First, I can't express how helpful this site has been during my ownership of my 04 TL. I can't thank many of you enough.

My TL now has 161k miles and while it still runs good, I believe the time has come for my next car.

Here is my list:
07 TL-S (since I'm told not much different in 08)
2008 G35s/37s
2008 GS 350
2005 S4

I really love my Acura and there are only two complaints that I have. One is front wheel drive and the other is power. Yes the TL has quite a bit of power but in the class of the above cars, it is lacking in this department.

My favorite, in terms of performance, is the S4. I had a friend who once had one of these cars and it was fantastic.

Here's the thing. I drive 20,000-30,000 miles per year. That's why my TL has 161k. I understand that a German car costs more, in really every way, but the question is...am I crazy?

The S4 would be outstanding to drive and, due to the age, can be purchased for under $20k with 60k miles. I'm going to ask the guys over on the Audi forum, of course, but I fully expect them to tell me how great the car is, simply because it's an Audi. Just like I would mostly get here when asking about a TL.

I'm looking for the opinion of others here. I may end up with that TL-S because I do love my Acura but the performance of the S4 is certainly making my decision difficult.

Thanks to all!

 

Well if you feel that you no longer need the TL and want something more exciting, GO For It!!
But if I was in your situation I would get a Type-S since the design is timeless, the other cars you mentioned either too soft, or look a bit dated compared to a type-s. Also add to the fact that you know Acuras reliability and the maintenance cost associated with a TL. I do not want to bash the German engineered cars, but older models may cost more to maintain compared to a bit more reliable New German car.
Depends on what you want in a car, soft, comfortable or stiff and sporty.

GL on your choice.

 

^ Agreed.

 

Go with the type S. Not interested in the 335 though?

 

How about the Lexus IS350? What is acurazine's impression of that car? I own the '07 TL-S and thought about switching to the 350.

 

I think the only complaint from people is that the interior felt cramp.

I would LOVE an IS myself.

 

I hear about the FWD being a low point of the TL, but I had an 01 S4 and they are expensive to fix. My buddy had a 2004 S4, the first year for the V8. Talk about expensive, he had to have the cam chain tensioners replaced and the motor had to be pulled for the job, big $$$. Not to mention they are heavy and not many mods for them short of an MTM S.C., 25K.
IMO, the G35 or 37 OR TL-S.
Just my duece cents. Good luck with the search!

 

I was very very close to purchasing a 2005 S4 when i was shopping for cars it was between a S4 and TL, or TLS. I was filling out the finance papers at the dealer and after I was done filling them out the dealer told me to wait around because the bank/finance company would be calling soon. So upon waiting a customer of theirs came in with his 2003 RS6 car was beautiful didnt even look 8 years old I was telling him Im looking at the S4 on the lot he went on to tell me how expensive a timing belt job was, how expensive a brake job was. That made me really reconsider getting that car. Didnt help that I got financed quicker for the TL than the S4 lmao.

 

I wouldn't ever consider driving a german car driving that many miles a year. Lexus or Acura would be my top choices in the luxury market. (Though you could do worse than the subaru legacy if you like 4wd. )

 

OP my personal opinion is to go with a TL-S. It'll be cheaper over the long haul and easier to maintain, including reliability. I know this car can have some torque steer and how people look at FWD as a low point, but seriously is it even going to matter in daily driving (you already own a TL so I seriously doubt that'll be an issue). I'm young so I havent tested out audi's quattro or driven a RWD BMW, though we all know AWD/RWD is the way to go for some serious spirited driving. All my cars in the past were FWD and im lookin for the right TSX to replace my last car I totalled, 6spd ftw! My vote goes for the TL-S. You'll actually get to enjoy it. Buying a used Audi out of warranty is bad juju.

 

Dead on. While I was in the market for a new car, I really had my heart set on an is350, but the old lady says it's too small for a baby seat, maybe 2 in a few years. I WISH I HAD GOTTEN ONE THOUGH.

 

Personally I would go for the GS if you have the funds (the GS460 would be awesome).

More HP (even with the 350), RWD, roughly the same interior room, Lexus quality...what else could you want?

 

Go for the Type s or the G. Stay far, far, away from the Audi if reliability is something you value. Also, the v8 S4 is a bit of a gas guzzler.

 

Here is my input regarding the mentioned cars.

A select few people always claim FWD as being the TL's downfall. That is simply not true! The fact that the TL is FWD is the main reason I bought it. Sure, RWD and AWD is great for racing but the other 99.7% of the time your driving it doesnt matter. Oh and what about the entire half of the country that gets snow? Have fun driving RWD in that. So look at the car being FWD as a benefit not a drawback. To people in climates without snow it doesnt matter I guess, but really, how often are you driving down the street where you could benefit from the rear wheels driving the car rather than the fronts? exactly.....


Older S4's, no thanks! The only S4 I would consider would be the 2010+ which are amazing cars, but still easily 50k+. Audi's have always been known for being costly cars in every possible way. Regular maintenance, reliability issues up the ass. Funny thing is the guys on the Audi forums actually were the ones that told me to stay away from the car when I asked LOL (Specifically the 08+ S5 V8). It may be a fun car, but expect it to cost a lot to keep, maintain, and drive.

The Infiniti G's....They are ok but never once has one of those cars caught my attention. Even the new IPL is just ok. So my point is, they are just sorta, blah... Im sure they are great cars with great features and reliability, but I personally prefer something thats a little more interesting.

GS350...pretty cool cars with a LOT of luxury options. I like that!! The only drawback with such a car is I can see myself getting bored with it after not too long especially if your a car enthusiast. Excellent cars in everyway, but lacks the fun factor.

TL-S....I am biased because I have one. Hands down the best styling in the bunch. Its a somewhat older car now but even to this day looks like it could have been a 2012 model. Amazing body lines!! Considering the age of the car it has some decent features too. The TL-S in some cases can be reasonably priced, they do better on fuel than any other car you listed, is available in manual if your into that, outstanding looks especially the Type S, relatively unique and rare, and best of all Honda reliability.

Hope this helps.

 

I agree. ^^^. The key thing is reliability, german engineered cars are a disaster when it comes to electronics. For example, my friend had a regular Audi a4 or a6 and he constantly had to replace stupid sensors that ranged from $170 each without install upwards to $300 plus. He said his radio started acting up and other electronics in the car which the dealer found it to be a faulty harness and wanted a ton to fix, he got rid of the car now. You can't beat a honda! The g37 coupe is small and it's ok, just cramped, I can't speak for the 4 door model, but I can speak for the g35 model and the gas mileage is bad on that thing, my friend saids he gets 19 miles max! He let me test drive it and I was honestly not impressed at all, acceleration is not that fast and to me it felt sluggish compared to the TL. It's hard to choose another car, but I would look into upgrading within the acura/honda line.

 

I would go with either the TLS or the Lexus.

Both are awesome looking cars, but neither is perfect. Lexus had a pretty major problem with their valve springs. (link)

My friend bought a CPO 06 Audi A3 that needed a new transmission after purchase. So much for CPO.

off topic, but why are hyperlinks not underlined?

 

I agree with ez12a, I would suggest a TL-s or a Lexus. I just bought an 2004 G35. I love the car drives great, fun to drive, but she guzzles alot of fuel. I still love my 2005 TL as well. Since I live only 7 miles from my job I decided I could deal with the fuel demands of my G35. If I were you I would seriously consider the TL-S.

 

Hmm...Lexus?...how bout the IS-F

Audi: If you're looking into S4's they have to be newer than an '05...as stated above. Even then...meh

Infiniti: G35S/37S are pretty nice rides. Haven't heard much negative about them. Personally I prefer the M37S. I'm slightly biased with that statement however because I'm looking at current model M37S at the moment. Regardless, I'm still keeping my TL ...don't think we'll ever part ways till she dies on me.

Lexus: My neighbor used to have a '07 TL-S for his daily driver until recently when he got a '10 IS350 (and gave his wife the TL-S and sold her car). I was talking to him the other day and he said flat out that he liked the TL-S much better than his Lexus. He said he likes the IS350 but it just didn't quite live up to his expectations. Needless to say, I see his wife driving the Lexus more often than him

 

how about a BMW 335I or IS. The Tl has now power, well it does a little bit but only when its cold outside. The AT transmission sucks. im not sure about the TLS. I on the other hand cant wait to get into something more fun as i love to drive. TL has no low end power, right there the fun goes away. OK its reliable i guess. German cars just drive better no matter what you guys say....

 

Who's saying the Germans don't drive well? If money were no object my DD would be German. Back in the real world, they are money pits if you plan on stacking on a ton of miles. Resale, initial purchase price, repairs, service... it goes on and on.

 

If I was driving that many miles I'd prolly buy a hyundai elantra for like 200 a month.

 

I vote TL-S. You'll save money on maintenance and gas especially if you're doing a lot of highway driving.
I like the way the TL handles, in spite of its FWD "handicap". Haven't driven a TL-S, but can only assume it's slightly better in every way.

Until recently I would have said G35 S, but I recently changed my opinion on that subject. I had driven a couple older G's (6mt, '03 and '04 I think), and was underwhelmed with the interior but really liked the handling and gearboxes.
I got to drive an '08 G35 S a couple weeks ago - it was manual and in mint condition. I expected a lot, but was not too impressed. Handling and power were OK, nothing special I thought. Gearbox was a little disappointing compared to the TL. Brakes began to fade after a tiny bit of spirited mounttain driving. Interior still felt somewhat cheap.
The car looks great on paper, but I would not drive one. Not sure how much they changed in the G37.

I drove an '05 S4 a while back. For a fairly large car, it does feel very planted. The v8 sounds good, great if you get an aftermarket exhaust. I drove an automatic, but imagine the manual one would be more fun and engaging. If I was driving very long distances, and didn't care about mpg/maintenance costs, this would be my choice.

Can't comment on the GS, as I haven't looked into them at all really. I wouldn't buy one because I don't like the way they look, and no manual option is available.

 

nah, leasing a car is not financially wise. Only if you want the feeling of driving a new car every few years.

If you're driving that much I would not go with a German make, at least an Audi. I was doing est. 40k annual for my old job (only stayed for 9 mo for obv reasons) and was seriously looking into a 06+ legacy GT. Decided against it since I needed a reliable form of transportation.

 

What exactly do you mean the TL has no low end power?
I thought it does!! All I know is that my TLS 6mt can destroy the tires at any speed in 1st gear and depending on the outside temp in 2nd as well. I had an auto type s which certainly didn't do that, but still felt great at any speed. Before my Type S's I had an 07 base nav. I had no complaints with power. Overall I loved the TL's.

 

I own both a TL and a 330xi, here are my opinions and experience:

Reliability - TL, hands down, there are a lot of things that go wrong on a normal basis with german cars

Maintenance cost: TL is way lower than the BMW

Fun to drive: BMW, hands down

Gas mileage: effectively equal

Styling: to me at least, I think they are equally great for different reasons

Ease of DIY: TL.....the germans put things in really wierd places, lol

I could list a lot of comparisons but I love both cars for different reasons. It really depends what you're looking for, if I were driving 20-30k miles a year, I would go Japanese based on reliability.

 

not to mention germans have a fascination with plastic parts. what's up with that? My dad's E46 sprung a leak from it's washer fluid reservoir..how does that happen!? Not to mention plastic pulleys that require replacement after so many years due to heat fatigue, they'll shatter if you dont watch them. Not sure about the E90+s, since BMW pretty much wants you out of the engine bay altogether and taking it to the stealership for service.

 

I know I already commented in this thread but basically if it were me I would be considering a TL-S or a IS350. At first the IS's didnt do much for me as far as styling but they are growing on my especially some of the newer IS350's with newer wheels and stuff. They also do have better options than the TL-S which is nice such as ventilated seats, push button start with keyless access, adaptive autoleveling headlights..stuff like I think atleast the 07+ TL's should have started incorporating. Its not until 2012 that the TL is starting to get some of that stuff such as cooled seats...not till 09 for keyless access and push start. Other than that even the 06 IS's have more options then even the 2012 TL's. Oh well.

So if it were me I would be looking into the TL-S or IS350. I was also curious about performance between an IS350 and a TL-S 6mt. I thought the IS would edge out but I saw a vid and the 6mt S started pulling away. I guess an auto IS350 with 306hp and a TL-S 6mt with 286hp probably are about even with HP to the wheels. In defense of the IS the camera car is the IS so an additional person can make a difference. I would say without that extra person the TL-s would still pull ahead but barely. Still impressive :-)

from a stop (great launch by the TLS):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gtqk...eature=related

from a roll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_Ec...eature=related


These IS's are growing on me. After looking at some more videos the F-sport exhaust sounds amazing!!!! Im not usually into the sound of V6's, but that thing sounds impressive! Here is what I would want. A newer IS350 with the dark grey F-sport wheels and exhaust. sweeeeet lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFwO_...eature=related

 

Yeah the IS series from Lexus look amazing. However, I do see many girls (some of them old) driving these cars around. It's the men that drive the 6mt TL-S

That being said, I'd still drive a Starfire Pearl IS350 with those amazing stock rims.

Willow Springs Track records show that the TL-S barely edged the G35 AND IS350 in a race. That's amazing for a FWD. Just goes to show how finely engineered the TL-S is. I am sure, however, that the newer models of the IS350 (2009+) have received enough refinement to beat the TL-S at the same race.

 

If my car drove like that, id have a different oppinion. i guess i picked up one that was assambled on friday

 

i agree what others said, if i could afford it when i bought my car i would have bought an is350. I like just about everything about the car except it is slightly cramped in the back, everyone else here summed it up very well... it has everything the tl has and more. My friend let me borrow his for a week and I loved every minute of it. In fact prior to that I owned an older civic and thought i would drive cheaper/older cars for the rest of my life since I'm tight with how i spend my money but after driving that car for a week I realized how much more enjoyable it is to drive a nicer car everyday and decided it was time for a new car.