Hey guys! Long story short. I love my car. It's a 2003 TL type s, just hit 120k, salvage title, etc. So I'm guessing it's worth about 6-7k. It has a nice sound system, bluetooth, enkeis, and a few other things. I absolutely love driving it, but I drove a 2008 TL the other day and loved it every bit as much if not more. So I'm wondering is it worth the switch? I think my car has tons of life left in it, but it's coming up on some expensive maintenance so I'm wondering if I should keep it till it dies, or buy a 2008 and enjoy the last year of the good looking TL made. How do they compare? I honestly thought the non-S 2008 drove pretty similar to my 2003 S. How are the 2008 type-s's compared to the base model? I loved the one I drove, especially the nav. Let me know what you guys think, I'm seriously considering upgrading.

Thanks for your help

 

the 2008 base tl is good too, obviously type s will be slightly faster here and there but if power isnt a concern, the base tl has more than enough for a daily driver. the 2008 tl has all the best features of all 3g TL, type s or not. you get updated bumpers, blinking side mirrors, backup camera for navigation, etc.
however, nothing beats having no car payments, so u have to keep that in mind, is it worth it? we cant tell you that because we dont know your financial status. however if you got some spare cash, go ahead and upgrade.

 

it depends on your financial status. are you ready to make a car purchase?
if you're looking for a car that will last over ten years, go ahead and make the purchase.

 

I moved up to an 08 Type-S from my 02 TL, and the upgrade was worth every penny...puts a smile on my face daily!! If you can, go for it!!

 

I guess I'll just have to drive a 2008 type s. I'll likely be upgrading to one anyway, it's just a matter of when. The 3rd gen base TL's seem to be pretty equal with mine (suspension, horsepower, etc.) Since the newest non-ugly-robot TL is already 3 years old, I may be better off upgrading now. I don't want to spend money for no reason, but I think with 70k on my transmission, and the 100k maintenance coming up, I may be better off selling mine now rather than later. Would you guys say the type s is worth the extra over the regular TL?

Thanks for the advice, keep 'em coming!

 

Money situation aside yes the 2008 TL is worlds better than the 03 TL's. Having no car payment is overrated it's not as cool as everyone says haha. I personally would rather have something newer and nicer and have a car payment than have an older car that is payed off. Obviously though everyone's money situation is different so you be the judge of that. To answer your question yes I would absolutely rather have an 08 TL over the 2nd gen TL. If your looking for a great all around car the 08 base/nav is an excellent car, for the best performer out of the bunch it would be an 07/08 6spd manual type s.
And to answer your question about if the Type S is worth it over the base some will say yes some will say no. Most base owners say it's not and the S owners say it is. Coming from someone who has had both it is worth it to me as I love all the changes and the fact that it's a lot more rare.
James

 

Sounds like it's definitely worth it. It's gonna be tight, but the car would probably be bought with cash. Sounds like if I end up doing it, it should be a win-win. Sorry to make this more complicated, but how does everyone on here feel about the is350? I drove one and I think the TL is more fun, but dang that interior is nice. Outside looks better too IMO

 

IS 350 doesn't compare to the TL or TL Type S. The fit and finish of that car is just on a different level hence the heftier price tag. My sister has the IS250 AWD and all the panels and finishings are just so refined and perfect. As far as fun to drive and handling characteristics.. Honda > Toyota anyday. It all depends on what you're after. Is the upgrade worth it from an 03 TL .... yes mos def. I had an 03 TYPE S and I upgraded and though I still miss my 2nd Gen TL ... I don't regret upgrading to my 06.

 

Sounds like you like the current TL, but am worried about some maintenance- assuming its the timing belt? That service can be done at a Honda dealer and save money. Any savvy car buyer will discount this service from the asking price of the car, so you'll be paying the service one way or the other - even if you sell the car now.

You should also account for how much your insurance will go up instead because that over a few years time of increase that would pay for the service that you're fretting about now. My guess is the IS350 will be a large increase per year over what you're paying now.

I say if you like your car and your needs don't change, save your money and keep driving your same car- especially if it's clean and in good shape- why not? Check out the money & investing forum for ideas I and others are talking about. These ideas could double your savings in a few years time possibly- they have for me already so my next car is paid for already with these sorts of investments.

Buy a different car when your needs change- maybe you'll need a car that is smaller and gets better gas mileage some day. A 3G TL is not a lot different than a 2G from a gas mileage or even driving point of view. If you were talking 4G that would be a different story since that one at least has AWD available if you live in a snowy climate. I'm waiting for the 5G before making any changes myself since it's likely to be smaller than the 4g is now.

 

Diasgreed on the IS not comparing to the TL or the S. Read some of the Lexus forums and see what their owners complain about. I don't think the fit and finish of the IS is on a different level.

 

^the back seat of an IS is too small to get anything accomplished.

 

front seats too!!!

 

Definitely. Would be a huge upgrade!

 

Thanks guys! I appreciate the advice. I could argue this either way, but I guess the best thing is to wait till I find a clean TL-S locally and drive it. If it's as great as everyone says, I'll probably have to pass mine on to another lucky person. It really has been a great car, but I figure if I drive it till it dies, the car I replace it with would already be like 12 years old, haha. If I can find a clean one for a good price, I may have to jump on it. I would have to agree with the first poster regarding the fit and finish of the IS. I think overall, they are comparable cars, but Lexus seems to focus on flawless fit and finish, while Acura focuses on driving dynamics. There may be some people complaining about the IS, but it just seems like most TL's have random dash rattles, doors creaking, bumpers popping out, stuff like that. I just don't see much of that on the Lexus. I have plenty of small complaints about the TL, and only one about the IS. That is it's dull drive, and that's why my first choice is still the TL. I can deal with all of it's little annoyances, seems worth it for the driving fun. Maybe the IS could be cured with an exhaust and suspension?

 

Ask the man who owns one of each.

Do it.

The 3G TL-S is an upgrade in practically every way. 3G is just, plain and simple, a MUCH better car.

 

The 07 and 08 TL interiors are very nice and very comparable to the IS as far as quality. Infact I think the IS interior looks very bland compared to the 07+ TL interior. One thing I don't like about the IS interior is the cheap plasticy looking dash. It is a nice car though and a IS350 with some F sport parts would be pretty sweet not gonna lie.

 

considering the 04 base was faster than the prev gen type s, and looks a lot better, yup.

 

04 5at tl is faster than 03 tl-s? u sure about that?

 

I don't think 04's are faster than 03 type s's. To my understanding 03's had 260 and the 04's had 258. probably exactly the same.

 

i would say 03 TL-S is faster than a 04 base TL....cuz lighter for sure

 

whyzee125----i switch my 03 TL-S A Spec to 08 Type S(AT) as well....when i first test drive the 08 Type S,i love it so much,3G Type S is just totally diff from my prev 03 TL-S A Spec,especially power,suspension and so stable than 2G TL-S(even i slammed my 2G,with CAI and catback exhaust).....stock 3G Type S is way faster than my prev 2G-S A Spec....and love the navi with back up camera and everything on my 3G Type S now

 

I stand corrected:

0-60 times from different sources, but yea:
2004 TL 0-60: 6.9
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._tl/index.html

2003 TL-S 0-60: 6.8
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...acura-tl-1.htm

.1 off isn't too big of a difference though.

edit: re-affirms not to big of a difference.
http://www.zeroto60times.com/Acura-0-60-mph-Times.html

 

I would agree with this mostly. I think the IS350 is a better car than the TL... I don't think it's a completely different level, but I do think that it is slightly nicer. Worth the money, in most cases. Also, the IS is RWD and the 350 is substantially quicker than the TL (or TL-s), so that's always nice. Some say that the "connectivity to the road" isn't as good, but honestly I think it's a bit of BS (and maybe an excuse for the fact that it doesn't ride as well). It depends on what you're looking for, but in my opinion it drives more comfortably and is faster, so I like it. I like my TL, but I would rather have an IS. I just love having RWD. Any edge in handling that the TL may have is lost on me because of the FWD. I would rather have "less connectivity" and RWD.

I think it's a different level, but it's not exactly a world of difference. I've been in a few different TL's and a few different IS's and I would give the IS's an edge by a bit. They just drive smoother and quieter. But an ES or GS they are not.