I've had my car for 32 days and 1517 miles today. Bottom line: I still love the car but still wish to have some things improved for future buyers.

Exterior: Still looks good, hasn't gotten old with me yet. I get lots of stares. Over the weekend, the teenagers who live next door were just gawking at the car when I was backing out.

Interior: I still like it, but there are some things that should be changed. The trunk release needs to be moved. Its location makes it difficult to feel or see in the dark, and I have to grope for it after dark. It'd be nice if it were in the same place as the fuel door release, just like on the wife's Accord. You've read my comments about the cheap feel of the lower door doors, though the tilt-out feature is appreciated. the coin holder doesn't hold coins well, and they tend to fall out when I open the center console. I have the stretched leather issue ("butt prints") on my driver's seat, but they seem to improve overnight after I've not been sitting in the seat. I've had a couple of minor rattles emanating from the dash, but these are transient and haven't occurred often. The trip computer is cumbersome to use, especially when driving--too many button pushes. It should be integrated with the navi. I love everything else about the interior and my comments haven't changed in the last month. Some nice touches include: the light inside the center console is handy in the dark. Some people worry about the vanity mirrors and light. The trick to these is: The light shines on YOU, then is reflected in the mirror. My wife has NO trouble using the light at night to apply makeup (from her proper seat...the passenger's seat!!!! She has her car to drive, I don't let her drive mine! ). The blue ambient lights are awesome. The stereo is still wonderful.

Driving experience: I can't wait to get into the car to hear the low, beast-like growl of the engine as it idles. It's almost like it wants you to drive fast. So I do. I almost got one ticket because I wasn't paying attention to speed. The car accelerates so effortlessly and smoothly, and I was in a hurry one morning to see an emergency stroke patient, that I was at 45 mph in a 25 before I knew it. The policeman took mercy on me (it was 6 AM and the road was empty, so who was I going to hurt other than myself?). So potential buyers, beware! The handling is great. There's virtually no body roll unless I'm trying to force it by driving 6/10. The ride is reasonably smooth on the freeway, is a little rough on rough road, but not as rough as my 2002 with Comptechs. This is a well-behaved car--for example, if I hit a significant joint on a bridge, or a single bump on the freeway, I feel 1-2 controlled bounces, then smooth ride again. The only issue I have is that the steering feels slightly overboosted. I've adjusted to it, but I would like more heavy steering, just like in the wife's 2001 Accord. The braking is still softer than I'd like but it is still miles ahead of the 2002 TL.

Navigation: I now use voice commands to control most of the essential functions, with the exception of the radio--the wheel buttons suffice. You have to learn the commands from the manual, as some commands that would make sense ("climate control off" for example) just plain don't work. The navi is pretty much accurate--not too many sensitive government sites around Cleveland. It is SO easy to use. When I enter a destination and go past a recommended turn, the navi system automatically recalculates a route for you to follow, no muss, no fuss. I don't know how I ever lived without a navi. The navi also completes the center instrument stack--it looks so much nicer than the non-navi dash.

PHEW. Again, I'm enjoying the car and encourage everybody to test drive it. I'd love to drive a 6MT when the are more available, just for the experience.

Any questions?

 

Thanks for the update!

 

Thanks for the update. Please keep 'em coming! Hope this isn't a stupid question, but what do you do with the wife's temperature in the climate control when you are alone in the car. I mean, is there a way to synch the temperatures if you are alone so that the passenger side does not keep pumping out climate for, say, 75 degrees on the right when you have yours set at, say, 70 and just want the cabin all one temperature?? Again, this may be a mute point, but never having had the dual climate, this point seems confusing to me.

 

Yes you can sync them, just hit the dual button to turn of the dual mode, and the pass side automatically goes to the drivers temp and mode.

Next time pass comes in, just hit the temp button on that side and it converts back to dual mode!

 

I'll fill in for Bob here. There is a DUAL button that when lit, allows you to control driver and passenger temperature separately. When not lit, the cabin temperature is controlled by the driver side temperature.

 

Thanks for the update! Since I picked up my car on 10/25, it has been resting in the garage (getting the last few days out of my current car before turning it in - it is a lease). Man, I can't wait to put it on the highway. Even my hubby is getting excited about it...he was outside in the garage last night playing with the Navi and XM radio. So far, the only thing (keep in mind this is based on only about 80 miles of driving) that I think I will miss in this car is auto headlights.

 

Thanks for filling in. That's exactly what I would have said. By the way, my wife raves over the dual climate control. I just make sure I set everything back when she gets out of the car.

 

Nice review, thanks.

Does the navi know about one-way streets?

 

Yes, it does.