ThePianoMan

Anyone with splash guards have any opinions on whether or not they are effective and if they take away from/enhance the TL's appearance. I am trying to decide if I want them when I hopefully take delivery of my TL in December.

ITL

IMO...get em....I didn't want em at first, but the dealer put em on for free......I figured I could always just take em off if I wanted to. It's only a few screws in each one. They don't look bad on my NBP....they defintely keep the car cleaner!

srhewes

I have them and I think they do a good job in keeping crud off your lower area. With my car color, they look fine (blend in with the color of the tires). For $100, you can't go wrong -- or just take them off if you don't like them. In Baltimore, they may help keep salt, etc off the car in winter.
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04TL / SSM / Quartz / 5AT / Navi
Purchased 9/04

Law21

I have them and I like them. I don't understand why people feel they detract from the overall appearance of the car. Most of the time, you don't even notice them unless you're looking for them.

murphy9173

I totally agree. I purchased the 05 SSM last week without them. The crud and tire dressing sprayed all over the sides of the car within a day so I just had them installed yesterday. I'm about to leave work now and it's sprinkling here in Northern VA. I'll see what it looks like when I get home. My opinion is to have them installed before you take it home that way you won't notice a difference between having them or not. I also just got the all-weather floor mats and they look great. They fit to the inside of your car and they have a hook to hold them in place.

Road Rage

Hate them - they look added on, will scratch the paint if left on a while, and are not needed. Look how the rear wheels are almost entirely shrouded by the fenders - what are you protecting what from? I have not found a nick anywhere back there.

I had them on my silver 2001 and 2002, which I painted to reduce the add-on look, and then I spent hours trying to buff out the scratches. (They flex differently than the sheet metal, and rub as a result) - over time, it takesd its effect).

Again, I fall back on the shows and brochures - Acura never has splash guards or mud guards or road-kill guards in either - they know how they look.

automata

I had them but I took them off. I agree with RR that they look added on. Although they do blend well with dark colors. I didn't notice any more crap on the side of the car than I had with them on. If you can get them from your dealer for free, as I and others did, I say get them and decide for yourself.

J RIDE 81

I don't like them at all, IMO

nuttyirishman

I agree the added on look takes away from the sporty aspect of the car.

Take a side by side comparison, you'll see what I mean. Thats what I did with my SSM.

Jss1

I have them and like them. Worked well during last winter and they keep all the gunk from going into the paint.

rontatuaf

Have SSM and I like them for their effectiveness and the appearance is acceptable if not outright attractive. Your call.

Treblig

They do work well at keeping stuff off of the lower panels, particularly if you run wider wheels and tires. I have them on my SSM car, but had them painted to match the car. They look much better since they now blend in rather than stick out (like they do when they are black).

Repecat

I put them on my RRP TL and they look just fine, especially on a darker color car. I don't think they look any more "added on" than a spoiler, and they are certainly more effective. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

ThePianoMan

Excellent, thanks for your input everyone! Overall it sounds like they aren't anymore affective than a TL without them. So I think I might just go without them. However, if the dealer gives them to me, I won't turn them down. I can always take them off.

I don't think I'll spend the money for them though..............especially if they are prone to scratching the very paint they are supposed to protect - sounds counter productive to me. IMO

Again...thanks guys!

1995hoo

I got them and I think they look fine, not very noticeable unless you look, but then, I have NBP, so that makes sense. You still get water spots on the paint when it rains, of course. Haven't yet had this car during the winter so I don't know how they'll do.

ITL

unless you drive a NBP (me)

jhunter9999

They interupt the lines of the car.

paul revere

I have them on my DGP and I think they look fine. I think they do protect the lower fenders and along the doors. Wouldn't be without them on any car.

Lore

When I look at mine carefully I found a lot of little pebbles and rocks that had been caught by the mudguards. I figured, without that guard those pebbles probably would have found their way to my paint somehow...

neuronbob

I had them on my 2002 TL-P and they scratched all the way through the paint to the metal after about a year. I didn't request them with my 2004 and don't want them.

pcinoc

It's all about keeping the crap from the lower panels of the car. It does the job well. On the other hand, it's not the most attractive option to add to the car. The car looks better without them but to be honest, it looks fine with the mudguards too. I'm getting them.

nearwater4me

me neither.

Oswald Vater

Mine were put on for free, but I probably wouldn't have paid for them. They do keep the lower portion of the car behind them cleaner than without, though. I think the TL looks fine without them but I also think the black splashgards set off my WDP very nice. FWIW

04acura tl

I am on thge fence weather I should get them or not

Road Rage

How is that possible when the wheels are enclosed by the fenders? Are these stones controlled by demonic forces?

The previous TL's had a lot of exposure, especially in the rear - the 3G doesn't. I do not get it - for me, the mud guards are the answer to the question i never asked.

Again i say, if they were so inconspicuous, how come the brochures never show them?

Repecat

Dunno about the demonic forces. They are probably pretty subtle. However, the brochures don't normally show all accessories like splash guards, car covers, door and moonroof visors, spoilers, etc. I really don't think the guards are especially attractive, but then neither are spoilers.

Road Rage

On that I agree - I hate the rear spoilers on a sedan, I hate the moonroof spoiler (perhaps the ugliest accesory ever). Genrally, I do not like add-ons - they look so - well added on! I need mud guards on our Outback - not the TL.

I have kept my S2000 "clean" as well - no rear wing, no front lip spoiler. I have added some cool parts for handling and performance, including a carbon fiber cold air intake ($) and the Mugen titanium exhaudst ($$$). I am very much into the sleeper, stealth look - even my license plate is stealthy: SB5S5S8

pettydw

I bought them after hearing stones hit the mirrors this past summer. They dump gravel (the State calls it "sand") on the roads here in the winter, so the mudguards will protect much of the lower door paint. It bought them through a site sponsor and put them on myself in about a half hour (ask for the instruction sheet). They look alright, but I would take them off if I moved back to Florida.

HondaOnly

They look good on darker colors like NBP, which is what I have. On lighter colors they stand out more, but they still look OK. But I agree that the moonroof visor is the ugliest add-on. I laugh whenever I see an expensive car ruined by one of these.

arg

Can someone post the instructions? I would like to see how difficult it is to install.

Thanx

jhunter9999

I have kept my S2000 "clean" as well - no rear wing, no front lip spoiler. I have added some cool parts for handling and performance, including a carbon fiber cold air intake ($) and the Mugen titanium exhaudst ($$$). I am very much into the sleeper, stealth look - even my license plate is stealthy: SB5S5S8[/QUOTE]


Let's see some photo's

Repecat

They are easy to install...may take about 20 minutes. You should have a regular #2 Phillips screwdriver and a stubby one. The hardest part is getting working room between the rear tire and the fender. Instructions are NOT packed in the box, but should be available from the dealer and may be somewhere on this site. Use the search tool.

Diver

nice work on the license plate. it's impossible to remember

Road Rage

And impossible to see at a glance. was that a 5,S,8,B??? I do not take a dump without a plan.