MIWolverine06

Hi all,

I just found this forum, and the timing couldn't be any better. I am looking to purchase a 2005/2006 TL Navi within the week. This will be my first Acura, so I'm looking for pointers on what to buy.

Most of the inventory at the local dealers has mileage between 40-45k with prices between 26-28k. All are CPO, so I will only get another year or so of bumper to bumper warranty out of them...unless I extend it.

Is the mileage too high? Should I extend the warranty? I will probably have to finance it over 4 years, so I don't want payments and expensive repairs. This will just be a daily driver with occasional trips into the mountains for a fun drive. I would expect the car to be very solid and last for many years.

Anything else I should watch out for? Thanks for your help!

KJSmitty

You looking at auto or stick?

40-45K miles is OK for an 2005 but is high in my book for an 2006.. But this is coming from a guy who has 34K on his 2004... :-) 15-17K per year is a good average for most areas.

Besides the typical rattles here and there, paint mismatch between body and bumpers etc.,,, I would pay close attention to the feel of the transmission. The auto trans appears to be having issues with "shuddering" between gears - mainly going into 3, 4, or 5th. This can occur at any speed yet typically under light acceleration. Check/test drive for that - as well as checking for a transmission service within the records etc..

The 6 speed manual has had issues with jumping out of gear and/or not wanting to go into gear... Mainly with 3rd. Many have fixed this trait by switching trans fluid - others have had transmissions rebuilt under warranty etc.. Clutches tend to be abused/wear out fast as well.
-Also if six speed, check the brakes/Brembo's... If worn and/or squeeling quite a bit, get the dealer to replace them for you as part of the deal. Otherwise it could run you as high as $500.. (The brake pads on the auto trans TL are much less to replace etc..)

Bottom line, besides the little items to include wear and tear, the trans issues are what would concern me most when thinking about expensive "non-warranty" repairs down the road. This may influence you towards an extended warranty

Other than that, perform your typical due diligence when looking over the car and history. Just because its CPO or certified doesn't mean the dealer wont leave you hanging with a lemon/crash victumn.....

Good luck!!

MIWolverine06

Sorry about that...should have been a little more specific.

All of the cars I've looked at are auto (must have for the commutes in Atlanta traffic).

Also, the 40-45k mileage cars are the 2005's. I would go for the lower mileage 2006, but the payments are a little higher than I want.

Wouldn't the tranny problems be covered under the extended powertrain warranty? Good advice on pulling the service history on the car...I'll be sure to do that to see what major work has been done.

saw1

I just had my 2007 TL-S in for service today at Jackson Acura. Not sure what part of town you live in, but they are very good and I would recommend them. They had plenty of 2005/2006 TL's as you mentioned.

This is my first TL, but I had a TSX before it. You could get a new TSX for the price of a used TL. Less power and smaller, but still a very nice package.

Good luck.

Go Blue!!

acura tl 06

if u worry about the payments go for the 05ss but stay away from 04ss for 05s look around u can find relly good price on them like 22-25 low miles

MIWolverine06

Yeah...I was at Jackson Acura over my lunch break looking at the two cars they have with Navi. Prices seem high given the mileage, so I'm trying to figure out what a reasonable selling price should be. Thanks for the recommendation on Jackson, and Go Blue back 2 you!!

tftimm

I was looking at the same until I found out you could get a brand new 08 TSX for the same price. The car is 3 years newer and will arguably hold its value better than the TL.
If you can sacrific the space and power for a nice new car, it might not be a bad option.

fish008

First. Go Blue.

Second. What mountains are you going to occationally drive to living in Michigan?

Integra

watch out for the early 05's. 04-05 TL's have transmission recall. if the extended warranty isnt pricey go for it just in case. also, depending on where your from. you might be able to get a brand new 07 tl no navi for around 30,000 otd. with the added navi it would prolly be around 32 otd.

KJSmitty

Only the initial 14000 or so 2004 TL's required an oil jet mod to the trans.. Not really a recall rather a Mx campaign etc..

It cracks me up when folks say stay away from the 04's etc.. Heck, many of the 07's have more issues than many 04's. The few "bad stories" are present on all years, as are rattles, paint mismatch, trans issues, and the rest of the "usual" issues found with any year/manufacturer.

Crap, I'm a picky SOB and my 04 WDP has required one trip to the dealer, and that was to replace a seat cover. If you really think about it, If one finds a nice looking 04 most likely it will have most of the bugs worked out of it.

One must just test drive and research thoroughly any car they are considering buying. It doesn't matter what year or make, their are good ones and bad ones.

I agree however, if one is looking at a used TL for $26-27K, I would definitely consider the extra $60 a month and get a new TL for $30K.. But then again, everyone has a budget...

ncinirator

Hi, I'm a newbie too, I have a subscription to DMV.org, a knock off of carfax, so send me the vin and I'll send you what ever has been reported on the car you want to buy.

fish008

I have an 04 and it has been great so far (36K miles)...make the dealer fix the TSBs (bluetooth and bump stops) and everything is fine with the 04. Buy the MT and get nav, tough find but worth it.

My question for you KJSmitty is how did you get the dealer to fix the seat cover? Is there a TSB or is it good will? My drivers seat is starting to develop dark lines that look like the leather is cracking or is going to and I don’t like that and it looks terrible. I have heard of people having the leather replaced before but never asked how they got that done. I have also heard that the leather on the replacement seat cover doesn’t match at all. How does your replaced seat cover look? Was it just the bottom cushion or the whole seat? Any thoughts on making it sure it matches?

MIWolverine06

Thanks again for all of the feedback. I've moved to Atlanta within the last year, and still don't know the good and bad dealers in Atlanta. I decided to take some of your advice and get quotes from dealers that might want to empty their 2007 TL inventory (it's getting towards the end of the month).

Also, I had assumed that I would buy a 2005 or later Corvette for my next car, but my needs have changed. I now require "fun...with a backseat" in order to put a carseat in (at some point over the next year). I drove many things (330i, IS350, Altima 3.5 2dr Coupe), but the TL seems to be the best overall package. Now I find an entire community around the TL (never knew it had that big a following), and it's made my day.

I'll keep you posted on what I find.

Kostyan

I'd say certification program is a BS, noone really needs that if buying a low mileage car that will still have two yrs on factory powerttrain wtty. Find a non-certified one and save 2-3 grand off of the purchase price

godizus

Don't forget to check Carmax...they can ship inventory from other cities for a small price...I am in Atlanta and bought my car from them. There were only 2 6MTs for sale in the Atlanta area at the time and neither had the navi...Carmax had one in Florida that had the navi, less miles and was cheaper even after paying to ship it here. They're worth checking at least.

06 Acura TL

fish u try hard enough with the dealer they will do it. they did it on my 04 and my 06

KJSmitty

-Sorry for the semi thread hijack Wolverine,

Fish, My drivers seat issue was differ nt than most. To this day I have yet to get/have any lasting butt prints etc., but the left bottom bolster area is showing the darker cracks that you describe - only that area (parchment)...

My problem was the seat back. It developed a "melted" looking area right in the small of my back. Dealer and I thought the seat heater malfunctioned but they found nothing to indicate that during the repair. Dealer initially tried to blame it on "me" / my belt/clothing yet after showing the seat to the regional rep immediately said they would replace it under warranty.

The new seat "cover only", matched perfectly. The only thing I was minorly disappointed in was the leather was/is not as smooth/tight as the original. Nothing hideous and the dealer said it would smooth out from heat over time, but I knew that was BS.. It's been about a 1.5 yrs since the replacement and all is well.

Good luck with your seat Fish and good luck with your search/purchase Wolverine

eaglegreen48

Widen your search to include Ebay, Auto Trader, Carmax. If you find a car you like that's far away and you really are interested, you might use a car inspection service like SGS Automotive or Carchex.

MIWolverine06

Found a Blue 2005 TL Navi with 6 speed and gray interior w/out wood trim (exactly what I would want). Has 30k miles, and asking $27000 (non-negotiable). Any issues with the manual tranny that I should be aware of when I test drive it? Is this a reasonable price??

Brandon Hayes

i recomend going private party and running a carfax to make sure its clean, then warranty it through a 3rd party. Thats what i did. I just picked up a 2005 AT NAVI with 52,000 miles. Came out the door under $21,000. If you be patient you'll find a deal like that, you also have to know what kind of person you are buying it from as well, but you can save your self alot of money if budget is your biggest constraint as it was for me

eaglegreen48

Non negotiable? I would walk IMO. In sept I paid 23.5K for a 2005 DGP 5AT/no navi w/32K miles

godizus

The only consistent issue with the 6MT tranny is the difficulty getting it into 3rd under hard acceleration, this is solve by changing tranny fluid - GM synchromesh or Royal Purple seem to be the most popular