Said fairwell to Maxima.org. Picked up my NHB Saturday. Vin 70xxx Traded in a 2004 Maxima SE, which was not really a bad car. I had a Legend Coupe once....tried to buy a Gen 2 TL twice, but always had trouble getting one when I wanted it (waiting list). Dealers near me now have 30-50 on lot, so they are taking 500 over invoice. They gave me good money for my Max. It was an 04, but was actually 2.5 years old.

Certainly I like the Acura better or I would not have traded. But the Max has a few advantages:

Auto Headlights
Auto tilt/telescoping steering wheel linked to seat controls
More durable leather. Still looked like new.
RDS radio
"Zip" running around town. (Either the Max has more torque, or the accelerator is calibrated differently) The Max is downright "Snarly" from a stop.
Zero Rattles and dash does not fade????

Major Things the Acura has over the Max:
Looks...esp the front end. I hate the Maxima "Tooth" on the grill.
Quality Interior design
Smoother tranny
Blue tooth and DVD-A (althought Im worried about DVD-A surviving)
Firm, but more refined ride.
Less Torque steer.
Less Depreciation.

Couple of you guys already helped me out with floor mats and Bluetooth. Thanks.

Be chatting.

 

Welcome to the Forum as you will find 100's of informative info here and congrats on the new purchase and be sure to post up some pics of your new hot ride!!

 

Congrats on the purchase... You'll love the TL, make sure you post some picture of the new car

 

congrats! any pics?

 

Congrats! And thanks for the insight on your Maxima. We are all comparing to other rides and all manage to find features / characteristics we would like to have (or not have), so it is always nice to have another driver's perspective.

I had considered the Maxima myself, but came to the same conclusions you list. It's all matter of what appeals to you most (and least) in choosing your ride. I still quest for my perfect ride, but while I am searching, the TL sure has me grinning!

 

Congrats, enjoy driving the TL.

 

congrats... and yeah the maxima has more lower end torque...

 

I also have a 2004 Maxima, and I'll be replacing it next year. I LOVE the looks of the TL, and I'm working hard to make myself go that way when I trade, but ...

- I HATE it everytime someone admits the TL has less "oomph" off the line. You are right that the Max has strong pull from a stop, and I absolutely don't want to give that up. In fact, I'd like MORE. LOL. Why oh why doesn't Acura do something about that 3.2 liter engine, when the competiton has a 3.5 and more torque?

- You didn't mention the extra room the Maxima has ... both interior and trunk room. The TL is just tighter inside than the Maxima, and the TL's trunk is definitely smaller. That matters to those of who do road trips.

- Unlike some, I don't care about BT ... it's half-baked at this point anyway, and there are other ways to talk hands-free. Also am not moved by DVD-A.

But I DO like the really practical things like power tilt and telescoping wheel, easily-accessible info readouts (like trip computer, always-on outside temp display, etc.), and all the user-configurable settings the Max has. On the other hand, I agree the TL's interior styling is better.

So, like someone else has already said, it's a matter of which things float your boat. Since mine floats on performance, I'd buy a TL RIGHT NOW TODAY if it had more engine. So come on, Acura - power to the people!

 

Mike_TX,

The 3.2 engine is consistent with Honda's engineering trademark of maximizing HP from as small a displacement as possible in the name of efficiency and fuel economy. Just look at how much HP they ringed out of the RSX-s 2 liter motor! Over 100 hp/liter without force induction. The trade off of course is low torque. Nissan seems to focus more on all out power and torque at the cost of fuel efficiency. Just look at the G35.

The TL is tighter and shorter but it handles better. The trunk was actually shortened a few inches from the last generation TL because it helps the car corner better and gives it more of a "fast back" look. It's not as functional but pays dividends when you hustle the car.

dsc888

 

Congrats!,

With respect to DVDA's doesn't look promising with respect to new releases. But the upside is you can burn 99 full CD quality songs to a DVDA and have nearly 600 songs in your player with better sound quality than MP3's. Check out the Audio, Bluetooth, Electronics & Navigation section. Good Luck.

Dumont

 

Thanks, dsc ... I know they purposely trade off torque for hp at Honda, but to remain competitive, I still believe they'll have to increase the displacement of the TL's engine. Especially given the "honesty in horsepower" ratings recently introduced.

The whole impetus of the sport sedan market these days is towards performance, and it is torque that snaps your neck and propels you forward when you hit the gas. As long as they keep trying to squeeze extra horsepwer out of smaller engines, torque is going to suffer, and a small increase to even 3.5 liters would make a dramatic difference in performance. And without a penalty in economy at that. My A/T Maxima returns 23mpg in-town and 28-30 hwy., and that seems to be consistent with what the TL currently gets.

As I've said in previous threads, I fully expect Acura to increase the displacement in the next-gen TL. If they don't, look for TL sales to drop, because Maximas are going to have 280-300hp and G-35's already do!

 

I did not know you can do that. I have DVD burner and would like to know how, and what tools to use. Will check out the other forums,
Thanks.

 

Once you get used to the rev range on the TL it gets up and goes just fine !!

 

Welcome to the forums!

 

Congrats, you made a great choice.

 

I use Ulead Burn Now a relatively cheap (50 bucks) easy to use program, others are using a bit more expensive program called Discwelder (comes in several flavors being the cheapest I believe Bronze at around 100 dollars) yet others using freeware (2-3 programs used to get the same result) which best I suppose if you are the pacient type. Again suggest you try out the B/E/N sub forum.

Dumont

 

Since gas price is so high right now...the Maxima will guzzle more gas than our TL and at the same time our 1/4mile is better than the Maxima. My friend has one and I raced him 5 times for fun from a stop. We both have AT and both 2004 models. I say after around 60-70miles my TL pulled away slowly from him. All five times I beat him 3 out of the 5 and we tied the other 2 times. But don't forget I have an additional 100lbs in my trunk with my Car Audio equipment. So torque isn't everything and what comes down to is the FINAL PRODUCT (Our TL is Faster)!!

 

Well, we won't go there, since the professional testers at the car mags generally had them at about the same 0-60 and quarter-mile speeds (although the 2004 Maxima test car the mags originally got in late 2003 had a faulty drive-by-wire throttle controller, which lost it some tenths. See Car & Driver's report for that tidbit). Technique is all-important in drag racing, and "I beat my buddy" doesn't tell us anything meaningful. Torque actually IS everything, all other things being equal (just ask any "real" drag racer).

And as I've already noted, the Maxima isn't going to "guzzle" gas more than the TL. There again, both have almost idenical gas mileage.

Hey, they're both excellent cars - just shaped differently and with different approaches to trim and styling. Anyone who insists one is significantly better than the other one is just playing on brand loyalty and ego. If I didn't think the TL is a worthy car, I wouldn't be considering one myself, but I still love my Maxima.