What was R&T thinking by having the TL articles side by side with the 530i, and the same test conditions?. I think they made apoint that the TL is a great value

 

My thoughts exactly ! But I was also wondering if they did it say " hey now that you've seen that look at this beauty ." IMHO none of those BMz (525 -530-540 ) are worth what they are asking !

 

I really liked the previous generation of BMWs. However, the latest generation, including the X3 and the new 5 series, has gotten less than glowing reviews.

AutoWeek review of X3
http://www.autoweek.com/search/searc...71527&record=4

Edmunds review of the 530
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2004/bmw/...ticleId=101320

I think the TL is a great value. It may not match the BMW in handling refinement completely, but I am betting it is 8/10ths of the way there for thousands of dollars less (say 11 to 20 thousand dollars less). Just my opinion.

 

you know I have been saying this for more than a month here but some people just dont get it. acura says their target was the 530 yet some here insist that what acura says doesnt matter. if youre stupid enough to pay 20 grand for a propeller then go right ahead. looks aside [I am one of the few who thinks the new 5 is gorgeous] the tl is the better buy. for 44 grand YOU DONT EVEN GET LEATHER on the 530i. to equip them exactly the same [except for adaptive headlights, active steering and heated steering wheel, folding rear seat, heated rear seat and active stabilization] its 57 thousand dollars. no thanks. thanks acura. from a former benz driver no less.

 

I've already been dismissed as a kook for saying pretty much the same thing. Comparisons to the 5 series (and similar cars from other marques) are completely warranted.

BMW makes fine automobiles, but ALL of the Euro carmakers extract unreasonable premiums for even a modicum of luxury and performance. I guess it ultimately doesn't matter to people who have the bucks and seek status; BMW sales are doing well. It'll be interesting to see how the new 5 series fares in the long run, though.

I'm glad R&T had the balls to at least run the articles side by side and invite the comparison.

 

The Acura Tl is one of the best values on the road, but don't tell Acura that or they might raise their price. No really, I had a 2000 328Ci and it didn't have Nav, Bluetooth, heated seats, Voice commands, 6speed and not to mention 270HP, and I paid 39000 for it. This car is great, I've only had it for 2 days but I love it.

 

Chris Bangle's new design of teh 5 killed it for me. The interior is hideous and you have to move all the way to the 545 (at 60 GRAND) to pull acceptable performance out of it.

I have always had a sweet spot for BMW, but what was once sweet is slowly turning sour. They simply charge entirely too much for the product.

 

I also think of it this way with RWD and BMW. Is this the best it can do to barely be 1/10 more in performance?. Or better yet, it would not be a fair fight if Acura went RWD or AWD. No one can deny Honda/Acura's accomplisments. But, many may question paying more for a European nameplate for dubious superiority

 

The last two cars I have owned were a 2000 BMW 328i 4 door and most recently a 2002 Audi A4 1.8T.

The BMW was fabulous when it wasn't in the shop - great engine, smooth, quiet and powerful. But, it was lousy in bad weather (w/ 205/55/16 all seasons).

The `02 A4 had NO power and the upgrade options were not what I had hoped. Furthermore it had a lot of problems - radio was replaced 3 times, coil packs that left you stranded, local Audi dealer had HORRIBLE service, too many to list. Quattro was GREAT.

The car before the BMW was a 1998 CL 2.3 - limitted in the power dept but bullet-proof reliability and quality.

I don't think the new TL can be beat for the money. For weather reasons I didn't want to go back to a RWD car. My wife has a 325xi wagon and it is great but it doesn't match the power, performance, features or interior space of this TL.

Though some of my friends have compared the exterior styling to a Pontiac, to my dismay, I am crazy about this car! True it does not have the same nuetral, excellent handling of the BMW but, as someone said, it has got to be pretty close, maybe 90% there. It does dig in when you push it and comply when you want it to be comfortable. All-in-all a GREAT package with unbeatable features.

I decided against the Nav system - I am inherintly cheap. It just wasn't worth the extra money to me so I got an awesome package for $33k. Show me better feature-performance mix for that price that you can drive in ANY weather including deep snow!