Hi all, I'm a newbie to this board. I don't own a TL but may get one soon. Yesterday was the first time I drove the TL. The drive was brief. Following are my observations. I've read many of the posts on this site, but, still, please forgive me if I'm still asking dumb questions. Also, please do share your opinion and advice if my observations aren't correct.

Good things about TL:
1. The combination between the engine and transmission is very smooth. I hardly notice the shifting between gears. The car accelerates quietly on freeway ramp.
2. The interior is BEAUTIFUL. You probably can't find another vehicle with more beautiful interior with MSRP under $35k (of course, market price is even lower).
3. The spec shows the trunk is under 13 cubic feet, but when I looked at it in person, I think the space is well managed. It shouldn't have any problem fitting in 2 mid size luggages.
4. Front and rear leg rooms are more than what I expected.

Things that can be improved:
1. The TL I drove has under 30 miles. There are already rattles coming from the Nav/radio area and back seat (not sure exactly where at). Is this a common problem with 2006 TLs?
2. The seats are pretty firm. There is nothing wrong with firm seats. At my age, soft seats will be easier on the butt (something most of you wouldn't understand until many years later ) Will the seats be softer in 2007?
3. When the car is parked and idle, the steering wheel shakes quite a bit. The steering wheel vibration goes away as soon as the car is in motion. Is this normal?

What price should I expect to pay for the 7 year/100k mile Acura extended warranty? Acura should be very reliable. I don't think the ext warranty should be expensive.

Thanks for any input!

 

Your observations/comments about the 06 TL are quite accurate and fair. I have rattles (a few) in my TL as well, and I will try to ask the dealer to fix them when I go in for my first service. The seats are firm, but I am sure they will soften up in the future. The engine/steering does vibrate a bit when the engine is cold, but they go away when the engine warms up as you drive. If you are interested in the 06, you must act NOW to catch the great discount. In a couple of more weeks, I think most, if not all, may be sold, with little or no good choice of color combo left.

 

From one newbie to another...

Let me suggest that while the firm seats aren't as cushy for a 15-minute drive as some other, softer seats, you'll be VERY happy with the firmer seats after a 3- or 4- or 12-hour stint behind the wheel, when you're much less stiff/sore.

Physiologically, the firmer seats are better for our middle-aged bodies...it's just that they don't necessarily feel so great for the 15 or 20 minutes of a test drive.

 

Yes, the seats on the 2007 TL are softer. The ride is also a little softer (base TL).

 

Glad you liked your test drive. I agree, the tl is the best buy for the money. I was thinking about a g35 and when I sat in the TL the interior sold me as well. I've got 4000 miles on my 06 tl and I can tell you that I have absolutely zero squeaks or rattles, but others have complained about rattles. The car is very smooth and I've got 32 mpg on the highway. Around town I usually get 18-20 mpg. I'm tall (6'5") and find the car very comfortable. It's odd that you say the car vibrated at idle, you can't even tell mine is running. The demo car probably needs a tune up or something. As far as an extended warantee, remember it is a honda and the reliability is very good.

Dave

 

I'm 57 and I've had my 06 TL for two months. I agree on most of your observations on the TL. I haven't had any rattles yet. Last weekend I drove up to see my son in Santa Cruz. I went up Highway 1 up to Big Sur and Monterey. Great weather and a beautiful drive. The TL ran great and handled the winding curves very well. I was surprised that after about four hours in the seat with one break, I felt no fatigue. While the ride is more firm then my 05 RL, it's a lot more fun to drive the TL. No complaints here on the 06 TL.

BTW, I paided $1300 for 7yr 100k warrenty. Better prices are available on line.

 

I have 3300 miles on my dark blue 2006 TL. I came from a Mercury Marauder

(suped up Grand Marquis) and it had so many rattles at 6,000 miles I ran out

of fingers counting. So this car is amazing, I don't notice any rattles. As soon as

I bought the car I drove to NJ from Mass and the 600 mile trip broke in the seats

nice.

 

I have 5000 miles on my 06 TL, I have zero rattles unless my kids have boosted the subwoofer and bass up to their liking and then the rear deck and the door pockets start to make some noise. There is no perceptible vibrations transmitted into the cabin until VTEC engages, but certainly not at idle. I just returned refreshed and not butt weary after a 220 mile trip today. I like the firmness of the seats on my 46 year old bones. I averaged 32mpg at 75-85 mph, not sure if that mpg increase was from the lightweight pulley or the Hypervoltage grounding system as I did both mods the same day, but i would previously only average 29 mpg

Oh yeah, I would not purchase the extended warranty on this vehicle. Put the money you would have spent into a CD or other long term savings.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm ready to get the TL. Hope to report good buying experience very soon.

 

You want to measure all the tires pressures. Sometimes dealers put to much air on the tires. If The car feels very stiff, You might want match the air pressures as recommended on the tag near the driver side door. Probably you can go lower than what it is recommended. Let says, the recommended tire pressure for the front and rear 30 and 30. You probably want to go with 28 on both tires.. So, probably by doing this, you can avoid rattles.

 

Interesting that there is vibration in your steering wheel.

My '05 TL never has any vibration (nor any steering feel), its just heavy.

 

I haven't noticed any rattles in my TL, but I've only had it for a few days. I paid $1628 (I think) for the 7 year/100,000 miles extended warranty. If you trade in the car before the extended warranty expires Acura will refund you the prorated portion of the warranty that you haven't yet used, even if you've already received extended repairs that exceed the warranty price. Just so you know, the extended warranty is an exclusionary warranty, so except for certain items, it will cover most parts on a questions asked basis that the standard warranty won't cover.

I have no idea if I overpaid for the extended warranty, but after my last Acura was fine for 6 years and then proceeded to eat up $4000 in the 7th year (speedo, power steering rack, radiator and all associated hoses, various engine gaskets, turn signals, etc.) I had no problem plunking down the extra cash for the peace of mind.

 

I forgot to add that I got the $0 deductible option on the extended warranty, too. Also, I forgot to add that I think they jacked up the extended warranty price for me because they sold me the car below invoice. I think it's a pretty standard dealer practice to make back money after the sale on whatever they have "soft" pricing for.

 

This is very true. Dealers do tend to pump up the tire pressures in cars and the difference in ride quality can change. A one pound change can make a difference. But this doesn't account for the vibration at idle.

My friend had a MB ML320 and leased a MDX, he called me and told me that the ride was very hard and he felt every bump. He had called the dealer and was told "that's the way it is". The first thing I said was "what are the tire pressures?", this guy is clueless about such things. He came over and I checked the pressure, hot is was on 42psi. I brought them down to 34 and told him to check them cold (which i'm sure he never did), he couldn't believe the difference in the ride.

Dave

 

Your assessment is pretty much along the same lines with mine after my first test drive. I have just a few comments/answers:

I'll think you'll be surprised how much stuff you can get into that trunk! The forward part of the space is perfect for two good-sized suitcases and the rear part of the trunk accommodates a small ice chest and misc. other stuff. Way big enough for four people for 3 or 4 days (or longer if you pack lighter than I do).

I actually laughed out loud when I read this. Rattles? Nah.

Seriously, some of the people on this forum are absolutely psychotic about rattles in their TLs. Others swear their cars don't rattle at all. Search for the term "rattle" and you'll see what I mean. As for myself, every time I've heard a rattle it's been a bottle of water in the cupholder or something like that. Your mileage may vary.

You don't say how old you are (don't be shy!) but as you can see at left, I'm 50. So as one of the older folks here (kicking and screaming my way into my 50's), I feel somewhat qualified to address this issue.

I think the TL seats are great. I have never been more comfortable in a car. Shortly after I purchased the car (used, with about 19k miles on it, so the seats were broken in) I drove from the SF Bay Area to Corvallis, Oregon over the course of 3 days. (Now I realize lots of people here have driven further in a shorter time frame, but that is a hella long drive for me). I was totally comfortable in the car the entire time, and my back, legs, and (um) rear end never got tired.

That is bizarre, not normal at all. If you do buy a TL, demand that it doesn't do that. I can't believe they let you take it for a test drive doing that. As another poster said, you can barely tell the car is running when it's at idle.

Good luck with your car purchase!

 

2004 TL with 6k miles. No squeaks or rattles. I think ppl in cold climes experience this especially if they like the tunes volume up to max. I haven't had any problems except those that turned out to be my stuff in the door pockets.

I make Orlando in 3 hours with no stops and the seats are great. The perforated glove leather takes your shape and is comfortable. With all the audio choices, the navigation system, the voice commands, and the Hands Free Phone Link, the TL is a perfect tourer, IMO.

The steering wheel should NOT vibrate. Either that demo was cold or there's something amiss. It's not the norm.

 

If Acura could get rid of the rattles... I'd say 70% of most peoples' negative opinion of their Acura would go away ...

 

That statement kind of leaves a wrong impression, doesn't it?

You should first say that, based on the numbers of our members, the percentage of those who have a negative opinion of their Acuras is extremely low.

Of course people who have problems report them here and are understandably unhappy. People who are totally happy and problem free seldom post about it as that is what they expected.

So, we see maybe 50-100 members with a vocal negative opinion over the period of three years compared with well over 60,000 registered members.

I think any manufacturer of any product would be proud to have those numbers.

That said, it doesn't make it any easier if you happen to be one of those 50-100 angry people.

For those of us in the great majority who have no problems, we don't quite know what you're talking about. But, we'll listen anyway and try to help you solve the problems.

 

But don't forget there are quite a few of us with noise problems who didn't post and complain about it as well.

 

You just did.