I took my 6MT TL on a remote highway today and I must say I was disappointed with the performance at high speeds. I understand it gets exponentially more difficult to increase speed at close to 200 km/hr but I found my old 2001 Jetta 1.8T was more responsive in that range. I wrestled with 4th, 5th, and 6th gear but nothing really satisfied me. The response was so poor I didn't have enough open highway to go faster than 215 km/hr. I'm not a psycho speed demon but I wanted to take the opportunity to test the max speed while on a quiet highway (I also just bought a radar detector). This little bit of experimentation is also why I probably ran so low on gas so quickly (read my other recent post about getting stuck and needing to fill up with 87 octance gas)

 

The response of a 1.8 VW HAHAHAAHAA. I guess you got one with a civic engine! They only export those to Canada

 

I need help...i cant do the dam conversion! Anyway...there is no way in hell the 1.8 VW can even come close to a 156 MPH TL. I have no idea of what they will do but drove one before I got into the professional job market and it was fun...but no TL. Did it have a wing on it...maybe thats it!

 

damn that sux,i went like 125mph and it was still pullin and i have the 5AT but weather could be playing against you.What was the temp and humidity?was you in 5th and not 6th?5 gear should be your top speed gear.

 

Maybe he's talking about an Autothority 1.8T because a stock one has NOTHING on a TL. But, 87 octane wont do much for topend on a high CR TL.

 

Conversion from km/h to mph

215 X .62 = 133.3mph

 

Nothing I can do but just laugh at this post . Keep in mind, the TL speed feels smooth not jerky like your VW did. Maybe that can explain a little?

 

Don't sneer at 133 MPH. For comparison, the current Mercedes E500 has a 5.0 litre, 302 HP V8 but it's electronically limited to 130 MPH because of the cheapo H-rated tires that come on the North American version.

 

I have to agree with boltjames, who railed in another thread about those who buy the car to race when it's meant to be a sporty luxury car to haul your family in....

No flame intended to you, Yauser. You really need a second car exclusively for sport, say a Porsche 911 or similar. I never intend to take my TL that fast....

 

I can offer two possible explanations:

1) the driver sit a little higher, so it feels slow
2) the car is so quiet, so it feel slow

 

maybe the 1.8T just feels like it pulls harder in higher RPM's because it's not pulling hard at all in the low rpm's. the 1.8T is a turbocharged engine and the boost kicks in hard at the end instead of hte beginning. if you look at a dyno for a turbo car the peak hp is at the end of the rev band. so since the 1.8T is going dog slow at low rpms, when the turbo kicks in there is such a difference that it feels as if it were pulling really strong.

 

U know what , even the 350z~ it is also so difficult to increase speed after 210KM/H~

and how many chances can u drive over 200km/h??? This is not German,

don't kill others, and don't kill urself...

 

That's not only a valid point it's the key one here. The TL wasn't designed to perform well at 133 mph. Acura's engineers weren't interested in the performance specs at that speed and neither are 99.9% of the people who own one.

 

What's the stock top speed of an 04 TL??

 

>>What's the stock top speed of an 04 TL??

I think its 152 or 156 MPH. Something like that.

I also think its a matter of perception. Even on backroads sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm accelerating that fast but then I look at the speedo and I'm going 70MPH in a 25 zone.
The car is just too damn quiet.

 

a ghost~

 

In my experience, the TL pulls strong to redline in 4th gear, about 122 MPH. I haven't had it beyond that point.

Once you get into triple digits, wind resistance becomes the biggest problem, other than safety and law enforcement.

 

As previously stated I've taken the car t over 145. No vice in handling or stability are noted at those lofty speeds. The car pulls like a demon to about 125-130 and then its a slow proggresion upwards. The VW 1.8T has run out of wind at around 100 mph. It does sound like an animal in pain getting there though!

 

There is a noticeable decrease in response on hot days, especially if you do not turn off the A/C. The factory CAI is pulling air in very near to the hot road surface and I guess Alberta does not have a lot of shade on the plains. Also, the car seems much faster now at 8K miles than at 1K for example. Edmonton's altitude will not help you in the HP area either, though I agree with other posters that the quiteness of the car is deceiving.

 

HAHA. I even turned off my headlights and the stereo (more of mental thing and so I could hear the engine). The speed difference is not a perception thing. Looking at a speedometer is no different if you're in a Fiat or a Ferrari. By the way, what is the top speed on the speedometer in the US? In Canada it's only 240 km/hr.

 

I took mine up to 135 once, I was still in 4 gear. Remember you can't reach top speed in 6th you must stay in 5th. 6th is a true overdrive. By the way that was fast enough for me.

 

CAR AND DRIVER PUT IT AT 151 MPH.

 

I took my 5AT to 145 1 time (may I stress only once) and that was still in 4th gear! 5th in At and 6th in MT are pure gas mileage gears. In my opinion the 5AT actually starts loosing some steam at bout 110, but it still felt strong at 145 and oh so smooth! Albeit my Benz was older (97 c class), to get the smoothness of 145/TL in the benz, you would have to stay at around 100. Benz's are known for smoothness, that says something right there. Manual says Tl is electronically limited to 152MPH.

 

NOT TO SOUND CRAZY BUT I HAVE TAKEN MY 5SPD AUTO TO 150MPH RACING A 5.9L RT DAKOTA AND I DID'NT EVEN REALIZE THAT I WAS GOING THAT FAST UNTIL I LOOKED DOWN AT THE SPEEDOMETER AND I THINK IT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THE INJEN COLD AIR INTAKE SYSTEM THAT I INSTALLED AND THE MODIFICATION THAT I DID TO THE INDUCTION SYSTEM IN THE FRONT BUMPER WERE THE STOCK INTAKE WOULD TAKE IN COLD AIR.-----------------I MADE IT LARGER-------------------


04' TL SSM/QTS 15% TINT
INJEN COLD AIR INTAKE
2 12" JL W3V2 W/ 500/1 JL AMP

 

I felt the car rocketed up to 125mph. I haven't pushed it beyond that. Very happy with performance, just wish I could have a better feeling of getting up to 125mph. Very uneventful because of the low torque rating.

 

HEY MAN I TOOK A LOOK AT THE PICS, THAT WOODGRAIN AROUND THE CLIMATE AND RADIO CONTROLS LOOKS PRETTY NICE WITH THE PARCHMENT INT. DID YOU GET THAT FROM YOUR LOCAL DEALERSHIPS PARTS DEPT?


04' TL SSM/QTS
INJEN COLD AIR
2 12' JL W3V2 W/500/1 JL AMP