FULL review and pix to follow later today in this space, as I have to finish work today. I took delivery of the first 04 TL sold at my dealership today. I did a test drive and.....OMFG. It is better than I thought it would be.

Acura has a winner on its hands.

Note change in .sig

 

Congratulations!!!
Looks like you are first one to own a TL!! Looking forward to your review!

 

does it blow the old TL away? how about the TSX? and if you have driven the BMW 330i and 530i and maybe even 540i, how does it compare to those? that's enough for now, enjoy your ride.

 

Congrats on being one of the first to own one. I saw the car for the first time last night and all I could say was wow. This car is awesome. Make sure you give a full report on the car later. Please include things that you love as well as things you are not so high on.

 

Congratulations neuronbob!

Only "insert value here" days until a 6MT is produced and delivered to a dealer!

 

What Accessories or options did you get?

Did you find out anything about A-Spec?

Also is the inside quiet as everyone mentioned?

And is the acceleration feel better than the 03 TL-S? OR is it about equal?

How is the handling vs. TSX and 3 Series and G35 Sedan (if you have driven before)

THANKS!

 

Congratulations! I have the EXACT same car on order, so your comments (whenever you can provide them) will be welcome.

 

CONGRATS!! What did you do with your old TL, trade her in on the new one? Expect a full report soon.

 

OK, here's my initial review of the 04 TL. I've driven it only 40 miles and I can tell you it's absolutely worth the upgrade. Please keep in mind as you read this, that I upgraded from a 2002 TL-Premium (e.g. non-S), so I may be more impressed by the performance than TL-S owners.

Buying experience
I purchased from the same salesmen who sold me my 2002 TL-P. They were learning about the car along with me as they did their standard detailing. This is also the first time that a dealer's financing was actually better than what I could get at my local bank (3.98% vs. 5.8%!!). My local dealer (Motorcars Acura in Bedford, OH) knows how to treat people as if they are purchasing a luxury car, and they treat me well, so I gave them repeat business.

Exterior
The pictures DO NOT do this car justice. It is gorgeous in person. People in traffic were switching lanes on the freeway just to look at this car. The stock 17's are good enough for me. Not too much wheel gap; the '02 looked like it was off-roading before I put Comptechs on. For Larch: The car is about the same size as the TSX, slightly longer. I think it's a perfect size for me. Enough said.

Driving experience
This is what most of you want to hear about, so I'll spend the most time on this. Thanks to Cleveland's sucky weather, I was able to test driving under both dry and wet conditions.
--Startup. When you step into the car, the multi-information display (MID) states, "Driver # x" (x=1 or 2, depends on what key fob you've got). The gorgeous ambient blue lights of the dashboard light up. (I promise, picture of this is coming!) If you have a passenger and they get in on the other side, you hear a brief chime. Same if you pop the trunk or open any other door while the car is at a standstill. Don't forget to look down at the beautiful molding on the step as you enter the car. I didn't, and as a result I missed the MID's message several times. Key goes in the same place as always (right control stalk). When you start up the engine, you hear a distant roar as the soundproofing keeps most of the engine noise out. It sounds the same as my TL-P, but a couple of octaves deeper, certainly more "macho".

--Interior ergonomics. The steering wheel has manual tilt and telescoping. It's quite easy to use. Thank God for Acura's FINALLY placing the moonroof controls ON THE ROOF. And there really is one-touch opening and closing of the moonroof. I love the placement of the e-brake on the center console. It's not in my way as I'm going to be the only one in the car most of the time. It means I'll actually use it, unlike in the '02, in which I rarely used it unless I parked it on a hill. Radio controls are huge and easily accessible, and they also have that gorgeous blue glow. The lower part of the door panels ("sunglass holders")are a bit cheap-feeling, but do tilt, a nice feature, and the rest of the door panel looks positively luxurious. The rear cupholders are not as cheap-looking as you might think. To settle any debate, there is a shallow hump in the rear center floor. There is more head room both in front and in back than in my '02. The mouse on the navi will take some getting used to.

--Engaging the gears I really like that Acura got rid of the "D5" and "D4" options. In the '02, I only drove in D5. Who cares about two "D" choices? The shift gate is the same maze as always. There's minimal delay in feeling the gears engage, different from my '02, in which there was a significant delay. Once underway, you feel that 270+ hp as you effortlessly, smoothly, and quietly breeze to 40 mph on a local feeder road. I did one VTEC run (accelerated very quickly) onto the freeway and was at 80 mph before I thought to throttle back. Wind noise? What wind noise? It's definitely better than the '02. This car handles well on both the straightaway and the curves, even with the Turanza EL42s. Road bumps lead to a disciplined, single bounce, as opposed to 2-3 on the '02, pre-Comptech. In the curves, there is truly minimal body roll. The handling is on par with my '02 with Comptech springs, but without as harsh a ride. Speaking of harshness, the ride is stiffer than the '02 pre-Comptech. In the wet, the brand-new Turanzas keep their aplomb handling, but I don't feel comfortable pushing them to their limits as in dry weather. I had no problem in this regard on the Dunlop SP Sport 5000s I ran on my '02. Though the brakes are a little small, they do an adequate job of stopping the car. I was not aggressive in braking because I want to break in my new toy properly. I have tried the 330i...its handling is better, but not by much. Oh yes there IS an error on the window sticker, two to be precise. a) The sticker says that there ARE blinking turn signals on the side mirrors. This is NOT true. b) The destination charge is $500. (Oh well, I save $45!)

Two items that may bother some people: I can't see the front end of the car when I'm parking. This leads to some guessing as to where I am. I owned a 2000 Dodge Intrepid and the experience is very similar, so I haven't hit anything or hurt anyone yet. Second, that big-a$$ C-pillar blocks some rearward view, but I've become accustomed to it.

Stereo
The car comes with a DVD-Audio demo disc, and gives an example of two-channel stereo sound vs. DVD-Audio with surround sound. Shall we say, even the two-channel sound is better than on the Blose (uuups, Bose) system in the '02. The surround sound experience is truly remarkable. It's too bad the standard will not be soon adopted. The bass output is better than in the '02, but don't expect me to be rattling windows as I roll down the street.

Trunk
The navi system and hinges are hidden under the gray covering. Fine, don't need to see them anyway. The trunk is noticeably smaller than in the '02, but this is not bothersome to me.

Navi
Still learning how to use it, so excuse me if I don't explain it at this time.

Bottom line
Is this car worth the upgrade? Hell, yes! This car completely blows the '02 away, It is a better car in every way. The interior has finally made it to what I call "full luxury". The driving is sporty enough that I don't have to buy lowering springs. The engine performance is above par. The front-wheel drive is great for handling in inclement weather such as we see for several months a year in Cleveland. The best part is, the price is SO reasonable for what you get. Because of my interest rate, my monthly loan payment is exactly the same it was for the '02, so no financial hardship for me! I predict lots of 99-03 TLs going to used car lots because of this car. Acura has truly hit a home run.

I promise, I'll have pix up soon! I hope I got y'all drooling.

 

Neuronbob, thanks for the excellent review. I can speak for all of us who will not be able to get one soon, we are jealous. Can't wait for the pics. LOL for the Blose stereo comment, opps Bose stereo.

 

I traded it in. I simply don't have enough time (work 10-12 hours/day, gotta pay for these cars somehow ) to engage a private seller. I worked out the deal a few days before the new car arrived.

 

When you say the door panels are cheap.....what exactly do you mean?

 

I mean the lower part of the panel ("sunglass holder") feels a little cheap. The rest of the door panel looks positively luxurious. Happy to clarify!

 

Here's a link to some initial pictures. Here's hoping Adelphia can handle the load, if not, I'll have to ask for a volunteer to host.

Linky

 

Hey neuronbob,

Please tell me ALL of the items calculated in the trip computer. I thought it was going to be embedded in the navigation system like my wife's 03 Accord EX-V6, but when I saw the car yesterday, there was no trip computer in the navi and a few little things in the dash. I saw overall MPG, overall avg speed and distance to empty. What else, excluding the keyless entry and maintenance stuff.

Thank you.

 

I guess that blows the "I cant sell it to the 6th" out doesnt it!! Glad you got your car, I cant wait to get my White Navi!!

 

Oh man, that is a GREAT exterior photo of your car. Wow, I am really anxious to get mine now. Again, congrats!

 

Thank you for the pictures, I was wondering if you tried the fog lights and see how they work? Thanks also for the great write up.

 

Trip A
Trip B (press select)
Outside temp
Percent of oil life left
Trip computer (miles)
Keyless entry info
Handsfree Link info

That's it so far, obtained by pressing the arrow keys under the MID. I'm sure there's more, but I've only just started reading the owner's manual and likely won't finish till tomorrow. None of this info is in the navi to my knowledge, but I'm still learning how to use the navi...

 

The foglights are yellowish and located toward the center of the headlight assembly compared to the HIDs. I'd prefer the fogs on the bumper. I haven't seen how they work in regular use yet.

What's really cool is the way the high beams work. I found this out accidentally while I was at the dealer. The headlight was caught in reflection when I flashed the high beams to test them. A shutter slides upward to open up what appears to be a projector. It looks really cool.

 

Wait till I put Zaino on it.

 

Congrats, neuronbob, and great write-ups.

I wonder if you could say more about how it compares to the TSX, especially in handling and how it takes the "bumps."

What we're really wondering is:

(1) Is the handling as good as TSX.

(2) Does it take the bumps better than TSX.

 

Emu: I have some answers for you. According to the owner's manual, in trip computer mode the MID gives the following info:

Average MPG
Average MPH
Distance
Time
Miles to Empty

To access the information, you use the arrow keys under the MID until the screen says "Trip computer", then press "select" to display the first four items above, then press the right arrow key to get miles to empty.

Larch, I wish I could tell you that I've actually driven the TSX, but I haven't. I therefore can't make the comparison you request. Sorry! Enough people have test driven by now that they can comment better than I can. Takers?

 

Thanks for the direct answer, Bob -- much appreciated. I thought maybe this was the case, but figured I'd ask.

So..... like Bob said -- takers??? In terms of TL vs. TSX, I think the main unknowns are what I noted:

(1) Handling (how nimble, how sporty) -- Is the TL at least as good as the TSX, and if not, how big is the deficit?

(2) How much of a thump is there over "bad bumps"? Is it any better than the TSX, and if so, how much better?

Regarding #2, we know from neuronbob's write-up that it's basically similar -- you do feel the thump, but it's just a single thump and then immediately you're right back where you wanna be, just like with the TSX. But, is the "thump" less pronounced in the TL?

 

according to Jeff from the temple of VTEC, the TL accelerates, corners, and stops better than any sedan Honda/Acura has ever made, if that means anything.

 

I think I was the second customer to sit in the test drive unit at stevens creek acura today, and a small piece of plastic had already come off at the point where the sunglass holder meets the rest of the side pocket. probably only one or two millimetres, but it doesn't bode well for parts of the trim.

worryingly, the rear cupholders seemed to be made of the same grade plastic.

the non-moving plastic is of much higher quality.

 

Thanks for the pics, she is a beauty!!!

 

I went to Stevens Creek on thursday...

 

Neuronbob
Nice job on the pictures. In the trim photo, is that door step plate (the part that says :::::::: ACURA :::::::: metal or plastic? What is the finish like? I saw the TSX plate, and frankly, thought it too glitzy. Well, maybe just have to have it grow on me. Very sharp car and good color choice.

 

It's frosted metal. I really like the look, it's better than the cheap plastic step of my 2002.

 

Thanks for the data. Being a stat guy, I am very disappointed. The most fun is the instant economy. My wife's Accord has it and my 97 Jeep Cherokee has it.

That is a real let down.

Oh well. neuron, thank you for the information.

I guess all I saw when I was in the car, is all that was in there.

Justin, if you are out there, you mentioned the TL would also have a trip computer inside the navigation system... What gives?

 

Maybe Acura will add it for rev. B of this car, emu. The information above is more than enough for me, but knowing the fuel economy without using a calculator would add to the "cool" factor. I'm still learning about the navi, so I'll see whether there's a trip computer in that. Will be doing more experimenting with that after work today, concentrating on the driving otherwise!

 

I hope so. My wife has pretty much the same navigation system in her car, but it has a trip computer built in. It includes instant econ and overall. Avg speed is fun, but I'd much rather have instant econ. It is fun to see 5MPG climbing a big hill in first gear and fun to see 50 MPG going down a big hill doing 70MPH. My Jeep will show as high as 99 MPG going down a big hill.

Either way, you still have the premier navigation system!

 

That means it is not very accurate, and that it can be done without....

 

Instant economy is for that "instant". It doesn't sound like a very useful calculation, aside from being a novelty.

Is the trip computer in the TL that much different from the TSX?

 

Really, would you trade any of the other things for it. I agree it may be fun to watch, but other than that, it's pretty useless.

I'm actually glad that it's not there. I treat it like not having the shopping channels on tv. One less thing to click through to get to the info I want.

I think this is more 'gadget guy' than 'stat guy'.

Not that there's anything wrong with that :-)

 

Thanks everyone for your opinions. Is it accurate going down a hill? Probably not, but I enjoy the constantly changing numbers. I just figured since the Accord has it and I believe the TSX does too, why not the TL?

 

'cause some executive wanted to save $0.000003 on production cost per unit. Next! j/k

 

sweet sweet car.....congrats. I'm soo happy for ya.....great choice on color and good thing u got navi. Enjoy it and let us know what you think of it.

 

Probably wrong, I sat in three of the cars five minutes after they had been unloaded. (But I didn't break anything.)