g37guy01

I could not edit the above post fast enough, but this is what a somewhat unbiased opinion is.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/special-...ars-for-winter

JM2010 SH-AWD

I should have been more clear - the FWD does not have the hump in the center seating position, but it does have a hump on the floor.

FanaticFan

I've never thought of AWD as just for wet or icy weather; it's a specific kind of driving performance that optimizes turns, basically. Ends the argument over FWD vs. RWD pretty much (though each has its advantages as well, all depends on what you're doing).

g37guy01

Awd also eats worse mileage than fwd or awd setup. That the bugatti comes with awd is telling. But if I lived in a nonsnow climate it would be rwd.

Zohan

I don't think so. I saw an Avalon the other day on the expressway last week they are nice looking cars. I test drove an SH-AWD TL and due to the sport suspension of the car you will not get that super quiet floating ride like the Avalon I guarantee. I was at Toyota the yesterday and test drove a Camry SE V-6 and liked it a lot but kinda stuck on the TL for now - lol. I also considered the Avalon briefly - lol. It's a nice car I have owned Toyota/Lexus and you cannot fail with either the TL or Toyota. I guarantee you will get 10+ with either.

JM2010 SH-AWD

That's right. The SH-AWD system is principally a handling aid, that lets a 3800 pound car do amazing things in the turns. I agree that it really should end the debate over FWD vs RWD. When the car is just cruising down the road you get the efficiencies of FWD. When you push it, you get a neutral-handling car that refuses to be upset by throttle position, slip angle, etc. And in bad weather, you have the added traction of AWD. One possible downside is MPG due to the extra weight of the system, but I'm averaging over 25 mpg on my car with a 50/50 mix of urban-suburban/highway driving, so I don't consider that too bad for a 305HP, 4-door sedan.

Good luck with your decision. Let us know what you end up doing.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

I don't know how you could even consider getting a snore fest avalon considering it might be your last vehicle.

FanaticFan

Nicely put!

Thanks, all, and I'll let you know where we end up.

FanaticFan

Well if I cave to my wife's practicality for the sake of peace in the house.... maybe I'll just have to be saving up soon after for MY TL. thanks for your thoughts!

012TL-GLM

Has she driven the TL? My gf thought I was nuts when I traded up to mine, then she drove it. Now all I hear about is how crappy her camry is...

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

I've only been married for a year (togther 2) and have developed a thick skin towards the wife nagging! I'm sure you have a tougher hide than I do . When I had my 04 6spd TL my wife never understood why I enjoyed revving it high and driving it aggressivily; being from europe she was familiar with MT but never drove anything faster/bigger than small i4s. When I let her have a go at the TL she loved it and understood the reason for my madness.

I'm not saying you should get a MT or that your wife will like to drive one, but the TL is also an awesome cruiser. She'll feel right at home behind the wheel in no time.

DannyZRC

I suppose this is a good place to insert the longer term question : if the TL is replacing your wife's Avalon, will she be usually driving it still except on trips? Do you currently usually drive the Prelude, and will that still be the case afterwards?

What is the plan for the future of the Prelude?

Y'know, zooming out a bit, looking at the whole system.

FanaticFan

Excellent question, and part of the complexity of this dilemma.

If we went TL, the Prelude would be going to a happy new owner somewhere. My wife is a putter-around driver, and we'd probably just keep Ye Olde '97 going until it well and truly died, and then she'd be happy with a safe appliance vehicle as replacement, used Camry, etc. She's really kind of an anti-car person, basically, sees no value in anything beyond It Goes, Stops, Has Enough Room and Doesn't Cost Much. She test-drive the SH-AWD, did nothing for her O_o... we'd use the TL as our long-hauler when needed, to avoid having to become too chummy with the locals in some remote scary village when the wheels fell off.

Other way around, if we went Avalon, it'd be her putter-car and we'd use it for the long hauls, and I'd continue terrorizing the locals during my commute in my ancient Prelude.

Difficult to find an entirely rational and happy compromise in this scenario, at least so far as I can see. Unless Acura promises a 16 cu. ft. trunk on the 2013 model and 3 in. more legroom in the back. <g>

xldou

Fanatic, I have driven 3 TLs and also 2 Toyotas and I would suggest listern to your heart. Also, for the front seats, the TL has a better lumbar support system so during long rides, t puts less stress to your back and I think your wife would appreciate that.

DannyZRC

sounds like you save money by going with the TL, if she really is happy with a used camry or suchlike.

Since you need Some Car, Any Car, to be a good road tripper, and being a good road tripper means that this Some Car, Any Car will be a bit expensive, your marginal cost increase to get to TL from Avalon is not that high.

If you got the Avalon, I imagine you would still feel the itch to replace your prelude at some point? So Avalon + that future car is probably more expensive than TL + future used Camry.

This all hinges on the theoretical future value differential* between your non-TL sporty runabout, and her non-Avalon loafy runabout.

theoretical future value differential* this phrase is total BS, but isn't it fun?

FanaticFan

Sounds like good science to me! Now I'd just have to convince her of that. I think she already partly is, but grudgingly. Greater enthusiasm would be preferable. Basically, buying the TL as a money-saving move: yeah, she's going to look sideways at that logic. ingenious, I think, but then again, that's because it supports my cause!

potmilkz

if this is a car to go on trips, cruise, and also for your wife to drive..

i dont see a reason why you would purchase a TL over a avalon.

The avalon has nice ride, roomy, appeals to women,( due to the fact that it is simple go and stop car), simple to use and basically all around OK car.. as the TL is bumpy, very high tech, not comfortable, not roomy, and a sports car.

at the end, shes probably not going to appreciate how "good" the TL is as described to her by you..

women look for comfort and simplicity....

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

Very simple answer from me. And not even a close decision.

SH-AWD TL Hands down !!!!!!

potmilkz

at the end of all this, we are infact on a acura forum, so some (or most) of you will go with the TL.

But as most of you guys experienced, in this world.. the wife will most likely get the last say in this and will probably stick to it..

actually the fully loaded avalon is almost/cheaper than the TL-SH-Tech

DannyZRC

Could phrase it in the more self deprecating light, something along the lines of...

"Baby, honey, sweeeetie.. I'm gonna run roughshod over the budget anyway! Why? What do you mean why? Because: VroomVroom, racecar! This way at least it hurts less. It'll be great, you'll see! You'll never have so much fun spilling your coffee, I promise!"

=D

FanaticFan

Lol my ability to argue along those lines died about a decade ago. Let's just say that if I want to do anything like "spirited" driving in any car, I have to realize that I'm going to have to allocate at least half my mental bandwidth to responding to her objections. That probably officially becomes "distracted driving," which is illegal in my state....

DannyZRC

I linked my gf of almost 10 years to this to enjoy the amusing discussion.. here is my gchat after she read it, slightly censored.

potmilkz

lol!

BLEXV6

I shopped these 2 as well until my Wife saw the Avalon and then it was on to the Acura dealer. I like the Avalon, but @ 48 I am too young for the Avalon and the ES350 which I also drove.

FanaticFan

My wife is in no way "scared" of the TL, to be clear; she just isn't into auto enthusiasm, I'm sure plenty of people of both sexes (not here, probably) will understand that.

Funny that your chat takes that slant on it, but it's not the issue at all. More like mature woman sees car as transportation vs. little boy who sees it as Tonka Truck Fantasy. :P

Just to set the record straight for you kids.

potmilkz

exactly what i mean..

your wife will probably only see it as a means of transporatation, which she will factor in which is easy to drive and which is more comfortable to drive..

tl-shawd = bumpy.
avalon = smooth sailing ride.

simple as that.

DannyZRC

the chat was in reaction to [Redacted]'s comment about simple cars appealing to women, :p, not reflecting on you or your wife at all FanFan.

I was just being silly anyway, it's all in good fun

FanaticFan

Gotcha, yeah. I'm sure for every couple where the guy's into performance and the woman's into utility, there's another one where it's the other way around.

In our case my wife is always the voice of reason, me the voice of passionate insanity, so we end up balancing out pretty well.

saturno_v

In my house I drive the TL while my wife drives the WRX STI.....everyone that does not know us assume the opposite!!!

FanaticFan

I'd say something about maybe we should switch spouses, but I'm sure there are other factors requiring research that might not make that such a hot idea... (in jest).

DannyZRC

Same here, Bad seed hi-five!

jspagna1

FanaticFan, you can't go wrong with either one. Like mentioned before the TL is harder/sportier ride and the Avalon is a cushier ride. So it's really up to you and your wife.
My brother-in-law had a 2000 Avalon and when he sold it to his mechanic it had 215,000 miles and still going strong.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
originally posted by the gf
gf: 2:06 pm
"women want simple cars" what an [redacted]
dear [redacted], kiss my [redacted]
bunch of [redacted]
me: 2:06 pm
i'm so tempted to copy/paste that verbatim into a response :p
like, you have no idea! Hahaha
gf 2:07 pm
"the female animal is frightened of complex instrument arrays
..especially those that contain the s-h-i-f-t lever"
"one must not frighten them, and overwhelm their feeble minds"
me 2:07 pm
well, i think guy is contemplating an autotragic tl
but yeah :p
gf 2:08 pm
"or place their delicate buttocks in any but the most softly suspended of cars"
then how is a tl complicated
"honey i am scared as [redacted]- what are these extra letters here 'sh-awd'"?
"will this car eat me?"
seriously how dumb do these cavedouches think females are?
Do they not know that women buy muscle cars like all the time?
Oh yeah and what car do women love?
The [redacted] mini
me 2:14 pm
now you're on the internet, hah!


now THAT convo was funny.

OH REALLY??!!! and what do you call a girl that appreciates her car, mods it, and loves hitting up turns and corners in it?? not to mention massive OCD-obsessive car detailing. careful what you say.

potmilkz

i call that a keeper! Its rare to find women who appreciates the finer details of a car.

but on the serious note.... i cannot see any "older" women that are married and have kids to be driving a TL Sh-AWD.

Eli

Nope, it has both humps. The center seat has about a 3-4 inch hump in the FWD model. I get complaints about it all the time, it blows. As far as I know there aren't any interior differences between the FWD and SH-AWD models. The trunk is just a bit smaller in the AWD model.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

@ pot
that is true...but it does surprise me sometimes. there is an older lady say 40's where i work, and she drives MT audi S4 with the two kid seats in the back. that thing sounds mean when she starts it.

now a girl that mods her car...that's a rare thing. i get a few odd looks when i come hopping out of my TL at the dealer with the bottle of detail spray! lol.

FanaticFan

Rah!! Crazy FTW! life is too short to waste time being reasonable!

potmilkz

you can detail my car any dayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.......... ;P

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

okie dokie....when you bringing your baby over?

OP-i'd get the TL for you and then get a used camry (her utility vehicle) for the wifey. or how about a used avalon? the prelude can continue to be your zoom zoom toy.

nj2pa2nc

no mods but a girl that takes care and loves to drive vehicles with manual transmission. Owned a 98 eagle talon tsi-awd with mt. Love driving thru the Sharp curves on 80 in the Delaware water gap in nj to pa.