CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Whatever you have to tell yourself to convince yourself that the feature was worth it.

Unless it has a true A/C system in it (like the Lincoln Navigator or the MB S-Class), it's just a gimmick.

And as for a 6AT, I wouldn't know. Don't drive automatics.

I hate cars

Funny, we ran a friend's CL500 5speed against a friend's slightly newer CL500 with the 6speed and the 5 speed was faster. The 6 speed had a lower first gear and would spin the tire easier but around 50mph, the 5 speed would go around it.

Still, I think the TL would benefit from a 6 speed since it doesn't have the torque the CL500 does. It would be nice to have a close ratio 5speed with only 6th as the overdrive.

BHump

Well, that's the point, isn't it? A FEATURE that you can choose...some will like it / want it, and some won't. But it's a moot point if the feature isn't available, gimmicky or not.

Kind of like the MT for the '09 TL, huh?

kobi2002

I guess bluetooth audio and weather and a hard drive would all be a gimmick to. My car has traffic and i rarely use it. I guess thats a gimmick to. In that case we should just build a car with nothing in it because everything after the engine seats and radio is just a gimmick

darth62

I've test driven a few cars with A/C seats: Caddy CTS, Maxima, and M35. I wasn't so impressed by the Infiniti/Maxima systems. But ,the Caddy was wonderful. No more sweaty back on a hot day! Los Angeles (where I live) does not really get all that hot, and my car is mostly garaged. But, getting in that car when it has been in the sun and I'm wearing buisness clothes does kind of bite.

I'd easily pay $500 or $600 more for those seats and think it is a share the TL won't include them. And, I think it is particularly notable because the direct competition (the Maxima) does have that feature.

Of course, no car is perfect and the TL has a great feature set. This is not make or break for me, but if I had to choose between to cars that are close together, the ventailated seats might make a difference.

Costco

While life will go on without ventilated seats, it is a nice OPTION to have. I don't know if you guys noticed it or not, but some cars/trucks from the 80's and 90's (namely GM trucks) had a vent right underneath the steering column - which I appropriately named the crotch vent. I can vouch for the fact that it works. That would be a nice alternative also...

Ventilated seats do work. Hell, even going from leather to cloth seats is a huge difference. Acura should seriously consider having it as an option. I don't see why anyone is complaining about people complaining about it not being offered.

TSX69

Looking @ the button, all I see is Hi & Lo which suggests that it is only heated. My guess would be that ventilated seats will arrive w/ the MMC. If the MDX gets it then I think that it would be safe bet for the TL in 2012.

What does not make sense to me is that Acura had these since @ least 2005 w/ the Canadian RL & it took them like 4 years to bring it to the US. I understand the TSX or the RDX lacking this creature feature but the MDX & TL, both now in the $40k range, really should have this as @ least an option considering that they already make it. Debuting in the flagship RL is logical but it is definitely time to pass the goods around.

I have used them before & am a big enough fan that my next car will have to have them.

BEAR-AvHistory

My Expedition has heated/cooled seats. They are ducted into the main Heat/A/C system with their own booster fans & cool/heat very quickly.

BTW: The 2 setting heat function becomes effective much faster then the one in my TL.

EmuMessenger

This is a great, underrated feature found in my old M35x and my Aviator. I have been hoping for this feature in the TL since 2004.

Chevy is now offering them, too in a sub $30k crossover. As someone mentioned, the 09 Maxima has them and the Genesis, too.

xen-cuts

cooled seats are a must have improvement.

007TL-S

for them kind of FRIJOLES and no A/C vented seat's , LEXUS option ,ACURA must be on CRACK!

YeuEmMaiMai

the car is ugly and fat.......

TLTrance

I do think the 4G TL should have them -- the omission of these are counter to the "Acura Advance" motto. I mean, aren't we the same people that complained when mp3 CDs were not supported until the 2007 TL? After all, there were sub $20k cars that had this feature...

Ac Man

This whole ventilated seat thing is over blown because they don't work as well as you might think. Just go down to your local Acura dealer and try out the '09 RL and you'll see for yourself that it's a gimmick. Did I expected to get frost bite on my ass when I used it? No, but you really won't feel a big difference. I don't think that it's a must have feature, but then again, if the competition has it, Acura needs to have it also. I think that cooled/heated cup holders would be more useful than the ventilated seats, based on how it performed.

darth62

Ventilated seats are like HIDs. Nice to have when they work well, but not all that big an issue when they don't.

Go test drive a Caddy CTS on a hot day. The ventaliated seats are a pleasure. You feel like you are surrounded by cool dry air, and the leather sets don't have any of that sticky warm feeling (ok, I know that sounds sexual but that is not how I meant it!) on hot muggy days.

Now, it may be the case that the system in the RL does not work well, or it may also be that it is a system that you won't notice on a quick test drive but will enjoy over time.

Personally, I wish the TL had this feature. But, is it a make or break for me? Nope.

sifuacura

iTrader: (1)

we have ac seats on the 7 series and SL500 but never use it...seem pointless..

kobi2002

My wifes ac seats IS350 works very good. And she kicks my ass in speed as well. Stop making excuses man. Honda dropped the ball. Not really on the ac seats but everything it does not have that the competion does

Ac Man

How am I making excuses? I could care less about some stupid ass ac seats because in all my years of driving I never had issues with my butt being so hot that I couldn't drive. This feature is a gimmick, even if it works perfectly, it's still a gimmick. And if you or anybody else wants to run and leave Acura because the TL doesn't have cooled seats, then get the steppin'!

kobi2002

Notice at the end of my statment I said its not just about the seats. let me put it to you this way.
My wifes IS350 has
14 speakers
ac seats
better leathers
306 hp
bigger 4 piston brakes that work really well
led's for license plate
6 speed tranny
adaptive headlights
lights that light up when you get close to the car
compass on rear view
better cust service
better map lights
better bluetooth conn for phone
parking assist

I can go on and this was there since 06. I told myself that honda will pass this with the 4g Tl. now that the 4g tl comes out what is new and bold??
Please don't mention the weather for it is not a plane we are flying. i hardly used my traffic when I had it.
It'snot just about the ac seats but about going above your competion. Do you get that.? Even the hp does not pass the IS or the G35 or g37 for that matter. What do you think lexus and infiniti are going to do when they chage their cars in a few years???????
Your giving them excuses (honda) and they are killing my love for them

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Other than the IS & CTS, what other cars in this class have this feature?

kobi2002

The maxima has this also but I don;t know if it's in the same class

kobi2002

Its not just the seats on this car for me. Just ask yourself what new did acura bring to the table? Shawd was on the other models. Harddrive is nothing new. Weather I can say is a gimmick, And the pushstart has been around for awhile now. even lower modeled cars have this feature. Hell most of nissan's fleet has some kind of intellegent key. mitsubishi now offers fast key. i stopped by my dealer a few days ago and most of the sales guys are down about the tl. That tells you somthing

jyang411

I agree with Kobi2002.

A/C cooled seats are well worth the coin. I don't know where you guys live, but in Houston where the humidity is always high and the heat as well, it is a substantial feature.

Those of you who believe it is a gimmick have not sat in the car for a long 30-40 minute drive after the car has been sitting in the sun on a 95+ day.

I just picked up a new 335i coupe, and drove it around today in the rather mild heat. I could still feel the sweat getting ready to go even though the car was parked in the shade.

By comparison, I've sat in my pop's last gen lexus and I can say that there is a huge difference.

Anyhow, considering Acura had the opportunity to debut this option on a
$40k+ car, I think they did drop the ball here. Acura is marketing itself as "Advance;" while it may not be the fastest or best performing car on the road, it should have the most technoligical features. A/C seats should be part of that marketing image. $.02

kobi2002

Thats what I was thinking. Right now i see nothing advanced right now

darth62

Just off the top of my head:

Nissan Maxima
Infiniti M35
Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln MKS

The M35 is more in the RL's class, but the Maxima, CTS, and Lincolns are all price competitive with the TL.

Costco

I guess everyone who thinks A/C seats are overrated lives in Alaska and has never had their shirt, underwear and shorts stick to their skin thanks to being saturated with sweat. or simply they haven't tried it yet

If you get leather and live in a hot and humid climate, its a must.... I live in the relatively dry yet somewhat hot Bay Area. Sometimes, even with my A/C on full blast and on trips longer than 20 minutes my back will begin to stick to my seat.

Ac Man

I understand that you guys in California, Texas, Florida, etc. would love this feature because it's hot in those locations. But what I said was, the cooled seats in the '09 RL doesn't work that well to make a huge difference, therefore making it a gimmick just to say " Hey, we have this feature too!". If the feature doesn't really work then what's the point? I will buy a 4th gen TL, and if it were to have cooled seats, fine, if it didn't have cooled seats, that's fine too. I've been in Texas, Florida, and lived in Georgia and North Carolina, so I know what it's like to drive in hot, humid, sticky weather. Never once did I wish the car I was driving had cooled seats, especially if the damn AC was on! So if your back and legs are sticking to the seats, that tells me that your AC is not on/working properly. Or maybe something is wrong with your body temperature, I don't know.

I'm not saying that Acura should not have this feature, because the more features the better. Anything to make Acura more competitive I'm all for it. I just get tired of people complaining about bullshit that's all. Acura has given us pretty much everything that we wanted. We wanted 300 HP, got it. We wanted SH-AWD, got it. We wanted push button/keyless access, got it. We wanted full ipod integration/better sound system, got it. We wanted a hard drive, got it. We don't even have to hack our Navi anymore now that we can upload our own wallpapers now. We wanted better leather, etc. etc. The point that I'm making is that Acura has addressed almost everything feature wise that we asked for, but people still want to complain about Acura/Honda dropping the ball. Yes, they dropped the ball by not having a 6/7 speed transmission, I will agree on that. But to say that they dropped the ball because of a lack of some gimmick features, I don't agree, because that is nitpicking.

kobi2002

Asking for those feature's you stated were 3 year ago. yeah we kinda got them but that still does not make it compete with the other companies. I'm not hung up on the ac seats like I am with the fact that acura to me does not stand out like they did when the 3g wasout. Do you think adaptive headlights or cruise control are gimmicks? The competition has them. And as far as the Rl ac seats not working, i can't answer that but my wifes car i have to turn it off at times because it work really well

EmuMessenger

Saab 9-5
Lexus ES

I think ventilated seats are an amazing feature. Some cars work better than others. The seats in my Aviator are much better than the ones in the M35x I had. The air is not arctic, but I never stick to the seats and my entire body is cool when it is warm outside, not just my face.

I wouldn't leave Acura because they are absent, but I like them enough that I would look elsewhere to find them.

Ac Man

Hell, if the cooled seats work great I'm all for it. I'm all for any feature being put in an Acura, as long as it works well. No, I don't think that adaptive headlights or laser guided cruise control (I hope that's what you meant) are gimmicks because they are very useful features that we can ALL use, plus they're safety features.

Also, if Acura put all or most of the features we are discussing in '07-'08 TL, who the hell would buy an '09 TL? These features need to be strategially implemented into the TL, or there would be no incentive/reason to buy the newest model year car. Contrary to what some might believe, Acura is trying to make money you know. If Acura loads up the '09 TL with every feature we want, then what would be the point of putting out a TL in '10, '11? I'm hoping that the features we want will be addressed throughout the 4th gen. But every auto maker has features that are almost exclusive to their brand, because every auto maker feels certain features are more important than other auto makers might feel. It's up to us consumers to go with the brand that better appeals to our desires, wants and needs.

EmuMessenger

What you are saying makes sense at some levels. For Acura, no one here is asking for cutting-edge feature. We are seeking features that have been around for years. As for 10, 11, etc. there are soooo many other items not included that could easily be phased-in using your logic. Also, mfrs also remove features sometimes, too. The Maxima, I believe, no longer offers power folding side-view mirrors. A feature I think is great. VW removed the iPod connector from their Rabbit line. Features come and go and come back again.

There are a lot of vehicles that cost less than the TL that offer most of the items people in this thread are seeking.

darth62

What the heck is wrong with asking for all the features you desire on a vehicle that you are spending $35,000 to $42,000 on? I really don't see anything "nitpicky" with people expressing diappointment that the TL doesn't have specific features they hoped for - particularly when cars costing thousands less (like the Lincoln) already have it and when some of the prime competitors in the segment also have it.

No offense meant - but the comment that "something is wrong with your body temperature" if you want cooled seats is a little silly. If you had driven a car with those kinds of seats implemented well you might see things a bit differently. There is nothing wrong with my body temp, or the A/C in my car, but I do get a sweaty back on hot days.

And, the idea that Acura is holding features off so they have new things to add later (as you suggest) doesn't help me much. I interested in what the car has that I'm actually going to buy - not what Acura marketing thinks is necessary ot hold in reserve for future upgrades.

I also have to say that not many posters here (even posters who would really like A/C seats - like myself) see this as "make-or-break." Its just a potentially nice feature that the TL doesn't have - that we wish it did.

I'm seriously considering cars that don't have A/C seats (like a 3-series, TL) as well as cars that do (Maxima, CTS).

YeuEmMaiMai

lol Tinting one's windows does wonders for inside temps.

while ventelated seats are nice, they are not going to deter me from buying a TL, the looks on the other hand are more than enough deterrant.....

Ac Man

Well there is nothing wrong with anyone wanting certain features in the new TL, because Lord knows there are features that I would've liked that are not present. We can't get EVERYTHING that we want, life just doesn't work that way. Show me one car manufacturer that gives you every feature you want? Good luck finding one. Don't get me wrong, I understand that many of you were looking for certain features in the TL, as I was too. Just give them time, they might come through for us, or they might not. If they don't, then feel free to go buy another car that makes your heart content. Trust me, if Acura fails to provide me with the style, features, service, reliability and value that I've become accustom to, then I will be taking my happy ass elsewhere too. If some of you are already at that point, then fine, I wish you all well and hope that you find what you're looking for.

darth62

I've yet to find one car that has EVERYTHING I want. But, if you go to chat board for other cars, you'll also find thread on features that are missing. When the new Maxima came out, Freshalloy had threads about the power folding mirrors being deleted, lack of folding seats in the nicer trims, etc.
I guess I don't see anything wrong with potential buyers having discussions about missing features.

kobi2002

Wow never thought of that ,, my wife has 15%: all around. I guess your missing the point of this whole thread. i'll laugh at you when you pull up next to me in your new tl and everyone thinks your driving a camry

darth62

C'mon, guys. We're all friends here at Acurazine. No need to snipe at each other because we disagree.

Walshstl

Acura could have added this feature, I assume quite easily. I dont see why they didnt. And while you guys might think its a stupid gimmick, there are people that will not buy the car because of this. You guys could care less, but Acura does care. It just doesnt make sense why they would not add it as least as an option.

Ac Man

I'm willing to bet that the feature will be added by the 2012 MMC, and hopefully by then it will work like people expect it to work. But If someone doesn't buy the TL simply because it doesn't have cooled seats, then I find it hard to believe that they REALLY wanted to buy the TL in the first place. This one feature should not be a deal breaker.

gauravp123

I agree....

It's an important feature that the competition has...and comes in very handy for those especially in very HOT climates. When it works well...it really kicks ass