organa7

I have been a member of this site since April of last year, and have watched the posts turn from hype and excitement about the new TL to almost nothing but negative statements. Now I understand the need to discuss the negative aspects of things otherwise they would never get resolved, but I also believe that if you focus to much on the negatives that is all you will see. Having just ordered my TL I find it hard to enjoy this, when reading all of the negative things being posted about the TL. Therefore, I wanted to start a thread with a different mood, because I for one would like to feel good about something that I am going to spend that much money on.

So who out there actually likes their new '04 TL? What do you like most about it, what were you most looking forward to, what feature has surprised you the most?
cheers:

MikeRadio

I like my TL



I have nothing negative to say.

Memory seat issue only one I have and not a big deal.


Everything else great.... The forum is for posting of questions and issues, but in the process it makes the car sound like it has a lot of problems which isnt the case and especially not with every car off the line.

eneg

It's a little too early to say, but it may be one of the best cars that I've ever owned.
I had a 99 Accord 4 cyl Coupe. Great car, but when the accelerator was depressed, it made a lot of noise and hardly moved. This car, while not a sports car, or a race car, "moves!" There are some features on the car that I either don't use or use very little. Wish I didn't have to take them with the car and that the price could be dropped a little if they were not on the car. But, as I have been preaching, nothing is perfect.
You either take the package for what it is, or you don't. I did and I glad that I did!
Have had the car since early November. It has never been back to the dealer for anything.
When I get back to NY in early March, it will go in for an oil change.
My dealer is "one of those" that doesn't learn. They want to put in an additive with the oil. Hard to believe that some of them still try that. Honda tells you all over the place not to do this, but these dealers will do anything for a buck.

Anyway, I've had it two months and it's been reliable and great.

Eneg

acur8ly

iTrader: (1)

I love my new TL. Its a joy to drive and now that I am used to the car driving most vehicles seem to be a chore now. I have an 03 TL-p loner right now and its my opinion that they made a very significant improvement for the 04+ models. Any one looking to step up will no doubt be pleased with their decision.

godfreyl

My TL is just super. It drives and runs very well and has plenty of power when I put my foot down. The only issues are the seat memory problem and a minor rattle. Other than that the car is perfect. There is no doubt that it deserves the #1 ranking from Consumer Reports.

daveinmass

I really enjoy every aspect of the car with the single exception of the vibration problem. My dealer here West of Boston has balanced the wheels with no resolution of the problem. The car is going back in late next week for another attempt to fix. Service manager says it "could be a single, permanently, flat spotted tire." Said he has heard nothing of this problem from Acura Corporate - which is contrary to what I was told by ACS early this week.

Regarding the vibration issue, I wonder if it would be helpful for those folks on the forum who have had their dealer replace the Turanza's to call ACS and tell them about it? In my opinion, the quicker this becomes a corporate "fix" instead of an individual dealer fix, the quicker those experiencing the problem will be taken care of.

The TL is a fine automobile, with an incredible list of features, an amazing power train, and a few problems, which I do believe Acura and Honda will get fixed.

Jss1

Nothing negative here after 1 1/2 months. Best features for me are the navi and bluetooth. Looks like I'll be buying Acura for quite awhile if they continue keep so far ahead of everyone else.

mook

I really like my TL. Yes there are some minor problems that will be fixed when it goes in for the first oil change, but nothing that would change my opinion of the car.

I have to admit reading these forums sometimes makes me paranoid about problems. I can't seem to notice the tire vibration problem, but then again our roads aren't the smoothest here in Houston. I have had the seat memory disappear once, but it hasn't happened again and since I'm the only driver, it isn't that big a deal. Without a doubt the new TL is a great car and a great value.

Motavar

Too early to judge the car. If I like it 2 years from now then I'll let you know.

Only thing I hate is the memory seat problem.

Chplummer

It's overall the badest ride I've ever owned.

Hybrid

I think the forums themselves cause the negativity, and it's not just for the TL. Every forum I have visited has people complaining about how their cars are junk and their previous cars were all perfect. It seems like lots of those perfect cars were ones with no internet forum, or the owner never checked the forums.

I think lots of people only discover problems or issues because they read about them on the forum. They become hypersensitive to the issue, then go out to look for it in their own car. Then some people become obsessed over it. It might even get to the point where some owners even trade their car for something else. Then the cycle will start again.

Some of the problems seem exaggerated because it tends to be the same people complaining over and over, in every different thread where somebody brings up the issue.

I also agree that Acura has a couple of issues with the TL that people WOULD have noticed without the forum, specifically the flat-spotting EL42 tire issue, the seat memory issue, and some affected owners would have noticed misaligned body panels. The first two issues will likely be fixed, at least on new cars coming off the line and hopefully for current owners also. There are a lot of other issues that individual owners would have noticed, but then not thought about too much, because it's the forums that cause the obsession with the issues. (But that doesn't mean we shouldn't attempt to get issues corrected. Just realize that ALL cars have issues if you start looking for them).

Z Factor

People find it very easy to complain about a product that they expect perfection from and it is not there. Others who lay out 30-35k also want things to be in order without having to bring their cars in repeatedly with no fixes. HOWEVER, with all that said, I think a majority of the people who are complaining still LOVE their TL's, and do not regret their purchases.

I for one, who has some minor gripes with common problems like the memory seats, do not regret my choice of the 04 TL one bit. I love the styling of the car, both inside and out, the creature comforts of dual a/c, XM, 5.1, Bluetooth, etc., and the performance of the car is a major plus.

You will enjoy your TL when you get it, so don't let the people who complain take away from it.

ranberndt

04 TL NBP 6m no-navi.

I just traded my 03 TLs in. I actually sold it to Carmax.

This TL is a company car. (we bought 6)

It is a far better car than my 03. faster, tighter, smoother.

yes, I have the flat spots, but I don't have the seat mem prob.

I recommend this car to all I talk to.

We tested - G35, Maxima,BMW, Audi, Volvo, etc.....TL far outweighed the field in bang for buck.

RB

Wildcat Jon

Absolutely love the car. Had it 3 weeks and 750 miles. Blows away my old Volvo S70 (1998) and better than every car I test drove in terms of performance, value, handling, ride, technology, size/roominess (BMW 325, G35, IS, ES, even GS300, which seemed stale and old to me). I do have the flatspotting issue that I've reported to ACS but otherwise, no rattles and no other issues. Car would be perfect with better tires. Highly recommend it. Never loved getting into a car more.

VTEC=happiness

Organa...you obviously have not been paying much attention....there have been several threads about the positives about the car and the people who love their car. Its just that the negatives are more prevalent because it is easier for peopl to start a thread about something they are upset about rather than a thread that says, "gee, its great".

Anyway, I'm going on 6 weeks and 2K miles and love it. I suspect you will too. MOST of us do.

nickpoore

LOVE IT

Hybrid

I copied this from another forum, but this might give some perspective. I have no details on exactly what it means. I assume the data came from CR's surveys of owners (who also subscribe to CR, of course).

Consumer Reports: 97-03 problems per vehicles report
acura 21
toyota 25
lexus 25
honda 32
mazda 34
subaru 36
saab 37
nissan 40
mitsubishi 42
lincoln 47
buick 49
hyundai 53
bmw 54

average 55

chrysler 56
ford 56
mercury 57
plymoth 57
dodge 59
audi 64
olds 67
pontiac 68
jeep 68
chevy 69
volvo 70
saturn 70
gmc 72
benz 73
VW 74
cadillac 82

need4spd

Organa7,

I know that most will find this hard to believe, but I do love my car, and will say what I did in my 11 day review again, even if I were able to start all over again, I WOULD STILL select this car.

I think it is great, and has a perfect ballance of size, performace, sport and luxury. The features are unbeatable (best stereo, navigation, interior design, bluetooth, etc), and is one of the best looking cars on the market today!

You will not find one post that I hate this car, people may get that impression as I post the items that I am having difficulty with, but out of all of them, it is only the vibration that is an issue, and I am pretty sure that it will get fixed by Acura. I hope that the other posts with various issues are used to help people if they have the same thing, not used to determine if they should buy the car.

One more thing, I do believe that feedback to Acura will only make better cars in the future, and it is important for them to know any issues - All the testing that is done before hand, sometimes does not pick up certain things in production models, and this is for ANY company.

Anyway the car is GREAT!

gotsand?

As a member of three Acura forums (MDX, TSX and TL) I've seen a lot of kvetching about problems relating to each of these cars. As an owner of each of these models, I, too, have found imperfections (as I have for every car I ever owned), but none have caused me to doubt that I have made the right purchase, at the right time, for the right reasons -- FOR ME!
As for the TL, I am very satisfied.

VTEC=happiness

Nicely put

Animate

This forum is a great resource, but it brought me very close to deciding AGAINST the TL. It seemed everything I read had to do with tires, vibrations, rattles, etc. In the end, I cautiously decided to go ahead and buy the car anyway. It was the BEST DECISION I ever made. My TL isn't just the nicest car I've ever owned, it's the nicest ANYTHING I've ever owned.

timnguyen9

No regrets whatsoever since I drove off the dealer lot 9 weeks ago. This car is awesome and has a feel of luxury. Nav is the best on the market. Waiting to get a bluetooth phone.

Only minor complaint is the 55mph tire vibration, but my gut feeling is that we will have a resolution by Acura. Also wish I'd order aero kit with the car and included in financing.

Overall, I'm one very happy customer.

Mike64

I love my TL. I have seen a lot of really interesting information on this site. I have also seen a lot of complaining going on, but I take that for what its worth.

I tested many different cars before choosing to lease the Acura. Hands down, this car was the best choice. 4,000 miles in two months and the car is wonderful. My memory seat issue needs to be resolved, like many others. No big deal.

BTW, I have owned Infiniti, BMW, and Nissan and to me Acura is the clear winner.

2obsessed

Organa,
This is a great car, and I am one picky bastard.
What I like most about it:
1. Buttery smooth, powerful engine. For a v6, this car has a nice broad torque curve. There is plenty of power below 5k rpm. I am frequently impressed at how quick this car is when you aren't even trying. Obviously, it is no Z06, but to get that kind of power in this quality sedan, you need an m5, e55, or rs6 at $75k+.
2. Great brakes. Powerful, yet not touchy, and easy to modulate.
3. Great interior - seats, dash, stereo - all just perfect.
4. Quiet - near total silence when you are just cruising around. Allows you to enjoy the great stereo.
5. Handling / Ride balance. Damn good.
6. Exhaust note - almost silent when you aren't pushing it, subdued but really great sound when you are pushing it. plus a cool little rumble just off idle when driving off.
7. Stereo - simply great. The DVD-A demo disk has some great stuff on it. Don't have any DVD-A's yet. Even without dvd, sounds great.

What I look forward too:
1. Driving it more.
2. More quality DVD-A releases. Some stuff on the demo disc sound so great, I want more DVD-A's, but there isn't much out there that I want, and currently some aren't better than CD's. But I think that will change over time.
3. Bluetooth for Verizon.

Feature that surprised me most:
1. Stereo + Quietness of interior. Makes for a great listening experience. I was expecting decent power and handling, so this is what I really didn't care about, but which I ended up really appreciating.

Seriously, for around $30k, you pretty much cannot get a better sport sedan than this. Get a G35 if you are a more hardcore enthusiast driver, as the near 50/50 weight balance and rwd are better when you are really pushing (except for the occassionally dangerous overstear). Other than that, this is pretty much it. Yeah, awd would be nice, and so would a v8, but then you have a $50k S4.

erikmoeser

"It's Greeaaat !!!", as Tony would say.

Actually I have only driven our Audi S4 twice since taking delivery of the TL over a month ago, and I still look for excuses to go for a drive. Do I like it better or is it just that it is a new car??? That is a tough one!

The TL is more comfortable even if the interior isn't close to Audi quality...it is lighter on its feet but has the FWD torque steer and all too easy ability to break the tires loose, so Audi wins there...and the Audi has more "go" power but slight turbo lag and the shifter is nowhere as satisfying to use.

I am a happy camper.

organa7

Well as I said, I do understand the usefullness of this forum to be used to discuss problems and share information on fixing them. I always tried to assume that everybody was still happy with their TL, but it gets hard when you keep hearing more complaints than praise. After reading all of these posts though, I am very happy that I started this thread. It is great to hear about how much people are pleased with their TL's, and it makes me feel good about my order, and look even more forward to getting my car.

thanks to all

chadr

I love my TL. Sure I wish it had certain things it does not. My only issues are the memory seat issue and a rattle but I haven't even bother to take the car in for the rattle yet.

The car is wonderful and as far as a price vs. value equation about the best thing on the market. If it was AWD it would be nearly perfect

svtmike

I love my TL, don't like it's shoes (getting that taken care of, though), and am not pleased whatsoever with my dealer's service department or Acura's customer service.

But I love my TL.

Mike

Yaaro Dhana

I love my TL. As some car commercial once said "parking is such sweet sorrow" . No regrets (well, one: my closest dealer is 60 miles away, but I knew that before I bought it!)

Ramse

I love my new TL. Best bang for the buck.. Only 500 miles so far.

neuronbob

I love my car. End of story.

Teh Jatt

i love my TL

6spdzoomzoom

I love mine...

I have had a couple of issues but I have a low build # 2800 ish.

I wouldn't trade the car for the world.

underpar

daddy likie!!!

lakeman

This car is awesome. I wanted a comfortable, long distance spacious car and this fills the bill. I also wanted a 6MT with a very sporting attitude. This car is uniquely both luxury and sport. I would not change for anything. I am more amazed every day, that this much car can be purchased for around $35 K.

jezpass

erikmoeser,
I leased a 2001 Cl and I love Acura, but right now I'm trying to decide what to get next, an 04 S4 or the 04 TL. I'm seriously confused on which one to choose. Is the S4 more fun to drive and shift or the TL?

CP270

I love this car!

By far, the best I have ever owned. Absolute driving enjoyment. Anyone that I have shown the car to was absolutely blown away by the technology.

I haven't owned too many 'fast' cars in the past, but with the TL, when I want to just 'kick it into high gear' every so often, it is pure joy!

Pete