just curious if anyone in this forum knows why they did not use the same side mirrors as the TSX's? i'm referring to the built in signal lights on the side mirrors.

i was very disappointed when i found out they had them on the TSX and not the TL :rocketwho

 

I think they're gross.

 

i guess you'll either love 'em or you'll hate 'em

 

I suspect that it was to further differentiate the TL from the TSX. They have many similarities around the headlights, top portion of the grill, hood, front side panels before the "TL crease." I think that if they both had signals in the side mirrors, the lay person would confuse the two.

I personally prefer the TL without the markers in the side mirrors. Looks smoother that way.

 

Can someone tell me why there's such a fixation on these mirror turn signals? They're not an indicator of a 'luxury' vehicle and they're not so functionally better that they make you a better driver. What gives?

 

it has absolutely nothing to do with making anyone a better driver or indicating that its a luxury vehicle. its purely a cosmetic feature. IMO, i think it looks pretty cool and i just wanted to get other people's opinions. :toothless

 

I don't think it is much of a cosmetic feature since it doesn't improve the look. I personally think it makes the car look cheap, takes away from both the luxury and sporty look/feel. When I was considering the TSX I was very turned off by the mirror turn signals. I felt like an old lady with them :p

Man, I really hate 'em

 

I happen to like them and if they are not an indication of luxury why does the new RL and all the Mercedes cars have them. Also I was told by my salesman that on the first TL's that were delivered to the dealer showrooms the window sticker indicated that the TL had them standard. He said that they had to replace the window stickers with new ones that didn't list the turn signals on the mirrors. My guess is that they will become standard on the 05's.

 

I'm with you, bolt (as usual). Those things serve no purpose. Form follows function and they have no function. They just make the front view of the car look more cluttered, IMO.

On the other hand, cornering lights, which my old Altima had, are both cool and useful. I wonder why more cars aren't equipped with them.

 

Seriously, they look like bike reflectors. Ugh. :yack:

 

Are you all naive? Mirror turn signals have NOTHING to do with looks or status. What BS. The issue is SAFETY!!!! They stand out like crazy, and also inform the guy next to you that you want to change lanes on the freeway. I know what of I speak, as we also have a new TSX, and the increased response from other drivers is VERY noticeable while driving the TSX.

The issue was surely a cost determination at the last minute. If you look in the TL brochure, the car is listed as HAVING them, under "safety equipment"

They not only cheaped out and cheated us of these lights, but then they don't even flash the side markers! EVERY other car, even cheap American cars with side markers flash with the turn signals. What's up with this, Acura? This is a real black mark on this excellent car.

 

I've never had problems with normal blinkers, so I will stick with those. No mirror blinkers for me please.

 

I agree that the TSX mirrors DO NOT belong on the TL. However, the TL should have the LED side markers in the front blink like they originally intended as shown on the original brosure and window sticker, and of course they should of came with better tires too!

 

Of course they need better tires. I, for one, am happy the TL doesn't have blinkers in the side mirrors, despite what it said in the brochure.

 

Couldn't agree more. When you are driving 75+ mph in bumper-to-bumper LA traffic, it's key to be able to communicate your intentions to other drivers in the next lane very efficiently.

Every European make uses side turn signals of some kind (Mercedes has them on the side mirrors like TSX). The Europeans also use amber rear turn signals; Acura chose red for looks apparently, yet the only other cars with red rear signals are Detroit garbage. It's easy to mistake a red rear turn signal for a brake light when you glance at it from an angle.

Also, it's about time that they put daytime running lights on.

All these things will show up as a subtle blip in crash statistics eventually. Higher visibility is a small advantage that Acura chose to take away from '04 TL drivers.

I'm thinking more and more about waiting for '05.

 

Forum users need4Spd and I-mod have converted the side markers to blink with the turn signals and have links to display the schematics on how to do it. There's also 2 short videos need4spd took of them working on his '04 TL, with and without the parking lights on.

See this thread:
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66329

 

Side mirror courtesy lights, that are mounted flush to the underside of the mirrors (not noticeable as signal lights), would have been nice. The current courtesy lights are on the inside of the doors and do not help when approaching the vehicle at night.