I'm looking at the 2012 TLs. I live in Arizona and don't need the AWD and don't want to lose the mpg so I'm sticking with the 2WD. Currently all the dealers have in stock are base and technology packages. My question to the group is if the advance package worth the extra bucks? I'm intrigued with the ventilated seats but not sure about the value of the blind spot information system. I know you get 18" wheels with the package but I'm likely to get some different rims anyhow.

 

The Advance Package actually comes with th 19 inch wheels. But back to your question, the package was worth it for me. I like the BIS which really comes in handy and I really like the ventilated seats.

 

It wasn't worth it for me so I went with the Tech package. I drove a TL with the Advance package and the blind spot feature was okay. But is ventilated seats, the blind spot feature and bigger wheels (only 18's) really worth $2,200 (msrp)? I also thought that blind spot light blinking on and off at night might get old after while. Just my 2 cents. I'm sure you will be happy with either.

 

The advanced pkg comes with a wheel size larger than the standard one, so for the base model, it would come with 18's instead of 17's. For the SHAWD model, it would come with 19's instead of 18's.

OP is talking about the Base Advanced, which comes with 18's.

 

It is worth the extra $$ to me. I don't "need" the AWD but it's fricken to have it. IMO, if you can afford it, why scrimp and wish you had gone the extra step.. Te BIS, vented seats, 19" wheels... all worth it, very much to me.

 

Pardon my ignorance but what is the advantage of the larger wheel size and does it affect road/cabin noise in any way?

 

To answer op's question. I say yes. At $42k, it is one of the most affordable luxury vehicles with ventilated seats as an option. The next closest competitor is the Lexus IS, but that comes in a much smaller car.

Most luxury vehicles do not yet have ventilated seats as an option for lower models. What you're getting is essentially a E class or 5 series sized luxury car with ventilated seats.

For the E class, they have removed that option from the E350, so the cheapest you could get it is $62k, or the E550 w/ Premium pkg 1.

For bmw, you need to get the 528i and add the active ventilated seat package. That is the only option I checked and it's $50k. It's also not very plausible because you'd be getting a barebones car, if you load it up to the TL's specs, expect $60k (premium pkg2, ventilated seat pkg, driver assistance pkg, and convenience pkg)

Infiniti is the "closest" with it's M + premium pkg at $52k. Though that does not give you the BSI, or larger rims, which turns it into a $55k car.

Though personally, I think that if you drive like a normal person and look before you change lanes, the BSI is not really useful. On my test drive of both the 2012 Base and SHAWD Advance models, I never even noticed the BSI until the salesperson told me to look. It MIGHT help at night on a somewhat busy freeway, useless otherwise.

Living in socal, where we have summers that stay in the high 90's and occasionally low 100's for 2 months, I would not get the TL again without the advanced pkg. I think you'd need it even more than me since you're from AZ.

Hope this helps

 

Larger wheels means you probably want to buy lower profile tires, which means less sidewall, and more contact with the ground. It may improve handling and you may have more road feedback.

However, it will also (due to the increased contact with the floor and less sidewall and air to absorb bumps) introduce a higher level of road noise into the car. Correct me if i'm wrong, that's my understanding.

 

I didn't think I'd care about the BIS system but I love it! The indicators are located so that you see them out of the corner of your eye. I hope they make them standard equipment on all cars.

As for road noise, the 19's are no worse than the 17's on my 3G were. It all depends on the tire itself and, more importantly, the road surface. We have a LOT of concrete roads here and varying surfaces .. some are quiet, some hum like hell.

 

i too live in AZ and i wish my 2012 had the the ventilated seats. I'd gladly switch the heated seat option but no can do. :-( since the MT was the big thing for me, i only had 1 trim to choose from.

 

It was worth it for me, just for the upgraded 19" wheels and the blind spot warning system. I did not think that the blind spot warning system was going to be necessary, but after using it for a month now, I have found it to be quite helpful.

I really have not had to use the ventilated seats yet, so I cannot tell you about that...

In terms of road noise, I found the 19" wheels/Goodyear all season tires to be quite a bit quieter than the 18" wheels/Michelin all season tires that my 2010 TL SH-AWD had!!!

 

Yea I think the increased sound deadening helped a lot. The 2012 SHAWD Advanced felt as quiet as my 2010 Base Tech!

 

 

IMO, no.

I'll take the SW-AWD w/6-MT and Tech and be happy.

 

I'm getting the Advance package on base TL today. It was worth it for me because I wanted 18"s and that alone would cost me $2K+. I test drove the car yesterday in the heat and expected the ventilated seats to cool me down like the A/C. It is not conditioned air, so it takes a while to help. BUT, I thought it might be awesome on a trip where you would normally get comfy in your car but butt starts to get hot from just sitting on leather for a long time. They really felt great after about 10 min. So obviously I think it is a no-brainer since I want 18"s. Since you are getting new rims anyway then it is pretty expensive (I guess you could offset your cost by selling the rims/tires --- not sure what they would bring).

 

Oh I know I'm going to get flamed for this but here you go...in 2005 I bought custom fitted high quality sheepskins seat covers for the front seats of my TL and loved them. They stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They are soft and comfortable. At trade-in when they took them off, the seats looked new. Needless to say....I had new ones made for my 2010.

 

No flame from me. I put standard cloth seat covers purchased at Wmart on my 2010 with Ebony interior and don't regret it for a minute. The seats are cooler when first getting in the car in spite of the hot FL sun. Plus as you said I know the seats will look as good as new come trade-in time.

 

It is for me. My dealer loaned a ZDX with the Advance package to me while I was waiting for my MDX to come in. Maybe it's my "advanced years" but I really appreciated the BSI. I wouldn't buy a car without it.

Honestly, I don't know why all the safety features aren't available on every model. I'll bet a lot of people would be willing to pay for it. Having to upgrade to the Advance package to get an important safety enhancement is a bit like extortion if you ask me.

BTW, I have a 2012 TL - black/umber AWD Advance on order.

 

glashub...oswald...do you have pics of the seat covers you use?

 

Like the gray ones on the home page but without the headrest cover. BTW, I am not endorsing this company. I never bought from them. I got the same thing locally though, http://www.westcoastsheepskin.com/se...n-seat-covers/

 

Yea I think the seats aren't "cooled" but just ventilated. I think some cars (like the Lexus LS) actually have a cooling element in the seat, like A/C may be routed into the seat or something. During my test drive, It also took about 10 minutes to be "cool", otherwise it seemed to be just moving air around. When the a/c began to cool the car, it felt like the seats worked better.

 

dEFINATELY NOT WORTH THE EXTRA $

 

Two weeks ago I acquired a 2012 TL SH-AWD with Tech and Advanced options. The Blind Spot Indicator is useful. The 19-inch wheels and tires are noisier and rougher-riding ride. The turning circle grew with 19-inch wheels and that's not good. Is the Advanced option worth it? The blind spot indicators and the ventilated seats are desirable; the 19-inch wheels and tires are not.

 

Says you! And just how do you know it's not worth the money?????

 

I've driven a few cars with BSI and it's a case by case situation. On some of the cars they were helpful and on others they were annoying.

I personally don't like them when I'm speeding up and trying to pass the car in front of me in the next lane. As long as someone is in the path of the sensor for even a second the damn thing goes off. Sometimes it makes me question if I'm clear to change lanes in these type of situations.

If you're planning on swapping wheels to aftermarket then no amount of money is worth getting upgraded factory stockers.

A friend of mine got a 2011 Maxima with heat and ventilated seats. It's alright. I can't say I'm too impressed by this feature.

IMO the Tech package is a must have but the advanced is really up to the individual. If you ask me I would say no.

 

the extra money for the advance is worth it just for the a/c seats...i could care less about the blindspot crap, but a/c seats....hell yes...

 

exactly what I did, compared with BMW and MB, and it's definitely worth it to get the Advance pkg! I need it in Houston for sure when the hot sun made the leather seats like oven, the ventilated seats definitely helps!

 

Absolutely. Would not have bought the car if the Advance package was not available.

 

No pictures unfortunately but they are available in every Wmart. They include headrest covers and are designed so as not to interfere with airbag deployment. I'll try to get the manufacturer's name for you.

 

Bigger wheels means more chances of dates with girls.
Ventilated seats will keep you cool in case the date turns out to be awkward.
BIS will warn you if you are cheating on your girlfriend with your date and the girlfriend is standing in the blind spot.
If you are not going to do any of the above then just buy the Technology package model.

 

Acurator99,

You made my day. Great comments!

 

Fixed (in red color).

 

I just picked up my 2012 SH-AWD Advance yesterday. I'm loving the Advance package so far. The BLIS is very cool and works great so far. I find that the car is a lot smoother and rides better, too--part of which may be the wheels/tires. The ventilated seats are great as well. I definitely think it was worth the money.

 

I agree, 100% worth the $$ and many of those saying it's not worth it haven't been behind the wheel and experienced the Advanced.

Congrats!! It's such a nice car indeed.

What color did you get?

 

Thanks, Stew! I got the Forged Silver with Ebony leather. Looks sharp--Really like your white, too.

Coming off an 09 with Borealis Blue and Taupe.

This car definitely feels more solid, it sounds better and it feels quicker and smoother so far.

 

I'm not getting the advance package - the cooled seats should have come with the tech package and everything else should be part of an "enthusiasts" package. For some, clearly they would want the bigger wheels and other stuff but to me it is paying a lot for extra things to get the cooled seats. While some may want the other items in the advance package imagine for a moment that it came with junk you didn't want but had to pay for so you can understand better the point of view others may have. Imagine if they said if you wanted the cooled seats you also have to get the schoolbus yellow exterior and shag dash cover and the deluxe sheepskin rear seats which are about $1500 of the advance package cost.

I think it is difficult for some to imagine not everyone wants to pay for the extras that come with the advance package or to pay the additional amount to cover all the items that are included in that package just to get the cooled seats.

 

Just to clarify, for those that have it, the seats aren't cooled they are ventilated? Does it blow air upward then, suck air downward...??? Is it noisy?

 

I sucks air down. When on the high setting, you can hear the fan quite easily.

 

are the wheels that come on these the same as the previous 19": optional package?

 

Just to clarify -- the IIRC the 2G RL offers "cooled" seats - where as the air is blown up -- the vented seat in the TL the air is sucked down.

I'd rather have the RL's system.