johnc_22

OK, I posted a while back that I would be looking to sell/trade my 9-3 Viggen and that the TL was one of the cars I was considering. In the past week I've had a drive in the Subaru GT, the 330i (twice because the first salesman was a dolt) and now the TL.

My requirements are fun to drive, luxury, reliability and resale value. Gadgetry is nice but not necessarily the main thing that would be a deciding factor. The Viggen is unruly on rough roads and the shifter is balky. I now live in the city and do a good bit of stop-go traffic and tend to drive on less than ideal streets now.

The Subaru is really a car that excels at things that aren't important to me here in Atlanta. I've got a fast, turbo-charged car with upscale interior as it is, so trading for that one would only get me the better ride and an automatic. The car does scream with plenty of room for aftermarket enhancements and if that's what you're looking for it's a great buy. If you drive in a lot of snow the Subaru's AWD probably can't be beat for value and performance.

Next I drove the BMW. First salesman was kind of the prototypical BMW salesman. "You wanna drive it. Well, OK . . . ". Like he had something better to do on a slow Saturday afternoon the first day of REAL college football games. The drive was very canned up the interstate one exit, turn around, return to lot. He cranked the A/C so I didn't even get to enjoy the sound of the i6 the BMW is legendary for. He did make me a jaw-dropping offer on the car: $36.5K-ish w/sport,premium,step,xenon. It had 24 miles on it. I went to a different dealer yesterday because that's a lot of $$$ and I wanted a test drive that would tell me what the car was really about. HOLY COW! OK, I get it. Build quality, tank-like feel out the wazoo, superb handling if not the fastest thing on the road. The sound of the engine is gorgeous to an enthusiast's ear. Problem is even at these close-out prices I have a hard time seeing myself in a BMW. There is this thing that people have against people who drive BMWs that is clearly unfair but exists nonetheless. I now know WHY an enthusiast would want that car though. It rocks the house.

So, today I finally took a long lunch to test drive the TL. Clearly the 330i had raised the bar pretty high at this point. I must say the TL is as good or better on the interior. The exterior is fresher than the 330i at this point. Definite eye candy. This was anthracite w/caramel leather, auto, non-NAV. Took it for about a 25 minute drive on streets and interstate. I say this as I zip up my retardent suit, but clearly the TL leans more towards the luxury than the sport side of things. This is not to say that it doesn't handle well or have plenty of power, it just doesn't feel as sporty as the 330i. This is not a criticism of the TL, just my gut feeling. Acura said flat out their target was the 530i and while I've never driven one of those my guess is that it doesn't feel as sporty as the 330i either. That's actually OK with me. My current car IS a sports car and the ride on city streets can be a test of will sometimes. A friend was riding in the back of the TL while the salesman and I were in front and it was clear that the TL is VERY spacious compared to the 330i. While again gadgetry would never be my reason to buy a car, the TL has heaps of it and it really rounds out the package. The Acura does lack the bank vault feel of the BMW, and all the posts about rattles here make me wonder whether or not the BMW will stick together better in the long run - no way to tell but one would hope that if the 2005 TL has better build quality the rattle elimination techniques will be discerned and supplied to owners of rattling TLs.

So, what it boils down to is that now the TL has overtaken the 330i at the top of my list. I just think that it's a better car for me at 38 years of age. Additionally insurance will be cheaper. Reliability is likely to be higher than the average rating the 330i gets. Finally I can get the TL w/auto with or without Nav for THOUSANDS less than the heavily discounted 330i and that pretty much says it all.

I'd be happy as all get out with either car so it's really a close call, but I believe the TL suits me better. I'll post again here once I make the final decision and have my paws on it. If anyone in Atlanta has a good buying experience lately please fill me in. I test drove at Nalley on Hwy 41.

John - Atlanta

cvajs

well, i see the TL as a sport sedan leaning on the luxury side of the fence. TL seems to be on a fence because with a few adjustments (rims, tires, suspension, AT or MT) the car can be real sporty or luxury, but still a sedan. all this makes the TL a very attractive buy without the need to buy the RL or NSX or BMW, etc.

i prefer to make adjustments on the luxury side. i went for some OZ 18" rims, but my OZ Superleggera looks more luxury than the very impressive sporty look of RonJon Inspyres. i'll add some 40% tint soon and that's all i will do, the car needs nothing more (it came wth ground package and low lip spoiler).

moving to a sports car i would opt for a 350z or a vette (bang for the buck).

rets

VS thread... move to Cars and Bikes in an hour...

rets

Move to Cars & Bikes forum.

phile

Well if you like the current 330's feel vs. the TL, I think you should at least wait for the new 3-Series to debut. Just my

neuronbob

Flame retardant suit not needed. You gave a great review of the three cars based on your opinion. The TL is simply what it is--a sport-tuned luxury car. The 330i is what it is--a sports car with some luxury. Both cars are excellent and you were handed an awesome deal on the current 3-series, which is still quite a looker. You'll get more doodads in the TL for the money--it's a great value.

Wishing you luck in your auto buying, and do post your final decision.