I'm looking into a TL now that I've had my '05 g35x with 99k for 6 months

This was my car before the G...a 2004 330i with 79k


Now the G is nice but I want something a little more refined. I like the acceleration, exhaust note (with coupe mid-pipe) and that it doesn't have a timing belt. I am now pretty seriously looking into a TL...sell me!

 

Your going to come to a TL forum and ask if you should get a TL? lol take a wild guess what everyone is gonna tell you hmmm

 

How do you like the G? I have an 07 G35x now that I am looking to dump

 

I actually have an '08 X and a '05 X but the TL would be replacing the '05. It's pretty nice but the squeaks are pretty annoying and the brake issue is also on my mind constantly. Gas mileage in the older one is terrible...16.7mpg on my last tank but definitely feels torquier than the 2nd gen. The '08 gets about 21 around town and 28 during slow highway driving. The Acura was on my list but now that I hear about all the transmission problems I might stick with my G.

 

This is my '08

 

just stay away from 04 and maintain ur tranny regularly....all cars have its problem, i am sure there are some common prob on the G too...(oil consumption???)

 

I thought they fixed the issues from 04 on..no?

 

With just a few minutes of peeking around here I see a few threads with people that have major transmission problems. I've only heard of two people with problems in their Gs and I'm super anal about that kind of stuff. I would be worried about a TL every time I drive it with the problems I've been hearing about?

 

then stick with ur G if u dont have any confident in Acura...

 

Are there problems with the 2005 automatic transmissions?

 

Funny, a lot of friends I know who drove Gs back in the day had problems and eventually switched to a different car.

All cars will have problems. It's a fact.

 

The question is, how bad are the transmission problems?

 

Having driven both the previous gen G and previous gen TL (my daily), I can tell you the TL feels much smoother and refined. The G is a torque monster and is more fun to drive, but the lack of refinement is noticeable. And look at the interiors side by side...absolutely no comparison. The TL's interior is awesome.

Edit: Transmission problems are way over exaggerated. If you're worried, switch to a Type-F fluid and change the pressure switches and you're set. Search around for more info on this.

 

as mentioned in other threads, a lot of people join forums to report problems. People that dont have problems wont have a reason to join a forum.

in 2004 according to wiki, something like 79,000 TLs were sold (1 in 40 were 6MT, but still). If transmission issues were that widespread there'd be thousands of failed transmission threads.

Maintain the transmission and you should be fine. TL is definitely more refined, i've driven an 03 G35 sedan and it's no comparison.

obviously do due diligence when inspecting a used TL and the paperwork that hopefully accompanies it.

 

2004 TL is the one more prone to transmission problems. 2005-2008 you have no transmission problems to worry about. Especially the 2007-2008, they use the same bulletproof transmission as the RL I believe.

 

Snowtrax, TL's are basically a Honda product. They are reliable, they run forever. This is my third Honda/Acura.

 

Buy a 6MT

 

Yes. +1.

 

i highly recommend the TL although i never own a bmw or g b4

 

If you hate rattles, you might not like the TL.

But they can be fixed if you are a DIY guy. I'd stick to the 6mt if you want less transmission problems.

 

Go for a TL + 6MT, test drive and verify the clutch is in perfect working order, purchase, swap in GM fluid and enjoy.

If you drive extremely conservative you'll see ~32 mpg or ~400 miles to ~12.5 gallons.

Win win, I love how amazed people are that think the car gets shitty gas mileage.

Best of luck.

 

I wouldn't get a 6MT...I just like the Japanese transmissions given they're reliable. I would feel like I was walking on egg shells whenever driving it. How do the '04 and '05 automatics compared to the older gen because I know those are notorious for bad transmissions?

 

How come MSN says there were no problems with the transmission as does Consumer Reports? I'm confused...
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Re...l=TL&trimid=-1

 

I have had two 04's and never a problem with either. My first one got up to 120,000 before i totalled it

 

Honda > Nisson enough said

 

^--- So Honda > Nisson, but what about Nissan? j/k

 

^^ lol thanks but yeah Nissan.

 

I'm pretty handy but I've given up on trying to fix the interior rattles. They either come back or new ones are formed. It's a lost cause.

Because the reports of transmission failures are way overblown. It's not a common thing for the 3G TL. And is NO comparison at all the the 2G TL.

 

Do you have anything else to compare the '04 to? In comparison to a G35?

 

A member on here has a G35 in his family. Let me see if he could do a quick comparo for you.

 

I have both an 07 g35 and an 04 TL auto and love both of them. The best thing about these two cars is how different they really are. The g35 is a beast for driving, it definately has more get up and go and is great on the sharp turns etc. while the TL has more luxury and a great interior that is not only bigger but has more tech toys to play with. And while its true that they both have their problems, as long as you do the required maintenance and maybe go a little further they are both are very reliable. BTW, did my timing belt on the TL last year and it's a 6 out of 10 in difficulty so don't let that be a deterrent if you want to go with the TL. Tranny wise I switched to redline D4 and do 3X3 about every 15k miles and haven't had any problems.

 

I would have to check around to see how much places around here charge for the timing belt. I don't even know where the closest Acura dealer is...I think an hour. How much should it be for the water pump, belt etc?

Also, do you think I should sell my car? It has 99k miles, I bought it for $11,000 and I spent $1,200 on it. It's still worth more than what I paid for it...I think $12,500 the way it sits. So, should I dump it and get something else? The G doesn't have any major problems such as the transmission though.

 

Just keep the G for another 100,000 miles.
I have a 2004 TL/AT bought brand new,never had any issues.There you go.

 

I have a 04 TL and my dad has a 05 G35x. We've both had our cars for almost 4 years.

Everything I have typed below are just my observations and opinions. If you don't agree, keep it to yourself. I've put a lot of miles between the two cars which is why I took the time to type this out.

G35 pros: Low end torque is awesome, trunk is marginally bigger, exhaust note is orgasmic, more fun to drive, reclining rear seats
G35 cons: Smaller car = less passenger leg room, MPG is terrible in city and on highway, interior is boring, goofy glovebox, exterior styling remind me of a jellybean

TL Pros: Looks great, MPG is amazing on the highway, interior is stylish yet not overdone, plenty of interior room, seats are more supportive
TL Cons: Sluggish off of the line, interior rattles, A/T transmission issues, heated seats take forever to get warm, rear seats don't fold down, possible cracking dashboard

I've put almost 70k miles on my TL and the only major problems I've ran into are that my dashboard cracking and that I go through rear brake pads quite often considering I'm a chill driver. Besides that, I've had no problems with my transmission like people keep talking about in the 2004s.

Good luck

 

What kind of mileage do you get? Cracking dashboard worries me...ugh

 

I would agree with CLtotheTL on the points he made. I haven't had nearly as much seat time behind a G35 as he has, but I've driven one enough to gather some impressions.

I average 32MPG on the highway. 18 in the city (not a good example for city MPG as my city is non-stop traffic).

 

All city driving I average about 21. Some weeks I'm at 18 or 19 and some weeks I'm 22 or 23. It all depends on how nice the weather is

Highway I rarely get anything under 30. I drove down to Florida last month and averaged 31. My dad took the same trip in the G a week later and he averaged 27 or 28.

As for the dashboard, usually cars from the southern part of the US have the issue. My car was bought brand new in Florida and I'm assuming the constant exposure to the heat make it crack. Just make sure you look at the dash closely before purchase. The smallest crack can spread and cause others to form.

 

The Gs are boring. Get the TL Type-S. You might get better looking women too with it... just my experience.

 

^lol^^^ the g interior to me are boring i would def get the tl type-s

 

Honestly if I was you I would keep the g35. You know the history of the car already. Now as far as the TL goes, the 105K maintenance will run you about $350 for parts. I buy my TL parts from http://www.oemacuraparts.com, they operate out of an Acura dealership in Peoria AZ and have served me well with all my TL oem parts. BTW, I also had to replace my drive belt tensioner, belt and a couple of other extra parts when I did my 105K service. With that said, I would say that if you are mechanically inclined and can do moderate maintenance on your car then purchasing a TL with >100K miles is good choice.