Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory

I agree with what I hate cars said about the price & I have yet to lose a trafic light sprint to a TypeS. But the bottom line tp me is the car is very good for what i bought it for & the TypeS had no nice to have or must have features to make me consider it.



Also, the thing you need to understand is for a lot of us the TL is a second, third, or fourth car so its not a "what you can afford" issue.



Personally, I think the two tone seats are very Mickey Mouse & the oversized round exhaust tips remind me of the baloney sliced dual kits a lot of people here have on their pickups. IMHO the base TL has a much cleaner look to it, your mileage may vary.



When I bought the '08 Expedition, with an invoice price about $11,000 over a Type S, I went up a model line to the Limited series because the Eddie Bauer version had two tone seats.

As for performance a TypeS/5AT is no big challenge to my TL/6MT in a sprint. That being said I expect a TypeS/6MT would be a more interesting competition but they are pretty much non-existent around here even though we have TL & TL-S's up the wazoo.

Originally Posted by jeowen

but thanks for posting your whole garage just to show us that you can afford the extra cash. As for the interior design comment, being an older, respectable man at 66 I can see how the sport concept of the styling passed you by on this one.

Originally Posted by TeknoKing

I hate threads like this, they always elope into inflated opinions.

My reasons for choosing the Type-S....

I simply wanted a fully loaded TL,

I like:

-the exterior aggressive aesthetics

-the red lit interior

-the 2 tone interior

-the Type-S steering wheel

-the nice 3.5 engine with an aggressive RL tranny

-paddle shifters (used them twice, lol)

-EDIT (forgot the Brembo braking system, excellent braking power)

I dislike two things:

-stock rims

-car eats tooo much gas.

Another reason why I went with the Type-S, I do not want to mod, at least not performance wise or styling…..just maybe a drop and new rims.

Originally Posted by S PAW 1

Here we go again with the swingin' dicks .
TL vs. TL-S, 5 AT vs. 6MT
One driver thinking he's just the best, and everyone else is a wanna be

We buy cars for either what fits our wallets, or our personalities. Either reason, and there are probably other reasons, is valid.

Both the TL and the TL-S are fabulous machines. The TL fits the mainstream that buys reliability, class, and technology. The TL-S fits those that are more perfomance oriented.

The OP asked "how big is the difference?"
The difference is what you want or need in a car. For some, the difference is huge, for others, it is not. It's not a competition, it's a family

'07 TL-S 5AT CBP/Taupe
Michelin Pilot A/S's
K&N CAI
P2R throttle body/spacers
Braille 15lb A/S battery
Progress 24mm RSB
Graduate Acura Advanced High Performance Driving School (MidOhio)

Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory

Not particularly you in this case, but there is just to much implied "you don't have the "S" model its because you can't afford it" in these comparo threads.

Some people can't seem to understand that many people just prefer the understated look of the base TL. The 6spd puts all the sport I need in the TL.

BTW: Not the whole garage, the '34 Ford 3 window coupe & the bike aren't posted. As for the interior the last two tone seats I had were in a 1957 Ford convertible back in '59. Never liked them & had the interior redone, but that just me.

Originally Posted by jeowen

well, it is obvious..that those who did not purchase the TYPE S still are trying to convince themselves that they dont want/need it. Speaking from exp, I bought an 07 NBP first, without ever even driving the S...I was so happy with the base, and for 7 months reassured myself that the S wasnt that much better... then I came to my senses, called the dealership and walked away with an 08 NBP TYPE-S. The difference really crazy, especially the aggressive sound at high RPM's and the way the S drives it so much more...athletic. I went home this weekend, first time I could take the boys out in the car...they flipped out. So fast for a sedan, such a deep growl and huggin 25 mph corners at 70.. (paddle shifters are a blast), i felt like i could have started charging for lap times. The differences are truly seen when u push the thing a little bit, or alot for that matter.. Look, its a personal preference, I could just echo all the tech specs that separate the two, but that has already been done so many times...just enjoy what u got, or go get an TYPE-S

Originally Posted by anx1300c

I don't see where I hate cars implied the S was any less reliable than the base model, I think he simply feels the S is a little more "boy racerish". I kind of agree, what with the wheels and two-tone seating surfaces. It'd be nice if Acura was a little more versatile with their options and would allow the engine and suspension upgrade without the other stuff.

Originally Posted by frenchbiker

Your explaination reinforced my initial perception that the TL-S is, like someone already said, more "boy racerish" than the other and that's about it. The difference is certainly not as radical as it is between a 3 series Beemer and an M3. Personally, I could give two sh*ts about aggressive sound and athletic driving. That's why the Acura TL comes in 2 versions. Both are great and I don't think one is better than the other. Enjoy what you have, I sure enjoy mine. No need to be convinced of anything retrospectiveley.

By the way, I have 2 bikes when I need an adrenalin surge. My car is strictly for comfortable commute and travel and it does a very good job at it.

Take care,

Originally Posted by jeowen

well said, and i respect your view. Now mine on the "boy racerish", a 40K Acura TL TYPE S is not to be considered in the likes of a Honda Civic, some little miata, chevy cavalier ( oh but wait..the Z24 right!! lol) ...and the list of boy racers goes on, we're talking about ACURA here- it deserves a little more respect dont ya think

Originally Posted by uasound

Wow, I didn't know so many people are interested in this topic

Thanks for your feedback! Although I didn't specify it, I was reffering to TL-S Auto.

I guess trade in is a very costly option? I have about 6,000 miles on it ... What would be the difference between my trade in and new TL-S?

Thanks!