I'm a Mustang guy myself, but I've heard many great things about these cars. I see them on the road, they look sharp. I've been telling my wife that within the next couple years when it's time to upgrade her Toyota Echo to something 4-door, we should look into the TL. Something for kids/carseat access, and something nice to take road trips in other than my Dodge 2500 Cummins. Well, she totalled her Echo last week (she's fine), so we're car shopping now.

She has a D.C. commute (Pasasena, MD to Rockville, MD for anyone that knows the area), about 100 miles a day. Right away anything stick goes out the window. With that commute she's looking for something good on gas mileage. She's used to 35-40 mpg with the Echo, but anything that will fit me in there comfortably (6'1", 185 lbs, I did not fit at ALL in that clown car) will probably not get as good mileage.

At first glance she really liked the 05+ Civic (esp. the gas mileage), but after having test driven both the '04 TL and an '05 Civic today, the Civic feels like a total turd made of cheap plastic and fabric compared to the TL. Especially for the price they want for the Civics.

It seems most of you guy are getting 20-23 city and 28-33 hwy so that is doable. We're just trying to figure out right now if this will be a good car for her to drive ~500 miles/week in, and if we will be able to swing the ~$450/month payment (That's figuring $25K @ 6.99% / 60 mos).

I'm not going to ask if you guys like you cars, because obviously you do. I'm a long-time member of some Mustang forums myself.


The couple that the local dealer has right now are between 60K-67K miles, '04 models, and starting price of $22,999 (down from $25,999...whatever )

Probably going to check out a couple other comparable cars, but it's going to be hard to justify $15-$17K on a Civic after driving this thing, to be able to have it for only a few thousand more.

Anyways, sorry for the rambling; I guess I have a lot of reading-up to do on these cars before I go back to the dealer, if we go this route.

 

In both cases you have power to talk down the dealers on the prices. $23000 for 60-70k 2004 TL is high anyway, and I would shot for something around $20k and work DOWN on the price especially if it is Auto without Navi. When it comes to Civic, it is the same situation, for $17k you could get brand new 07 EX model with 10 miles on it, so I do not think you should be paying 16-17k for 05 model regardless of the trim and mileage. As far as gas mileage, Civic will get at least 10MPG more no matter how you drive both of the cars, so the difference could add up if you wife drive 500+/week.

You said you looked at 05 Civic’s which are previous generation. Since Civic crossed your mind, I would highly advice to check out 06-07 models which are new and the interior is day vs night compared to the previous generation Civic. Good luck!

 

Besides getting awesome gas mileage, the other thing that ive always read about the echo was how super tall people could fit in them comfortably, without any problems.

 

Well let me tell you this, I'm also a mustang guy as of now i own a 03 cobra. Me and my wife just got an 07 TL with navi and let me tell you this all i want to do is drive this car. This is my first acura vehicle and i have nothing but good thing to say, in the city i'm getting 22mpg on HW 32-33. Oh did i mention these cars are great.

 

WOW, I sold a 2006 TL Nav with 4,000 miles and 4 months old for $27,500. It was mint! You can do much better.

 

mlody, thanks for the tip, I did not know that. I hadn't done any research on the Civics, and my wife said that the '05 was the 'new' style. Now that I know it's '06 we'll go check a couple out. The one we saw ('05 EX 4-dr "Special Edition") just seemed so cheap/crappy/plastic-y inside.

Netcub -- I'm not very tall (6'1"), but I could not STAND to ride in that car. No leg room, knees always hitting radio buttons, overdrive button, shifter, etc. etc. I guess it's all in what one is willing to put up with though.

 

I'll be reading this thread through-and-through a few times before we make a final decision.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94221


I've only once haggled on a vehicle before at a dealer, did "ok" for my first time I guess. Got him down from $16,900 to $13,500 out the door if I remember right.

 

I got my 04 TL AT w/ Navi in Feb of this year. Itwas certified used and had 39K and the sticker price was 25000 for it. When I went in I just sat down with the guy and told him what I wanted to pay and I knew how much the car was going for i.e. N.A.D.A. I went when it was rainy outside - if that helps @ all...I think they coulda been desperate for a customer so maybe thats why the price I got was so flexible. Anyway, I got the price down to 22000 and I traded in my '01 Jeep Wrangler (I do miss having no doors and top) for which the gave me 9,000 that I used as my money down on it bringing it to 13000. My jeep was crap but I detailed the mo just before I brought it in and swapped the carpet inside and the dealers were all commenting "Oh this is in such nice condition!" Wait until they wash it, scratches-o-plenty, and duct tape/ zippy-tied on fenders, hahah Anyway You should definitely shop around more as you should be able to get a better price for a TL with that much mileage.

 

Dave:

This is free advice, so take it for what it's worth.

Since it is the wife's car, she's making a fairly long commute, and you are thinking about kids in the future; I would buy a new '07 Civic EX.

It's going to last longer, get better mileage, and be worth more at the end of the road.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a used car with 50K+ miles over a new one, especially when reliability is a major factor. I commute a similar distance, and need something as reliable as a toaster! I'd love a 3 series BMW, but don't trust one to be as reliable as my TL.

I could have bought a number of high-end luxury cars for the $31K I spent on my new ('05) TL, but needed something that would last.

Good Luck with what ever choice you make.

gurney

 

If you want more luxury but still want good mileage check out the TSX. You should still fit comfortably in it and is another good choice for your wife.

 

fish008: You nailed it!

Dave, make sure your wife looks at the TSX. Better performance than the Civic, much nicer interior, better gas mileage than the TL.

I am 6'1", 200lbs, owned a TSX for 3 years, it was a great car. In some ways it was nicer than my TL-s. (Much better HVAC system, I liked the Navi system better as well)

 

I agree with the others, check out the TSX, and I'd also add the Accord in there, too. Good luck.

 

I have a TSX and I absolutely positively LOVE it. Take a look at them... If she doesn't like that, I'd say go with the Civic or an Accord. The TL is overpriced and has too many miles on it.

 

Accord LX has great deal on 2007 might be worth it, 2.99apr at the moment.

 

ill throw in a non-honda .... the 07 2.5 altima... good gas mileage and can be had brand new with decent options for the same price they are charging for the tl.

 

I'm selling my WDP, AUTO with NAVI and 39000 miles.

 

I bought a 2004 way back in February of 2005 with 11,000 miles on it for 26K. I think you can find a better deal. I now have a 2007 TL-S and love it.

 

TSX you can get a new one without navi for $26k plus all the txes

 

Appreciate the input guys! I think an '07 is out of the question, too big a hit on depreciation off the bat. We will check out the '06 Civics too though.

Forgive the newbie question but what is the difference between the TL and the TSX? Or just point me towards a thread...

What is a good price for the '04 TL w/ ~60K miles? Or should I shoot for a lower mileage one, but what's the cut-off point?

 

Check out the TSX. More power than the Civic with better MPG than the TL. The interior is 100x better than the Civic but just behind the TL in my opinion. However, the TSX does handle better than my TL and is fun to drive.

Good Luck.

 

Hello, I just purchased a 04 TL A SPEC with 18,000 for $28,000 and they were asking $32,000. I have been getting 31 mpg on the highway and 20 city. It could be better if I didn't drive the way I tend to do. And to tell you the honest truth. I could not be happier with this car. I have had it for about 2 months and love it. It has everything you could ask for

 

Other then design the only major difference is the TL is bigger and has a V6. The TSX only has a I4 however it gets amazing gas mileage so it is something to think about.

 

When I was looking for a replacement car for my wife, I was looking at larger cars I wanted (and I thought she wanted) like the TL. I realized this will be my wife's car and she needed to make the final decision once she sees all the choices.

She fell in love with the TSX on the test drive, right color combo, right size, 5AT, great gas mileage, very sporty, and she likes the fact there are only about 1 TSXs to every 5 TLs on the road. I would have her test drive a 06 TSX before making a final decision.

 

I was able to get my daughter a 07 Civic EX non-navi for $18,150. It's a very nice car if a bit small for my 6'5", 245 lbs frame, she's small so she loves it. I'd definitely look at that over a used car, especially with the miles your wife is going to put on it.

Dave

 

Shoot me a PM...pics/info/price etc. etc. Thanks!

 

Quick question -- Does this require 93 or does it run off 87 (octane)?

 

Nevermind found the answer....91+. I guess it's only a couple dollars more per fillup. Now-a-days I don't even notice a couple dollars when I'm filling up a ~30 gallon diesel tank in my truck.

 

i agree that the TSX has good gas mileage but is it really that much more "amazing" than the TL?

according to acura.com- manual gets 19/28 and the auto gets 20/28mpg.
the TL gets 20/29
Type-S auto- 19/28
Type-S MT- 20/29



of course- real world mpg will vary but at least on paper- there really is no negligible difference.

 

Dave.. i'm still saving up for my TL, I drive about 500 miles a week on the freeway to and from work and have a little bit of traffic in the morning; and my payments will be around what you said in your original post.. The high payment scares me - I only have a $200 payment rignt now; but it's a lot of car and you don't have to worry about taking a hit on value because it's used. I'm looking for an 05 with less than 40,000 miles.. maybe an 06 if it's price correctly.

 

I've also looked at the TSX because I wasn't sure about the price of a TL; but i've read and have a friend @ a dealership that agrees, the TSX is nice but people often get sick of after a few months, I guess it gets kind of boring after a while. It's fast, but not as fast as the TL. It's nice, but not as nice as the TL, etc...

 

yeah good point but I have read people getting 35+ here on the TSX boards which is pretty good. The question is are you willing to give up power to get better gas mileage?

 

I was given a 07 TSX loaner when I took the TL in for a brake job. The cool thing is that the TSX has an "instant mpg" indicator that tells you exactly how conservative your driving at all times. In my 30 mile trip to work & back, I managed 37mpg (50/50 city/highway). This really impressed me because I knew the car was rated at 29mpg freeway just like my TL.

 

94eg!, I noticed when I was fingerf'ing the buttons on the TL it had an mpg setting in there somewhere. I didn't play with it until we were stopped though. Does that provide real-time mpg, or just an average over a trip/period of time?


I think I spoiled her sitting her in the TL...seems like the Civic doesn't even compare now heh. Whoops.

 

Something else I will probably be able to find in a search; but if we want the Navi system, do we have to get one with it already installed, or is it a fairly easy upgrade...

 

Survey says: Sell your TL and buy one with Navi. :lol:

 

the new accord is supposed to be coming out within a year, its supposed to be bad ass. well the coupe is supposed to be badass and i think you are looking for a 4 door. not sure if the 4 door is gonab hot or not.

 

The TL's MID (multi information display) in the gauge cluster has a function called the trip-computer. When you select the trip-computer, it displays the miles since the last reset, the vehicle running time since the last reset, and average miles per gallon since the last reset. You can also hit the right arrow and it shows you how many miles till your next fillup is required. When the range reads zero, you still have 3 gallons in the tank (emergency reserve). I pretty much always fill up at zero...

Unfortunately there is no "instant" mpg on the TL.

Yes the TL does spoil the ladies. It's very nice, and similarly priced when comparing to used TSXs (at least they are here in Vegas)...

And to add nav to a car without it, would cost thousands of dollars in parts, and require you to wire it yourself per the OEM shop manual. Not impossible if your into that kind of thing...

 

Lucy.....you've got some splainin' to do!

 

I wouldnt reccomend that TSX personally. I dont feel its a good value. I'd instead look at accords if you want a car cheaper than the TL but nicer than the civic. That is unless you need the acura badge I guess.

I also think the accord runs on regular unleaded if fuel costs are a concern.

 

I think he is on to something...good mileage on regular fuel that is nicer than a civic...might be your car.