping out the transmission lubricant.

the TL is an amazing car for its price....i don't think these little issues should sway u from buying it...unless u can afford better....because u get what u pay for

edit::

and yes...IMO and many others opinions...navi is well worth the money..it adds a whole list of new features to the car that the Non-Navi dosn't have...and especially because the TL was basically built to have the navi...it just dosn't look right without it

 

Thanks for the repsonse. My parents have an MDX abd it has been fantastic car for them. My last two cars have been Honda and Acura, this is a big reason why I don't want to get away from Acura. Both cars where purchased used and never had a problem with either. My price range is 40k, I know that there are other cars out there but in my opinion it is hard to justify the diference when Acura is giving you just about everything for the price.

The other vehicles I am considering: G35 Coupe, IS 300, and BMW.

 

what about a used RL? u can definatly get an RL for 42k....that is a soundly made car

 

His list of cars doesn't have anything that resembles an RL. he's 23 and probably too young for that car as most people consider it an "old man's" car. also 43K should get you a brand new RL as there are huge discounts on the car right now cause it is not selling well.

 

the older RL's were targeted at an older age group...the new RL even tho its not targeted at the early 20's age bracket...still many 25+ people are buying the RL....its a great car.....

 

Love the car despite some minor issues.

All cars have bugs and if you do not think so, open your eyes.

 

For the money, the best car on the road.

My only regret is not getting the navi. I won't make that mistake again.

 

I purchased a 05 DGP 5AT six months ago and had NO PROBLEMS at all. I just traded that car in (yes yes i know - insert tacky comment here) for a 05 DGP 6MT w/NAV... I also have NO PROBLEMS with the new car. This forum represents topics to help people. All of the issues presented here are not serious defects (those are covered under warranty anyway) but little things that people can talk about and share ideas on fixs. The car is incredible... you will truly love driving everyday. I also looked at the othewr cars you mentioned but this BY FAR is a better deal. Keep in mind you are still getting a $35,000 car....

 

Definitely. Not only it makes the interior of your TL look better, it also add value when you decide to sell it. Although some of you may argue....... what are the chances of you using the navi if you are driving the same routes everyday that you've been doing for the past 4-5 years. Well.... perhaps someday you decide to take a road trip? Find a location that you've never been before that's somewhere far from your town? It could be useful.
I think most folks get it for the fancy look, I know I got it because it looks cool The only people that can really argue to usefulness of the Navigation would be those who are in sales. Other than that, it's just cool to have....

 

Do u have to ay for navigation, like a monthly fee to get city routes on ur screen. I know it runs off GPS and just wonderin if theres a monthly fee for it

 

No, there is no further charge for navi use, unlimited usage.

 

i'd buy another TL

got an 04 TL back in march 2004. it's my daily driver. i've put about 48K miles on it. there were only 2 warranty related issues that i had to take my car in and none of them is engine related

1) rattle in the sunroof
2) heat pipe shielding replacement

yes, the leather on my driver seat looks more worn than its age but it's a small thing for me. as long as the car runs as expected everytime i start her up, i'm good. my family has had nothing but hondas and all are high mileage cars (over 100K) and none had any serious problems with them - this was a big reason why i stayed with the honda family

if i were to do it over again, i'd buy another TL. this time, i'd get a 6MT and i would live closer to work. only reason i got 5AT is my commute to work is horrible (gotta love LA traffic)

 

No, but not because it's a bad car.

My plan is to upgrade with every new car I get. I went from '98 Prelude to '04TL to ????
My next car would be in the $50k range so I am thinking Beemer/Mers

 

I'd definitely buy another TL. The only complaint I have with the car is the cars low torque.

 

people usually don't use the word torque and honda in the same sentence.

 

no i will upgrade to a more luxury car...

 

I've had my NBP since March with absolutely no problems. I'd have to say the Nav is a must. I drove a non-nav loaner TL when my car was being serviced for a broken window and have to say the dash looked pretty crappy w/o the nav. Maybe I was just used to my car. Sure you're not going to use the nav everyday but it comes in handy when you're going to lunch. You can have the nav locate points of interests such as restaurants, shopping centers or movie theaters. If you're craving for Italian, it'll find you teh closest one. Now that's handy!!!

I to was deciding b/t the TL, G35 Coupe and BMX. The TL was by far the best for the $$$. The G was way too smal. I'm only 5'6" and had trouble getting confortable in it's tiny interior. Not to mention, I truely couldn't fit in the back seat. The BMW carried a price tag and an emblem but couldn't match the TL. Absolutely no regrets.

 

I actually want the 6-speed and I'm considering selling mine next year if I can get another good interest rate. I only bought the auto so that my wife could drive it. But I've since banned her from driving the car on a regular basis since she likes to feed our niece and nephew McDonalds and Burger King in the back seat. And you know how 4 and 5 year old kids love to make a mess of the backseat when they have food.

 

glad you didn't get the BMX, all that pedalling would have been tiring...j/k

 

No, it's unlimited usage, I think you are referring to ON-STAR by GM dealerships.

 

I to was deciding b/t the TL, G35 Coupe and BMX. The TL was by far the best for the $$$. The G was way too smal. I'm only 5'6" and had trouble getting confortable in it's tiny interior. Not to mention, I truely couldn't fit in the back seat. The BMW carried a price tag and an emblem but couldn't match the TL. Absolutely no regrets.[/QUOTE]


5'6" lol and the G is tiny... sorry had to but I am 6'1" and I did not find the G small..

 

I just got back from the auto show and was able to compare all. At the end of the day the TL is the way to go in my opinion. By the time you compare a comparable G or BMW you are at 40k. I also felt very comfortable in the TL.

Now my only question is.. When I will be making the purchase? Hopefully sooner then later.

 

Good decision, make the purchase sooner if possible. This is early in the model year and prices should be soft for at least the next few months. Get the navi if you can afford it, it rocks as does the TL. If you are concerned about the issues (none for me in 15k) check the forums for the competing cars. Yes, I would by the TL again. Oh, and welcome in advance.

 

I'm on my 3rd TL.. I love 'em. Best car for the money. I've considered many others but I always come back for more

 

Is that the 3rd since may 2003?!!! If so you never had one for more than a year!?

 

Although I don't have a 3rd gen. TL = 99 here, I love my car. After looking around at other vehicles, I decided to find a used Acura. I previously owned 2 honda products and drove them for 20 years with over 300,000 on each engine. Since the Acura is just an upgraded Accord, I figured this is best for me. Found a garaged 99Navi with 38K on it 2 months ago in absolutely mint condition for $11,000. It is flawless after putting on 4000 miles, not a problem. If you consider resale value, thats a plus too. Sold my 91 Accord with 304,000 on it for $1200. Think you could do that with most other cars. So here I am driving a low mileage Acura for $9800. Everyone think I spent the bank on it=HEHE not so. I couldn't have bought a used Accord and been happy after having the Acura. Not every transmission fails and if you beat on the car, lots of things will go wrong. Good preventive maintenance and reasonable driving make these cars my choice. Considered a used Lexus etc. but this car was too much of a find to consider anything else. I'm happy!!!

 

Congrads and welcome. Hope it keeps running strong. This was indeed a find.