Hello all,
This is my first post on this forum. My wife and I just purchased a new 2007 carbon bronze metallic Acura TL Type S 5at this last saturday. I have been very impressed with it so far, and have always loved Honda and Acura automobiles.

We also have a BMW 330ci, and a Chevrolet Avalanche. Prior to the Acura, my wife preferred to drive the BMW to work, but its dependability really left something to be desired - something always wrong with it. I know that there are always horror stories about any brand of car, but do you guys feel that the TL-S is a solid dependable car?

Consumer Reports rates the TL ahead of the G35 and the IS350 for dependability, owner satisfaction, and retained value. It is one of the highest rated cars they have ever tested, and this was part of my buying decision. We drove the G35 and the IS350, but ended up just liking the TL-S the best. The interior on the G35 just did not seem as nice, and the IS350 may as well be a coupe - the back seat is almost non existant if I slide the drivers seat back to a comfortable reach for the pedals.

I have really became weary of tow trucks, and having to wait for the BMW to be repaired so often. The TL-S really seems to be a quality automobile, but only having it for just five days is not enough time to evaluate its longevity and long term quality.

Thanks for your replies,
Lee

 

At the end of the day, the Acura TL-S is still a Honda...a faster, nicer Honda, but still a Honda. What that means, then, is that you are getting a very reliable car. There will always be the individual exceptions, but I can tell you my wife and I have owned 6 Hondas or Acuras over the last 13 years and each one has been incredibly reliable and a pleasure to own.

Congrats on your purchase!

 

We all have our complaints about things like interior build quality, fitment, and rattles. But at the end of the day, those don't really matter much compared to the overall reliability and quality of the car. I've got rattles, but I also happen to think that the things that really matter (engine, transmission, suspension, handling) are all pretty much perfect. And knowing that this Honda product will go for hundreds of thousands of miles without anything important breaking down feels good. I've got 10k miles on my '06 TL. Apart from the occasional rattle and scratched window tint, everything has worked flawlessly, absolutely no problems, and I'll continue to expect everything to work flawlessly for a long time to come. (I test drove a lot of German cars before deciding on the TL, and the poor reliability record of German cars compared to Japanese cars is one of the reasons I went with the TL.)

 

A couple of weeks ago, I realized that every car in my family is a honda product. I don't know how that happened!

I've got a 06 TL, the car is great. No squeaks, no rattles at all, and I drive with the radio off every once in awhile to check. It has plenty of power for me, handles well, and gets very good gas mileage for a car with that much power, 19 city and I've gotten 32 on the hiway.

Dave

 

All 4 of my cars were honda autos with 3 of those four being Acuras and never had an real big issues with any. Honda/Acura are real great cars and very dependable and reliable.

 

Congrat on your new car. Acura is very well known company built to last and that is why my wife and I are die hard acura fan. My wife is driving 07 tl-s and I am driving 01 cl-s and the only problem we have so far is wear and tear. The only major that have with my 01 cls is the transmission, but it is placed by acura for free, and since then it runs fine. For the new 07tls, we just have it during chrismax and we are very pleased so far. We have have a little over 1000 miles on it, so we have to wait and see what happen, but there is no worry. Once again, welcome to the acura family.

 

at one point during christmas, there were 3 tls and an mdx in the driveway I will post pics when I get home. my neighbors thought I was goona start a stealership.....

 

Out of the 5 cars we owned in the last 13 yrs, three of them are Acuras (Integra GS-R, MDX, TL-S). Do not remember having any problems with any of them ever reliability wise. You can't go wrong with Hondas.

BTW, GS-R is still my favorite. (though I don't have it anymore)

Congratulations and all the Best with your new one.

 

Thank you guys for the nice welcome, and for sharing your experiences with your Acura vehicles. As far as fuel economy goes, it averaged 22 mpg on its first tank. My wife has been driving it 40 miles per day on her commute to work. That is not bad at all, especially since the 330ci only gets 20-21 mpg doing the same trip. The TL-S is bigger, heavier, and more powerful than the 330ci, but still gets better fuel economy! More than likely, the fuel economy will further improve when the engine is broken in.

I am truly anxious to feel the full power of the 3.5L V6, but am willing to wait until at least the first oil change with Mobil 1. This car only had 2 miles on it when we first drove it, and it now has 364 miles as of today.

Thanks agian,
Lee

 

Great color choice. I beleive the Carbon Bronze is the best looking color for the TL. I am looking at the TL and war torn between the Carbon Bronze and Nighthawk Black. After looking at both serveral times I think the Carbon Bronze with Ebony will be my choice.

I currently have a NBP '02 TL-S. I really like black but it's a pain in the butt to keep looking good.

 

dj5,
I have noticed that the carbon bronze color is really great at hiding dirt! The car appears as clean as the day we drove it home, and I know we have hit a puddle or two. Close inspection reveals the dirt, but it does not look obviously dirty. This is probably the best color I have seen at hiding road dirt, and the color on the wheels seems to hide the brake dust. Very cool!

Thanks agian,
Lee

 

I just purchased a 07 Type S and should be getting the AEM fron exelerate in the next few days. Is there some where DIY on installing this without taking off the front bumper? DATPlaya will be helping me and i just wanted to see if i could make his life a little easier while still teaching me.

 

I too have the CBP what interior did you get with it?

 

congrats and welcome!

 

I also got a new TL-S in CBP about a month ago and agonized about the exterior/interior color choices, as they didn't have an example on the floor/lot. Went with the ebony/silver interior and it looks like it was made for the car! Absolutely love it. Congrats for your decision and welcome!

 

We have the taupe leather in ours. Both of us liked the two tone look, and figured that it would probably be cooler in the summer.

The only thing about the light colored leathers like this is that they will certainly show any stains much easier than the dark colors.

I have to admit, the black on ebony is very beautiful, but from previous experience, it seemed that there were not enough hours in the day to keep it clean. My other black cars drove me crazy, I just felt compelled to wash them every other day.

The pearl in the paint seems to make the exterior color change according to the light it is in. Sometimes it looks grey, and other times it looks more bronze.

Thanks,
Lee

 

I to had a 95 gsr and necer had any problems. Back to the poster, Regardless of what people on this sit say about ratlles(don't have any) and window tint, there is really nothing else wrong with these cars. You got a great car for the money and the best value around. Good luck with your Type s, I love mine

 

welcome to world of honda!

=)

congrats on ur buying

 

last four of my daily drivers have been tls. other than a power window regulator in my 05 tl i have had no real issues! in the mean time 2 bimmers and one range rover as daily drivers for my wife. all mechanical nightmares!

congrats on the car! beautiful color choice! would have joined u but black was just too tempting!

 

I also bought CBP TLS Auto with Ebony/Silver. I love the interior color combo - but I wish the exterior was a bit darker. I've put over 3,000 miles on the car and have a number of observations and am very interested in Lee's observations (or anyone else) who has driven newer 3 series bmw's and compared them to the tls. I've driven Audis...and I really miss the AWD. My TLS has tire spin (something i need to get checked out, as I thought these cars had traction control). My TLS also has an electric motor inside the drivers rear view mirror that has a mind of its own and sometimes moves the mirror. A flaw that I need to get replaced. Otherwise I'm enjoying the driving experience very much. The engine is great, transmission smooth, handling nimble. The seat leather is awesome and the stereo and nav work great. The tires have really grown on me, though I remain concerned about how easy it is to scrape the paint off of them. The car needs a true IPOD interface, not just a plug. My car has no rattles. Sometimes I wonder if I should have leased a new 328ix manual. I'd never BUY a German car again due to poor reliability.

 

vroom5,
The 3.0L engine in the current BMW 328 is only 5 horsepower stronger than the 225 hp 3.0 in my 330ci, but for some reason, they feel slower than our 2001 330ci. In my opinion, the BMW cars with all wheel drive feel considerably less peppy than the standard rwd platform. The only new 3 series BMW that I tested that had a real "wow" factor was the 335. It is a very powerful car that makes all the right sounds, and the suspension & steering was excellent. I just did not want to pay that much for a vehicle that is begining to have the reputaiton for overheating - and summer is not even here yet. I have dealt with automobiles with inadequate cooling systems before, and quickly wrote the 335 off my list as an every day driver.

I have never owned a front wheel drive with this much power, but I will get used to it. It just feels different than the rwd of our 330ci. The TL-S sure seems to have much quicker throttle response, but I will be able to better evaluate its performance when the engine is properly broken in.

Thanks agian for everyones replies,
Lee

 

I owned an Accord in college, followed by an NSX, a Legend sedan, another NSX, and then a TL. I loved every one of those Honda products. I can definitely see myself owning another Honda again.

 

Isn't it interesting how we all have different experieces, to some degree--I'm sure our cars have their own personalities.
Re. tire spin in my TL-S, haven't noticed it, and have driven some nasty winter roads awhile back(if this is what you mean), but have only had it for a month.
Re. exterior color: I love it, and most people comment it's a dark gray. I think it's pretty dark already.
Re. Rear-view mirror: Never noticed this! Haven't seen it adjust at all in movement, but have definitely seen it automatically adjust to day/night. I love this feature.
Re. IPOD: Agree, though I don't personally use it now--but have had comments.
Re. BMWs: Agree, as much as I hate to admit. Friends were amazed I went with Acura vs. BMW, as I've loved my little 318i so long. The reliabilty ratings of late worried me, and I simply liked the interior better in the Acura.
Rattles: None for me, either.
Thought I had a right-side drift on the road, but don't think so now.

 

Agree: That is actually one of my reasons for switching. In all fairness, I was driving an old '85 318i, and once you turned on the air conditioning for awhile, watch out. I knew I needed a stronger engine (i.e., V6). Now I've heard the newer Bimmers don't do this, so your comment is interesting. I'm just hoping I don't see this in the TL-S.

 

-The traction control will let the tires slip a bit; if you get tire smoke, it's not working right.
-The outside mirror that you have selected with the switch will tilt down when you put the car in reverse; could that be the mirror movement? If you put the switch in the center, neither will move.

 

I bought my 05 TL for about 32,000 about 2 1/2 years ago. 2 weeks ago I was cut off by another driver which caused a major 4 car collision (all 4 cars were totalled) I walked out of the accident and I was amazed the way the TL took the crash after being hit by 4 cars. My car was totaled, but State Farm gave me a little over $31,000 for the totaled TL. That is amazing to me. I only lost 1,500 off the price i paid for a car that was 2 1/2 years old. I did only have 29,000 miles on it but it was nice to see that the car holds incredible value. I was so impressed the way the car took the crash and the money i recieved back from the car that i went out the next week after recieving my check from State Farm and bought a new 2007 Type S. No wonder why this car is rated #1 for dependability on Consumer Reports for sedans under $45,000. You made a good choice and you wont be dissapointed.

 

Glad to hear the car protected you so well and that you are okay. Despite the difficult circumstances, I hope you enjoy the new car!

 

Thanks ttribe.. I appreciate it!!!

 

LightsOut!!,

You certainly left that crash with the most important thing of all - your health and life! I am really glad you are OK, and that the car provided you with this much protection. That was a scary thing.

Agian, glad you are OK,
Lee

 

Very Scary. When my Fiancee came to pick me up and saw the car ..she lost it. Glad i am ok. Great car!!

Thanks cbronze07.. I appreciate it.