chkelly

I just test drove a base TL and WOW, all i can say. Incredible. And i expect to have one in my driveway in the next 3 weeks. So my question to you all..

1) I have seen anthracite and it looks great, its masculine and fits me well. I would get it with a black interior. Only problem is, I feel it is the most popular color and I have seen a ton of them around.

2) The darkhorse is ABP (blue), and i havent seen ONE of them on the road, but many in pictures online. I would get this with quartz interior... navy blue happens to be my fav color so I have to think this over, but havent seen it in person

What are the pro's and cons of these options for those who have seen both up close and personal. I cant wait to have this car


EDIT: meant to say ABP, thanks

cM3go

NBP (Nighthawk black pearl) is black actually.... if you want Navy Blue, you're talking about ABP (Abyss Blue Pearl)

All 3 colors are nice...

I got an Antracite cause its a very nice color, I wanted NBP, but I cringed at the thought of seeing swirl marks later down the road

Tuetatesu

I love the Anthracite and actually I was more insterested with the Abyss Blue, but the dealer I worked with said they don't make Abyss blue anymore. May have been talking about the 04's. Still... I choose the Anthracite and really think it looks nice. Perhaps even better then the Abyss Blue. The blue is a tough color to up keep almost like black. Anthracite is a little more forgiving and does not seem to look dirty as quick.

As for seeing them on the road, I don't see to many TL's here and out of the ones I do see I have not seen another Anthracite. If there are many in your area you can jazz it up a bit with some wheels or the body kit.

Good luck with your buy,

jrecufan

Here's my honest opinion - and I don't intend to piss off any of the ABP owners, but I like the Anthracite because it is a very classy, luxury-like color. Both the red and blue colors strike me as a little more lighthearted and not appropriate for a car like the TL (again, please no flames, just a personal preference here). Lastly, I would worry about the resale value for the blue.

But the bottom line is, it's a personal preference. Ulitimately, if you like it, that's all that matters. I will say that I think the blue will stand out a little more than the Anthracite - more of an eye-catcher.

cM3go

here in IL, I have seen maybe 1-2 Anthracites, 1-2 WDP, 3-4 ABP, 10 NBP

1hottl

Perhaps that is where all the NBPs are because in the Northern Virginia area every TL I see is either Silver or Anthracite. Rarely do I see a black I think only 1 or 2 times in my entire 6.5 months of ownership. Actually, I like it that way!

sparkz

I was also deciding between Anthracite and NBP but finally ended up getting NBP with quartz instead. Black is just a classic color that can't really ever go out of style. The downside, get ready for swirls and high maintenance for the exterior.

SouthernBoy

You can see where I live and it's at the fringe of Northern Virginia (Ok, some will say that western Prince William County is actually part of Norther Virginia). I see mostly black TL's with perhaps white a second, then followed by anthracite.

sleeks

I have anthracite and my neighbor has ABP. Both are very nice. Good luck with whatever you choose.

GunnmeTaLCURA04

AM










_____________________________________
"I'm Gansta Nigga!!!"
DC.

svtmike

Go with what you like. I've got ABP, and one of the first comments people always make when they see the car is what an incredibly cool shade of blue it is (from both men and women). During the day the metallic flakes really catch the sun and at night it looks like the deepest midnight blue you can imagine. A very nice color. I don't believe it's any less maintenance than black, though.

Mike

Hawhyen51

I thought about the NBP when I was shopping and my experience with a dark exterior was a factor. I spent more time cleaning it. One thing about NBP, when it's clean it's reflection charactersitic is a thing of beauty. The AM and the SSM doesn't show the dust and grime as much as the NBP. So I ended up getting the AM and I don't have any regrets. Easy to maintain and it has a certain aura to it. Whatever you decide, the TL is still a beautiful piece of machinery. Good luck!

qali

I was also considering these 2 choices... I personally think NBP looks the best (even tho i have an Antracite), but, I know myself and I know I'm too lazy to maintain a black car.

The reason I went with Anthracite instead of the Blue Abyss is because at certain angles, I think the Blue looks purple... I didn't like that.... and also, I wanted a dark interior... THe Abyss doesn't come in Ebony... I have a couple of friends that have Audis and MBs with the light interior (similar to the Quartz) and after a few years, it looks really bad (easily gets dirty, cracking is really noticeable, hard to get really clean once it is dirty). Also, the part that looks really bad is the lower part of the driver's side door (from shoe/skid marks from shoes)... gets marked up alot from entering and exiting....

Stewie

I was in this same quandry.
I had friends vote and Anthracite won.
Plus my previous car was black as is my other car, so I wanted something different this time.
So I went with Anthracite and I'm happy even though it seems to be the most popular color.
One unexpected side bonus is that it looks clean all the time as opposed to black whick ALWAYS looks dirty unless you keep it washed & waxed all the time.

JetJock

I've had 3 TL's, 2 were NBP, and now my 04 is Anthracite. I can tell you from personal experience that NBP is the most stunning, shiny, and classy color that Acura offers, but also the most difficult to keep looking good. All my cars were garaged, and after I drove the NBP car's, I would dust the finish with a California duster, and no matter how much care I took, I ended up with countless swirl marks in the finish that were quite noticable in bright sun. It's a beautifull color, but just too difficult to keep nice. The color demands work, and even one day outside will cover it with dust and it starts to look like it needs washing. Now, with the Anthracite, I hardly ever dust the car after driving, and it always looks great. Personally, I think Anthracite looks quite nice with the "lines" and styling of the 04TL, it has a masculine, hi-tech,"Germanic" look to it that IMHO suits the car well. Go with your heart and don't concern yourself over what other people are driving...it's your car..get what you want!

SouthernBoy

Hey JetJock;

I like to refer to certain refinements in cars as "understated elegence" or "subtle elegence". Ever notice how some cars just look flat great in some colors and not so hot in others? The TL looks great in several.. the black being one of the best. But the anthracite does have an understatedly elegant look about it. A very nice dark grey for this car. And it tends to change hues under differing light which is rather neat.

I am quite pleased with the anthracite metallic and haven't regretted my decision once.