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I have owned my 6 speed 2005 TL since driving it off the lot brand new about 14 years ago from around now (and have been on this forum ever since). To this very day, I have yet to tire of this car. While there is no perfect car and sure it has a few quirks, Acura clearly won with this model. Design, performance, practicality, class, overall reliability and all around fun (with the 6 speed especially ) has made this car an absolute joy to own. How they managed to combine all these qualities into one is nothing short of impressive.
I am aware I may be a bit biased, but there is something special about this model that Acura/Honda has yet to replicate.
Just felt the need to share some thoughts, have a great weekend everyone!
I have personally test driven many new cars on my free time, and I agree, they totally dropped the ball on the newer cars. They just don't wow anymore. The 3G TL was the last real head turner. And it's super reliable to top it off.
My mom owns an Acura TLX, and I have to say that while her car is nice and all, I prefer driving my Acura TL type S. Sure, the bluetooth HFL no longer works and there are a few issues here and there (we discovered a small rust spot on the passanger door recently we are treating as I type this), but I still love this car.
OP I agree that Acura missed the ball by 1. dropping the TL nameplate and 2. not making the 2015 TLX, the All-New 2009 TL
Acura just has to get the Redesign perfect like the 2004-08 TL. People are flying across county to buy 11 to 13 year old TL cars. lol
I tried to love the 4G, even had an SHAWDDY ADVANCE but I would always feel jelly seeing a 3G on the road. smh
Acura just has to get the Redesign perfect like the 2004-08 TL. People are flying across county to buy 11 to 13 year old TL cars. lol
Too funny, just before I bought my 2006 TL in Connecticut back in May (I live in New Hampshire), I was trying to buy one out in the San Francisco area, and yes, I would have flown to California and driven back.
Agreed, the car looks good, yes, but for me the driving position is just right in the TL. The seat fit, the steering position and where the pedals are is just perfect for me.
I've not really looked at any new cars, but I did go through the mental exercise of "what would I replace it with" and honestly I can't come up with anything that I'm willing to spend the money on and that I think I will enjoy for 9 years as I have enjoyed the TL. Plus, other than the HFL and the car not starting as a result of it, it's been very reliable (knock on wood).
I'm fortunate that my DL is either in a garage or a parking deck, so the paint looks fine, headlamps look completely clear and black plastic trim is still fairly close to original color. at 79k miles, I hope I will have it for another 9 years.
So maybe I'm just being stupid or something, but after nearly six months of driving my TL, I find myself thinking to initiate a background task in my brain to shop for a low mileage 2007-2008 Type-S 6MT, and then to put it on ice until my current TL is too far round the bend to keep running.
I figure I can get an easy ten to fifteen years out of my current TL, and that will put me into my early to mid 70s; a second TL should last me the rest of my driving life.
So maybe I'm just being stupid or something, but after nearly six months of driving my TL, I find myself thinking to initiate a background task in my brain to shop for a low mileage 2007-2008 Type-S 6MT, and then to put it on ice until my current TL is too far round the bend to keep running.
I figure I can get an easy ten to fifteen years out of my current TL, and that will put me into my early to mid 70s; a second TL should last me the rest of my driving life.
If you like it that much, I'd say go for it. On paper, the Type-S doesn't seem all that much better really. 20ish more HP, some cool trim here and there and stiffer suspension. And bigger brakes - although those same brakes are already on the non-Type-S manuals like the one you have. However, when I actually drove one I found it to be very significant. Excellent combination of reliability, performance and aesthetics. I'd shop around and test drive one if I were you. Assuming you can find one. Needless to say, they aren't common. They're almost turning into a collectors item and demanding a lot higher price than similar cars with the same specs.
Personally, I like the newer technology and gadgets that come with newer cars - although not enough to buy brand new. The 4G TL for example, has a some significant internal, mechanical and technology upgrades from the 3G (despite the fact that the 3G looks better IMO ). The next car I get will likely be some sort of performance hybrid like the RLX sport hybrid or possibly the MDX hybrid if I stick with Acura. New tech is great once the kinks are worked out.
Only other daily driver that currently tickles my fancy is the Q50 Red Sport with AWD and 400hp. But it's automatic and $50k+ so I'll stick with my TL.
If you like it that much, I'd say go for it. On paper, the Type-S doesn't seem all that much better really. 20ish more HP, some cool trim here and there and stiffer suspension. And bigger brakes - although those same brakes are already on the non-Type-S manuals like the one you have. However, when I actually drove one I found it to be very significant. Excellent combination of reliability, performance and aesthetics. I'd shop around and test drive one if I were you. Assuming you can find one. Needless to say, they aren't common. They're almost turning into a collectors item and demanding a lot higher price than similar cars with the same specs.
Personally, I like the newer technology and gadgets that come with newer cars - although not enough to buy brand new. The 4G TL for example, has a some significant internal, mechanical and technology upgrades from the 3G (despite the fact that the 3G looks better IMO ). The next car I get will likely be some sort of performance hybrid like the RLX sport hybrid or possibly the MDX hybrid if I stick with Acura. New tech is great once the kinks are worked out.
The only "newer tech" per-se which my car (and the Type-S as well) doesn't have which I really want is auto-sensing wipers so I'm good with slightly older tech.
FWIW, my wife's Mazda3 is pretty full-tilt "new tech" and I really don't like driving it because the central multi-function screen is just that, multi-function. Said another way, I can see Audio functions, Nav, Trip Computer, Set-Up/Config, ..., but only one thing at a time. I like the fully integrated newer cars so little I actually take my suction cup mounted Garmin along on trips when we use her car.
FWIW, my wife's Mazda3 is pretty full-tilt "new tech" and I really don't like driving it because the central multi-function screen is just that, multi-function. Said another way, I can see Audio functions, Nav, Trip Computer, Set-Up/Config, ..., but only one thing at a time. I like the fully integrated newer cars so little I actually take my suction cup mounted Garmin along on trips when we use her car.
I know what you mean. The 4G is still nearly all "analog". Buttons, knobs, stuff like that. Even the nav went back to a knob. No touchscreen whatsoever. One of the things I didn't like about the TLX, as well as my parents '17 Accord, is that darn multi-function screen where everything from AC to radio stations. Unfortunately, buttons, knobs and other manual controls seem to be disappearing from most modern cars.
People are flying across county to buy 11 to 13 year old TL cars. lol
*raises hand*
I'm a Type S owner and I have a problem. It really is crazy. I just bought mine in April. I didn't have to fly across the country, but I did fly from TN to FL. I had been looking for months for a 6MT in a specific color combination nationwide and I was willing to even settle for an AT as that color combo was really hard to find. I saw one pop up on Autotrader and I didn't even negotiate the asking price. Called up and immediately put down a non-refundable deposit. Booked a one way trip down to FL and picked it up. Fun times.
Idk, a lot of the newer cars just dont do it for me in that price range + $10K. Plus, that body style still holds up very well IMO
Last edited by sweeT n Lo; Oct 31, 2017 at 05:04 PM.
I'm a Type S owner and I have a problem. It really is crazy. I just bought mine in April. I didn't have to fly across the country, but I did fly from TN to FL. I had been looking for months for a 6MT in a specific color combination nationwide and I was willing to even settle for an AT as that color combo was really hard to find. I saw one pop up on Autotrader and I didn't even negotiate the asking price. Called up and immediately put down a non-refundable deposit. Booked a one way trip down to FL and picked it up. Fun times.
Idk, a lot of the newer cars just dont do it for me in that price range + $10K. Plus, that body style still holds up very well IMO
Actually, it was WDP with the ebony interior. As of late, I have really been like the MRP color. That was even a consideration during my initial search. Go figure lol
I know what you mean. The 4G is still nearly all "analog". Buttons, knobs, stuff like that. Even the nav went back to a knob. No touchscreen whatsoever. One of the things I didn't like about the TLX, as well as my parents '17 Accord, is that darn multi-function screen where everything from AC to radio stations. Unfortunately, buttons, knobs and other manual controls seem to be disappearing from most modern cars.
totally agree. To top it off, the integrated system is so laggy, even in higher end cars.
i like reading threads like this. i've probably owned around 25-30 cars, and about 10 of them were various colored TLs, auto, manual, type s, base, etc. I probably have owned every single color, except MRP. It's kinda weird... or maybe I just get tired of one vehicle too quickly, but everytime I get rid of the TL and think I've found something more suitable for me (single, no kids, no pets, heavy foot), I miss it and end up back in one all over again! i always end up having to mod the car from scratch too!
the only car that i would consider replacing the TL permanently for, is perhaps the newer TLX a-spec or IS350 f-sport.... buuuut, i can't justify the means to buy a brand new car since i get tired of cars all the time. these TLs are pretty classic though, very timeless styling. comfortable, quick, and reliable. if you're ever concerned about in cabin tech, i'd just say buy an aftermarket stereo to replace our ancient tapeplayer and you'll be golden! or integrate an ipad or tablet into the console haha. i might tackle that one day...
I actually bought my TL in a hurry and when I bought it I fully intended this car to be a stepping stone to a "better" car. Nearly 3 years later and more than a year after paying it off I simply cannot find that "better" car.
I got out of a sports car and into the TL, so I assumed I would get another sports car ASAP, I can't live without one. But I ended up buying another bmw and a drift car so the TL is just the perfect daily and my daily no longer needs to be sporty, so there is no reason to get rid of it. I have tried actually, but the other family sedans fall short. Someday if the 2013 5 series cars come down a little more I will probbly get into that.
Tech in newer cars is a goddamn catastrophe, and it's never not been a catastrophe. As a result, the TL has almost exactly as much tech as I'd like in a car.
Cars that immediately followed the 3G TL are inevitably tethered to some proprietary nonsense from the 2000s, like 30-pin iPod interfaces or Microsoft PlaysForSure (Jesus). I was in one car with Windows Vista infotainment branding... let that one sink in. That particular car refused to charge my phone, because the mere presence of audio files on the phone would make the infotainment system desperately try to sync music as its one and only priority (Which the phone, not being from 2009, wasn't implicitly going to allow).
Cars from the 2010s, meanwhile, have some sort of disease that causes the HVAC and entertainment controls to be tangled up in a touchscreen maze, each one unique and more frustrating than the last.
The cost savings of sourcing a cheap resistive touchscreen over a set of buttons and dials must be pretty significant, because automakers have been doubling down despite taking fire from all directions: Customers, auto journalists, consumer advocates, and the insurance industry have all spoken out about this. The systems are terribly designed, and they lead to distracted drivers. No sooner than you get someone to stop staring at their phone on the road, they're staring at one of these stupid screens trying to turn the radio volume down.
I dread renting cars because of the infotainment systems. For example, I rented a 2017 Mazda 3 for this summer's eclipse. The first time I drove the car at night, the infotainment screen was blindingly bright. I could have been blinded by an accidental gaze at the partially eclipsed sun, but instead this stupid Mazda was trying to burn my retinas out. There was no obvious way to turn the brightness down, so I was forced to pull over and spend several minutes navigating menus to find that setting, just so I could see at night again. Brilliant.
Last edited by Superunknown; Nov 2, 2017 at 07:23 PM.
SO TRUE! I am actually really glad my TL is non nav. It really doesn't have much tech, but for me it is perfect. I really appreciate having the MID, that is a step above many other cars of the same era. I actually hate the BMW idrive system in our 2011 328i. You have to turn that stupid dial so much and it is very dangerous and distracting as your focus must be on the screen while controlling it.
I looked into getting a 4G. If you don't have a TL then yeah it makes sense. But if you already own a 3G there isn't really any benefit to spending more money to get into a newer version of the same thing. Only thing I saw was awd, but I don't have issues with my 3G. Coming from a rwd open diff car it is like heavan in the snow.
I looked into getting a 4G. If you don't have a TL then yeah it makes sense. But if you already own a 3G there isn't really any benefit to spending more money to get into a newer version of the same thing. Only thing I saw was awd, but I don't have issues with my 3G. Coming from a rwd open diff car it is like heavan in the snow.
Agreed. If I was to win the lottery tomorrow and go out and buy say a 340i (with a manual transmission as God intended), even though I live in "Snow Hampshire" (or Cow Hampshire, or New Hamster, take your pick), I would still opt for a RWD 3-Series over an xDrive version.
At the time I bought my TL-S I have option to buy a 4g TL SH-AWD but I went with the TL-S instead. Tech wise is not that bad for a 14 years old car, I mean its not like you upgrade from a 92 Accord/ integra to a 2006 TL.
Agreed. If I was to win the lottery tomorrow and go out and buy say a 340i (with a manual transmission as God intended), even though I live in "Snow Hampshire" (or Cow Hampshire, or New Hamster, take your pick), I would still opt for a RWD 3-Series over an xDrive version.
me too, maximum power to the rear wheels, and no understeer from awd. Audi has perfected it with their 60/40 power transfer.
A couple weeks ago on the interstate I came up behind a sweet black 3G just before my exit. First thing I noticed was the perfect offset of what looked to be Forgestar F14s in a medium grey. Then I noticed it was an '04-06 with the '07-'08 base tails. Next I noticed what appeared to be XLR8 exhaust poking out of the bumper. It was only then I realized it was my old TL. I later texted my nephew (he bought it) and complimented my ability to nail the offsets so well when I ordered those Forgestars almost six years ago. I did feel a pang of sadness and remorse, but the M240i is just incredible in every regard except steering feel. One thing I don't miss about the TL is the high speed handling. Still hope it stays in the family for quite awhile longer.
I may have only owned my 3G TL for a relatively short time but I adore this car. I had a 2G TL before it that I was also fond of. I agree with many of the things people have said here; overall this car has aged so well.
This summer I made the trip from Chicago to Marysville, Ohio to attend the Midwest Eibach Honda meet and wouldn't you know it, right across the street from the venue was the place where it all started: the Honda Marysville assembly facility where all 3G TL's were built.
There isn't a single thing I dislike about this car. From the amount of tech to the fuel economy, looks or performance. It's still on par (or better, imo) than the best the brand has to offer today.
I have been thinking about selling my base with a lot of Kms and buying a type s with less. Of course it will vost a few grand but way less than replacing my current one and it may be a good time to look for one. Later may be too late?
) has made this car an absolute joy to own. How they managed to combine all these qualities into one is nothing short of impressive.
I wiped out in my 6MT 2006 three years ago, otherwise I'd still have it with no desire to "upgrade".
). The next car I get will likely be some sort of performance hybrid like the RLX sport hybrid or possibly the MDX hybrid if I stick with Acura. New tech is great once the kinks are worked out.
