TranTL

My previous car was a 2k1 Bmw 330i, the TL suspension is pretty bouncy compared to the Bmw, it has more of a stiff bounce. Has anyone else notice there TL being more bouncy compared to there other or previous cars.

Chris Longworth

I have an 05 TL Navi AT with 1800 miles on it and it seems to have a much stiffer ride than the 04 I test drove before ordering my car. I also have constant vibration problems that gets worse as the speed increases - Highway travel is very unpleasant ( and my Florida roads are very smooth) I took the car to the dealer who blamed it on the torque converter but said nothing can be done about it - I am shocked that my 01 Honda Accord EX V6 Rides smoother than my brand new 35K Acura! I have faxed my concerns to Acura Customer Service last week but have not heard any response yet - which surprises the heck out me - I get the impression they don' t care.

Techzilla

I like the TL suspension. My last car was a '97 A4. I replaced the stock suspension with H&R springs and Billstien struts. It was a HUGE improvement and I never minded the stiffness. But it would knock your fillings out when you hit a pothole. The TL seems to be a happy medium of the two.

JDM5lugHatch

Purchase the A-spec suspension kit and you should get the ride you desire. Search the tires,rims, and suspension section for reviews on it.

TLVR

The Bavarians just have that magic ability to create the almost perfect balance of superior roadholding and ride comfort. God knows the Japanese have cut apart and studied every suspension part, bushing etc of available Porsches, MB, Audi and BMW in order to improve- and they have come close- but not yet! It is not your imagination-there still is a difference.

batting_cleanup

Get the service manager to drive with you so you can show him what the problem is you are experiencing. Then have him drive a demo or another identical TL over the same road with you driving along. Then, if the demo doesn't have the same problem tell him what you are experiencing isn't NORMAL. By identical car I mean automatic transmission since obviously yours is an automatic.

dsc888

I know this may sound silly but have you guys checked out your cold tire pressures? Make sure it's set to factory specs listed on the door jam. It's 32 psi all the way around for the automatic and slightly higher up front for the 6MT if I remember correctly. Tire pressures will definitely affec the ride quality.

dsc888

jchcmax

I would agree with you 100%. The TL is pretty firm and bouncy.

angler67

True, the 04/05 TL suspension is firm but bouncy, mostly on uneven roads. It is silky smooth on even hwy. The 03 TL suspension was much better. I noticed it the very day I traded in my 03 for an 05 on the way home. There is a high trans road (55N to 91W) that has dips in it that I like at 70+ and had no problem with my 98accord or 03 TL-S, but the 05 was bouncing hard.

I got the A-Spec and it helped quite a bit, but the ride is a bit stiff now. Much more road feel that I wanted, but curves are a whole new sport. I just installed the Comptech swaybar this weekend and still testing it on corners.

dgracer

I agree with what another member said about tire pressure. My CL-S seems especially sensitive to either too low or too high. When I first got it I thought it was too stiff out back on the freeway. I kept loweing pressure and it only got worse, so I went the other way. I think the shocks were fighting the low pressure. At 33-34 rear and 35-36 front it feels perfect. Any more than that and it goes to being too harsh on impact. Any less and the tire seems to bounce around on the sidewall. Now at 80k miles it still rides very well.

SouthernBoy

Mine's not "bouncy" at all.. I equate "bouncy" with ultra-soft rides of some luxury cars 30-40 years ago.

I don't like a "soft" riding car at all and wouldn't buy one. Terrible for road trips, let along serious driving. My TL has a superb suspension and I VERY pleased with it. Just the right combination of firmness and comfortable ride for a performance sedan.

As for tire pressure, I concur. I visually check my tires every day and manually check the pressure more often than most, I would say. My TL is not as sensitive to tire pressue WITH THE STOCK EL42's as my 1988 Mustang LX 302CID was, but then again, the Mustang's suspension was significantly harder than the TL. I CAN feel a 4 pound difference in tire pressure with the TL, especially if the pressure is unbalanced from one side to another. But it holds pressure just fine so that never happens.

dsc888

I agree with you, SoutherBoy. I actually like the stiffer European riding suspensions. I will take that over the Caddy float anytime...at least until I turn 60 . I like the TL OEM suspension the way it is. I usually run about 36 psi up front and 33 in the back for my handling and ride tastes.

The saddest part is that Autoweek reported Mazda is softening their suspensions for the "American" consumer. They will maintain stiffer setups for their Euro and Asian market cars.

dsc888

softtower

My last car was a Honda Prelude. I have been test-driving various models for almost a year, before I settled on TL. Preludes have (IMO) the best suspension compromise around: sporty but not spine-breaking. Also I had Billstein shocks installed on mine: it made the car alot "flatter" but just a little bit stiffer.

TL's suspension is OK. It is somewhat underdamped in my opinion (stiff springs, weak shocks), but as far as I know there are no good aftermarket shock setups available for the stock springs. Besides, after I stiffened my Prelude, it's body started to get more stress from the bumps, etc, developing all sorts of minor rattles over a year. I was curious about A-spec suspension, but my dealer did not have any cars available for a test-drive. Besides, I was a bit worried about those huge rims - they would increase unsprung weight for sure.

Well, here I am - in a *very* comfortable car with a reasonably boring suspension: just a tint of sportiness, just enough to keep me from installing something else. However, once some reputable companies like billstein develop shocks setups *specifically* for TL, I'll probably go for it - shocks leave alot to be desired in a stock form, that's for sure.

sftroy

CL -

I spent a year trying to work with ACS on my 04 vib issues just to end up in arbitration. ACS doesn't care. In my case, they didn't return phone calls, the DSPM (Rick) treated me like crap, I couldn't escalate issues to the manager (Julie) at ACS, they don't listen and the bottom line is that they would rather save a $1 than keep a long time customer happy. My last discussion with ACS was with my case manager (Bob) after I specifically asked for the manager and stated I didn't want to deal with the CM any longer. He basically told me that my car was normal and that there was nothing they could do for me. When I told him I was frustrated that the problems are getting worse, that they were ignoring the problems and that my only recourse is to take them to BBB he said fine, go ahead. NOBODY from Acura ever called me. Not a one. Even as my BBB case progressed and my car received two poor technical inspections, they could have easily settled with me, but they chose to ignore me. Now they are the not so proud owners of my 04tl . . .

ACS is arrogant and in great need of a house cleaning.

angler67

I agree, I hate the "caddy" bounciness. There are different kinds of bouncy, however. The fluffy "caddy" bounce is what you are referring to. The 04/05 TL stock suspension is a stiff bounce. It feels just right when the road is even, but under the duress of speed, curve and waviness in the road, it loses its composure and starts to do a bouncy dance. It feels very unsettling to me, buth that doesnot mean it is unstable, it just feels that way. It may be the stiffer suspension that does not extend as much to compensate for the unevenness, making the car drop too much.

As I noted earlier, my experience is coming from the 03 TL-S suspension which was a bit softer, but could handle the unevenness with unwavering composure, never feeling ustable.

With the ASpec on the 05, it handles the bouncyness much better, but the general ride is noticably stiffer. Now that I added the CT Swaybar, corners and curves are that much more fun.