I'm looking to buy a 2004 Acura TL 6-speed. The problem I am having is there aren't many around me (St. Louis, MO).

I figured the 6-speed is rare which is why Acura has played around with getting rid of it and bringing it back, but I can only find two in my area.

One is a 2004 silver 6-speed with 50K and no navigation. Asking $15K- private party

The other is a 2004 silver 6-speed with 50k with navigation, but has a salvage title. Asking $11K. I'm in the process of trying to find out when the salvage happen. -also private party

I generally have a negative feeling about the salvage title, but if I could get it down just under 10K and it was fixed right, I don't see much of a problem.

 

neither ... keep looking for one with a clean title and nav

 

I dig the no-nav version personally. Had a nav loaner that really got on my nerves. I play with the radio a lot and it's kinda hard with all the details crammed in the upper clock housing. Plus you have to always press the OK button when you get in. Not very fun for going to work and back...

I'm sure nav is nice once you get into it...

BTW: The thing to check out for is squeaky front brakes (normal to squeak when backing up), and a difficult 3rd gear to get into (especially when cold). Also have a look at the CV boots cause these are always tearing on Hondas. If they are torn, it's a good bargaining tool for you cause the owner probably wasn't aware of it. I would take off $150 or more for each one that's torn.

The difficult 3rd gear problem can usually be taken care of by swapping to GM Synchromesh FM transmission fluid, but that's another bargaining tool for you.

BTW: A front brake job is quite expensive on these cars. I think OEM Pads are $90 and rotors are $150 each...

 

I'd wait, but I'm kind of in a hurry because this just happened to my Infiniti...





The old women failed to yield. She thought a solid green was just the same as having a green arrow. Thankfully there was a witness that stopped.

Truthfully, navigation isn't a big deal for me and I'd probably prefer not to have it. Around here, in-car navigation systems are prime targets for thieves. I'll already have lots of $$$ in electronics (mostly hidden) like in-car camera equipment, other video cameras, radar detector, CB, and scanners so I don't want to encourage them to get into my car.

The reason I'm not totally against the rebuilt title car is because I will drive it until I run the wheels off or something like above happens. After I do all the wiring for the electronics mentioned above and other projects (I love 12Volt relays!), I don't want to mess with putting it back to stock.

I was also wondering, where is the trunk release button located in the car? Is it lockable?

Also, how much clearance is under the front seat from the front of it?

This website actually convinced me I wanted the TL. I had been looking at the G35 and a couple other cars, but after seeing the nice TLs on this site, I made up my mind.

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the information. I'll check it out. I know my Maxima and I35 had problems with the CV boots as well.

What did you have to press ok for?

 

I am the original owner of an '04 manual TL and an '05 automatic TL. Both have been fine cars and a lot of fun to drive. I have never had any transmission problems of any sort with my '04 manual. When I bought it, 27% of the '04 TL's in the dealer's inventory were manuals. And those moved quickly.

Do try to locate a manual that fits your wants and needs if you can. Good luck.


BTW, you know, it's funny about this. Several years back some people on this site kept trying to tell others that automatics would always carry a higher resale/trade-in value than manuals and I used to argue against this logic. I based my position on the fact that with some cars, this was not the case. And it's true. Now you can find used automatic 4G TL's without difficulty, but manuals are not so easy to locate. This, of course, drives the price up, the basic demand and supply idiom. So while an automatic may still bring more in trade, for private sales I would bet a manual would go for more.

 

First of all welcome to AZ To answer your questions:

1. Trunk release button is located to the left of the steering column and down kinda underneath the dash.

2. Yes, there is a lock button for the trunk release button located in the glove box. That way if you use valet, you give the guy the valet key which cannot open the glove box. You set the lockout for the trunk and lock the glove box. That way if you have things in your trunk, he can't get to them.

3. As far as clearance under the front seat, hmmmm I'd guess about 4 inches. But right under the front of the front seat is a hump. So all the room is behind that and you probably have to go in there from the back of the seat.

Hope this helps.........Good luck finding the car of your dreams.

 

Craigslist. Use it.

 

It's the disclaimer Acura has on the Navi warning about using the Navi can be hazardous. In the earlier versions there is a hack to remove that.

You may also want to look in www.acuratrader.com for TL's.

 

Sorry about your Infiniti, I hope everyone was ok.
As for the 04 TL, I have one in a 6 spd w/o navi. It has been the most trouble free car I have ever owned. A brake job is only expensive if you go to the dealer-DIY and save a ton of $$, it's easy.
The only issues I have are the interior lights going out and I think the leather/vinyl is sub-par. Also, the clear coats on my wheels and front calipers were failing, but I painted them myself and they look better than stock. I had the third gear issue when it was cold out, but GM fluid fixed that problem.Mine has 89,300 miles with the original clutch. Seafoam it, get the fluid changes done and you'll be set.

 

If you're really in a hurry, i'd go with the silver one, that is if you don't care for the navigation. Although i'd suggest getting one with nav, it's great! I just wanted a 6 speed, and i looked for a good 8 or 9 months until i found one in my area. Turns out, it was exactly what i: wanted anthracite metallic, 6 speed, w/ nav and quartz interior.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies and answering my questions.

Craigslist is where I found what appears the only two 04-06 manuals. Autotrader, car.com, ebay- none of them have the 6-speeds. I checked acuratrader, but currently there are none available in my area, but I will keep checking.

I assumed finding a 6-speed would take some effort. I went through something similar when I was looking for my 1997 Maxima 5-speed. It seems as the cars get older they become more affordable to a market that couldn't afford them new such as younger adults.

Doing the brakes shouldn't be too much of a problem for me if they are standard. I've always done the brakes on my own, family, and friends cars. I was always amazed at how much a front brake job cost for what is done.

I can see the 'ok' button on the navigation getting real old, real fast. I actually was never big into navigation and just a month ago I picked up a Nuvi 855 that you can press a button mounted on your steering wheel and talk to it. After about a week, I was pretty much done with it since I know my way around well. With the Nuvi, it would turn off when the car was turned off, and upon startup, you didn't need to press the dummy 'ok' button.

 

Keep looking man, once you find it you'll know it's yours. Don't give up, you'll have so much fun with the 6MT I don't have the NAV and to tell you the truth I don't really miss it. I'm more focused on shifting and running through the gears

Post up any other TL's you find, we'll try to let you know if the price is right Good luck!

 

To find my 6-speed, I spent a weekend in Southern California (from Las Vegas) replying to Autotrader adds. A small 2nd mortgage loan put the cash in my checking account a couple days prior so I was ready to buy. Fortunately the very first actual meeting revealed a very nice condition, proper color, low mileage car for just the right price. After filling out a bill-of-sale, all we had to do was drive to my bank and get a cashiers check. I then dropped the guy off at his Grandma's house and I took the car home to Vegas. Once I registered it (had to wait a week or two for new title in the mail), I simply mailed his plates back to him (your not really supposed to do that but it worked just fine).

A private party out-of-state purchase can be pretty easy if you already have the cash on hand. Otherwise you will be making a couple trips to get all the auto-loan details ironed out. Best part is, Nevada doesn't charge sales tax for private party sales, so it saved me about $8k total over finding the same car localy at a dealer...

 

If you are looking at cars with salvage titles, you'll probably need to pay cash. Most banks will not give a loan for a car that has a salvage title.

Also check with your insurance company before purchasing, many will not insure them beyond liability only either.

 

6mt ftw, those have low miles, I'd jump on the one with no nav. That's what i have, and I love it.

 

I found my 6 speed advertised on the local dealer website

 

when I was looking for a car I saw only auto with navi or 6 speed with no navi. 6 speed and navi isn't very pupular or something and to this day I haven't seen one in person (besides a type s). I chose 6 speed over navi and I am fine with it. If I need to use the navi for something i just GPS stuff on my phone.

 

Wow, I don't know if I'm willing to travel out of state. That is dedication.

Yes, I have about $15000 cash now and was hoping to stay under that. I probably will not get paid for my car for a while until my injuries get better.

And my insurance company will provide full coverage on a salvaged vehicle once the highway patrol inspects it and gives it a rebuilt status, like this one has.

I just figured with the salvaged one, if I plan to run the wheels off, I can't imagine $5000 (the difference for the salvaged) worth of work needed down the road. The only thing I don't like is that it's silver on the gray interior; neither is my favorite, but after looking at some sweet silver TLs on here, I could make it work.

 

price seems kinda high, might be your area though.

 

Search around. Check in a 150 mile radius, if you have to take the bus, buy an airplane ticket to buy a reliable, well maintained, and clear car that it will all worth it in the long run.

GL finding one, hope you do. Also don't forget to check the BM (Black Market) section of the forums, maybe you can buy one from our local AcuraZine members that is already modded! Best of both worlds.

 

I would definately not buy a salvaged car that I dont know who did the work or the quality of the repairs. Its different if you buy it crashed and have it fixed yourself. On top of the fact you may run in to problems down the road with other components failing because of that accident.

If you dont care for navi why not just go check out that silver one and try to offer im a little less. The price they are asking is very reasonably but offer 14 and see what they say.

Otherwise id look out of state as well. Before I found mine and felt it was the right car, right price I looked in the 3 other neighboring states. Taking a 2 or 3 hr drive for the right car one time makes more sense than living with the car that wasnt the right one.

 

It takes a while, after 4 months of looking i found my 04 black 6mt w/nav for $11500. the 6 speed is soo worth it keep looking youll find the car for you

 

Well I called about the non-navi one right away, but it was sold.

So now, apparently the only 6-speed within a couple hundred miles of me is the Navi, salvaged one. I called the owner to see what was up with the car. He said it had rear damage only. The front was untouched. It has been over 10,000 miles and over a year since the car was fixed up. He was kind of hard to understand, but I think he might have been the owner, then it got totaled, then he bought it back and got it fixed up. If that is the case, he should have very good repair records of where it was done and what kind of parts they used as well as accident pictures.

I'll probably go check it out tomorrow just so I can finally drive the 6-speed. Do you think if the story above is true and I check it out to be okay, it would be worth it if I could get it around $9,000?

All the other ones from private parties in my area (automatics of course) are $16,000 up to $19,000 and they have 75-80K+ miles.

I am so in love with the TL though No car seems to come close in that price rang for looks (interior and exterior) and performance.

 

You might want to make sure the chassis isn't damaged from the accident, but for nine grand with only 50k it sounds like a pretty good deal. Go drive it, see what you think

 

If it tracks straight and checks out that is not bad.

Just FYI, I sold my 2004 with 75K on it about 2 months ago for $10,500. Was a silver black non-navi 6 speed with A-spec parts. It did have a few cracks on the dash but other than that the car was mint.

 

DAMN. I would love to find something like that here.

I wish I could hold out longer, but being carless sucks and I feel bad trying to bum a ride off everyone I know to get things done. I feel like I am 14 years old again.

The only thing I am worried about with the TL is the low-end power. Will is stand up to my previous Nissan/Infiniti 3.0 and 3.5L VQ engines?

 

The 6 spd is pretty damn quick and torquey. You will not be disappointed.

 

Dude if you wait u'll be fine i was in the same situation as you i had $15000 to buy a Tl and wanted a 6 speed. i looked for 5 months and i finally just bought one yesterday( 2004 Tl 6 speed with Nav and a spec kit with a spec rims black on black in great condition off the orginal owner for 14,700) if your patient u'll be fine i got anxious too lol just dont by salavge cause if they steal it your not getting a dime from the insurance company no matter what condition it is in. Good Luck

 

Actually, if you find one with Nav and the price is right, get it. The Nav will help you at trade-in or resale time. And it is hooked in to other components in your car, too. Such as the HVAC, the sound system, and your bluetooth to name three.

 

Good luck with your search!

I am looking for a 6-speed TL as well. For me, it has to be 05 or 06 CPO. I found a few in my area, but not the color combination I want.

I am sorry if I sound like I am hijacking, but is TL manual a good beginner car? I have never owned a manual but I have driven it a few times. Does it have a tall clutch?

 

It's pretty easy to drive, but it definitely a little different than most cars. The clutch is not tall nor stiff since it's hydraulic.

The part that takes some getting used to is the way it engages due to a limiting valve in the fluid line. The only time it's REALLY noticeably different is during hard shifts. Nothing to be worried about though. If you can start from a stop on a hill in another car, you will be able to in this one. After that it's all just getting used to action...

 

you can by mine...its for sale... 6 speed, WDP, aspec kit, just search my name, you'll see some pics... i live in mid missouri

 

Thanks EVOLICARUS. Your car looks HOT! Too hot though. I'm already on the cops hit list and if I had a car like that they would be all over me. Probably out of my price range too.

 

I went and test drove the TL that has the rebuilt title. I liked it about as much as I thought I was going to like the TL. The low end seemed to be a little less than I was use to, but I think the top end more than made up for it. I had to shift through those gears fast to avoid hitting the red line. Before I knew it, I was up to 120 on the rural interstate.

The car itself was in good condition. It was in an accident with rear damage, but it was near impossible to tell. The bumper had been replaced, but the rear quarter panel had been fixed without replacement since the VINs matched. Apparently some of the rear suspension was replaced and all Honda parts were used from what I could see. It appears to have been a while, so the 10,000 mile/ 1 year estimate from the owner is probably correct. I would check Carfax though. The paint match up is excellent and not a spray and go like I expected. If you didn't know it was in an accident, you'd probably never be able to tell.

The engine and tranny all sound and felt good. There was no problem getting it into 3rd even on high RPM shifts. Car drove straight with no shaking. Interior was pretty clean and all buttons (a ton of them!) worked as well as the navigation.

I told them I would have to check with my insurance about full coverage because I didn't think they would full cover me although I had already checked and they will. As long as it has the rebuilt title, they insure it like it's any other car. So if I was to buy it, and it was then wrecked/stolen, they would pay me much more than I would have bought it for. I am getting this sent to me in writing.

It also appears the guy is just strapped for cash and looking to get anything he can for it. I'm pretty sure if I waived $9K in front of him, he would bite.

I'm still not sure if I want to take the plunge. I will probably wait until this weekend to make a decision.

 

I would not give him anymore than 9K.

 

I also wanted a 6-spd TL and kinda rushed into it and bought the first one i found. It was a rebuilt title (flood) with only 35k miles and paid 11k for it back in jan of this year.....I was kinda worried about buying a flood car (fresh water) but so far so good.

I now have 41k miles (work close to home) and have not had any issues at all. only problem that i found when i bought it was that the vsa light was on and still have not found out how to get rid of it.

 

Here's a helpful hint for you. Have the seller drive the car with you in it and observe how he operates the clutch and transmission. In order to do this correctly, you must really know how to operate a manual yourself, and I mean not just move it from point A to point B. I can't tell you how many mistakes I have seen people make when driving manuals and they will swear on a bible they know what they're doing.

This will tell you a lot about the condition of things and how it they were treated.