I received an offer on a 2012 TL 6MT tech AWD. My car's been in the shop a few days and i'm kind of annoyed, definitely not the luxury experience I was looking for.

This is also leading me to consider other brands.

My dealer offered me $1500 total out of pocket and $525 a month, 12k, 36 months.

Dealer is also paying off my current lease.

My current lease is for $438(12k, 36 months) a month on a TL-AWD Tech of which 1 year is completed.

This would mean in a year I will have spent about $4000($2500 at inception and another $1500 at inception if I get this car) just to GET both cars and on top of that $2160 extra in payments in the next 2 years compared to what I am paying now.

Should I wait it out? I am pretty sure there will be a new TL out by the time my lease is over or something better at another brand.

Any suggestions?

 

If you're expecting "something better at another brand" to be a MT, all wheel drive car, don't hold your breath.

There aren't many out there, and I think the TL betters those that are, certainly in the 38-45K price range.

What kind of issues are keeping your '11 in the shop so much?

 

I agree, the value is great but just real annoyed by the quality.

They can't duplicate the roof and rear shelf rattle which is driving me nuts. The dealer claimed he fixed a squeak I had upon unlocking the door, but it's still there. Scratched some interior panels and now states the interior guy "refinished it"

btw I am real picky lol, I should of said this in the beginning.

 

even with a new tl, i think your going to have the same rattle and scratched interior problems..

 

You want to trade up because of rattle issues , what's the guarantee new car won't have it

Unless there is major mechanical issues I wouldnt trade a new car and take a loss

 

I read the '12s were rattle free, quieter and tighter.

The scratches were done by the tech and they supposedly "refinished" the plastics and leather. But I'll find out later this week.

I like the tl a lot but this annoyances is making me check other brands.

Am I expecting too much from Acura?

 

the fact of the matter is.. its all luck of the draw man..

luckly i dont have rattles.. i have a 2010.. but even with 2012.. i still see/hear people have rattles.

i was just at the dealer the other day and this guy brought in a 2012
CBP TL that had rattle issue.... and inside the service station was another one being fixed..

trust me, your spending too much money on something your not sure of.

 

[QUOTE=

i was just at the dealer the other day and this guy brought in a 2012
CBP TL that had rattle issue.... and inside the service station was another one being fixed..

trust me, your spending too much money on something your not sure of.[/QUOTE]

Lol Acura is unveleivable

 

I have a 2012 and I hear rattles. This shouldn't be what makes you trade the car in but if the rattle is unbearable, then go for it!

By the way, if you think your car is now flawed or whatever because of all the damage the dealership did, maybe you can get a better deal from them. It doesn't hurt to find out.

 

According to the salesman they gave the best price.

 

Says the same salesman that will be getting a cut.

Talk directly to the finance manager and give him a piece of your mind. Let him know you are not all pleased with your current car and the issues.

Also, don't just have them throw some numbers at you. Ask how much the car will be? You'll need to know how much will be added to it from your trade in. $100 increase plus $1,500 out of pocket seems too high. Just my opinion.

 

The manual transmission is nearly phased out of the luxury market in the US. Manual + AWD is rarer still, and the TL is the only remaining midsize to offer it.

your upmarket manny tranny + AWD sedan options are : A4, S4, 3 series (still e92), TL SH-AWD 6MT. You might stretch down a little to Golf R, depending on your feelings about VW.

The upcoming BMW F30 xdrive models will probably have the manual available with at least one of the engines, probably both, but BMW xDrive isn't exactly fabulous.

If you want a manual, your only options will all be smaller german cars which are worse value for money, and as mad as you are about rattles the germans will teach you the true color of rage with their shop-seeking skills.

The next TL, if it follows in the RLX's hybrid AWD footsteps, will be pretty cool but will only be available automatic.

So, if you *want* a 6MT TL, I'd squeeze the dealer for some better numbers.

 

It is very difficult to squeeze the dealer if the 6MT TL of your trim choice is either next to impossible to come by or taking an awfully long time to order in. The dealer would rather sell you the abundant 6AT TL's that are flooding it's storage lot.

 

A dealer won't walk away from a deal if they stand to make money on it, and they'll never sell him an automatic TL since he is in there with one. Their choice here is between earning 0 dollars and some number of dollars greater than 0.

 

oh without a doubt the salesman will make money, I will confirm details tomorrow on the selling price and stuff.

I actually was considering a loaded GTI or a Golf R. There are definitely slim pickings out there as you pointed out and get worse.

I will have to try another dealer but the problem is the "supposed negative equity" on my car, I am actually in a posit==ve equity state as valued by KBB and NADA. The dealer is probably using Galves or black book.

There is 1 available at my dealer, and to be honest I really don't know if they are giving me the best deal.

Some dealers believe it or not will actually keep the car rather then make a low amount of profit on it, waiting for the right sucker to come along!

 

As someone said earlier, if you're concerned about spending time in the dealer's service area, I'd think twice (or thrice) before pulling the trigger on a VW.

 

Could be better or worse than the amount of times I've been at the Acura dealership, but that 6mt TL keeps bringing me back to the TL!

 

I went from a 2010 TL SH-AWD base that was plagued with Rattles. That car also was in the shop for about a week....they fixed it, but still wasn't up to par. Also had a Propeller shaft replaced at the 30,000km mark. So needless to say i wasn't very please with my 2010.

But i did end up trading it in for a 2012 TL SH-AWD 6MT Tech......and i can honestly tell you, this car is quite, not a single rattle to be heard. Feels tigheter, no squeeks or anything. I'm at 16,000km now, bought it in October 2011, and i am very pleased with this car. And the 6MT is amazing. So i do think they improved on the rattling flaws found in the 09-11 model years.

 

I mean if you want another brand/newer car go for it...what is this forum save a ho...

 

lol you must be one of the lucky ones, some '12's(which I thought were fine) has the same issues as mine.

 

This is true, but I do value other Acura owners opinions. I actually need some more '12 TL owners to give me advice because as stated before I don't want to go through the same headache.

 

They are all assembly line cars. Sometimes the tolerances stack in your favor & sometimes they don’t. I drive a 14 year old pickup a lot so squeaks & rattles don’t really bother me.

 

Sorry I can't stand squeaks and rattles unless it's a mustang

 

In the fall of 2008, I bought a new Legacy 2.5GT. It was a 5AT, and on my first scheduled oil change at a Subaru dealership, I noticed a rare Legacy Spec.B. Same color, same year, same body. Only difference is bigger wheels, WRX STi struts up front, Bilstein shocks all around, Alcantara, and best of all, 6MT.

Next thing I knew, I had spent 4 hours after I went to pick up my other GT, and never picked it up. I got myself a Spec.B.

Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOVE my Spec.B, but OMG! That thing had crazy rattles in the dash like two ping pong balls! Both Legacies were built in the same factory, and the manufacture date was close. The dash and interiors were pretty close, but yet my GT had no rattle, but my Spec.B has a lot.

Darn luck of the draw! Now, to be fair, the 4G Legacy was plagued with dash rattles that never got fixed. But yet I had the lucky few GTs that didn't rattle. Too bad it wasn't a Spec.B.

I would be lying if I told y'all that the rattles in my Spec.B didn't have any influence in my decision to buy a 2012 TL-SHD 6MT....

I can't wait!! Production dates of April 11-15, and it should be on a delivery truck right now.

Of course, if the new TL has rattles, I'm gonna go bonkers! =)

 

No car is immune to squeaks and rattles, especially after driving for months and months on punishing roads.

 

True, no car is immune. But some of the reasons are plain stupid. Like for my Subaru Spec.B, the glove box area rattles. All because the plastic molding that folds in together to hold the owner's manual had the holes for the clips too big so there is too much movement. To fix that, I just shove more than the manual in there so the clips are always pushed against their big holes.

I wouldn't have a higher standard if Lexus vehicles tend to suffer the same thing. My friend works for corporate Toyota, and he gets to drive different vehicles for up to 6000-8000 miles. The Lexus cars have rattle free interior. Even the Toyota cars are mostly the same. The only car I've got to "test drive" that had rattles was the 4Runner.

If Lexus makes rattling cars, I would've simply accepted it is normal. But knowing that the rattling for the most part can be managed by better quality controls and smarter designs? Just seeing the reason and solution to the three TSBs related to the 4G TL regarding rattles coming from the rear right wheel well area makes me wonder about their testing protocols.

 

There are three other TSB's issued for the 4G TL regarding interior rattles. One in the sunroof area, and one in the C-pillar area. See below thread :

https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-2009-2014-123/does-acura-improve-fix-known-issues-during-production-834871/

 

The 06-07 IS250/350 models had this horrible rattle in the dashboard that was an elusive fix. So, to say that Lexus is rattle free is a bit of a reach...

 

Well, I couldn't possibly cover every year and generation. I only know the guy starting at the end of 2007. And all the cars he lets me drive have been rattle free, except for the 4Runner. That's not to say there are others with rattles, but the impression I got was that Lexus and its deafening silence really makes rattles stand out.

Even though rattles annoy me, none of the Lexus vehicles are enough for me to want one, despite having discount opportunities. I thought of the GS350 F, but then the price is higher, and it's the first year of the gen. I think I've made a wise decision on my 2012 TL SH-AWD 6MT. Now if only the dealer can provide me with a delivery date! I can't wait...

 

I guess I too am one of the lucky ones, the only rattles in my TL come from my son's carseat

 

Naw buddy, I can confirm that... My 6 month and 4500 miles old TL, that I baby like no one else, has some rattling going on as of last few weeks. I cant figure it out, but sounds like its either the sunroof or the sunglasses holder. Have to take it to the dealer sometime in the near future.

They sure are quieter for the road noise and all, but the inside rattling, creaking, ticking, clicking and clacking is another story...

Does that mean I am sorry to buy my TL?!?! Absolutely not.....

 

It's like a love/hate relationship. I love my car(most of the time)and sometimes I hate it. The rattling isn't severe but only noticed with certain music, and certain bumps/holes on the road. I would fix it myself but to be honest, I shouldn't have to and the dealer should take care of it.

 

[quote=DannyZRC;13683654]The manual transmission is nearly phased out of the luxury market in the US. Manual + AWD is rarer still, and the TL is the only remaining midsize to offer it.

your upmarket manny tranny + AWD sedan options are : A4, S4, 3 series (still e92), TL SH-AWD 6MT. You might stretch down a little to Golf R, depending on your feelings about VW.


Arent you forgetting the Subaru? Legacy Turbo is AWD 6mt only and has more rear leg room than the TL. Also doesnt require that you purchase the Navigation system. Thats the one thing that really irks me on this car, at home I dont need a navigation and when I travel I dont have my car with me.

btw the loaded Legacy is about 34k, 12k+- cheaper than our cars.I just traded up from an '05 TL 6mt to the '10 CPO TL SHAWD 6mt last month. I had to drive 800 miles to find my new TL, but if there were a Legacy closer to home, I might have been tempted.

Gregg

 

Well, you may have found someone who is as obsessed and anal about noise/squeeks as you I am the KING of a quiet free cabin.

I do drive a 2012 AWD-tech and I will that for the most part, my TL is very tight and quiet with ONE exception. There is the tick-tick around the sunroof area that has a TSB on how to fix it. I have not yet taken it to the dealership for fear it may cause more problems (see roof damage - skin; roof liner coming apart, visors falling off etc). What saves me is that the tick tick only happens when it is really warm and in Canada...not an issue *lol* All kidding aside, I may take it at one point but at the moment, it is not enough to push me over the edge. I had a rear shelf tapping on my TSX and that was annoying and I had it successfully fixed. So other than my sunroof, my TL is good.

That being said, as others have told you, no car is rattle free and I'd hate to see you lose money only to get a 2012 with more rattles. No 2 cars are exactly the same and one may rattle, the other may not. It is like a kitten litter...why some do turn out to be great cats while others are just a disaster

Best of luck....

 

[quote=Greggsg;13710222]I don't know if you can count the A4 in the mix, since they dropped the bigger engine. The 2.0T is not in the same class as the others. Furthermore, the A4/S4 is still a compact car, unlike the midsize TL.

 

Well, I said that manuals are rare in the luxury market, and further that manual + AWD was rarer still. The Subaru isn't an upmarket car, it doesn't have the upmarket features, appointment, but on the upside it also doesn't have the price. Also, the 2.5GT is now dead for 2013 (also, everyone and their mother said the current gen of 2.5GT just wasn't the great car that the predecessor was)

Further, the A4 with the 2.0T isn't as fast as a TL with a stick, but it's as fast as an auto TL... low-mid 6's to 60 isn't terrible, and if straightline is that important you can flash it.

I'm not saying all of these cars are super amazing, I was just listing cars that fit the criteria of "upmarket + manny tranny + awd", and I stand by it.

<3

 

Mine had recently developed an intermittent sunroof rattle (mostly when it was warmer). I took it in for an oil change and asked the dealer to fix it. Apparently they cleaned and lubed the track and it completely took care of the issue. Maybe you can have them try that (and avoid the whole headliner disassembly procedure spelled out in the TSB).

 

Fair enough on the term luxury. The Legacy Turbo was the only other car that you could get with leather, sunroof, 6mt and a decent stock radio with a reasonable price.

Gregg

 

You're right. If we're sticking to luxury+manny+awd, your list is pretty much it.

It is quite sad about the 2013 Legacy GT. Makes me having second thoughts about trading in my Spec.B for a 2012 TL.

 

Thanks for the tip, certainly worth looking into for sure! Mine is not just a rattle but that "clicking" sound as described by the TSB...but I get your point. Worth exploring a quick and non intrusive fix prior to dismantling the whole car.