dcarlinf1

I think the TL will have AWD eventually. Hopefully in about 3 years when I am ready to buy again.

harddrivin1le

The platfrom was never intended for AWD....

Where would they put the center diff, drive shaft and rear diff? :think:

Skeedatl

I'll trade my 98 RL in on one. I like the styling in and out...and finally a REAL reason for in-dash NAVI...real time traffic maps.

William_B

Nice looking vehicle.

DopeTL04

:bowdown: And the RL comes with Michelin Pilots!!! Not the Shitstones!! :bigun2:

harddrivin1le

It really is. It's got the hardware, too, and is arguably a real bargain - relatively speaking.

Alas, I'm not willing to spend ~ $50 large on a car.

tizo

the new RL is definitely improved from the old "box" exterior and classic interior that made $50,000 real hard to swallow... but i think i`ll let the new design and performance sink in for a couple of years before i bite into that kind on investment, it`s bound to improve even more... for $15,000 more than the TL, wouldn`t you expect more out of the RL???... i don`t see any reason for arguement... do we need to explain why the TL is better than the TSX??? for now i`ll enjoy my 04`TL... it`s never shown me anything to complain about and definitely held it`s own in the car market... and the Sequential Sportshift has shown me little to no torque steer and extremely smooth shifts... hey, it is a LUXURY Sport, not a Ferrari... that`s why i own a seperate sports vehicle...

harddrivin1le

The TL is NOT "better" than the TSX from an overall handling point of view.

"sequential sport shift?" Is that what Acura is calling their Honda Accord auto tranny fitted with a different shifter?

The automatic TL lacks the limited slip diff, which is largely responsible for increasing torque steer. On the other hand, the limited slip diff is of great benefit in the snow, etc. Plus, the automatic TL has smaller anti-roll bars and brakes that are inferior to the 6 speed version.

tizo

and the TSX isn`t Luxury either...

harddrivin1le

By what definition?

It's a very luxurious car by most standards.

And a REAL "sequential" gearbox is essentially a computer controlled, MANUAL tranny (using a clutch and NO torque converter, etc).

The BMW M3 offers such a transmission as an option. Your TL doesn't have a tranny like that.

tizo

compare it to your $50,000 RL and make an assessment...

harddrivin1le

The fact of the matter is that the TSX is LESS EXPENSIVE than the TL and still offers SUPERIOR handling.

The other fact of the matter is that your TL doesn't have a REAL sequential gearbox.

The new BMW M3 offers an OPTIONAL sequential gearbox. Read about it and get back to me.

tizo

would you be at all insinuating that the TL is a BAD investment for a $30,000 Acura??? or just trying to justify that you get a much better vehicle for $50,000??? because if that is where you`re going... i don`t think anyone`s argued yet...

tizo

okay how bout you fork over the M3 money and i`ll drive it... it`s all about what i was getting for $35,000... if the M3 was $35,000 and had better than a 2 year warranty (yes, i did shop around), then i would be on the BMW website defending their cars...

silverbishop

A FWD car is almost trivial to be transformed into an AWD either by having a system that will be engaged whenever it is needed (like G35) or even a permanent one. The palcement of the engine is not important when you design an AWD system (eg. see Jaguar X-Type that is based on the FWD Ford Monteo). It seems possible that a system like SH-AWD will eventually migrate into the TL frame. It is a question of timing and how willing Acura is to hurt RL sales over TL. But in a couple of years, TL will certainly need a sales boost, and RL will have its own audience (maybe a V8), so it seems possible of having a "special" edition TL in a few years.

harddrivin1le

Get under your TL and then tell me there the center differential, rear driveshaft and rear differential will be placed.

The new Ford Mondeo (now Europe only) and the sister Jag were designed from the ground up with AWD in mind. Ditto for the various AUDI cars. The TL/Accord wasn't.

tizo

my main buying point was the safety rating... #1 with 2 front air bags, 2 side air bags, and 4 curtain air bags... my fiance was just nearly killed by an Expedition hitting my Integra... with now having had removed a Kidney, Spleen, 55% of a Pancreas, and a rod in her leg, that was my concerns... so before you scream performance and down a vehicle why don`t you read through the whole vehicle guide...

harddrivin1le

What makes you think that she'd have faired any better in a TL?

Air bags are only so good...Nothing short of a full safety cage (think NASCAR) matters much in severe collisions.

All passenger cars are garbage in terms of providing REAL safety because they're comprised mainly of thin sheet metal.

tizo

have you ever seen an Integra after an Expedition rams it head on at 80mph??? i think i`d take my chances in the TL over an M3... but like i said, not downing any other cars, just want whats best for my money and my interests... fair enough???

harddrivin1le

Severe injuries will result in ANY passenger car that is hit by an EXPEDITION traveling @ 80 MPH - air bags or not.

silverbishop

If you think that this is a problem, then you do not worth spending my time on explaining. But on the other hand since this is an open forum to all the levels of intelligence, let me explain in simple words ONCE...when you design a NEW car, the substitution of a FLOOR is not big of a deal. It is the smallest of the R&D investments (is not even R&D at this point, we all know how to design such cars). What you really care about, is on the type of the engine (rotation of it and placement) (plus of course some other issues, that is not a point of discussion on this forum).
If you still insist that I should go under my TL and look, then I would suggest that you should wait to grow up before participating in a grown ups forum.

silverbishop

Agree about the VAG cars, but not about the new Mondeo/X-Type.

harddrivin1le

You won't see an AWD version of the current TL platform any more than you'll see an AWD version of the current RSX or TSX platforms.

Perhaps the NEXT GENERATION TL will be designed to accommodate AWD. This one wasn't.

If you want an AWD Acura Sedan in the near future, you'll have to pony up ~ $50K for the new RL.

tizo

guess i forgot to mention that the passenger and back seat passenger walked away from my totalled car with nothing but bruises... so somehow you think that safety ratings mean nothing... hahah... i really feel sorry for your first serious accident... i don`t know anyone that would try so deeply to argue a point to where they would put out nonsense allegations...
...and it was 80mph combined speed...

harddrivin1le

Safety ratings mean the MOST at the speeds at which they're obtained. That's generally 35 MPH and less. A doubling of vehicle speed produces 4 times the crash energy. We're talking toast @ ~ 60 MPH in ANY passenger car.

tizo

mspence3

Someone got a ticket and went to school.

harddrivin1le

The DELTA speed is what matters.

Her level of injury would have been significant in ANY passenger car - airbags or not.

silverbishop

RSX and TSX do not have the power to justify an AWD system. TL is a different case, since it is a big bet for Acura (as is Accord/TSX in Europe) (together with RL, but that is a different story, since on the > $50K level, Acura knows that is not a big player). Just wait a couple of years and you will see :smokin:

SilverBulletCLS

:rocketwho

tizo

my integra was a 90, there were no airbags... had there been to slow her forward thrust, the seatbelt would not have severed her Pancreas and her leg would not have hit the steering wheel...

harddrivin1le

Again, the EXISTING TL/ACCORD platform was never designed to accommodate AWD.

The new RL suggests that AWD will be limited to that model (for sedans/coupes) for the foreseeable future. AWD will be the major differentiating marketing factor that will justify Acura's flagship model.

harddrivin1le

None of that sh*t makes THAT much of a difference at elevated speeds.

A vehicle hitting an object @ 60 MPH must absorb 4 times as much energy as the same vehicle traveling @ 30 MPH.

All of the safety features you discuss essentially become moot at anything over ~ 60 MPH.

tizo

significant maybe, but safety is the difference between fatal injuries and serious injuries... as you can assume from her condition, she doesn`t have a second chance...

harddrivin1le

It's speculative.

Physics isn't.

E = 1/2 M V^2

Velocity is a 2nd order determinent of impact energy. All of the saefty devices you discuss are become essentially useless at elevated speeds.

Most crash testing is performed @ 35 MPH and less....That is NOTHING compared to 80 MPH.

tizo

both cars were traveling at 40mph... so what your saying is that a Hyundai Accent is going to fare the same as a TL... okay, now think about this one before you write...

silverbishop

It is not as simple as saying that (Energy Released) = 0.5*m*V*V; there are other parameters that you have to take into account. Crash test give an indication of how the car will behave in a potential crash. And do not forget that the tests are contacted at 35MPH, but against a solid object. That is similar as a crash in larger speed involving two (not necessarily similar) cars (as for the effects to the passengers (dear old momentum)).

TLGator

I think this thread is hilarious. My thanks to you, harddrivin1le, for proving to be a constant force in the face of Internet change - you are willing to argue any point at any time, contrary to a fault.

I have no idea what you look like, but in my mind you're fat, greasy, and lonely - very much like Comic Book Man from the Simpsons. That is how I choose to picture you and always will. You're great, man. I love ya.

To those of you who get upset at mr. harddrivin's perpetually trolling of this forum, I have only one question - If you find him so annoying, why do you respond to his posts? Trolls go where the action is. If you really want him to leave, just ignore him completely.

For me the entertainment is priceless. You could say the sky is blue and he'll say, "Prove it is blue," or he'll say, "It is only blue if you define the spectrum of color that way," or he'll say, "You're wrong. At night the sky is, in fact, not blue." When he's right he gloats arrogantly, when he's wrong he twists the argument into semantic nonsense, and when he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about, which is most of the time as far as I can tell, he either makes stuff up or demands you prove your point. Great tactics. Classic stuff.

I mean, come on people, look at what he's doing in this thread. He has come here and begun praising a car that isn't even on the market yet! Why? TO RUFFLE THE FEATHERS OF THOSE WHO LIKE THE TL, which he hates and is most certainly envious of! It's hilarious! You folks keep falling right into his trap!

Pass the popcorn and keep this going! Please, harddrivin1le, don't ever leave. To get this much inane drama and childish comedy I'd have to start watching reruns of Friends.

harddrivin1le

I don't recall saying that.

What I'm saying is that low speed safety devices (like airbags) become largely ineffective at elevated speeds due to basic physics.

Don't believe me?

Drive a new TL into a parked car @ 80 MPH and let me know how you make out. :lol2:

mspence3

Tizo, trust me, just walk away. This guy will argue on and on and on.

This thread was nothing but trolling bait from the start. At the very least it is off topic.