SouthsideGirl

Hi, I am new to this forum, been a past (happy) Honda owner but never ventured into Acura territory. I have been driving a 1999 Lexus LS 400 forever (it's 14 years old), great car, but it's getting up there in mileage and it may be time for a new vehicle. Got it narrowed to two: a 2008 Lexus GS350 and a 2010 Acura TL Tech. I am leaning toward the Acrua (same price, half the mileage, much newer, better nav system) but my husband is pulling for the GS (prefers RWD, timing chain over belt, and feels it handles better). I think both cars are great but the Acura just felt awesome to me, and its safety rating and future reliability potential exceed the Lexus' (per Consumer Reports). Any words of wisdom to help me convince him? BTW, looking at a price point of $27K--sound far? Thanks for any and all advice!

Sorry for the typo, leaning towards the ACURA

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

a happy wife makes for a happy life!

if still not going for the Acura, trade the husband in!

mondster

tell your husband that real men drive acuras

RenoTL

You said your husband prefers RWD so I am assuming the ACURA TL is a SH-AWD model. Once you've driven AWD, I can't imagine going back to RWD or FWD, especially whenever you are driving in adverse weather conditions (rain, snow or ice) and who doesn't face these conditions from time to time? I bought my 2010 TL in February and personally I liked it over the Lexus cars but car buying always comes down to personal preferences.

SouthsideGirl

Hey, RenoTL, it's actually the standard FWD model. We live in the Phoenix area and never have snow, and rain is unfortunately very rare. I think he just prefers the "feel" of RWD. I will be the one driving the car and thankfully will not have to relearn how to turn "into" or "out of" a skid, because it's so rare here...

nj2pa2nc

If you are the one driving the car the majority of the time you should get the one you like.

jason60050

I owned a 2008 Lexus GS350 and yes it was a nice car but a little old and outdated compared to the 2010 TL. I can tell you the GS is very boring to drive compared to a SH-AWD TL. I'm not sure how it would compare to a standard TL as I have never driven one. One thing the GS350 has going for it is the direct injection 3.5 V6 and the 6 speed automatic which the 2010 TL does not have.

pimpin-tl

The GS350 of that year is a nice car. But it doesn't handle near like the 2010 TL you are considering. The TL handles better period even with FWD.

If I had the choice though...it would be hard for me to choose as I like that car too. But if one had 80k miles the other had 30-40k, the Acura would be in the lead.

SouthsideGirl

pimpin-tl, thank you for appreciating the dilemma. On the one hand, I've had a GREAT experience with Lexus (I am not sure I'm even ready to give up the LS), and it has some great features--but the GS has 60K miles and the Acura 26K. That's huge in my book. And the Lexus dealer is so arrogant, he won't deal at all on price (almost $29K). So that really threw me towards the Acura; the dealer has been awesome, not at all pushy, and admits the Lexus is a great car--just a different one. ARGH!

yooin14

TL SH-AWD > GS350 > TL FWD.

I think 2008 GS350 was nice car at that time but it looks dated especially interior.
I personally do not like frontend on 2009 ~ 2011 TL. I recommend you to spend little more money and get at least 2012 TL and SH-AWD.

pimpin-tl

That is actually high. When I looked at that year GS350, I saw them for 26-28k about 2 years ago here. And that was around 50-80k. On a Lexus or Acura, that is nothing for mileage. I wouldn't think twice about picking up a car like that with that many miles. As long as service records are available. You probably need to drive both. See if you can take an extended drive for a day at least to see how it is before deciding.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

I like both as overall cars but I hate Lexus dull interiors and I find the 09-11' TL only looks good after some modifications to the grille; except on Pallidium. Going deeper than that I'd choose the newer of the two with 1/2 the miles because it will hold its value longer and will need major repairs later. The real question is why is your hubbies preference the determining factor for a car you're mostly going to be driving? Or this a car for you that he'll use as his second vehicle smh.

hadokenuh

I'd say if you want a quiet and smooth ride, get the GS. Although the GS has more HP, it seems to respond slower than the TL when you try to accelerate. Since it's a RWD, cornering will feel better because of its weight is distributed almost evenly (rather than 60/40 on the TL). 29K for a 2008 GS350 with 60K miles is high. But it's supply and demand.

The TL will be noisier but more fun to drive. Gas mileage should be a bit better too! On the price, right now you can get a new 2013 TL Tech for 34-35K so I think you can get the 2010 lower than 27K.

Stew4HD

Also, the crash test results better for the Acura, according to several reports.

Tell hubby you want to drive something else! You will be glad you did.

LawnPro

You should choose the car that you like the most, since it will be your car to drive....

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

your car, your choice...you like the Acura whole heartedly...get the Acura.

KeithL

The mileage alone would be my deciding factor, buying a car with 60K miles vs 26K. The Acura will at least have warranty on it for a bit. Lexus builds a good car, but I just like Acura better, but then wouldn't most people on this forum ;-)

Oswald Vater

Welcome to the forum! As you seem to be leaning towards the TL hopefully your husband will acquiesce to your wishes. As some have suggested if you are able and willing to spend a little extra cash you could go for a new TL which would give you a 4-year warranty as well as many extra years of carefree, low-mileage driving. Best wishes and let us know what happens!

714tman

I totally agree. The new TLs have a ton of discounts and incentives, so if you could squeeze a few more $$, I would recommend a new TL. Plus a new TL will have a few more benefits:
1. New Warranty
2. Search by voice which is totally awesome!
3. Options for BSM and Vented Seats
4. Higher resale (I think more buyers prefer the toned down look of the 2012+)
5. An awesome support group on this forum!

g37guy01

I second this on the face of it. Lexus' will go the distance, however, they probably are 'much more' expensive to repair than Acuras...although Acura isn't cheap either. (None of these premium brands are cheap...come to think of it...no car is cheap to repair)

SeismicGuy

I don't believe you will go wrong with either one of those cars. For a number of years we have always had 2 cars--one mostly for me which tends to be the more fun/less practical vehicle and one mostly for my wife. The wife-mobile tends to be 4-door sedan since we need to have a car for those occasions where we are going out with another couple.

For the last several 4-door sedans (starting back in 1990) we always considered a Lexus, the first time being the ES 250 which was really mostly just a re-badged Camry. Based on bang-for-the-buck and the "funness" factor we ended up with a Maxima. Each subsequent time we were shopping to replace the 4-door sedan, we similarly always considered a Lexus (our budget was always in the ES rather than the GS category) and it always came down to something else being more fun to drive and/or a better value. Hence the TL we bought in 2000 and the TL we bought in 2012 (yes, we tend to keep cars a long time).

The closest we came to the Lexus was actually when we were comparing to the 2012 TL. Pricing was on a par but the Lexus just couldn't touch the driving experience of the TL--my wife and I both feel the current TL's handling is almost BMW-like.

I imagine the GS is actually quite a different class than the ES and the TL and, based on the experience of our close friends, the Lexus service experience is light-years better than Acura. But you probably won't regret either car you are considering.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Welcome SS Girl!


Just tell your husband that you have given this careful thought and you want the Acura.


Also tell him that you've also given careful thought to the fact that if he buys you the Lexus, he gets none for an entire year!


Just kidding.....I hope you get the car you want.

Anicra

Ya if you can, go with AWD. Acura SHAWD is just too much fun. Heck I just bought snow tires and rims so this winter I can really have fun in the snow.
I had a 85 Rx-7 GSLSE back in the day when Blizzaks came out. Every year I had to replace the front radiator grills cause I did so much damage plowing thru snow. When I gave the car to my little brother I parked in 17 inches of snow just show what was possible (In the middle of the yard)

Heck ya I would go with 26k mile car any day

012TL-GLM

The TL is the more fun to drive choice, and you may be able to move that price even a little lower since its not SH-AWD. Also, spending that level of coin on a 2008 just doesn't seem right. That car is almost 6 years old, maybe older depending when it left the factory. I think the only pro's of the GS are larger back seat, larger trunk, and probably a much smoother, bank vault ride. Think couch on 4 wheels

Personally, I've been there. Drove an Avalon for 5 years - hated the majority of it, but it was a comfortable ride with plenty of room for passengers. When I bought the TL I wanted a ride with power, handling, and control. I did not want to feel like I was in a rolling living room. I chose the TL over the competition for several reasons, one of the biggest being value. Your dollar goes further with Acura. Just about all the features of the Germans/Lexus, for 10-15K less

jim_c

Interesting discussion.
I had a Mazda truck for 13 years and then a 1999 Integra for 13 years before I got my current 2010 TL. The TL handles and drives great and is fun. But to be honest I think the ride is rather harsh on pavement expansion strips etc. with the Michelin tires. At 32 psi these tires are too hard for normal driving. If you want quiet and smooth as opposed to great handling, you need to do an extended test drive.
The price for the Lexus is way too high though.
I have also heard the Lexus dealers can be very arrogant.

BEAR-AvHistory

Unless your husband is a really good DYI guy on cars you can’t ignore the mileage spread between the two cars. Since you prefer the lower mileage TL it should be a no brainer to buy it.

Leebog

I was debating the same 2 cars. GS was nice but not enough tech inside for me. Good luck.

ckgs

I can speak some to this. I own an ES350 and TL SHAWD (I know you're looking at a GS but they both share similar Lexus qualities).

Both the Lexus and Acura are great cars with great powertrains, and as others have said, you really can't go wrong. I don't really buy into the idea that one is better than the other. The two cars have very personalities, and it depends on your priorities. The Lexus is a luxury car first, with a very smooth, quiet ride and more luxury touches (power tilt/telescope, auto wipers, auto dimming outside mirrors, real wood, etc.). The drive is secondary in my opinion, and fairly boring.

The TL is a drivers car first, the SHAWD even more so, and it's a capable and exciting car to drive hard. But it rides rougher, has a noisier cabin, and is missing many of the luxury touches.

Frankly I don't see why anyone would buy a used TL over a new Accord unless you go with SHAWD.

C8N

I would bump up to the SH-AWD model and have your husband test drive it and cut through a corner. That really should suffice your husband to change his mind.

KeithL

The difference in her case the TL has far fewer miles, which IMO is a big deal. As for Accord vs. used TL, the TL has a better feel inside, the gf is going through this as she looks at an Accord over her 11 TSX. The TSX just feels better. Granted the 13 Accord has more toys and is a safer car in theory than the current TL, but the interior does not have the same luxury feel.

SouthsideGirl

You aren't kidding about arrogant. If you can believe it, they won't budge an inch on the price of the GS--in fact, when I checked their website today, they've UPPED the price of the car by $500! No, thanks, not interested anymore. They just keep playing games with payments and trades. Not going there right now.

SouthsideGirl

Thanks to all for your thought-provoking responses. Hubby and I discussed this weekend and have come to a decision (drum roll, please): we are going to wait. Like some others here, he is not crazy about the front end of the 2010 TL, but does like the changes in the 2012. My LS is still a great car and we aren't interested in dealing with that Lexus dealer, whose car has been on the lot for almost two months and who won't budge on price. (Yes, there aren't many preowned cars out there right now, but there also aren't that many motivated and qualified buyers, either.) So I'm going to wait until the winter when the new TLs come out, hoping either to score a great deal on an end-of-year 2013 or perhaps a newly-turned in 2012 CPO. And I am going to take a look at the SH-AWD, too. Thanks again to all!

SeismicGuy

All this was kinda like Emily Litella---"never mind".

SouthsideGirl

I resemble that remark . Actually, this helped me a lot. I am really much more focused on the Acura. I think it will give me what I am looking for, which is an upgraded sporty feel. And it is great to know that so many people have had great experiences with Acura. I am excited to test drive the SHAWD, too. Thanks for the great advice!

Anicra

When testing the SH-AWD cornering, accelerate thru the curve/on or off ramp etc. So the torque will be at wheels. If not full comfortable with the idea, start at the 1/3 mark of an on ramp and accelerate.
If you think of buying a new car - I can recommend the service thru ConsumerReports care report or something. We had to pay additional like 15 dollars and see negotiated local dealers prices on Acura TL sh-awd advanced. For example we had deal of Bloomington Luther Acura was offering 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD advance for 40889.

Stew4HD

You haven't been on that test drive yet? What are you waiting for? It's free and fun!

C8N

Not sure if there are currently running a finance special on the CPO's but it's probably smart to wait until one comes along.

Mr Marco

This^

Don't bother with 2WD. The handling of the SH-AWD makes the TL one of the best sport sedans on the market. Without it, you might as well just get an Accord and save the money for a nice vacation.

Mr Marco

How old are you?

jim_c

It's really annoying when people state their biased opinions as facts. And not helpful. There are several pros and cons to be considered e.g. when comparing AWD to FWD (or RWD for that matter).
To the thoughtful OP: I'm in Canada and I found a site called Auto Trader (.ca) to be invaluable when I was looking last fall. Perhaps you have similar or better resources in your area.
The pricing (asking prices) varied by as much as $5,000 on similar TLs that I looked at! I eventually bought a 2010 and thought I got a good deal but the dealers close to my home wanted way too much. You should be able to find a motivated dealer when you decide to buy, but don't buy a bunch of stuff you don't need.
My personal opinion is that Navi systems are crazy expensive and unnecessary. I have managed to find my way around for 50 years of driving without a $4,000 gps system! LOL.