zeusallmighty

hi all--

Been enjoying the passion of TL owners on this forum for past month... i don't own an acura at this time... currently driving an A4 but lease is up soon and am very intrigued by the acura line (specifically the TL and upcoming RL)... a few questions:

1) I am a fan of manual transmissions; i've heard the TSX shifter is absolutely phenomenal; does the TL have a similar gearbox?

2) what of all this talk of "torque steer" that i read about in car magazines? does it diminish the driving experience of the TL?

3) how about the Bose-DVD surround audio system... receives universal praise in all reviews i've read... what do the owners think? is this the same system that will be present in the '05 RL (incidentally, another one of the acuras i'm interested in, but sadly, no manual...)

thanks for the feedback

PoochaKannInc

1. The 6MT is precise and easy to love. The clutch you have to get used to, but it is a superb gearbox even with my limited experience.
2. It has 270 hp and FWD. You will experience torque steer or at least sense some LSD machinations at work when you are hard on the throttle during a turn or coming straight out. Not a problem just something I got used to. It's the nature of the beast. You can search under "torque steer" and it has been discussed numerous times.
3. The TL has a Panasonic system, and the RL has the Bose DVD-A system. I don't think many people can offer comparisons of the two, since not many (if any) of us have listened to the RL system. Just basing on my TL though, the sound is crisp and clean, with no distortions. The system lacks the "bass" you normally find in aftermarket systems, but this system prioritizes being "true" to the sound. If you do a search on "DVD-A" or "audio", "Elliot Scheiner" you will get a LOT of threads discussing this issue.

I'll try and find some myself.

Some threads I found:
Torque Steer
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...t=torque+steer
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...t=torque+steer
Sound System
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...ighlight=dvd-a
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...ighlight=dvd-a
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...ighlight=dvd-a

Vanwall

I have a manual 6 speed and I agree with the post above. The clutch is a little different. I have been driving manual trans cars for 40+ years. I took me 2 days to get used to the clutch.

My biggest problem with the car is the OEM tires. The infamous EL42 tires. If I had it to do over I would pay the extra for the performance summer tires and buy a winter tire/wheel combo.

My advice is to drive one and not just around the block, drive different roads / speeds. Try accelerating hard on a bumpy road, etc. Experience the torque steer and see if it is a deal breaker for you.