ptvo

Hello everybody.

After researching for several months on the forum and other places,I purchased my 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD with Advance package a month ago in an impulse. Needless to say, I got ripped off for the price but I am telling myself that it is worth it since I got the SH-AWD and the BWP/graystone combo that I have been waiting for several months.
However, since day one, I have had a huge buyer remorse. First, the car does not drive as smooth as I expected for a luxury car ( I came from 2006 Acura RL). It is bumpy and noisy. I replaced the OEM Goodyear Eagle RS-A with the brand new set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS in 245/45/R19 in order to improve the ride quality and road noise. The DWS did improve the ride a little bit but not to my standard. Today, I drove from Knoxville, TN to Memphis,TN for the interview. And I was shocked on how bumpy and noisy the ride was above 70 mph. My ear and my kidney were punished badly on the whole 7 hour-trip.
I have been giving a lot of thoughts about the car and I think that I will take the depreciation hit and sell the car. I will lose 7,000-8,000 for a month of "test-drive" but I don't have to waste my money on paying the rest of the car that I don't want.

I leaned my lesson in a hard way. When you are buying a car, don't use your eyes and your heart, use your brain.

I have always been a fan of Acura/Honda but I think that I will get a break and consider other options such as Lexus/Toyota.

Yumcha

If I used my brain to buy a car, I'd be in a 1999 Corolla.

Sorry the car didn't work out.

Chaotik

Wow...
Is it really that bad that it warrants such a financial hit ?
Maybe you should give it more time...

When I first used my 2012 SHAWD Advanced for long distances, my neck and shoulders would get pretty sore due to the seats / headrests.

I got used to it and it was fine after about 1-2 months.

hddnav

Why not go for a Toyota Avalon? The Avalon sounds like the perfect car for what you're looking for.

If a sports sedan is not for you, get rid of it and buy yourself a nice Camry or another "luxury sedan.". Sport sedans are not for everyone, as you saw.

vtec260

That's too bad. An hour or two of test drive could've saved you this situation. Going from comfy RL to sporty TL would be a big change for sure. Maybe get the FWD model with softer suspension?

ptvo

I test drove 30 minutes, and I overlook the road noise and the harsh ride. I did not realize that will be uncomfortable for me as a daily driving car.

Tony Pac

sorry to hear that man!

You shouldn't have bought a sport luxury car if you wanted a comfortable car. If you want comfort, go with Camry or Lexus ES.

Good luck!

Tony Pac

well said...if I used my brain. I wouldn't have sell my Accord. It was in mint condition and not a single issue...but fell in love with TL - A Spec

WHEEELMAN

iTrader: (14)

lol. sorry that TL did not work out for you Mr. Princess.

Not sure why you thought a TL would be like an RL. That 2006 RL had PLENTY of life left in it.

Type-S RPh

Why don't you try trading your TL for an '11 or '12 RL if you can find one. The RLs tend to sit and you may be able to work out a good deal and not get completely screwed on your TL purchase.

a35tl

My TL is a FWD and I've never driven or ridden in an AWD TL, so I can only speak for the FWD version. Mine is a great car to take a road trip in. Very smooth ride, comfortable seats, powerful, reasonably quiet, efficient. I've read a lot about the SH-AWD TLs. For those who've driven both, how much difference is there in the ride quality?

ptvo

My RL has 110,000 miles on it and I just did the major 105k maintenance for it. Thus I did not trade it in for the TL.

Believe it or not, one of the reason that I bought the TL is that I want a change from the cushy ride of the RL. But the difference in ride quality is so huge that make me regretting the purchase immediately.

I came to Carmax today and they offer me $24,000 for the car. I said no way I am going to sell the car for that price. Then I went back to the dealer that I bought the car from, and the sale man offered me $28,000 to take it back. Right now I am having 3 options:
1. sell it to the dealer and keep driving my RL till the wheels fall off.
2. I will trade TL in to Acura dealer for a 2011 Acura RL base w Tech 27,500 miles (listed $30,000) or a 2007 Lexus ES base 66,000 miles ( listed $16,000).
3. Trade the TL to a toyota dealer for a Camry or Rav4.

Which option should I do? I put down $17,000 on the TL and I still owe $18,000. By trading it in, I will gain the tax deduct advantage. Or I will put some of my money back in my pocket by selling it and consider it a valuable lesson for me.

I appreciate any ideas from you guys.

I should have at least test drive all others options before making the purchase of my TL, such as the new TLX which I heard it is a vast improvement over the TL in term of ride and noise. But I am young (23 y/o), so I did the stupid thing like other young people do.

I am not losing faith in Acura brand but Acura/Honda car might not fit my need very well since they are more of the performance cars unlike Lexus/Toyota.

erdoc48

I hope this doesn't sound too basic, but since you chose good tires (I have the DWS as well) with a softer sidewall, do you think lowering the tire pressure by 2-3 PSI per tire might help? It could soften the ride enough so that you may just want to keep what you have. You're going to take a huge financial hit if you trade it in otherwise. In what way is the car noisy (is it road noise, wind noise, or rattles)? That is a huge downside of 19" wheels (the firm ride). I had a 2012 Base (FWD) as a loaner in the past, and I thought the ride was actually pretty good (sporty but not too firm).

The other issue with the 2012 AWD if it's a low mileage car is that the suspension isn't 'worn in' yet, and although that may take a while to wear a little (and the ride will soften a little) you can keep what you have. My 06 had the same issue (was firm out of the gate) but now that it has 101K on the odometer and is on the DWS, it rides really well.

potmilkz

should trade it in for a tlx

Willie3.5

Sell the TL and keep riding your RL until the wheels fall off...unless you want something new. Keep in mind that the RL is the "flagship" of Acura so it's going to be a well rounded car, the TL is sporty. Some mind bumps and others don't. Your 06 had 17 inch wheels with a luxury suspension and your TL has 19 inch wheels with a sport suspension. If you really have the urge to get a new vehicle go with a newer RL.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Sorry to hear.......

ptvo

I always want a sport car because everybody is crazy about them on the car forums. They said how well the cars handle, the aggressive look, sexy body etc...But they rarely mention about how uncomfortable the ride as a daily driver. Since I research on those forums a lots, thus I am impressed by the positive reviews and I overlook the ride uncomfortable quality.

From now on, I will stick to the boring yet comfortable cars for old men, like Camry, Avalon, or big ass van Odyssey.

ptvo

In the city, the ride is acceptable and the car is really fun to drive. But once you are going on the long trip running 70+ mph, the ride becomes noticeably uncomfortable. The road noise is really loud. It sounds like humhumhum in the cabin. I think it came from the tires which are silent in the city drive. The noise makes me nervous and hurts my ears.
The ride on the smooth highway is great but noisy. But once you hit the bad road, I feel like running on the trampoline. Up and Down, up and down...
And did I mention that when I hit a hole, the car sounds like a bomb exploded and I feel like falling off the cliff.

weather

ptvo...Sorry to hear you don't enjoy the TL but I also think that you make claims that are a bit extreme (..."bomb exploded" for example). No disrespect intended....

hddnav

I have the 18 inch rims on my 2013 SH-AWD, and I have none of the humhumhum rhythmic road noise that you speak of. Your description almost sounds like some kind of uneven tire wear (for example, cupping?) that has somehow been passed onto you from the previous owner.

Regarding the ride, it's going to be hard to fine a plush riding car that has 19 inch low profile tires. The TL SH-AWD suspension is tuned for sport, and such buyers, as myself, love the taut, firm ride and agile handling. I simply just don't find the ride to be ultra rough or jarring, but rather on par with other cars with sports suspensions. You must be driving on some REALLY bad roads (3 inch deep potholes everywhere in the inner city?) for you to describe the experience of hitting a bump like a bomb exploding.

This is really not meant as any offense, but there are cars made for your demographics. They're typically Buicks, Chevy Malibus, Toyota family sedans with high-profile tires (or a Lexus LS460), and, like you said, crossover SUVs and minivans.

erdoc48

Regarding the humhumhum sound in the cabin...any chance of a bad wheel bearing? Is it worth having it investigated as to get rid of the sound or are you simply going to turn it in?

Edward'TLS

Something has to give, when one downgrades from a RL/RLX class sedan to a TL/TLX class sedan.

In real life, nothing comes free.

ptvo

I admit that it is extreme. I apologize.
I know that I will take a huge financial hit but it is either paying $35,000 for a car that I don't enjoy or lose $7000 and put $10,000 back into the pocket and save it for another car.

andrewcjduong

Wow that's an expensive hit. To be brutally honest, I almost sold my TL as well. Not because it wasn't luxury enough but more because it wasn't sporty enough and didn't have that push I wanted. Was looking closely at the newer 335i and test drove those and loved it.

Long story short, I couldn't take the hit of $5k after owning my car for 4 months and I didn't feel like spending more money since my payments were really low and not long. It's my daily, and I've come to accept that it's just a car that gets me comfortably from a to b.

ptvo

The noise vanishes on some roads but it is loud on other roads and it makes me fatigue. Thus it must be coming from the tires or the car is not really well insulated. I don't remember hearing those noises on my 06 RL which has 110,000 miles on it.

Wow that's an expensive hit. To be brutally honest, I almost sold my TL as well. Not because it wasn't luxury enough but more because it wasn't sporty enough and didn't have that push I wanted. Was looking closely at the newer 335i and test drove those and loved it.

It is indeed a huge financial hit. I am planning to punish myself by not buying anything above $20,000 for my next car in case the RL gives up and limit my expenses in the next 3 years.

dtrayers

Sorry it's not working out for you. But it shows that the test drive is extremely important, and you need a significant test drive, or several, in varying conditions and speeds. Even the differences between daylight and nighttime may reveal things you can't live with.

Notwithstanding, I have driven several times 700+ miles in one day and I've found the highway ride comfortable and quiet. I don't think it's harsh or noisy at all, and the seats are as comfortable as my living room recliner.

ptvo

I am happy with the handling and the acceleration of the car but I wish that it has more forgiving ride quality and better sound proofing.

erdoc48

Sound proofing wise, do you think Dynamat would help? It wouldn't cost too much, or at least I wouldn't think so. It's better than taking a huge loss.

hyperpm

Find local member and try out 18's. I had a 2007 Lexus GS350 and my 14 SH-AWD Advance rides smoother and quieter that my previous Lexus. Even with the 19's on OEM RSA's, it actually absorbs potholes and rough pavement pretty well. Freeway ride pretty quiet as well. I wouldn't call ride cushy but firm and compliant. Maybe's 18's will do the trick. From this forum, I read sound deadening was actually increased for 2012 and up and it's as quiet or quieter than Lexus, Infinit, BMW, and Mercedes I've been in. My 2009 Honda Pilot is cushier than my TL so maybe your type of ride maybe along the line of Avalon or Lexus type vehicles.

wreak

Sound deadening was increased in the 2012 so the road noise went from total shit in the 09-11, to absolute shit in the 12-14. What I'm saying is it's still completely terrible. My wife has a little 2010 Chevy Cobalt and the road noise is less in that than my 2012 TL, it's pathetic so I know where this guy is coming from.

1Lieutenant

I own a 2012 TL SH-awd tech package. My understanding is the 18" wheels provide a much more comfortable and quiet ride than the 19" wheels of the advance. I also noticed a huge difference when the stock Michelins were replaced with the Pirelli P7 Cinturato all season. I know you probably do not want to throw good money after bad, but a used set of Acura 18"s with a better set of tires could be the difference.

Also, did you try an AWD tech with 18"s?

ptvo

I replace the OEM tire Goodyear Eagle RSA 245/40r19 for Continental Extreme Contact DWS 245/45/R19. The road noise and the ride are improved but it is not up to my expectation. The combination of road noise, wind noise and engine noise makes me fatigue and causes mental sickness on the long road trip.
I am looking closely to trade the TL in for the 2011 RL with tech, beside the significant drop in mpg fromg avg 24 mpg for the TL to 20-21 mpg for the RL. The ride will be significantly improved according to what I see from the reviews. I will go to test drive the car Monday and make sure that I absolutely want it before putting down my money again.

ron3.7

The noise makes me nervous and hurts my ears. Really your a fuckin puss man up its only a car panzy sorry but really???? Does your mommy breast feed you too...

wreak

Ron3.7 I don't think English is his first language which explains some of his choice in verbs lol

ptvo

I expect a more refined luxury sport car from Acura and the TL is not it.

It is sporty yet I don't see it is a luxury car. It is as loud as the 2014 Honda Accord that my cousin just bought.

ptvo

English is not my first language. So some of my comments might not deliver what I really want to describe.
I apologize if I cause confusions and misconceptions.

RenoTL

It is really bad for you to take such a financial hit. God, I love the way my 2010 TL SH-AWD Tech drives - short trips and on long trips. Your experience obviously is different but I would hope you would explore some of the suggestions offered here to see if you can make this car work for you. Also, I really have to wonder about what you are saying when I read what you concerned your options (see post #12). Do you really think a Rav4 is going to be more comfortable than your TL!

ptvo

What you are wondering about my options?
Right now, I might just sell the car.

I asked my uncle today and he said that the dealer will pay me the tax on the car if I sell it to them. It means that I will get $28000 + $2000 tax = $30,000. So I will lose $5000 since I bought the car $35,000 OTD. Is it true that the dealer will pay me the tax money?

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Dial down the personal insults. Good luck with whatever you decide ptvo.

hddnav

For reference, I categorize my SH-AWD as being louder than a 2013 Camry, but no worse than a 2013 Accord (all of which I test drove as I shopped for my TL).

What you need is a Luxury car, not a mainstream family car. The TL is a sport/premium version of a mainstream family car.

Why not a Camry Hybrid or Toyota Avalon? Why even bother with Acura?