So, I'm dreaming of an '05 TL (Prob silver, graphite leather, nav), and I have a dumb question about the XM radio. If you decide not to subscribe, does it work with regular radio stations? From what I've heard of XM, it's not worth it for me. I mainly listen to CD's and only to local radio for traffic etc. Plus I like playing radio roulette on road trips

Forgive the stupid question, but I'd rather ask those who know than the dealer...

 

Yes you can still listen to FM/AM, CD and not to forget TAPE player.

 

Tape? Wassat? Funnily enough, I found a box of tapes from the late 80s when cleaning out a closet last week (hubby won't part with them). Maybe I should try them for old time's sake!

Thanks for your fast response!

 

You know what's funny - I've not had my XM for almost 2 months now (since its expiration) and I haven't given it too much thought at all! I don't miss it at all... but I do like the $10 I'm saving monthly.

 

Same here Lore. I do not miss it at all.

 

I played with XM when we test drove the TL last November and wasn't impressed. But then I have strange tastes in music and I get annoyed at the local stations sometimes. And $10 a month would eat into my Starbucks budget! hehe

 

Isn't XM working well in West Coast?

I'm not the big fan for XM, either. I hate the system is not working on the car though. :o

 

Wow....

I wouldn't EVER get a car without XM....

it would be like it being 1978 and not getting a new car with FM... or not getting CD....

I don't know how anyone can drive around without XM with all the choices and stuff....

I NEVER turn on the local channels anymore at all

 

My thoughts about xm radio: It's great, but then......... if you buy a portable xm radio receiver and pay 10 bucks a month you'll be able to install it into any car, it can be used outside of the car with earphones (it is easily detachable from the car), or stick it into one of those specially made stereos which attach to the receiver. I'm annoyed that if i pay that same price, i can only enjoy xm radio inside the car. BLAH!

 

Keep XM! I thought about canceling it when my free subscription expired-no such luck. I don't listen to FM anymore. Besides, you can also listen to CNN, MSNBC, etc. You can get weather and traffic reports every 10 sec. $10 per month is nothing compared to what you paid for your car!

 

You're going to love the XM so much you're never going to listen to FM again and you'll listen to AM only for local sports. Everything else is covered in pure, digital quality on the XM band.

BJ

 

Everyone makes their own choices about XM, that's cool, but it is kind of funny to hear the owners of a $30,000+ car talk about saving $10 a month.

 

What $10 A Month Buys A 2004 Acura TL Driver:

1/3rd of a tank of gasoline.

1.3 automatic car washes.

6 Atkins™ Toasted Almond Crunch bars.

1.5 copies of Maxim magazine.

5 Large Dunkin' Donuts Decaf Iced Coffee's.

5/6ths of a downloaded CD from iTunes.

2 hours, 10 minutes of daycare for your children.

3 McDonald's Happy Meals™.

1 minute, 15 seconds with a Las Vegas in-room escort.


BJ

 

BJ, you forgot one other item - $10 at Starbucks buys you two Venti Lattes that STILL taste like burned coffee to me.

Pot80h - Strange tastes in music may make you a perfect candidate for XM. In addition to several stations chock full of the standards from any decade you like, there are many stations that play stuff you won't hear anywhere else.

People who don't like the music on XM should also check out the comedy and talk channels before giving up on XM completely. Sometimes, if you're stuck in traffic or had a bad day at the office, listening to hilarious old Richard Pryor or George Carlin stand-up routines can rally your mood back to happiness.

 

Don't forget the 8-track player, located under the armrest. Button to activate is in the glove compartment.

 

XM is all I listen to. FM is a distant memory.

 

Plus if you purchase an extended subscription package (from 1-5 years), you can cut that monthly cost down as much as 25% (5 year package works out to about $7.60/month). These discounted packages are really a no brainer, as if you decide to cancel at any time, you can get a pro-rated refund of the remainder.

XM rules....I love all the new music I get to hear instead of the same crap played over and over again on FM. I can't imagine being without it now.

 

I have to admit I'm sold on XM. Comedy and BPM are my 2 favorites and the no commerical thingy is also a huge reason. At about 33cents per day, I really don't see how it will impact my other spending. Just give it a chance and you will probably like it enough to keep it.

dsc888

 

XM is worth it if you like a varity of music. I'm an Urban listener and I always catch great music that I have never even heard of. Thats what really makes it fun to listen to.

 

I signed up for two years and saved a little on the monthly subscription rate. I really like the XM, but I'm not thrilled with the reception. What I mean is that the reception is really good when I'm out on open roads. When I go under overpasses or drive on roads that have tons of trees (not full of leaves), the signal drops out. I'm not crazy about the line of sight reception that XM is using.

 

XM is nice if you don't want to go through the hassle of burning your own CDs or DVD-Audio discs. I choose to burn my own discs so I can listen to the music I want to listen to when I want to. I can skip tracks or repeat tracks that I like hearing as many times as I want, which I cannot do with XM or FM.

 

When I got the car, I had no intention of signing up for XM. Now that I've had it for a couple of months, I like it and will sign up.

BTW, I'm told they '05 will no longer have tape decks.

 

I guess I'll have to wait and play with it when (hope hope) I get the car. It didn't help that all I could find on the test drive was sports and the kind of music my in-laws like. I'm a gal who likes Ozzy, after all! But then, I spent more time driving than tinkering with the radio.

I have a friend with the portable system, and he loves it. I could see getting one of those if they had the same plan as TiVo, where you can make one payment for life and move the unit on to a new car. $10 is $10 tho - just be glad you're not married to me! I can't help being cheap - old habits die hard and I like to get a lot for my money. 1 Starbucks a week is my treat

No tape player? Awww. Maybe I could burn them onto CD - including all that lovely hiss and crackle.