Colin

Come on guys, show some class. If you want to discuss your opinion of the look of the TL there are plenty of threads to do so (a sticky at the top). This thread is for a new owner to post about his new ride and his thoughts about it. Sheesh.

biggygo

Exactly - show some class...I think he's being very mature by not saying that your momma's fugly

basically, if you can't congratulate the man on making a big purchase (he obviously likes the look of the vehicle or he wouldn't have spent nearly $40k on it), keep your opinions to yourself or use one of the other threads to bash the looks if you feel that strongly

just my

HDNBenjamin

The car looks beautiful. Congrats to you!

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Werd.

PetesTL

I had a 545i a few years ago (which I traded my '04 TL for)......it was a blast but too many reliability problems (i.e. bad trans, broken muffler, tons of electrical "bugs") made me sell it eventually. I next got a '07 X5...again, a blast to drive but also too many problems. I really missed my '04 TL, which was why I got the '09. As far as comparing a 545i to a '09 TL....the Bimmer is a lot faster and has a lot more grip through the corners. Of course, a V8 5 series today is easily over $70K! The '09 TL has decent performance and is a much, much better value.

BillTL1

I live in the Chicago area; curious what dealer you got it from. By the way, the car looks gorgeous. The color looks very rich. Every Acura I've had has been White, Silver, or Black; might be time to consider a new color.

PetesTL

Thanks for sticking up for me. But really, I don't mind negative comments at all. To each his own. Even I didn't think that highly of the '09's when I first saw the photos.....it was only after I got to see it in person and test drive it, did it I eventually become sold on it. It's kinda funny.....all these harsh criticisms remind me exactly of how guys over in the BMW forums felt when the first Bangle-designed 7 series and 5 series came out. When I bought a '05 545i a few years back, I got a TON of flack from fellow Bimmerphiles who thought I was insane.....eventually these same critics ended buying a 5 series of their own! (The much maligned "Bangle design" eventually found its way in some form or fashion in other makes....i.e. Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan). So who knows?....maybe it'll take some time for some TL die-hards to warm up to it. But in the meantime, I'll be enjoying my car.

PetesTL

I got mine from Woodfield Acura. I was their FIRST delivery of the '09 TL!. Great customer service. They have a nice selection. My first choice was Black/Black but they only had a base (no NAV) for that one. I'm very happy I got the BRP/EB combo now. (I never owned a reddish car before, so this is a nice change of pace).

zeezz

congrats! liking the car more and more, i'm pretty sure this car will sell well. the ads are great as well. hope you are having fun.

S2000 Driver

Pete,

I want to print off your post above and hand it out to my friends!

Many of them drive BMWs and have also experienced reliability issues with their cars. I guess that's why it's called "The Ultimate Driving Machine".

I've owned Acuras as my daily drivers since 1987 and I know from personal experience they are very reliable and they have [i]never[i/] stranded me. Plus, I don't like to follow the crowd. I bet you're going to enjoy your '09 TL for many years to come.

Congratulations again!

Colin

Well not just for you, but for the future as well. Look in the 2nd gen TSX forum. It averages 3-4 posts a day. Every time someone posted "I just got my car" they were assailed by "it's ugly" or worse. After a while, nobody posts there any more.

2veloce

The car looks beautiful - awesome color combo. Congrats to you!

smsTL

iTrader: (1)

dan.....k

iTrader: (1)

Enjoy your new ride.

Babnik

So even in 2009, the base TL still doesn't have navi? What are you thinking, Acura?

Anyways, congrats to Pete on the purchase. I still haven't decided whether I will replace my 04 with a 4th gen TL or something else, but that won't be for another few years as my 04 is still running strong.

KeithL

What base $30-$40K car does have navi? G35 does not, Lexus IS/ES does not.

JAB00

^^Werd^^

markjrenna

Congrats! If you don't love it, I'll be surprised. Acura does it right, top to bottom.

usaf2008

congratulations....you're an idiot IMO for buying such an ugly vehicle but congratulations...

PetesTL

Thanks?.......Learn to hate less, you'll live longer.

usaf2008

^ Sorry Pete, it's not really hating you or your car so much as Acura. I set aside 10 grand for this 4G TL and waited in anticipation for a long time. Then they come out and ruin it in my opinion (and the opinion of many others) and ANYONE buying a 4G TL just rewards Acura for their f**d up design ambitions and stubborn attitude towards the wants of their customers. So my apologies, I'm not hating on what you have I'm hating on Acura for making that vehicle so dissapointing (to me).

PetesTL

OK, apology accepted. I guess I can understand your frustration. There is hardly any make now that hasn't had some controversy in their model line at some point. I guess this is now Acura's turn. I know that I should expect some flak given all the controversy with the 4G.....heck, this is nothing compared to a few years ago when I bought a 545i......my fellow bimmerphiles ripped me so hard for so many months for buying such an "ugly" Bangle-contaminated car. (It's funny, as time went on, some of those harshest critics eventually bought themselves a 5 series!--those hypocrits!) Anyways, for me, I'm really not loyal to any brand (In the last 7 years, I owned 3 BMW's, 2 Infiniti's, 2 Lexus, and 1 Acura).....the main reason why I chose the 4G TL was the value.......performance/content/cost factor....and it was the drive more than anything that eventually sealed the deal for me on the car.

smsTL

iTrader: (1)

Pete, maybe you should put your list of cars in your signature so people can see where you are coming from.

shaqali

Hey Pete,

Congrats on the new 4G TL. Its starting to really grow on me, and the color is sweet!!! Maybe I can take this thread in a slightly different direction, but hopefully you've had enough time in the car, what are some of the new features on the 4G?

Shaq

johndt

I saw the identical car yesterday and also have to admit that it looks much better in person. Best colors imo are basque red and polished metal metallic - although I'm sure wdp and black will continue to be most popular.

PetesTL

Well, looking back about 4 years ago when I had my '04 TL, I guess the biggest difference would be refinement.....the 4G just feels more like a luxury car now.....this may turn off some people who wanted the TL to be more sportier but I guess that's the direction Acura seems to want to go. Other significant differences:

1. SH-AWD (I have just the regular model) but this option is finally available on the TL.....but it will cost you an extra $3K-4K (and weight goes up, too) .

2. No more torque steer! Acceleration is immediate and strong.

3. Bigger and better NAV system.....probably the best and most sophisticated NAV system in the industry. It isn't touch screen anymore but that's fine with me (at least no more ugly thumbprints on screen). Acuralink system is cool, too. The car links to Acura's server and periodically sends and reads me messages through the sound system!

4. Upgraded ELS sound system....one of the best factory sound systems (IMO, the BEST) anywhere. Sound quality is awesome! (esp. with DVD-A discs). Hard drive recording is very nice and one of the coolest features is that you can use voice command to search for titles and tracks by name! (and the car will repeat those tracks and titles by name also!)


5. As I mentioned above--refinement: the car is bigger, quieter, and the interior more stylish and roomier. The ride is also very comfortable......bumps are soaked up well.

6. In the Tech package, you get keyless entry and push-button start.

---there are some other minor differences, but I can't think of them right now......when I do, I'll post them.

JAB00

If I were in the new car market, I'd definitely give it a good hard look. It will obviously have to be with the tech package. The question would be whether the SH-AWD is justifiable because I don't do much spirited driving. I think the aesthetics of the new TL and Accord are similar. The both have sharp lines and have that awkward handsome look that definitely grows on people.

Congrats.

007Acura

put up a vid of the keyless access and the push button start

neuronbob

Um, No torque steer. I loved my 3G but that's one thing I haven't missed about it, having been in an RL for two years.

I personally can't wait to test-drive the SH-AWD so I can compare between the TL and RL. You can thank us RL drivers for testing SH-AWD in sedan form for four years now, as well as the well-thought out center knob. You're welcome.

Hey Pete, ignore the naysayers. Enjoy your ride, man. BTW, being the first comes with some responsibility. I was an early 3G owner and helped come up with posts and such on the reliability of my car, quirks, etc. Looking forward to your help on that!

omelet1978

Pete, congrats on the purchase. I think the color is really nice. In pictures, the beak chrome thing on the front looks friggin huge and the back end with the crease looks strange as well. How do they look in person?

I'm also curious as to what kind of gas mileage you will be getting when the engine gets broken in. The side profile and the interior looks awesome from what I've seen.

PetesTL

For me, after only a couple days, I've gotten so used to the grille, I hardly notice it anymore. I think the problem with photos is that you tend to focus on one aspect of the car so much that that's all you'll remember about it. You really have to see and experience the car in person to make a much better judgement about it. As far as gas mileage, right now I'm averaging about 20 MPG in mostly city driving (but I have less than 50 miles on the car so far).

pokin

Pete,
Big Kudos for being number one on the zine! That is one nice color. A nice tint and some sick shoes and...naysayers like me may just have to

usaf2008

I wonder what the grill would look like color matched, it may just set the car off enough to change my mind.....anyway congrats and no hard feelings between you and I hopefully Pete. Thanks for having tough skin and not letting my opinion bother you.

S2000 Driver

rets

It's been a few days after 4G TL is on sale. However, PetesTL is still the only owner so far... very weird.

3GTL had the tremendous sale prior to its Day1...



Enjoy your ride!!!

PetesTL

Yes, but out of all those people buying TL's, how many of them actually know or even post in this forum? We here are just a small fraction of the thousands of TL owners out there. Whenever you have a dramatic styling change, it takes time for people to get used to it. When the Bangle-designed 7 series and 5 series first came out, everybody predicted the car would bankrupt BMW......today, the 5 series is universally hailed as the Benchmark and is a huge seller for BMW. The 4G will sell and sell well......I have absolutely no doubts about it.

PetesTL

Thanks. I would love to accessorize my TL with tints, big wheels and what not....but my car is being leased.....is spending a lot of money on accessories for a leased car worth it?

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Excellent point Pete. You obviously have the option to purchase the car at the end of the lease. Maybe wait to mod the car until you decide to buy it or not.

Ac Man

[QUOTE=PetesTL;10035673]
4. Upgraded ELS sound system....one of the best factory sound systems (IMO, the BEST) anywhere. Sound quality is awesome! (esp. with DVD-A discs). Hard drive recording is very nice and one of the coolest features is that you can use voice command to search for titles and tracks by name! (and the car will repeat those tracks and titles by name also!)


Are you saying that the sound system operates similar to Ford's/Microsoft's Sync feature in terms of searching for songs/artists? How long does it take to search for the song? Does this feature apply to the USB port/ipod connection and MP3s too, or just CD/DVD-A? Congrats on the car by the way, It seems like you're very happy with your purchase, and you should be

Gargola

Spending money modding any car is always a bad investment, I think it really comes done to if that is what you want to spend your disposable income on.

I usually own a car for a very short period of time before I sell it, but I always "mod" it one way or another... very bad investment, but it's my choice.