Not that it makes a difference, but to settle a debate with my wife, I am curious as to the average age of TL enthusiasts on this forum??

Sadly, my wife does not see the great car and value of the TL and she thinks I have purchased a car built for someone in their late 20’s or early 30’s. Based on where we are in life (I’m 45), she thinks I should have been shopping for the new Lexus GS, Infiniti M37, BMW 5 or 7 series, Audi A6 or 8 etc. BTW, she drives a 2011 Infiniti QX56.

The TL I just purchased is 2012 SH-AWD, Advance, CBP/Umber. I probably will not mod too much more than what the car has (window tint, splash guards, door moldings, door edge guards, all weather package, etc). I did order the rear window spoiler as I really like the look, add stainless steel pedals, and 3M clear bra.

 

There are 3 TLs (4G) on my street of 34 houses. The youngest guy is about 40 and I'm the oldest at 56. You could start a poll here at Acurazine and get a more scientific answer.

In any case, I'd recommend telling your wife she's wrong... then let us know how that goes.

 

From what I've seen, there's quite a wide range on these boards. I'm 31 though, not quite helping your argument...haha!

Am I the only one that finds it odd your wife is giving you a hard time for NOT spending a lot on a car? At least compared to the others you've listed.

 

i might not be the youngest one here with a 4g.. not sure of that yet.. but im 24 and since had my tl when i was 23.. so yea..

 

LOL! I too find it odd sometimes, but without flaming the light of my life, she has no concept of what a depreciating asset is and unfortunately, for me, she understands our financial position and what we can truly afford!

 

Been a fan of Honda/Acura since high school, but only recently saved up enough to buy one (2012 4G). I'm not really helping b/c I'm 21 and I bought it when I was 20.
I've seen a lot of people on this forum with the stainless steel pedals. Can you tell me where you purchased yours from? Congrats on the new car!

 

I'm actually surprised at how young some of the people are who own 4G TL's. Great paying jobs at such a young age?
Well speaking for myself, I'm 51 and my wife's 52. It's actually her car. She really was looking and still likes the new Maxima, which I think is definitely geared towards the younger crowd over the 4G TL?

 

we take our college funds that our parents saved up for us and drop it all on the car =P


acura itself has always been geared towards younger crowds.. a few examples..

do you see older people driving gsr's or itr's or even nsx? even with the newer cars like RSX or TL-S its always been the younger crowds due to that acura has been producing performance oriented cars rather than boat cars like lexus.

older crowds tend to like the smooth ride of lexus, bmw, and mercedez. thats just how the world works now.

 

I'm 33, and certain jobs do pay pretty good - I graduated College in 2001 in telecommunications/IT management, perfect timing - right after the year 2000 *everything's gonna explode* scare - IT jobs generally pay quite well

 

Wow, this comment makes me feel old. I bought my M45 Sport at 27. I was considering the Lexus GS/LS during this time. I think you made a great choice for an elegant yet still sporty car.

 

The 4G certainly looks like it's aimed at an older audience than the 3G. Just my two cents.

 

The following was posted in Acurazine some years ago:


2009 Acura TL: Target Buyer
Do you fit the profile?

=====================

"Performance luxury sedan customers value vehicle traits, such as dramatic and exclusive exterior styling, emotional and luxurious interior design, and fun-to-drive character. These elements are balanced by an equally keen appreciation for quality, reliability, durability and competitive pricing.

Self-guided, discriminating and technically savvy, these customers also feel that prestige is determined more by life experiences than by pure wealth. In other words, experiencing life, rather than just accumulating possessions, is a powerful driver. For this reason they are interested in vehicles that help them enjoy driving to the fullest-and the 2009 TL is designed to do exactly that.

While the 2009 TL is designed to appeal to a broad range of upscale consumers, the target buyer for the TL is expected to be a professional male in his mid 40s with a household income of about $100,000 per year, while the expected TL SH-AWD® target buyer is a professional male in his early 40s with a household income of over $150,000 per year."


Source: http://www.hondanews.com/categories/733/releases/4680

 

I'm 23 and bought the car the same age. The 4g seems to be geared for a older audience than the 3g. Especially because of its somewhat large dimensions

 

OP, something else to keep in mind...

The TL owners on this forum are not only a VERY small percentage of the owner's market, I don't believe we represent the average well. Most luxury auto owners are not auto enthusiasts, while most forum members are. This probably leads to a very skewed sample size when posing questions like this here.

I would print the above post out (by Linmk2) and show that to your wife...it supports your argument very well.

 

I'm 62. You are welcome!

 

Nice find! I like this.

Of course, the problem is that how you position and target market a product can be vastly different than what the actual market wants. If you look up the target market audience for the RDX vs actual market buyer, it was like night and day. Hence the 2G RDX lost its performance appeal. LOL

^^^^^ Totally agree.

Plus, I personally don't feel like age has anything to do with what brand one should buy. When I told my friends I was thinking about buying my car, and I gave them a list of choices I was looking at (12 TL SH-AWD, 12 IS 350 AWD, 12 G37x, 11 335x, 12 A4 Quattro, and 12 C300 4MATIC), many had many guesses. But the one friend who knows me well, said this, "Knowing John, who cares more for practicality and functionality over nameplate recognition, he probably got the TL."

And he was right. =)

 

I'm 34.

 

Turned 30 last month. I bought my TL when I was 28.

 

I'm doin' alright but the tax man and ins take nice chunk

25 and I've had it since I was 24. I had a 3G (bought at 20) before this and thought I'd needed a more refined car with AWD.

 

I will be 46 this year and replaced my '05 TL 6mt with a '10 SH AWD 6mt in March. If you got a 6mt, just ask your wife which one of those choices had a 6mt and if it did how much more was it?

Gregg

 

I'm 39. I replaced a '04 TL with a '12 a couple months ago.

 

43

 

27 in August, this is my 3rd new TL. Im a technician at Honda, I Definately don't make $100,000 a year, nor am I married and own a House

 

My 2006 I got when 30. Current 2010 I got at 35 in between I had a MDX

 

I just turned 34 last month and made the move to buy a TL after owning mustangs only.

 

Im 24 in a couple months and picking up my 2012 Advance AWD tomorrow. I bought my previous 2009 TL AWD Tech when i was 21.

 

Bought my 4G TL when I was 29. Now i'm 30. I bought my 3G TL when I was 24.

 

30 here. Will turn 31 this month.

 

I bought my TL SH-AWD on my 48th birthday. Happy Birthday to me .

Billy

 

Totally agree with you. The more you make the more they take.
It's called legal extortion.

 

37. I just bought it 1 week ago. I still have but will sell a 1999 3.2 tl that I bought new when I graduated collage.

 

26. I don't care what people think about my drive tho.

 

I got my car when i was 19. im 21 now.

 

I'm 32 and this is my first car more than $23k. I'm a college grad with a good job. I must be doing something wrong.

For all the young guys here (under 25), how do you guys afford this car and modding it too? Haha

 

I was wondering the same thing. Even after I got out of college, I could barely afford cars I didn't like...

 

I'm 46!

 

the under 25's...well they may have had some help and/or live at home still. i know when i got out of college there was no way i was going to be able to afford a brand new car let alone a TL at the time. not even on the radar.

the target market for cars can be skewed. look at the element. it was targeted at the young 20 somethings...look who's actually buying and driving it, late 30's and 40's. the forum is not really a place for real world numbers. it's an enthusiasts forum, so naturally i think the crowd will be a little bit younger than what the market numbers really say.

 

saw a lot of 2012 TLs at the Acura-hosted Avengers screening last night

I'm 37yo with a 2010 TL, and let's just say I was probably the youngest 4G owner there...LOL

 

When I graduated college in 1997, I got a job making around $65,000 (which was pretty good back then). However, all my net income went to trying to pay back my ridiculous student loan debt and a hilariously small 1 bedroom apartment. Itook public transportation for a year and a half (job was an hour away) before I was able to afford a 1999 manual trans Impreza Outback Sport.

Maybe these young guys are coming out of college debt free.

 

I know right, it's a ridiculous amount :/

I got lucky and started working with the gov't when I was in HS. I've stuck with them since, and I've been saving for a car.

I can't speak for everyone else, but scholarships helped A LOT. I'm graduatiing next Fall, so I'm a little scared to pay off my student loans and my car at the same time.