SebringSilver

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that the TL is not perfect. There are definitely cars out there that might have more performance, perhaps better fit and finish (quality control), and maybe even more technology. But we all know that the TL offers quite possibly the best combination of all those things that influence the enjoyment of driving (and buying decisions too, apparently) at a really reasonable price. So that begs the question: what next?

I mean, has Acura spoiled us now to the point that we'll forever be handcuffed to the marque? Let's face it, Honda/Acura knows it's got a winning formula here, and they're only going to keep at it in subsequent iterations of the TL. If anything, the next generation TL is only going to be packed with even more goodies for car buyers to drool over while likely undercutting the competition yet again. I'm not saying that that's going to result in the perfect car (as we already know what effect that policy has had on quality), but it'll surely deliver into the market yet another compelling argument for why consumers should again flock to Acura showrooms.

I'm dumbfounded even now, whenever I think about what car I should buy next. I simply can't think of any.

Is there anybody out there feeling the same way that I am??

03CoupeV6

This should come as no surprise since Honda has been doing just this with the Accord for decades... so well that the Accord has been on Car and Driver's 10Best list for 20 of the 24 years they've been doing it.

Before I got a TL I was a loyal Accord buyer and they keep getting better and better. The 2008 Accord will be redesigned, likely as powerful or more powerful than the TL, and could possibly have AWD. Watch for the Accord for an idea of where the TL is going.

trancemission

I am, I can totally understand what you're saying. I will most likely get another TL. Maybe 4th gen if there is one...

SIK TL

I have been part of the Honda family since the 80's and the progress has kept me coming back car after car. From 94 Civic, 85 CRX, 95 Accord EX, 00 Accord EX V6 to the balanced 05 TL. The quality has grown and cant wait to see whats next for Honda . I was apprehensive about the TL at first, but the car has almost everything you need, excep a Stabuck machine ( next mod). my friends say it is like an office inside...very executive!

neuronbob

Another semi-loyal Honda buyer here, having owned five including the TL. My 2004 TL is my second TL. The poster who mentioned that the TL has a winning formula and will likely improve the next generation is absolutely correct. The 3G TL is miles ahead of the 2G TL.

We'll see what the next gen brings. All this one really needed was RWD or AWD to be near-perfect. And a bulletproof transmission.

SebringSilver

Hey, thanks for the replies, folks.

I've always admired Honda products, even though there have been times when I've strayed (a Jaguar, a Bimmer, and an Audi). But it's hard to stay away. There's always some interesting new innovation in their cars, whether it's mechanical or electronic.

I'm really looking forward to the new NSX, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying the well-rounded capabilities of the TL A-Spec.

Have a Happy Holiday, everyone, and remember: Don't Drink And Drive.

Flippie

This is the first Honda/Acura I have ever owned. I do like the TL very much. I would like to have a Corvette some day.

flvol77

I told my wife the same thing.....If Acura would come out with a 4GTL coupe I will buy it...plus my wife (who drives the car 85% of the time anyway) told me she wants a 6MT the next car we get.

SIK TL

yeah a coupe for '07/'08 would get my business with a quickness

triton3k

Im also a Honda/Acura addict. Owning my third Honda Since 2001, I can honestly say that these cars are reliable at an affordable price with lots of goodies. My first Honda was actually a 93 Acura Legend LS which I had from 2001 to May 2005, I had got into an accident with that one and realized that it was gonna cost too much to repair so I went and purchased a 2005 Honda Accord LX which was a good car and less than a month ago I became the proud new owner of a 2006 Acura TL. The TL is definately worth every penny and I hope to stay within the Acura/Honda family as long as they continue to make great cars.

SouthernBoy

If Acura's smart, and I'm sure they know this quite well, they'll closely monitor the competition and the public's reception to their offerings. Infiniti already has a good one up on the TL in the power department with the G35. At 298 HP and 260 lb/ft torque with the manual, their seriously ahead of the TL. Plus, the larger engine displacement (214 cubic inches vs 196) leaves a little more wiggle room.

I would suggest that TL needs an injection of more horsepower and especially more torque, through more cubic inches. I would suggest taking the engine out to 220 cubic inches. They could still remain a FWD platform if they go with larger rubber, though this change would put them at the limits of what a street driven FWD sedan could handle. Yep, I'd say offer more power and torque as a starter.

SebringSilver

I actually still have my '94 Legend 4-dr and it runs very well. Mind you, it's only got about 34,000 miles on it.

And those new Accords, have you seen the tail-lights? Very nice...

SebringSilver

You're right about the horsepower battle going in Infiniti's favour as of late. Pity the G35 Sedan is such an eyesore.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Funny you mention the engine displacement, because Honda is the epitome of squeezing more power out of lower displacement engines. Honda doesn't look to bigger displacement first as a way to make more power. They do it through better engine management and tuning.

And you really can't compare the VQ35DE to the J32A3 because the J-series block is based on significantly older technology.

03CoupeV6

How old is the J-series? 1997 with the 3.0CL?

Wonder how much more life the J-series has, it's a lovely engine.

Brettg

I personaly have enough power, how much do people need?
I would like to see some choices from Acura, and hope they keep the nice style they have now.
What they need is a luxury TL and a sport TL, give one 20 inch rims and 350 hp,
and give the luxury model a smoother quieter ride with more option choices.

Isnt that what they used to do with the type S?
You have 3 choices now, color of the car, navi or not, auto or manual trans.

Brett

SouthernBoy

The old rodder adage; "there's no substitute for displacement" is still true today. Certainly, engineering has done some miraculous things with the reciprocating internal combustion piston engine, but just think about applying that same technology with a larger displacement engine.

Oh, I wasn't comparing the VQ Nissan engine to Honda's V6. Both are fine V6's in their own right. However, the two things I really like about the VQ engine are timing chains and more cubes.

I just like torque and would love to have maybe another 50 lb/ft of it.

SouthernBoy

Hey there Brett.. have a nice Christmas I trust?

Actually is has nothing to do with "needing" more power and everything to do with "wanting" more. Granted, for most all street applications, the 270 HP/238 lb/ft torque that the TL has (pre-2006) does a fine and capable job. I just want more, that's all.

03CoupeV6

Yeah Acura will definitely have to power up the TL for the next gen. The new 2007 Camry will have a 3.5L 268hp V6 option.

Brettg

Some here would tell you you got the wrong car, etc.
They add more power, then they got to add all wheel drive, with its weight expense and vibrations, not to mention the MPG impact.
People always want more, more power, more options, more traction, more everything, but you are not allowed to want more here.

Christmas was good, made a run up to north jersey (350 miles round trip) and got 30 mpg, and had plenty of fun not shifting my manual trans correctly

Brett

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Actually, I think it goes "No replacement for displacement" for the rhyme effect.

And I wholly agree with you on that. Although better engine management and different forms of forced induction have been proven to be effective in squeezing more power out of the same engine, more displacement still rules. And there is no better sound than a big block Chevy rumbling through its straight pipes. (Well, maybe except for the Formula 1 V10's... )

vsizzle

First Acura and I love it. I'm 99.9% sure I will be getting a 4th generation TL or RL when my lease is up in 2 years. It's sad to say but I drove my friends navi with voice command and my wife and I fell in love with it. No other navi is like a acura and that is the reason I want another one. Let me see 22 payments to go, damn time is slow

SouthernBoy

Nice wry sense of humor. Ever write any political satire (heh, heh)?

Cars and me are an interesting thing. We had our present home built in 1999 and settled in July of that year. Over the past 6 1/2 years, I've had 4 cars (I bring this up because one of my neighbors likes to kid me about this).

When we moved in, I had a 1996 Ford Contour SE, which I ordered in January '96. It was a fine machine and there have been many times when I wished I had not traded it in on a 2000 SVT Contour. The SVT was by far, the best handling sedan I have ever driven.. including BMW. But the engine/ECU had a nasty "feature" called throttle hang. This was designed in to keep the EPA happy by burning off any puddling fuel in the intake manifold. Crazy. Then came my 2002 Altima SE. What caused me to trade that was some apparently inherent "things" going around about this car and engine package. Seems the pre-cats had a habit at times to disintegrate and then some of the material would get drawn into the cylinders, thereby scoring rings and walls and causing all manner of havoc. The MAF went to lunch on me to the tune of $500+. Then came the TL in the summer of '04. Mine was made the same month I bought it - July. I found out that the dealer received it two days before I bought it.

Therefore my statement, "Cars and me are an interesting thing" means this. A car has to continually entertain me, otherwise I get bored and start looking for one that does. The exception to this rule, of couse, is the intervention of problems or such. Out of the trio of cars I mentioned above, the best of the lot was the 1996 Contour SE. It's just that I was facinated by the SVT and wanted one. In retrospect, because of the throttle hang problem, I should have stayed with the '96.

As for my TL, well it still puts a smile on my face and keeps me entertained. There are a few things about it which, if given answers to my wishes, I would like to see. Sunvisor extenders. Fold down rear seats (split or not.. it wouldn't mater to me). Ability to use the fog lights without the headlamps having to be on. Slightly larger glove box. A feature for the center armrest that allows you to raise it a little if you wish. An exhaust note.. something nice and deep and subtle. And of couse, more horsepower and more torque. But I confess, I still really like this car and really like driving it. You won't see me complaining about handling or steering feel because in those departments, I think it does a fine job.. quite a bit better than the '02 Altima SE I had.

Happy New Year, my friend. Enjoy yourself and stay safe.

Brettg

Well, the wife and I tend to buy cars and keep them a while, although it does not always work out that way.
We used to just drive sensable cars, but as funds improved, moved up to better models, the latest being the Jaguar, the Lincoln LS V8, the Passat GLX, and now the TL.
The Jaguar was a fantastic car, but got old (12 years).

She loved her LS, I liked the outside style, inside was another matter, it handled much better than the TL (she says), was totaly reliable, but a gas hog.
She decided to quit her job, so we could do one car, I have a work provided van.
I did not want to keep the passat, WAY to many problems, she did not want to make high payments on her LS gas hog, so we traded both in for the TL, mostly because she wanted a manual transmission, and I thought it would be fun also.
The TL was one car we could agree on, she is torn between sporty manual trans cars, and large luxury boats, she likes the ford 500 (crappy duratech V6), the lincoln continental (discontinued), maybe the lacrosse or lucerne, avalon, etc.

So rather than have to deal with one of those, I hope to keep the TL for 10 years.
Then, when I am drooling on myself, I can deal with the boat..
I am also tired of wasting money on cars, the only way cars make sense is to get a good one and keep it a while, for fun I have the motorcycles.

I never would have thought a contour would be an entertaining car, my wife had a taurus with the 24 valve motor, I was not impressed...

Brett

SouthernBoy

Can't compare a '96 Contour SE to a Taurus. Handling is all-together different. And the SVT Contour is so far ahead of a Taurus, it's not even funny.

While I understand "wasting money on cars" is the theme for some people, this doesn't apply to me because I love cars and I love to drive so much. Most people think of a car as a throw-away item.. a dishwasher, if you will. Something to take them from point A to point B. How many times have you heard someone say, "it's only a car"? Suppose that person has $30,000 wrapped up in expensive camera gear. Do you think they would think the same way about their cameras and lenses? And most people will tell you that a boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money, but I also disagree with that statement having owned a couple myself. Boats offer a whole different world of joy and excitement. My last one was a 27' SeaRay (1989 268 Sun Dancer) which we bought new. Sold her after six years.. two daughters in college, you know.

I am of the opinion that any "toy" that gives you pleasure and enjoyment is not a waste of money or of time. I love guns and cars and boats.. and other things, too, but those are my primary "toys".

We can't take any of it with us when we depart from this world so we might as well enjoy them while we're able, eh?

Teh Jatt

Just wait and see what 4G will offer....

SebringSilver

I'm looking forward to that.

Teh Jatt

aren't we all huh?

TorontoR

whore kiddah?

pzero23

YEah 4G thats something to wait for !!! then I'll upgrade from my 2nd G.

mclarenf3387

Boats are a huge money pit, but your right they are tons of fun.

And not neccisarily to for the TL, but Acura really needs a RWD coupe for me to stay with them (SH-AWD would do though). I love my CL, but there is nothing in the Acura line to replace it while the market is being flooded by G35s and BMWs.