TL Experience
 

I am in the market for a TL. For those of you who already have one what are your pros and cons of the car. What really bothers you and would could be improved on the vehicle.

I've had a bit of experience with many different cars. There isn't a negative, yet.

I like the look of the car but was not impress by the gas mileage on my previous thread. I wish it could be better.

You've got to remember it's a 2 ton car with AWD and over 300 HP. It's no prius, and thank god it doesn't drive like one.

I love my car, Had it for almost 5 months now and can find nothing wrong with it, or anything that I would like changed. I didn't think it could be better than the 3G TL-S that I had, but it blows that away. Just get the 6 Speed! :thumbsup:

Pros:
1. "Unique" design
2. Excellent handling and grip (SH-AWD) and overall road manners
3. One of the best factory audio systems in the market
4. Excellent overall value in its segment
5. Traditionally high reliability, safety record, and resale value

Cons:
1. Needs 6-sp AT for better performance and fuel economy
2. Heavy curb weight makes car less nimble
3. Slightly numb steering
4. Slightly choppy ride with 19" wheels (adjustable dampers might help)
5. Missing some features that are offered in competitors like blind-side monitoring, rain-sensing wipers, and ventilated seats
6. Front (and rear) grill polarizing to many

Not to be a douche, but who else agrees that there has been a new thread created about two times a week on this same subject that the OP just asked about?

Do our answers ever change?

I've never answered, and i'm sure there are many new owners that would also like to share their input. So answers could change, and it would also be refreshing to hear input (even if the issues are the same) coming from different/new TL owners much like myself.

Pros:
-Value factor is unbeatable, especially if you factor in long term reliability and build quality.
-Engine is smooth, doesn't sound noisy even at high RPMs.
-Good handling. (I have the SHAWD model)
-Super soft leather.
-Tech package is impressive for the $
- Roomy and comfortable for 4

Cons:
-The 5 speed auto is barely smooth and is archaic compared to the 6, 7, and even 8 speed autos now on the market. Most of those transmissions shift MUCH smoother and faster.
-Horrible gas mileage, i drive 99% city and my last few tanks have all been under 15mpg.
-Heavy, going into a turn, you will feel the weight. The weight doesn't inspire confidence on turns regardless of how well the SHAWD is sorting things out.
-Uncomfortable seating for 5. I'm not kidding, when you put that last person in the middle hump, the whole rear seating situation becomes a mess. My civic (which i upgraded from) had a flat rear floor and a relatively flat rear bench and could easily accommodate 3 people comfortably.
-Road Noise, the only luxury car that has worse road noise would be the G37. The Base TL is fine, and is about average when it comes to road noise. The SHAWD model dampens road noise just slightly better than my 06 civic sedan. I'm not kidding.
-Overly firm suspension, the TL's suspension is pretty firm sometimes. So much so that i nearly come to a complete stop on some bumps because I don't want to hear the impending ruckus that comes from the suspension/tires.
-Steering. The steering on my civic was direct and precise. The TL's steering is too "light" not sure how else to explain it.
-Polarizing styling. Not everyone that has commented about my car has said positive things. There were a handful of pretty negative comments about it.
-Wood trim. Wood trim maybe cliche and occasionally look "dated" but it gives the interior a more mature look and creates a sense of "homeliness" The aluminum trim is cold and uninviting.


Regardless of all those cons (some are just pet peeves of mines) the car is an outstanding value and you'll be hard pressed to find something this good, especially when long term reliability is factored in. I emphasize that because i've owned a few hondas and they've all been bulletproof. Hearing horror stories from my friends that owned bmws/benz/audis makes me so glad i got an acura.

In comparison to other high end brands, (although it is my first Acura) Acura is my choice so far. There are things in every make and model that someone can complain about. One thing you don't see here is "how often my Mercedes is in the shop" or "I can't afford to maintain my BMW after the first 36,000 miles". These cars are rock solid and you can get them maintained almost anywhere.

Agreed. I was browsing the benz forums (specifically the E class coupe) prior to purchasing the TL. The problems just kept coming, mostly the sunroof not closing properly (and completely) and shredding up the material up there. There's also some sort of problem with the navigation.

Surprisingly, there aren't many problems with the Audi A5 forums i frequent, except for some vibration with the steering.. which is a non-issue since my gf's A5 has it and all it actually does is vibrate a little bit at parking lot speeds. My gf's A5 is also solid and hasn't had any problems at all.

Pros.
1. Great power train.
2. Nice quiet interior
3. electonrics
4. Quality

Cons
1. You will be aware that some people do not appreciate the exterior design.
2. it is a front end heavy design.

Bottom line. The TL is the equal or better to cars that cost $10 - 15 thousand more.

When I was asked, I couldn't think of much wrong. I've said this before, and to be honest it seemed to me almost as if somebody had personally consulted me about what kind of sedan would be perfect for me, and coming back with the 4G TL 6-6.

I suppose that if I had to pick a couple of things....

I'd wish that the centre spring (the spring that lines up the shifter gate on 3-4) were a little stronger. Sometimes it seems to me the shift into third is a little crunchy, despite all the development, and all it comes down to is a driver's wanting to move upward before the spring has done its work.

There is one other tiny thing that worries me very rarely about the shifter: On occasional very quick shifts into 3rd, I will find that my hand is big enough to hit the NAV button and hang up a call in progress.

:-)

These are very small things that I would change if I had the opportunity, and I almost hate to mention them because I think the car is just about perfect for me.

Pros: Fast, reliable. Tech system is very cool. Lots of legroom for all four passengers. By "feature count", it's a great value. Leather is nice quality. Interior holds up to rough wear well. Plenty of 12V power outlets. Keyless entry is very cool.

Cons: Mine rattles. It's a very long car. No foam or felt in the door cubbies. Trunk floor isn't flat. Rear seats don't fold; can't fit a weedwhacker in the trunk without disassembling it. Sun roof is extremely loud (compared to Audi/BMW) when in popped-up or slightly open position. No support for Celsius. AWD isn't up to Torsen-Quattro levels. Head restraints are too far forward and cannot be tilted back. Lacks the short-interval turn signalling that Audis have had for > 12 years. No headlight washers (matters where I live.) The climate control system doesn't provide control over which vents are used in "Auto" mode. (For example, in many cars you turn on the windshield (aka defrost) and floor vents, turn off the dash vents and yet otherwise be in "20C" or "68F" mode. You don't have that level of control with the TL's system.)

Overall it's a decent car, worth the money.

What do you mean by "no support for Celsius"?
 

TechnoCat, what do you mean by "no support for Celsius" please? Would you expand on that please?

BTW, when I test drove it yesterday, I loved how forward the head rests were! I thought it was very comfortable - it just goes to show how subjective the perfect seating position is!

Yea, I don't get this one... I was finally able to open mine today, both tilted and opened partial and all the way, and it was quiet enough. I mean what is "extremely loud", how fast are you going when it's open? The tilted open one is very quiet for me, but it's all subjective unless you get a db meter.

Wha?

No offense, but I think you need to go back to the Audi's, I don't think the Acura's agree with you, or you got a dud or something.

He does not seem to be sorry he bought the TL. He just has a longer list of little foibles.

Personally, I try to avoid pointing out tiny things because manufacturers tend to over reach to criticism of items that are more or less a matter of opinon, or things that simply require the driver to gain some experience with the car and its features.

At least in my car I can turn the climate control system to AUTO, and then change what vents are being used. The system will still be in Auto, and fully regulate the temperature and fan speed but just use the vents that I have indicated.

Cars from Canada use celsius.

Pros: (SH-AWD model with 6-speed is what I have)
Styling turns heads.
Fun to drive, handles turns like on rails.
Love the 305hp engine.
Weather, live traffic is good while the free trial lasts.
HDD for burning CD's is great.

Cons:
Headrests suck *ss. Too far forward.
Wish it had - power outlets that stayed powered even with car off; auto-dimming side mirrors; heated steering wheel.

In both cases, I'm comparing to Audis that cost the same as the TL. The sunroof is much quieter in all positions in an A4. It may be subjective - I've only been in Audis for many many years, and have no idea what a Saab or Ford or Kia sunroof would sound like - but if a less expensive Audi can have so many nicer features than the TL, these are things that should be pointed out when asked.

Are you only allowed to have either a positive or a negative opinion? Can't have both?

No I respect your opinion, I respect all opinions on here. I many not agree with them all, but no one will.
I guess what is strange to me is that I've never seen someone spend so much money on a car that they seemed to dislike so many things about it. Especially many things that would be found during the buying process (If they're important enough), like the low end power, headrests, sunroof, trunk floor, rear seats, etc...

If I had that many dislikes of any car that I was looking at, I would keep looking for more cars. I mean it's your money, you should do what you want with it... but from the sounds of it, I'm not sure why you didn't get a 335xi 6MT :dunno:

That's the car that I would have gotten, but only leasing since they're not the most reliable of autos. My choice was either to get the 335xi now, or buy something else and save the difference to get a M3 in a few years.

Much of it you don't notice during a 20-minute test drive. Would need a 3-day test drive for that. The whole car is new to you initially.
That was my other choice, but there weren't any available in the western U.S. at the time. It was at least two weeks out, and I would have had to buy one sight-unseen for the dealer to be able to get it. (I checked with several dealers; same story each place.) It was the 6MT part that was hard to find; 335ix is available but not so much with a stick.

So I bought what was available.

The underlying theme I am picking up on is that no matter what the competitors car does really well that the Acura TL might not, it still does what it does better and at a very attractive price piont, at least to us. That is why we can come here and basically complain (some much more than others) about it although at the end of the day we still bought it over something else.

Some other cars were alternatives to many of us like an A4 or 335xi, if size is not much of a concern and in the case of the BMW, the price, which is $52k equally (similarly) equipped. For obvious reasons none of us went this route despite all the TL's cons or negatives (which are mostly subjective) that we can list and discuss all day.

What is being dicussed here is the TL's pros and cons but it is important not to lose site of the fact that we can be open to where we each see fault in the TL from an owners perspective and in some cases it can get extreme but just imagine our competitors cars negatives lists to us, since we didn't go that route. I know most of us could come up with a bigger negatives or at least a stronger negatives list over the TL's. That is afterall why we ended up with the TL.

Nothing is perfect and any car one could buy at any price could still leave a lot to be desired but it is important to remember that if something is really that big of a deal, that preferred, or simply that negative it would have been highly considered before being purchased, to the point of maybe not having been. There are big deals and then there is exaggerated nit picking. Sorry guys, I just thought it was important for guests and maybe those considering that we make sure they know where we are coming from. The car has plenty of positives too that are getting overshadowed by all the more recent negative talk.

A feature you don't really know about until you drive a car with it. My dad's GL450 and mom's C350 have it. You just barely tap the turn signal stick and it signals three times and then turns off. Designed for signaling lane changes easier.

I think I can deal with the blinkers.

Sounds cool enough, but wouldn't be a deal maker or breaker to me.

I think the real point here is that the TL is an amazing value with a relatively low cost of ownership. Most of us chose this luxury car because it was a good value. Strange how I used those two words in the same sentence. We chose the TL despite it's faults. Yes, it has many faults that we ignore because of the amazing value factor. Remember, you always get what you pay for.

For many of the people that had to choose between a handful of other cars, we ended up with the TL because of the value factor, and it's apparent with every comparison thread ending in "but but but the TL cost $5k less!"

But i can tell you for sure. If i had money to blow, I wouldn't be nitpicking about the TL being slow, or having a small trunk, or road noise. I'd personally just get an Audi S5 or MB E550 coupe, and i'm sure a lot of us would have ended up with the "other" car(s) we were comparing the TL to.

Yes it does, its one of the best climate control systems I've seen, and the solar sensing works great. You can keep it in semi-automatic overriding any individual setting like vent mode while otherwise leaving everything in automatic.

For me though, I've kept it set at 70 degrees in fully-automatic since I got the car, through winter and summer, because it does exactly what I'd do manually anyway.

(RE: The short-interval turn signals.)

No, they aren't a deal breaker to me either. The perfect car is currently not available. It would be, in my mind, an Acura's reliability and price, the TL's speed, the Audi interior, sunroof and AWD, the BMW styling probably the TL's engine. (Yeah, I've griped about the low-end, but it's still a heckuva engine.)

Oh well, live with whatchagot.

Sign me up for whatever that car would be! :thumbsup: Maybe the 335 engine, without the fuel pump issues...

I have no problem with the back seets, or the trunk, or roadnoise. To me they are all fine. This is a big car already, and quiet enough.

I was riding around in my father's 2010 ES350 Touring today, and it was definately not as nice as my TL. The ES inside seems positively low budget compared to the TL, it wasn't any less noisy, and the engine and suspension are less sporty. The hands free voice link on the ES 350 is idiotic.

My only issue are the headrests, but as I pointed out before you can get 3G headrests and they work fine. To me the TL is great and has very few problems.

Most of the trunk and noise complaints are from SHAWD owners. The Base model has more trunk space and is a quieter car overall.

My problem with the Base TL is that it isn't sporty enough and usually (for me) doesn't have enough traction when accelerating from a stop. The SHAWD model solved all the problems. (Though the additional noise is unwelcomed)

I have never replaced a car with the same model until now. After a lot of research, I concluded that the TL SH-AWD 6MT is the best combination of performance, size, luxury, features, relibility, fun, and price. It has enough cool stuff to keep me happy for as long as I own the car, I think.

One of the most important parts of a car buying decision to most comes down to price. That is a very important pro or con depending on the situation. If you had money to blow on a car would you stop at just an S5 or E class? Regardless, for near the cost of a TL SH finance you can actually lease either one of those vehicles but there are things to nit pick there as well and maybe those things shouldn't be in question at those prices or for a vehicle at all. Personally, I wouldn't choose either one of those cars over the TL for various reasons but a lot of it comes down to the individual anyway.

Also the cars that are being compared here are cars that are within the same price point and segment range as that is what the majority stuck to when shopping for their new car. I think everyone here who got the TL found that those cars can't do and offer what the TL does. They were shopped too but this, but that, but the other thing........ That was the point I was trying to make. It works the other way too but ultimately the TL was decide on by most here and for it's pros and was not discarded for it's cons. The "others" were.

The value the TL represents doesn't necessarily mean it has to sacrifice much, it means you get a lot for the same amount of money and also in areas that are not as material based or in areas that will be different then what the competition offers instead. These differences are what make the markets competitive and appealing to varying consumers.

You seem to be constantly justifying why you got a TL. Oooh, it's a great value. It's an okay car, but it is not a religion. And as $40+K cars (for my TL SH-AWD 6MT) go, it's a bit sub-par in quite a few areas. We should be able to discuss those areas without you defending Acura at every step.

The car is reliable, fast and mostly solid. But it also really is missing a lot of touches that most competitors in this class (notably excluding Saab and Volvo, which seem even further behind) have. Refer to previous posts for the list. So while it is a fast semi-luxurious car, it got into my garage by virtue of a few main tricks:

1. Not much competition in the very fast, manual transmission, four-door sedan with head- and leg-room in the backseat category, and the 335ix wasn't in-stock within 500 miles.
2. A 20 minute test drive won't catch the same things that two months living with it will.

Would I do it again? Possibly. But you can't conceive of how much I miss the little features that Audis and BMWs have... folding seats (I really did have to disassemble a weed whacker Sunday), full A/C vent control, quiet sunroof, celcius, flat trunk, drawers under the seats, no rattles... these aren't things that should cost Acura much to include, but they just didn't. And all your posts about what a great value it is don't change that.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, you seem to complain about it every chance you get knowing full well that this is what you bought. Maybe you should have got what it is you really wanted, if you even know what that is, instead of feeling like you settled on what was available. The reason most of us got this car was for reasons that define what the car is. On the other hand you seem to have got it for reasons other then how it fits you or your lifestyle and now want to complain every step of the way.

The TL is a larger mid sized sedan at entry pricing and entry level of luxury, features and refinement. There are differences within those levels compared to it's competitors but they all vary and bring different things to the table. It excels in the stereo and navi department as well as reliability, resale, low cost maintenance and safety. The SH AWD model offers a highly advanced system and is available with a 6MT. It also performs extremely well for it's size and weight. Now that's an attractive vehicle regardless of price, for anyone who highly interested in those things and it is a good value and great overall car in all areas but that is not the actual stance I am taking here.

Some of you guys are losing site of what defines this car and how it suites you as opposed to something else. You have to know what your priorities are, what you want and what you don't mind giving up. If you bought the car mostly because of it's price point and affordability alone then you may have a very large cons list as opposed to someone else who purchased this vehicle because it best suites them. You can see the differences in who those are in the posts. No way does this make me a better person to refer to as to what one thinks are the downside of this vehicle but neither are you. In case you have not noticed, I have not put up a single pros or cons list as you have now at least 3 times just on the negative side and it's always same things over and over and you have reiterated that in quite a few other posts outside of here and just in here as well. Which of us is justifying and what?

IMO, you just seem to be overly dwelling on what you miss instead of embracing what you gained if you can even see or appreciate that. Perhaps you were not the best candidate for this car. Most of us knew full well what it was we were buying and are not at all that disappointed. If something else had what we really wanted or really miss we would have gotten that instead. It's annoying how you seem to be constantly making the TL look bad over little insignificant nothings and girly whining.

None of your posts change the fact that Audi and BMW are partly overpriced because of import tariffs, foreign labor costs and the exchange rate and have nothing to do with what is actually put into the car. They are less reliable, and don't retain value as well. The A4 and 335 are small cars for their price and segment compared to the TL, their stereo and navi are not up to par. The long term maintenance costs are ridiculous and you can barely access the parts and it's much harder to do any self maintenance or work yourself. They have bland interior styling even if you like it or thinks it good. These are areas they should work on and fix but also have not.

All I have said and will continue to say is that the door swings both ways before we get ahead of ourselves. Pick what works best for you don't complain that much about it. A pros and cons discussion is one thing but you have turned it into something else. There are other people here who bought the car knowing full what it is, where it excels and where it fails and are very happy with it anyway so don't push your lack of knowledge or awareness and disappointment on us. Most of us don't care about what you miss, get over it.

Umm and it's also annoying how you pick out every post that isn't positive and try to critique it. Look buddy, the TL already won our own comparisons, thats why we own them. That doesn't mean they were 100% what we wanted. All cars have their shortcomings.

I love how, you "think" the styling is bland for Audis. Don't force us to agree with you on something that's subjective, especially styling, and especially since most car magazines, websites, and people i know think they look great.

Can you also explain why TL sales are so poor compared to last gen?

What lack of knowledge? I drive the TL everyday and i know it's shortcomings. Then again, i'm talking to a guy that has bought 3 TL's in a row.. not much argument here. You'll never be able to see it's shortcomings. :whyme:

You say you don't care what we miss.. boohoo! You keep replying to our posts to show you care! good job!

You know what? I'll complain a little more, just for you. Happy? :thumbsup:

I'm enjoying the TL now, it's a nice car that has wow'd everyone that i showed it to. However, like i said, it has it's faults. I'm hoping the mid-cycle refresh is significant so i can upgrade (not sure if it's a good idea financially). But from reading zdx/mdx reviews, the new 6 spd auto is a pretty large upgrade over the 5spd auto. If the mid cycle TL is really nice or acura makes a coupe, that'll be my next car lol

So i guess what I'd like to say to the op is that if you can wait, wait to see what the mid-cycle refresh brings. Acura should improve on an already amazing vehicle. If you're in a rush (like i was), then the 2010 would be a nice choice.

The topic of this thread was our disappointments with the TL. How did you miss that? As for getting precisely what I wanted, it's not currently manufactured, but that doesn't mean what i got is perfect.
No, actually we have that in mind. It's you who seems to believe the TL is perfect and any complaint reveals problems with the owner rather than the car.Only by your (or arbitrary) definitions; the Porsche 911 is even smaller, with less stereo, harder to maintain and costs more. If those are both smaller than the TL, they probably belong in a different "segment", one for luxury over size.Dude, did you even read my message, other than to (as I stated before) reply in defense? You spent paragraphs here defending the TL when the author did indeed ask for pros and cons.
On the other hand, you have aptly demonstrated that you really cannot simply accept that the TL is not perfect. You really do believe it is your god and all non-believers are malicious or incompetent dolts. Not all discussion should turn into you attacking any posts you consider sacrilegious.

Indeed! Mavrax said: "What really bothers you and would could be improved on the vehicle."

Did winstrolvtec not see that? :rolleyes:

Not to go too OT, but we all know that all car sales are down overall due to tightening credit, and generally worse economy. It doesn't help that the 3G was out during some major boom times.

Is there a place where we can see old auto sale reports? I'd be curious to see the differences between other autos and how they've decreased.

And to make sure my post is somewhat on topic. The one thing that I hate, and it's with every Acura and Honda out there, is the freaking soft a$$ paint/clear... I have already had to fill in at least 5 marks in 4800 miles (less than 50% of that highway) And my wife's civic looks like it was hit with buckshot.
BMW paint (not sure on the others) is rock hard, it's a bitch to detail, but it can take some serious abuse.

Well I don't know where specifically. I just frequent vtec.net and I take note of honda/acura's monthly sales reports. I remember the 3G TL always being top-to-middle in it's class. Now it's closer to the bottom (except for the recent lexus mishaps) So i guess it's possible you can search on vtec.net? Sorry not sure how else to find it at the moment.

Sorry to sound so negative petec2010, but realistically, we're giving mavrax what he asked for.