PowerSergNY

Whats going on everyone... I bought my 08 WDP in Oct 2012 and I love the car, I done a lot of things to it, simple stuff. I really want a Type-S or Newer TL.. I'm just confused, if I should keep mine or get the one I really want? any feed back will be great. I have 99K miles on mine. Is there a really big diff between the 2? Base & Type-S? I know HP wise and lil details. Also Kind of like the 4th gens as well. IDK.....
T.I.A.

ej1serge

If you're not happy with it then sell it.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Everyone's opinion will be different, but I personally think the difference is worth it. I went from a base 07 to Type S and do not regret it for a second. The differences will be even more if your coming from an older 04-06. Power wise it's not a huge difference, but what would be expected from the relatively minor bump in power.
The 4G looks have grown on some people, but it's still a completely different body style and you either love it or hate it. Besides the looks though, the interior, technology, and handling is VERY good on the 4G.

CapNcook

Well like you said. "I really want a Type-S or Newer TL.. I'm just confused, if I should keep mine or get the one I really want?" You answered your question, get the one you "really want"

bla8291

If given the choice between a Type-S and a 4G TL, I'd get the Type-S. The 4G SH-AWD and the Special Edition versions are tempting, but I can't get over that bulky look. Also, the Type-S design still has a long way to go before its design starts to look old.

erdoc48

The real question is this: your car is just broken in, and unless it's really worn out, after the 105K service is done, it should be good to go for a very long time. If you're looking to get a Type-S (or other car) and don't mind paying a few grand to get one (assuming you can get a decent value for your current car), go get one.

It all depends on your finances, and is the expense worth it to YOU?

I like looking at new cars and see myself doing it all the time, but then reality sets in, and I realize that what I have does probably 98+ percent of what I need or want a car to do, and considering it's already paid off and has been for years (and for the limited driving I do these days, roughly 7000 miles per year), the cost of payments for a newer, 'better' car just isn't worth it.

One other thing...you know your car since you owned it for about a year and a half. Once you get into a new to you but used car, you assume some risk that the prior owner didn't take care of the car or thrashed it (since it's assumed to be more of a performance car). I'd say get something newer if it had decently low miles such that you're essentially getting a 'new' car compared to what you have. If the mileages on the cars (your car and the replacement) are nearly the same, I probably wouldn't do it. Plus, if it's a higher mileage Type-S you're still looking at the potentially expensive 105K service.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

it really depends on you and your finances.
are you comfortable taking a hit?

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Go drive a Type-S and 4G SHAWD and decide. Personally, I would get the 4G SHAWD with 6MT. The 3G body style is great and all but IMHO it's starting to get dated.

MarcoNorthPolo

I would definitely get a Type-S over the base you have, if your situation can handle it. A newer 4G would be more expensive, but most likely lower mileage and better condition.

PowerSergNY

thanks to all...... when I bought the car, I got raped on my interest, lol.... so I will refinance to see if I can drop the payment or just take a hit and put the $2K down on a diff car.. Def staying with a TL. Guess I really need to test drive both. I will only get the Type-S or SH-AWD 3.7 if I do upgraded.... just wanted to see where ppl stand with their choices that you guys made... thanks again

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

ouch!
tough situation.

how long do you have left on your current loan?
if you can get into a different car for the same or lower monthly payment for not much longer than your current loan, I would jump in a heart beat.

fuck high interest loans.
also, the asian in me is telling me to refinance it and pay it off.

tough situation

PowerSergNY

Thanks JustnSpace, that's the only reason why.... If Im paying a shit load might as well be worth every penny, lol. Don't get me wrong love these cars and this website... great ppl on here and great DIY vids and threads.
I found a couple of WDP 09-12 TL 3.7 ( Big Asses and they grew on me. but then again I love my 08 body style........grrrrrr.... lol

erdoc48

Here's what I see from your comment above:
-you're in payments on the 08 TL at high interest. The balance is important as that will determine how much equity you have in the car now. If you don't have a lot of equity (on a car with 99K miles), selling it may be a wash (meaning you don't get much for your car and probably just enough to satisfy the loan if the numbers work out this way). Then you potentially get into a more expensive car, putting you even further in debt (even if the interest rate is reasonable). You have to work the numbers to see if it's worth it.
-if you owe more than the car is worth, then if you sell (say, to a dealership), then you really lose because the negative equity gets rolled over into the next car loan, increasing the price of the replacement car and your payments may be equal or higher, and for a new loan life, say 4-5 years from now. No matter what, the existing loan needs to be satisfied.
-if you can't refinance (I'm not sure how straightforward it is to refinance a car loan, plus I'm sure there's costs like application/ origination fees and the like involved with that), the best thing to do is pay down your principal (just like a mortgage). Even an extra $50-100 per month extra principal really knocks down the total interest paid and you don't have to pay extra fees for this (although you would need to make sure early loan repayment in your state isn't associated with any early repayment fees- most states allow early repayment w/o the fees).

Based on what you indicated, I would pay the car off as soon as possible, forget getting a newer car, and use your TL until you're truly ready (financially) to handle getting a newer or more expensive car.

Fatboy1185

iTrader: (1)

If you're bored with the base TL, you'll quickly bore of the Type-S. Upgrade to a newer platform if you are looking to spend money.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Dont think its a matter of being bored, its a financial matter.

AcuraIntegTL

I was in the same dilemma a few weeks ago, and had been for a couple of months. I had a ’08 Base TL WDP, which I spent a lot of time to learn about, work on, and spent a good amount of money to mod. As you are aware, with the TL you hit a wall regarding mods, at a certain point you either stop or go big, in my opinion. Got me asking myself, what is my ultimate goal with the 3G? Turns out I wanted a few things, such as, more HP, RWD or AWD, maybe MT, and other minor improvements.

Now, how to fulfill that list of wants? With the 3G I could use aftermarket parts to get it close on my HP goal, but ultimately it wasn’t worth it to me. Next inquiry, are there any cars currently in the market or will be soon, that satisfy a majority, if not all, the features I am looking for in a car? Few choices came to mind, WRX Premium (Sti was out of reach $$), InfinitiG37s, Lexus IS350, hold out for new gen WRX or TL. I test drove the WRX, which had the AWD, but lacked the HP I was looking for and the interior was blah compared to the 3G. As for the Infiniti and Lexus, those fell short based on price point compared to the 4G TL. Can’t beat the standard features that come with an Acura.

In the end I asked myself these questions.

1) Can I afford to make the switch from 3G to another car, and if so, is it worth it? Yes, it was within my financial capabilities, and was worth it to me.

2) Does a car exist that meets a majority, if not all, of my wants and needs? Yes, there are.

3) Am I really getting more from the new vehicle, compared to what I have now with the 3G? Yes, I got more HP, AWD, updated features, and also got rid of some dislikes I had with the 3G, such as, door always closing on me when I try to get out.

4) Will I be happy? Yes, and I still am. No buyer’s remorse here. I think that’s a very important aspect of this scenario, will you be happy with your decision?

Good Luck with whatever direction you choose to take!

Btw, I did consider the 3G Type-S, but didn’t make sense to me since it’s close to what I already had, and didn’t complete the list I had created for my wants.

PowerSergNY

thanks AcuraIntegTL , sounds like you summed it up...its funny that you also went from an 08' WDP to SH-AWD. I tried to look at other cars but really love the TL's. So when the time is right, I will do my home work, stop putting money into my 08 and get a 4th gen. thanks again and how do you compare the 2? I didn't get to test drive it yet.

PowerSergNY

and BTW..... that's funny you said that about the door always closing..... lol, it always closes on my wife.....haha!

bla8291

The door issue was weird to me at first, but I've come to like it. I use it to my advantage.

PowerSergNY

lol ^^^ automatic doors.... BMW and Benz don't have anything on that. haha

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Don't go 4G-wait until the 5G comes out in May/June 2014.

MandoTL

OP
I'm somewhat in a similar situation.

I am thinking of selling my 05 TL and upgrade to a Type-S model and hold onto it for a few years then possibly upgrade to a 5G around MMC.

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

how much are we talking about? it really depends on your financial situation and how much you really want the typeS

triax37

iTrader: (1)

For those that dislike the "self-closing door" feature, there is a $40 fix for that which doesn't require a new car...

erdoc48

^^ I would have a great interest in this- is there a DIY somewhere for this?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^its as simple as the pictures indicate

erdoc48

I looked it up on an Accord forum- it does look s easy as removing the inside door panel and just swapping out the door checker. I think I'm going to do this.

Thanks for the info/ part numbers.

PowerSergNY

Hey Steven, I will not be able to afford the 5th gen now. im looking in the 23-26K range, saw a couple of 2010-2011 in that price range with decent miles on them. Will start the process this summer...thanks again to all.

ct_ua6

I must say though, since buying my 3rd gen I have absolutely fallen in love with the 4g, someone on here has a crazy 4g setup

bla8291

I'll admit that it's grown on me. Not all the way though... some days I look at it, and I think it looks beautiful, but on other days, I don't like it at all. But I'm referring to the refreshed version (2012 and later). The 2009-2011 models had that hideous beak - no one could pay me to get that car for myself.

bla8291

I would make an exception for this specific 4G though...it looks really sexy.

erdoc48

Not to thread drift (too much), but I swapped out the 2 front door stays as above. $42 shipped from Bell Honda and 20 minutes for both doors. It does make a difference in keeping the door open and from bashing you in the leg. It's a quick and cheap mod and worth every cent.

bla8291

I've been bashed in the leg enough times to learn to push that shit all the way out to keep it open. Otherwise, I let it close for me.

erdoc48

Edit of above post: If you're swapping these out, there's a need to take the inner door panel off the metal door, but no need to detach it from the electrical harness or door release cable- those can stay in place with the door inner panel hanging on as you only need access to the inside of the door for about 3 minutes per side (to loosen the 2 nuts holding the stays in place).

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

I love black cars, but this still looks ridiculously ungainly and bloated. I guess I've finally accepted that after five and a half years, the 4G will never look good to me. I didn't like the F30 BMW right away either, but after about a year I warmed up to it.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

glad it was as easy as this!!
good job sir!

bla8291

I agree with you. This one just has an appeal that I've never seen before in a 4G. It's still bloated to me, and I can't get over that rear end.