I have a 04 TL with 208k. I'm going to upgrade to either a 2010 TL or 2010 ES330 from a dealership next month. My car is in excellent condition except for the transmission making noise. My two options are to fix the tranny (cheap one $1500) and sell the car on Craigslist for as much as I can get ($5500 to 7.5K) or bite the bullet and try to get 4k towards a trade-in. What do you guys think I should do?

 

I think you should slap on a new engine and tranny and keep the car if you haven't gotten tired of it . I hear 4th Gen TL aren't as good as people think. In the other hand I'm still waiting for reviews once the 2015 TLX is out lol. If you're still looking to get a new car i definitely would do the trade in and save me the headache.

 

That's a lot of miles, and despite it being in decent shape, might be a tough sell as a private sale. This is one case where I might advise biting the bullet and doing the trade in- this way, you avoid the cost of the replacement tranny (assuming the current one works normally and just makes noise) and once the car is in the hands of the dealership, it's their problem to re-sell. In truth, a car with that high miles will probably go to a wholesaler/ auction house.

 

Trade it in and be done with it. Regardless of the love hate styling if the 4G it's got a great interior and the SH-AWD version drives excellent. I'm not a fan of the 09-11 looks as I much prefer the updated looks of the 2012+, but that's all personal preference. Since your in the price range of a 2010 TL, also consider the new Accords. They are in that same price range and are nice cars.

 

You have a 3rd option- try selling the car NOW on Craigs list now and see if you can fetch 5500- you'll want to ask $6000 first and then always have the option to start reducing price. You'll have an entire month to see how this option plays out.

You will at least know the retail market for a car like yours. If you sell the car early and for more $, the worst you'll need to do is rent a car or possibly buy that next car sooner- not a huge deal really.

 

List it

 

Trade in and be done with it.

 

the 4G TL SH-AWD is an excellent car if you dont mind its looks. I personally dont mind and would like a 4G 6MT.

 

trade it in while its still running. They will probably only give you about 3K for it though

 

It all depends on how much you like your TL and how big your wallet is for a new car.

 

Go to a reputable shop and have them order a rebuilt transmission from TRANSTAR! It cost $1500 for a 100% rebuilt beauty. Its who the dealer uses; however, they usually charge at minimum $2300(price markup). Forget the middle man! I do trannies for around $2k here in Dallas. Go test drive a new one for a few days from a dealer. Get used to it and see what you think. I have a 2014 TL right now. Had it for a week, love the power, love the interior, speakers suck.. but I don't care for the exterior features a whole lot. Maybe with an A-spec, wheels and drop. Its all up to you man. Upgrade and pay $$$ for years monthly or pay around 2K and be done for now. If you can afford it and want a change then go for it!

http://www.transtar1.com/

 

keep the t.l.

 

trade it in and save you time and money