23109VC

I am in the market for a new family sedan. I am a car guy who loves speed and handing. If money were NO object, I would buy a TL-S as my daily driver, and buy a Porsche Boxster to carve up twisties with. But like many people in the real world, I have a wife, kids, mortgage, and a budget. So I can't "have it all". The Pcar will ahve to wait until I am older, and the kids are out of college.

So for now, I am looking for a car that can haul me, the wife, the three kids, AND be FUN. This will NOT be our full time family car. We have a 2007 MDX as our full time family car - but it's a lease and we are close or on the border of exceeding our lease mileage. We tend to always use the MDX becuse our other car is older, and not that reliable. So the plan is to sell the old junker (my car) and get daddy a new car. I will commute to/from work in it, and ideally it would be something that is fast and fun. since this new car will be big enough to fit the whole family, we could use it as an alternative to the SUV - and keep the miles low on our MDX and not go over the lease miles.

I test drove and looked at quite a few cars. the BMW 335 is a lot faster but the back seats are too small. can't fit three kids in teh back. sam eproblem with the IS350. super small. I don't like the Infiniti - i hate the sound of the engine...

so the ONE car that I have test driven and really like and WILL fit all three kids in back and strollers is the TL. I actually had the dealer let me stuf all my kids in the back to see if they fit and while it was tight - I fit three kids, all in car seats/boosters in the back. the trunk is not huge - but i can fit a stroller in there.

the TL would work as a second "family" car. it looks cool and i honestly thought that out of the box, it handled pretty well.

I liek the TL Type S a lot more than the base model. It looks/feels very sporty and I honestly could just leave it stock and be 90% happy. But because I've always modded my cars in teh past - i know that I"m goign to be tempted to change something. i don't want a big loud exhaust as I'm 36, a professional, and the Type S is alrady kind of pushing it on the "Image" i want to convey and I don't want a loud exhaust that makes the car sound "ricey". besides, I don't think the N/A VTEC motors really get much more power out of bolt ons. some, but hardly any.

suspensio mods, however, are a different story. some cars can be made to handle awesome - with minor suspension tweaks. given that the TL is FWD, it's not gonna be a track star, or an autocross car - i dont plan to track it or do that kind of stuff. but there will be onramps and twisty roads that I will occasionlly get a change to drive hard on and I always like pushign it around on ramps and feeling the G forces...

now i've also spent seat time in GREAT handling cars like the s2k, RX8, and Boxsters. While I don't expect to get a 4 door FWD sedan to handle as well as a mid engine sports car - I am hoping that there would some room for improvement even on top of what the TL-S has standard.

My question is this - What can I do to a TL-S - suspension wise, to make it handle even better than stock and not totally break the bank.

I used to ahve a Prelude SH, and on that car i did koni yellows, springs, spoon sports strut bars and a rear sway bar. with nice tires on the OEM wheels and the ATTS system (it wasn SH) that car really handled well. for FWD it was amazing.

Given that a TL-S has upgraded suspnesion over a base TL - do you get "Much" gains by adding suspension components?

what is the biggest bang for the buck item I could add? On my prelude, the biggest bang for the buck mod was the front strut bar and the rear SWAY bar. i recall thinking the rear sway bar was a HUGE gain in handling.

I'd ideally like to NOT mod this car much. I'd consider doing shocks/springs/strut bars, sways and that would be it. I woulud keep wheels stock and dont' plan on any intake/ehxaust parts. as those don't do a whole lot for power.

so the big question is - can I improve on the Type S handling and HOW MUCH? an I make it a TON better - and handle even better - or would I be better off just leaving it stock as the factory stuff is almsot as good as aftermarket stuff???

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

The best "bang for the buck" suspension mod is definitely the Progress Rear Sway Bar. It's cheap and definitely tightens the handling and helps to prevent understeer to a certain degree.

Another thing I would recommend is making sure your rear tire pressure is 3-4psi lower than the front tire pressure. This will also abate understeer characteristics.

We currently don't have any options for an aftermarket strut tower bar on the Type-S.

You can always get coilovers, but you are looking to spend $800-$1,200 for a set of those.

Hope this helps!

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

X2 on the sway bar.

You might consider picking up a set of 04 A-spec wheels and mount 255/40/18's to them. The handling will certainly suprise you.

As for the tower bar the TL already comes with one and it is quite large.

Bearcat94

Progress RSB first.

Then H&R Sport Springs (or Eibach Pro-kit Springs).

Top it all off with Koni Yellow or Koni/Nuespeed Cup Kit (basically the Koni struts with 5 height perches instead of 2 F / 3 R).

Some 18 tires on lightweight wheels and you'll have as about as much handling as you can put in to a reasonably comfortable daily driver.





I disagree on the tire pressures. In general, More Pressure = Smaller Contact Patch = Less Traction. To "counter act" understeer you need less traction in the rear, so Rear pressures higher (slightly) than Fronts.

I've been Running ~33 F / ~36 Rear for months.

more, so that's $0.04 so far in this thread. And worth every penny. Don't spend it all in one place.

sharp218

I think you'll be surprised at how well the TL actually handles. It won't be a Boxster or a 335, but its FAR from being a boat.

D R E W

A good set of tires will give you the best bang for the buck! No need for sway bars, lowering springs, coilovers, rims, big brake kits, stickers, spoilers, etc...etc... etc.... the Type-S is already sports tuned without sacrificing the creature comforts.

but... I guess the Progress rear sway bar would be the best for the buck since a good set of tires wear & tear. My bad.

mishar

If you don’t mind nose heavy (60:40) understeer, a lot of torque steering and tail wiggling when loaded, than you will really like it.

ifirahse

iTrader: (6)

I am in the same exact boat as you. I value handling much higher than pure speed.

What I've done so far handlingwise:

-Koni Yellows with Tein S.tech springs, lowest perch front and back, front stiffer than the rear to reduce understeer. The options that tein gives for coilovers aren't really designed for track use as much as the Konis imho.

-Progress RSB set at track setting 24/7

-Sumitomo HTRZ3 tires 245/40/18....I know of only one other guy on the forums that runs these. These tires are insanely good for the price. Just click the link.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...irePageLocQty=

Now my rule of thumb is simple: If a turn is rated 15mph, I know I can take it at 45mph. I can safely multiply by 3 and my tires are still nowhere near squealing.

Tripnbeats

whooaaa hold ur horses guys.... this guy said everyday family car not something he wants to drop and make look sporty....keep it simple... aspec rims arent really needed they dont provide u with any better traction than the 17's provide.....coilovers arent really needed. get the aspec suspension or leave the original suspension on there and get a progress rear sway bar and you should be ok..... the aspec drops the car an inch and adds a tighter feel....over all the car rides the same. If you ask me.....get the type s with a few options and leave it alone...well other than the sway bar thats a must for sure on these cars. handling increases a lot because of it.

djbonsu

iTrader: (3)

does the progress sway bar add alot more handling to the 6mt as well considering is bigger than the AT already?

Tripnbeats

yes especially for the AT........I felt it as soon as it was on my MT sticks to the ground like white out to paper.

djbonsu

iTrader: (3)

LOL....looks like ill b getin this!!

bmaczo6

iTrader: (1)

After carefully reading your post the only thing I would suggest that you should consider upgrading would be the tires. The car will handle quite well with the stock suspension set up.

Bearcat94

It's a good improvement. TL-S an the MT are the same and it definetly tightened up the turning of the TL-S.

AT owners will obviously get more bang for the buck.


OP said "AWESOME" handling. Tires aren't enough for the TL-S to be "AWESOME", although they are a "must have" to get the most out of what you've got.

To approach the capability of the car, without ruining the daily driving expereince, you gotta look at shocks/springs and an RSB too.

The suggestion on the A-Spec susp might be something for the OP to look into.

23109VC

well - I guess to be TRULY AWESOME - it would need to handle like a boxster..and that's just not going to happen. I've driven a lot of cars - lots of sports cars - and sports cars with fixed up suspension systems - and the BEST handling car I"ve ever driven was a boxster wtih 18"s and the Porsche optional upgraded suspension package, it's a package called "M030". It would be probably similar to outfitting a TL with a-spec, or a Mazda with "mazdaspeed' stuff. It's in house upgrades, but it's Porsche in house...good stuff I'm sure. that car rides very rough. you feel every little crack and crevice in the car. not really good for long commutes, but wicked for terrorizing twisties. whatever the sign says - don't even care. you can go as fast as you want and it just sticks like glue.

anyway - this TL-S is going to be a daily driver for me and will occasionally have all three of my kids in teh back. I don't mind a stiff ride - and in fact, when I test drove the TL-S I felt it rode fairly firm for a "luxury" car...it's not nearly as rough as the boxster i"M talking about - but it does ride pretty firm. much firmer than my MDX.

i did get a chance to take the TL-S through some twisty roads, and push it hard on a circular onramp and I was pretty impressed. for a FWD car, it sticks nicely. but i know there must be room to make it better.

getting really good tires willbe one option - but not right away. i'd let the stock stuff wear out before I paid for upgraded rubber. as for shocks and springs - i might do that up front. i want the car lower - I plan on getting a WDP and adding the OEM lip kit... one guy here "mink" has photos of his car lowered - WDP with that kit and it looks great. nice dark tint, lowered..and while you are installign the springs, might as well stick the shocks in there. konis can be adjusted..so I can put them on soft if needed.

i knwo the fronts would be easy to adjust..what about the rears.. on the TL is there access to the tops of the shocks via the trunk, or can you NOT get to it and you'll need to set the stiffness..and just leave it?

the rear sway bar would be something I would for sure do.

Not sure if I would change the wheels. honestly, i'd probably leave them.

my plan is to lease the car. so I want stuff that can get pulled off fairly easily. shocks/springs are not TOO hard to put in/take out so when it's time to return the car, i could pull them off and craigslist/ebay them. the body kit would just have to stay... but then again, i may buy it off the lease too..depends how i'm feeling in three years...

my goal is not to make this a track car - but to make it very competent in the handling dept. my old Prelude SH was a great handling car despite being FWD..but it had konis/springs/strut bars/RSB and good tires.

when i test drove the TL-S I remember thinking that for a fun somewhat sporty drive, driving the car at 7/10ths...it was GREAT...and I only felt it would give out, understeer and start to show it's weaknesses when you fully pushed it to 9/10ths+. the additional of the suspension mods would give it the ability to be driven muchmore aggressively and still stick.

it's not like i drive like a nut. it's just that i really value the feel of a car and how it drives. the boxster that I drove and loved so much - put a smile on my face not because of brute speed..it was an older base model with only 217hp..(although it only weighed 2800 lbs) - but it was the phenomenal handling

a TL-S is not a mega powered car. it's no 335 in the power/weight dept and you can't get much more out of it. it is what it is out of the box in terms of power. it's no 335 whre I can chip it and outrun E46 m3s... but the handling could be improved upon..

on a side note...a friend visited the other day who has a 335 sedan. i asked him to let me try to fit all three of my car seats - 2 car seats one booster - into the back seat to see if I could make them fit and rationalize tryign to buy a 335 over the TL. they fit...but OMG..it was like they were wedged in there..and you had to put them in in a certain order, in certain positions to make them fit, then you can barely get to the seatbelts and kids would need to climb over one another just to get into their seats..it's NOT happening as a car to hold 3.

the TL-S will fit them, not with spacious luxury...but it fits and is functional.

Bearcat94

Fronts are bit of a hassle to adjust, but not too bad. You've got to remove the strut bar (well, at least get it out of the way).

The rears would be a bitch to mess with. You've got to acess behind the rear seat/under the rear shelf. PITA!! Find a setting and leave 'em.

Unless you've got the Tein's with EDFC. Of course then you have no strut bar (unless you rig something up, but that's another post).

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

I respectfully disagree. The 255/40/18's that I've been riding on for the past three summers are substantally better than the 235/45/17's that come on the car. The A-specs elminates the majority of sloppieness ie nose dive under braking and rear squat under acceleration.

23109VC

not to go way off topic - but the OTHER car I'm considering is a used RL.

a lot different car - more plush - but if I got one, I'd put on shocks/springs and upgrade wheels/tires. some of the guys on the RL board (who have upgraded from TLs) swear the RL will outhandle the TL.... due to SH-AWD....

is that BS???

ifirahse

iTrader: (6)

I'd believe that. AWD>FWD

Aman

I think the RL could outhandle the TL, but only because the TL is FWD and the RL is SH-AWD. Otherwise I would think the TL is better handling.

The first thing you need are new tires. There's no point of putting in sway bars and all that crap if you're running on the same tires, because in the end your car is only as good-handling/quick as your tires, which haven't exactly gotten the best comments on this board. I've ridden in a TL-S with the stock tires and then the owner switched to Falken FK-452s, and even as a passenger, you could feel the difference in grip. It could go around corners faster, accelerae quicker off the line, and braking performance improved.

Question: If one of your priorities was good handling along with practicality, why not an Audi S4?

and you might be disappointed to find out that the TL's rear seats don't fold down. It might seem like a small thing, until you try to shove a bike (or three) into the trunk. Not trying to defer you from the TL, but buyer's remorse is a bitch.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

Exactly...


Better tires are the single biggest bang for the buck mod that you can buy and will make a world of difference over the stock Michelins...unless you have the "Performance Tire" option with the Summer Bridgestones, then I'd leave it alone for awhile until you determine your car's limits and what mods YOU feel are warranted for YOUR style of driving.
I've driven a friend's TL with an "upgraded" RSB and TBH, I think the mod is overrated for most "real world" applications. Especially, if you live in an area with "less than perfect" roads....you may be doing more harm than good as your rear end will be less compliant over broken pavement when cornering and the rear end may pogo or skip around...disconcerting to say the least!

Drive your new TL-S for awhile...get familiar with it, then make smart mods that will benefit you...'cuz it's your car!

sensualscorpion15

i have a 2008 type-s and it handles just fine,its quick enough to get the job done.....came with 286hp.......the only mod ive done as far as for any more performance or speed is to add the aem intake...................so now im up around 300hp which is all i feel i need for city driving.....................its an amazing car,looks great(got the black one),and i get complimented on it everyday and everywhere i go....................i also got the a-spec body kit from the acura dealership and my car looks great with it....................i love my ride and would highly reccomend it to anyone out there!!!!!

23109VC

The Audi S4 is too small in the back. I think it's actually SMALLER than the TL. I have looked at all the compact sporty sedans - IS350, 3-series, TL, A4 (didn't look at the G35,I hate how they look) - and the TL is the biggest of them - not tons bigger, but the rear seat is bigger/wider.

I have three small kids - 6/3/infant. I have an SUV for my wife that fits them all, but I want to get a car that CAN fit the three kids and stuff if I want to use the sedan for trips - better gas mileage, keep miles of our newer/leased SUV. It would be nice to have TWO cars taht can each be used for a family trip if needed.

if I get an S4 - i won't be able to fit all three kids back there. If I could fit them all in there - hell, I'd look at the RS4! THAT would rock!

RS4 = what I want.

a TL-S isn't going to run with a bad boy like the RS4 - but it would be nice to have something that is a lower budget, less expensive, lesser version of that..somethign that fits kids in the back, goes kinda quick, and handles nicely/sporty.

i test drove a basic RL last night - it was a low mileage used one, stock 17" wheels. it did NOT feel sporty AT ALL. it handled okay...but not like the TL-S I drove.

i think the TL was more fun. the RL feels bigger, but it's weird..on the edmunds site that quotes all the official specs - the numbers of the rear seat leg/hip/shoulder room of the TL and RL are barely any different, yet it looks much bigger when you sit in the back...

sensualscorpion15

your best bet is to go with the 2008 acura tl type-s!!!!!!!!!!!!!............for the money and all the extras and options that it has,with speed and handling and especially looks,its the best deal out there for the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............i have mine less than a year and i would highly reccommend it to anyone.........................good luck whatever you decide and hopefully youll be another satisfied type-s owner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!