JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

I thought I would take the time to give everyone my personal input comparing my 07 KBP Type S to the new 09 TL nav loaner car (my TL-S is in the shop).
My TL-S is getting some minor work done at the dealership and they supplied me with a white on black 09 TL with nav.

Exterior:
This is not the SH-AWD model (which I think looks a LOT better), but overall I still cant picture myself driving this car. Until this style grows on everyone it just looks sooo big and awkward. The basic wheels on this particular model really bring it down as well I think thats why I think the SH-AWD looks 20 times better to. So overall not much to write home about on the outside and I like the looks of my TL-S a LOT more.

Interior:
This is where things start to change. I really like the interior layout, the seats are very comfy and I love the feel of the softer leather on the steering wheel. The nav system is AMAZING the screen looks like high def compared to my 07's. The USB interface and HDD work so nice. The absolute biggest difference I have found is that the stereo in this new 09 is WORLDS better than my 07's. No comparison especially in the bass quality from the sub. I really like all the white interior lighting (map and dome lights as well). The weather feature on the nav is great to!! Keyless push button start is another plus and something I wish the 07/08 TL's came with. I did have a little trouble figuring out how to get in the car as it was being finicky on where I stood as it wouldnt let me get in the car. I probably just dont know how to use it right yet. The new interior overall feels tight and rattle free as does my 07 Type S. Even compared to the new interior I do think the 07/08 interiors look and feel very nice.

Performance:
As much as I dont like to say it this TL feels exactly the same as far as acceleration goes to my 07 Type S. So im assuming the SH-AWD would beat the Type S pretty easily. Brakes feel very comparible to the Brembos and steering is MUCH easier to turn and I overall like it better as the Type S you almost need both arms to turn it lol. The suspension is obviously softer as expected and it seems to take bumps better than my Type S which sometimes feels "clunky" over bumps.


I dont see myself buying a new TL just yet however I do like them. The SH model and if they come out with a Type S someday I would certainly consider but I think for now im going to be happy and enjoy my Type S as I think it simply looks much nicer on the outside.


I have a couple questions. Does anyone know if the 4th gen sub could somehow fit in the 3rd gen? It sounds so much better not necessarily a lot louder, but the quality of the bass is where the big difference is.
Also, I wonder if there is a way to retrofit the overhead LED lights into the 3rd gen. I dont want some tacky looking blue LED's (or the white ones that still look blueish), but the OEM LED's produce a nice clean soft white that looks just perfect. Possibly purchase the lights new from Acura parts and work them into the 3rd gen. Input will be appreciated....


Here are a couple pictures I took with my Canon SLR.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

back in Jan i also brought my 3G in for service and they gave me a new 4G tech package... i took it on a roadtrip and the interior def kept me entertained the whole time... esp since i don't have Navi in my 3G...

but i may have to disagree with you on the 4G being fast than the 3G TLS... the 4G feels like a boat to drive...

if i do bite the bullet on a 4G, it will have to be the SH-AWD 6MT...

tonyatkayak

That's a good review. I almost had to look twice at this thread because I was going to write one also. My TL-S is in the shop and they gave me an AM 09 TL base.

I actually didn't like the seats because it was positioned awkwardly that didn't give me any lower back support. I noticed we had like 95% of all the functions they had in the 4G TL so it didn't impress me too much.

The steering wheel felt thicker and smaller for me which was too much for me. I did notice that the sound system is ALOT better than my car. I think it's because of the sub.

anyhow, great write up but it's definitely not worth it to switch from TL-S to 4g TL.

Freshjive360

Hey man, just browsing and came across your post. Regarding the '09 TL's subwoofer which you want to fit in your '07 TL-S, I'm not too sure on the fitment, but I'm pretty sure just replacing the sub will not make your TL sound that much better (or at least the difference you're looking for). I'm assuming the '09 has a better source which gives out a clearer signal and the amplifier might be different as well. I'm no audio expert by any means but I'm pretty sure just putting in the '09's sub will not make your TL sound close to the loaner...

TonemanTLS

if i'm not mistaken is the navi not touch screen anymore? with the big dial in the middle looks like my friends 09 Accord which is not touch screen...???

TonemanTLS

BTW great review i find the steering wheel looks a lot like the TLS, maybe because its the base model but i like the interior in the 07-08 models better...

dave_ramkumar

iTrader: (5)

thats how i look at it too

sixsixfour

you can easily retorfit your domes to white (and not blueish) LEDs. Ive done it on mine. looks worlds better

piggydog

interior is so sick. I have no idea who ok'd the idea for the exterior but they should not be allowed anywhere near a car. Also touch screen is a much I can't imagine driving and dealing with a dial on the navi.

Skrewologist

i wish i could make my interior exactly like the 09 tl.
i know its far-fetched but maybe someday there will be a way to port the nav/harddrive to a 3rd gen tl.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

So I have put even more miles on it and yes it feels exactly the same acceleration wise as my Type S!! Maybe we have different butt meters but its identical and I have had my share of cars (and fast ones to).

The nav is obviously NOT touch screen. You couldnt touch the screen even if you wanted to its set way in and on top of the dash. Its designed to be fully used by the joystick or voice command. It works great I love it. I find the touchscreen on my Type S to be finicky sometimes.

Freshjive360,
You might be right im sure there is more to it and it wasnt just the sub that sounded better. Everything did! What I meant though was the bass quality was MUCh better so I thought maybe if we had that sub I could get that bass sound in our 3G. Like you said though it might have different built in amps and stuff to so might be more than just a simple sub swap.


The last thing I wanna say is that I am EXTREMELY dissappointed after driving at night I found out it does NOT have Bi-xenon HID's!!! I put the brights on I kid you not they did almost nothing! I let my buddy drive it and I told him to try the high beams and after he did we looked at eachother and laughed. Very poor high beams. As far as headlights our 3G's with Bi-xenons are amazing!

James

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Here are a couple pictures to compare. I will say as much as im enjoying the interior of the new 09 the 3G S interior sure is pretty to! :-)

Freshjive360

After viewing pictures from your Type-S (very clean, well maintainted interior btw ), I think we all know why your Type-S acceleration feels the same as the '09 loaner...you have the 5AT! With the 6MT I'm sure you would notice that the 3G Type-S is a bit quicker in accelerating.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I enjoyed reading your review too. IMHO, the 4G exterior is a mess. For me, the 3G is much sportier and hotter and stands out on the road. The 4G exterior looks too much like other luxury cars on the road. Push to Start is nice, NavWeather is great, no touch screen-you have to dial and push for the Nav Screen. I didn't like the seats either and I felt like the ride is no big/huge improvement over the 3G. The center console cluster is not organized well. The shoehorn center console armrest is awkward too. But the Hard Disc Drive is nice. Overall, I'll keep my 3G Type S.

HiTechTypeS

That's pretty funny. I live in Naperville and most likely had your loaner about a week and a half ago. Thought the exact same things about it vs my 07 type S while it was in service for the most part. Did you get it loaned out by Continental of Naperville?

Differences: I didn't think it was as fast, thought the steering felt like a minivan (i like having to turn the wheel (BMW power assist/etc) makes it feel more sporty). I like my Type S seats (more side support and lumbar). Speaking of which, if you tilt the headrest 100% forward in a 4th gen and push out lumbar, the seat kind of rocks back and forth while you lie back (very weird). Shitty headlights (especially halogen highs).

Things i love: High res nav screen w/ weather & reverse camera overlay imagery, stereo, wireless keyfob & push start. No gear stalk tiptronic (useless with paddles on type s (much rather have drive and sport mode of transmission instead like 4th gen)).

Overall: Ugly car with a few features i would love to steal.

tonyatkayak

I can voucher about this one. I just returned my 4G loaner and got back my TLS 6MT and the 4G is quite fast for being a boat and automatic because it's smoother but the TL-S manual is just way faster and more aggressive.

wall e

So true!!! Our cars realli do have 95% of all the bells and whistles that the 4G has. The features found on the 07-08 TL models are the new standard for Acura cars. I noticed that all the 2009+ models(TSX, TL, RL, MDX, RDX) have foglights, back-up camera, left and right side mirror blinkers,HID headlights, and all the good stuff u get when u pick navi.

the 07-08 TL has 110% more stuff than the 2009 TSX, the 10% is the LED tail lights.

one thing that the 2009 TL is missing are the front and rear sidemarker lights, which make the TL very unique in the street esp. at night. The 3rd gen TL is like the only luxury car with this feature. No else has it, which makes the TL realli special.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Well I do know that the 6mt is slightly faster than the 5mt I just think guys on this site over exxaggerate it a bit. I mean its what a tenth or two different in the 1/4 mile?
I mean maybe my Type S feels different than the new 09 I guess my point is the difference is so negligible that it really doesnt even matter. They are all still basically 14 second cars regardless.


I agree with everything you said the center console is awkward but I did find that little pull out piece in the middle of the u-shaped section makes a PERFECT spot to set your phone. My iPhone layed in there nicely.




HiTechTypeS,

It probably is the same car and yes the loaner is from Continental. I did have to go through the car and set up all the settings good as other people had everything jacked up lol.
I found the backup cam overlay to be kind of annoying. I know its there to estimate distance but I think I would prefer it not to be there. I like how ours has nothing.

I also know what you mean about pulling the headrest. It was the weirdest thing ever I sat there with the most confused look on my face ever. No clue why it does that.



Wall e,

I agree the front and rear sidemarkers on our 3G's look sooo unique and amazing at night.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Also one other thing, for you guys that are interested tomorrow morning im going to remove and disassemble the interior front and rear LED dome lights from my loaner. I am going to take pictures and also write down any part numbers I can to help with possible retrofitting them into our 3G's. I will also use my multimeter to see if it is standard 12 power going into the lights. If so looks like it might be a simple job with just a matter of mounting them cleanly.
I know some of you guys go the route of simply putting in a white plug and play LED bulb but to me its just not the same. These OEM ones put out a different color temp of light compared to standard white LED's which still appear more blue than anything. Either way I will post any information that I find.

James

kubr1ck

I wish they'd loan out the new 6MT 4G TL. It supposedly drives like an entirely different car altogether from the 5AT. A real beast and the best-performing TL ever built.

Babnik

Dammit how do you guys all get TL loaners? When my TL was in the shop for a few days all they gave me was a CSX.

HiTechTypeS

I got the choice between TL, TSX, MDX, RDX. No RL option

John06

Nice write up... Btw your TLS is super Clean !!

I hate cars

Dynamically, they're totally different cars. Take each one to the limit and the TL-S will show it's superiority easily. Take each to 7/10s and it may be hard to notice. There's no doubt the 3g is geared more toward the sporty arena while the 4g is more of a boat. It still handles well but the numbers don't show just how different the cars are. The 4g is much harder to drive at the limit, it doesn't communicate with the driver as well. In my 3g I'm comfortable going sideways all day long.

I haven't looked at the numbers in a while but I don't believe the AWD version is any quicker in a straight line. Regardless, the extra 500lbs over a 3g is just too much of a compromise.

On the flip side, a 50yr old female co-worker had a legend, 2g TL, 3g TL, and now a 4g TL and she absolutely loves the 4g more than the 3g. I think this was Acura's target. Her 26yr old daughter (also a co-worker) has a 3g which she likes better. Go figure.

acepitch15

Thanks for the write-up I enjoyed reading it and it passed a nice amount of time at work..

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Well I got my 07 TL-S back and even though I enjoyed the interior and all the gadgest of the 09, I am so happy to have my S back. I dont want to offend any 4G owners as it really is a good car, but I kid you not I found myself closing my garage just so neighbors wouldnt see this huge awkward space ship looking thing in my garage. Everytime I walked into the garage I found myself stairing at that damn front grill.

Now that I have driven them back to back I will say the Type S does feel way sportier in regards to steering and handling. The Type S does feel maybe a tad quicker but probably nothing significant. I sure miss the stereo in the 4G thats for sure.

Well it was a fun couple days and if anyone has the oppurtunity go get a loaner for a day or two. For me it made me appreciate my 3G S a lot more!

James