Please help me choose 3rd gen or 4th gen
 

This is my first post, so thanks in advance for accommodating me!

Been considering a TL, G37 or GS (and maybe an Accord EX-L mostly because there are a gazillion to choose from and ones with MTs are more easily sourced). Most recently, I've decided a TL is the right vehicle for me based on styling, performance reports, interior quality and reliability reputation.

Most of my search has focused on 2010-2014 models in the sub-$18k price range. (Not many GS350s there, however... a lot of G37s.)

The leading candidate right now is a 2012 TL auto with 53k miles. It's a non-technology model. The dealer says the powertrain warranty lasts until July 2018 or 70k miles, so that's a plus I guess. They are asking a little over $15k for the car.

However, I then found a 2007 TL 3.2 (with tech and navigation, which I don't care about much) with 73k miles for a hair under $10,000.

Both cars are comparable in terms of interior condition, paint, etc., which I would describe as "very clean."

What do you guys think? Is a five-year newer model year -- with the bigger engine and other benefits of the fourth generation -- worth an extra $5k? Is it that much better? (I'm willing and able to pay it, but I could also buy another motorcycle with that $5k instead...)

I keep my cars a long time. Whatever car I buy, I will probably keep it 10 years assuming it survives.

This may seem contradictory, but while I value performance and luxury (with a purpose), I also prefer simplicity. Few things annoy me more than unnecessary feature that I never used in the first place becoming an annoyance because it fails. So, in some regard, this appreciation of simplicity, in addition to a lower price, pushes me toward older vehicles, but only within reason and if performance isn't substantially impacted. For example, one of the biggest reasons I see to get the 2012 is the six-speed transmission.

I do all my own maintenance.

As for modifications I might make, if it matters, I'd probably go with PCDs simply because I've had good experience with that mod on other (albeit older and different model) cars with respect to not just performance but heat build-up, etc.

Thanks for any opinions!

the difference between a 3.2l engine and the 3.5l engine is negligible.
what is different tho, is the body style between the 3rd and 4th gen TL's.
assuming, you like the 4G (EWWWWWWWW!) and the $5k difference would be in the form of luxury aspects the 4G gives over the 3G...

but then you say, you dont give a fuu about luxury items, as they may break more...

i like the 3G styling more than the 4G

but you basically nailed it down to the $5k difference to the transmission. the 6AT in the 2012 would perform and be more stout than the 3G TL's archaic automatic 5 speed

Either a low mileage 3rd gen or a G35/7. Should be able to get a really, really nice 3rd gen TL-S 6 speed within your budget. The Infiniti won't be quite as reliable but it does power the proper end of the car and the fat midrange torque is nice.

The 9th gen 6 speed V6 Accord coupes are really nice too, high 13s in the low 100s stock. Biggest problem is for some idiotic reason, Honda chooses to restrict their highest performance car to halogen headlights.

This is the biggest hang up for me, the transmission. Everything I read raves about the 4th gen six-speed compared to the old five speed.

Is there much evidence with respect to the reliability of the two?

the 04-06 trannies are getting DEMOLISHED left and right.
only a few 07 tranny's recorded here on acurazine that has failed.
as Acura changed a few things in the tranny for the 07-08s.

but there absolutely has been no post about the 2012 6at tranny failing, here on acurazine :thumbsup:

I hear you on the TL-S. That would be the perfect solution. Unfortunately, all the ones I'm finding locally cost as much as 4th gens with ~25k fewer miles. Since the 4th gens already have the six speed and the bigger engine, I'd feel like I was paying the same and sacrificing some mileage just for styling differences. Maybe I need to just keep looking for a better priced older TL Type-S.

Where do you live YZ? SH-AWD is a nice consideration for the 4G if live where there's weather.

when we say Tl-S 6 Speed, we are referring to the manual 6 speed, not a 6 speed automatic. just :2cents:

Have you driven both 4G and 3G, completely different to me. 4G is way softer.

My mistake. Yes, the TL-S is a 5-speed auto, not six. My bad.

If I could find a six-speed MT Type-S 3rd gen, that would be perfect, but very hard to find within 200 miles of my location -- in fact, right now there's one and it has > 150k miles and the asking price is more than that for the 2007 auto.

I have a Jeep for bad weather days.

By the way, thanks everyone for all the awesome feedback!

mudder eff them! :annoyed:

go 3g man, you wont look back

Might need to look outside your area for what you really want.

except every time you park and walk away :toocool:

I went 3G for 3+ years, tried to then go 4G, went bimmer instead cuz the 4G was too soft.

My son had a G35. Thrilling car to drive. I have to say, though, the quality of the interior just was not up to par with the Acuras I've looked at or the Lexus we replaced his G35 with. Not quality in terms of features or, I presume, condition when new, but it didn't age well at all, and I imagine that would only get worse over time.

One thing I'll tell you, the Honda leather sucks ass. And there have been issues with dash cracking in the 3G. That 07 3G is 10 years old now, anything rubber is going to start failing.

I would only opt for the 4G if I went for the SH-AWD model. Bigger engine (3.7L, 305hp), a wicked AWD system, and a nice interior. As mentioned, the exterior is hella gross, but can be improved upon, if that's your thing.

if it came strictly down to 3G vs. 4G FWD, I would take 7356 3Gs before even considering the 4G.

Further to that, if I could find a 6MT SH-AWD 4G, I'd be all over that. I hate the exterior. But some painting/wrapping the front grill, amongst some other minor mods do help out a bunch. Not perfect, but better than unmodified.

Material quality in my G35 is pretty nice but its a base model so no frills at all. Not even a sunroof (which I wouldn't use much anyway), no nav, no homelink, base stereo, whoever ordered it either wanted the cheapest 6 speed sedan he could get or the lightest. The dash/door vinyl is nicer in my Accord but the leather in the G35 is significantly higher quality. I believe the leather seats in the TL hold up better than the Accord though and they have similarly high quality vinyls. Pick your poison I guess.

here is my take on your issue OP.

Infinity - nice power and with proper drive train however the electronic reliability suck, the interior material looks cheap (I already step away from a 07 G35 Sport sedan).

3G TL - On this side I would get a 04-06 MT or a 07-08 TL, Type S is nice but the performance different isn't much, its not like you went from a CTS to a CTS-V, IS350 to ISF..... you got the idea. 04-06 TL has tranny issue but most of the issues usually show up after 140k miles mark. 07-08 model got a better AT the fail rate actually really low compare to 04-06, 3G TL prone to dash crack regardless of the year.

4G TL - it entice you to buy it since they depreciate really fast, you can find a nice 2012-2013 3.5 Tech around 80k miles for $15k-$17k. Push start button along with Blue tooth Audio also seem to be a nice tech. SH-AWD is nice but let me warn you they also gas guzzler, the 3.7 motor also having issue burning oil, drive shaft issues and the 6spd AT also having problem with torque converter.

Detailed a 2010 SH-AWD 6MT TL back in November. Really nice car, liked it more than I thought I would. He black out the chrome grill so that helped.

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To the OP, about 4-5 months ago, I was in the same boat, was looking for a car. The best one I really want with the best value is the Lexus GS350 F sport, they can be had for around $27k , these are really well built, Lexus built this car from the ground up and does not share any chassis code with any Toyota or any other Lexus. Unfortunately price tag was too much and not on the budget for me. Next is a G37, G35, they are nice luxury cars but I never liked the way they handle potholes and bumps. Just my opinion. Although, they have nice styling .
Best choice for me was the TL-S I had the 5 A/T for about 2-3 months and loved the car, sold it to a family member and got a 6 M/T now. I say for the money and if reliability is your priority criteria for a car, then the TL is kind of hard to beat for the prices now. The 4th Gen TL is also a great buy, but the J37 has some oil consumption issues. The J37 on the TL burns oil and overtime it might get worse. I have first hand experience on 2 MDX's. My wife drives our 2007 and my sister has a 2013. It is weird because the 07 has the J37 but does not burn a drop of oil while the '13 burns oil.

Aside from the FEW luxury extras and the center console, I don't find the 4g nicer in any way.
the mirror switch is in an annoying spot on the door handle, the plastic inside feels cheaper, when you turn your head to look at the back seats they look like lawn chairs and that whole area looks cheap, the rear deck is also too shallow, the front is just downright hideous (but the rear is nice), the front doors panels also do not curve nicely into the front dash.

Well it Depends
 

Hello there,

This is my first time ever responding to a thread. In my opinion it really depends on what your looking for. I had the same conundrum when deciding between the 3rd-gen vs the 4th-gen. It was truly hard but I eventually went with a 2010 Acura TL with the Tech Package.

It was a very hard pick, but I came away very satisfied. The 3rd has the looks & very well earned prestige. Acura hit almost everything with precision when they designed the 3rd-gen. So much so that due-hard folks from the Mercedes/BMW camp were trading in their cars once they saw it... it was love at first sight with Honda reliability to boot.

But there were certain things I just need that only the 4th-gen offered. I know this may sound silly, but I really liked the fact that 4th-gens offered full iPod integration, & sweet wireless Bluetooth audio streaming that the car can also control from the steering wheel. Another thing I liked is that 4th-gens utilize electric steering instead of hydraulic systems. It's ever so slightly numb, but not so much so that it takes away from the driving experience. & I really didn't want to have to deal with another thing leaking overtime.

The J35Z6 3.5 V6 installed in the 4th-gen is also another reason. It has some nice updates that help with low-end torque, & it doesn't sip a single drop of oil compared with the J37A4 3.7 V6. As a matter of fact, in a straight line the 3.5 felt faster (mostly because of weight), though the SH-AWD is truly something to behold... it claws through corners most cars can dream of. The 3.2 J32A3 in the 3rd-gen is sweet, but the 3.5 is delicious IMO. & the updated 5 & 6 speed autos are noticeably smoother quicker shifting. But either way you can't go wrong with either generations.

@pochoun4126, glad you are enjoying your car. Like you I have only recently joined the Acura TL family, in my case, I really loved the look of the 3G so I limited my search to 2004-2006 cars with manual transmissions (the 2007-2008 TL-S is a bit "loud" looking for my tastes). The good news is there are enough options to go around to keep all of us happy. :)

Nice work!

I prefer how the 3G looks hands-down, but for your purpose, i would say go with 4G.
Also make usre you check if the tune-up (timing belt, water-pump, etc) was done on it or is due soon (~$2,000 at dealer)

+1 for 3G styling, can't handle the look of 4G

You presume the 4G even has a "look". :ugh:

Indeed
 

I used to be one of the many that ragged on the 4th-Gen. But truth be told it's truly a beautiful vehicle in person. Pictures can't really convey what this car is like in the looks department. The updates alone are worth the ownership. My friends & Fam are mostly Honda/Acura owners. & I have a friend who owns a gorgeous silver 3rd-Gen. But whenever he drives my 4th-Gen he's always noticing just how much extra torque my J35 generates in comparison to his J32 V6.

The updated 4th-Gen 5-speed auto in mine shifts quicker & smoother than the one installed in his 3rd-Gen (imperceptible in operation). He also wishes he had niceties like Bluetooth audio streaming, full iPod intergration, & loves just how roomy it is.

I tossed & turned over my descision for months. The 3rd-Gen is gorgeous & is representative of Acura can do if they truly focus on design & luxury. It's a piece of artwork that still make current gen cars from other makes look old in comparison. I wish I could've gotten both Gens really lol https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...435ad4fc99.jpgMy baby
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...27471aff25.jpgJ35Z6 V6... lots of Torque

back in 2012 I had a choice between a 07 TL-S and a 09 TL SH-AWD, I pick up a TL Type S instead and up until today I still not regret the decision.

Full bluetooth audio streaming and iPod integration (or Android integration for that matter) costs a whoppping $142 at Amazon:

• https://smile.amazon.com/USA-BT45-HO...UW8/ref=sr_1_1

3G TL hands down, specially 07-08 Type-S, this car styling has aged pretty damn well, still looks way better than other newer cars, I drive a 08 Base TL and I still get compliments on how good it looks. 4G TL styling just doesn't do it for me. Accord is way too common. G37 wouldn't be a bad choice either, but I prefer Honda/Acura over Nissan/Infiniti.

Almost
 

He actually tried a similar product for the Bluetooth audio streaming & iPod intergration. He didn't really like gutting his car to do it. & it wasn't exactly fully integrated into the car the way he thought it would be. But we'll checkout your link indeed.

All-in-all though, I love both the 3rd & 4th Gens. The 3th-Gen is a gorgeous representation of Acura design. While the 4th-Gen isn't bad looking in person, has updates like overall improvements/refinements with its tech & drivetrains. You can't go wrong with either.

The beauty, as I understand it, of that unit is you simply plug it into your XM unit in your trunk, set a few DIP switches, and you're done.

Fantastic
 

Thank you so much for the info. We'll definitely be trying out the product. It's almost like he's been "left out" with infotainment march.

Yeah, I'm picking up my TL tomorrow and I'll be adding that Bluetooth unit within the next few weeks. First things first, I need to replace the tranny fluid with ACDelco Synchromesh Friction Modified. :)