Hey guys, I'm extremely happy to say that I've got my new car choices honed down to 2. Well its actually kinda 3, but you'll see what I mean in a sec. Of course, one of those choices is a Type-S 6M.

What I want to ask the most aggresive Type-S drivers here is "What do you think of the handling of the Type-S during aggressive turns?" The other car I'm wanting to buy is a BMW 328i OR 335i. I've driven both these cars twice now and I just keep on loving the way the BMW feels in your hands... it's very very confident. Please don't turn this into a BMW reliability bash, I've read my fair share of those and I understand all about it so I'd really just appreciate some insightful answers about the TL at its limits!

 

I love mine, although I did change the suspension out to Tein SS w/EDFC I still have to say that the stock suspension was very very good. Very communicative, yet at the same time extremely easy to live with during regualr driving.

 

i have an 06 a-spec with the comptech rear swaybar. i stays nice and flat in the corners, without much roll, but the front wheel drive really makes the steering/control shifty. i feel like the TL corners well, but not very comfortably when compared to the BMW's.

i have head that my problem could be due to the RSB not letting the frame flex enough and it takes it's toll on the front wheels, but without the RSB the TL was a mess in high speed cornering, i'm talking off ramps at 50mph and up.

the BMW's and other RWD cars really feel like they ride on rails when cornering, whereas the TL seems loose, even thought it's not. it is really hard to describe.

 

after re-reading your post....

i feel like the TL at it's limits feels more unstable than the BMW's, and honestly, that and the rattles, are my two biggest complaints about the TL. But to most people who don't push the TL nearly as hard as i do, it wouldn't be a problem.

BTW, i have the a-spec suspension as well, which is supposed to corner better than the type-s's.

 

From my experience, the car corners very well for a FWD car, but it doesn't hold a candle to RWDs like the BWM, IS350, or G35. The Type-S stays flat during a corner, but once you try to gas at the apex, you'd better be ready to correct some understeer. I didn't find this problem on it's competitors. The 3 Series in particular feels like it's just asking for you to accelerate hard out of a turn.

However, this is only really a big difference when you are driving very aggressively - something that I only do when I'm test driving SOMEONE ELSE'S car! In regular, everyday driving, you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference.

 

[QUOTE=ding069]

i feel like the TL at it's limits feels more unstable than the BMW's, and honestly, that and the rattles, are my two biggest complaints about the TL. But to most people who don't push the TL nearly as hard as i do, it wouldn't be a problem.
/QUOTE]

I very much agree with your post. At high speeds (I would say 130km/h or more), the TL doesn't feel as solid on the road. You start to feel the bumps, the steering feels...or lack of a better word... light, you get the impression that you should slow down.

 

Not solid at 80 mph? I'll have to see for myself on my next test drive. Even my 1986 Honda Prelude felt great at 80 mph. 80mph is an everyday speed.

 

Just keep in mind that I'm in Canada, and our roads are definitely not as nice as the ones you guys have down there. Our national highway is only spans 2 lanes at a time and our truck drivers detour down the USA when travelling cross country because the roads are better.

But with that being said, the other cars feel more solid at that speed on our poor pavement here. I'm not trying to bash the TL, it does handle reasonably well at high(er) speeds, just not the same as the others mentioned.

 

bimmers have a lower center of gravity and better front/rear weight balance .. that ALONE (not to even mention the suspension yet) will make a car feel more "confidence-inspiring" and will give you great feedback

 

After i converted my base TL to an Aspec TL w/ CT RSB .. there was a tremendous difference, but it still wasn't (and unfortunately, isn't now, either) a bimmer in terms of handling.

 

hello i got my Type-S 2 weeks ago and it handles really well for a heavy FWD. As far as the BMW comparison, I think bimmers have the best handling out of all the cars that i have driven. My sister has a 325i and that car can take turns with a lot of confidence and that traction control works like a charm.

 

My observation, having just sold my Bimmer and bought a TL-S, is that for about 5% of all the driving I did/do, superb handling was important, and the Bimmer wins hands down. But for the other 95%, it's more important to have a luxurious feel inside the car and have a lot of features for as low of a price as possible. And you can't beat the Acura (at least not with the BMW - some people think you can beat it with the Infiniti G, but I saw their television commercial last night, and in my opinion, the new G is fugly).

 

To repeat what some have said. The car is exceptional in value, proven reliability, and performance, its fatal flaw is Front Wheel Drive. You must be very attentive when accelerating out of a corner.

I love mine.

Be sure to get this for the 6M asap. Also, insurance on beamers is kinda high.

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NBP 05 6m Nav - "Crystal"