eastvantrading

Can anyone describe their experience of how it feels to drive their TL (besides "awesome")? I'm still getting used to my new to me 2006 AT and my only points of reference is our 2011 4 cyl Camry and my old 1998 manual civic 3 door. I'd say it's like day and night vs the Camry which is so smooth and cushioned. I'd say it feels much more like the civic with more power, more stiff and I can really feel the road and the engine. Should the bigger engine in the TL feel more rough/rumble-y at idle and low gear? Also the TL steering is so much more stiff and it feels like it revs a little higher between shifts.

if anyone has experience comparing these cars I'd appreciate hearing from you. Not sure what's normal or not/what's good or bad, or what's just a result of age...

champaned_out

iTrader: (2)

my girlfriend drives a 2011 camry so i know exactly what your talking about
2011 camry = electric power steering (EPS) vs 3rd gen TL = hydraulic power steering

the TL's steering feeling much more stiff is the difference between hydraulic and electric
you'll get that effortless/light steering response with electric however you lose the ability to feel the road through the wheel with EPS
with hydraulic it requires more effort but it doesnt feel as numb as EPS

The TL will most certainly feel stiffer all around because its a luxury "sport" sedan whereas the Camry is a comfortable affordable mid size sedan
theres one simple test ive always done and its the door test... closing the door between the camry and the tl and you can feel just how much more beefier and sturdier the TL's door feels.. the camry's door feels really light and hollow.. it just feels really satisfying when you shut the door.. you can feel and hear the difference between the doors

srg818

Except when it's really blowing outside and the wind catches it unexpectedly and slams that baby shut for you Yea, I had ringing ears on the way to work this morning

eastvantrading

Oh yeah that makes a lot of sense about the steering. I can actually steer the Camry with 1 finger.
I still remember the feeling of no power steering!

Can you say anything more about the feeling of the ride?

thoiboi

Better.

/endthread

eastvantrading

...I already said besides "awesome" . But seriously my reason for asking is just so I can get to know how my TL is supposed to feel...I haven't owned/driven very many cars. All of them in the past have been new/economical/dependable. Wondering how to recognize something unusual, with the other cars being points of comparison.

thoiboi

Better =/= awesome



You may have some issues with the transmission because the 04-06 AT aren't the best. Do some maintenance on that (3x3 fluid flush, switches). Stiffer is definitely going to be expected.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

That'll be hard to do, as you're trying to compare between different manufactures and year ranges.

an easier test would be to jump into another TL to see if it's driving the same as yours. (although, at this point and time and mileage, they might all be running a bit rough?)

since the car is a mid-powered fwd vehicle, the front suspension DOES take a beating!!
bushings and mounts like to tear!

maybe instead of figuring out if its driving okay, maybe visual inspections could help you learn about the car!
(hint* if something is torn or bent or looks to be missing, it's probably missing, torn or bent!)

LeVeL

You're asking us to compare the three cars that you've owned? Shouldn't you be the one to be telling us what the differences are? I don't understand your question...

eastvantrading

I guess I'm not making myself clear. I'm asking as a new owner of a 10 yr old car that I understand is different in many respects from my previous cars, what is it supposed to feel like? Mainly directed at those who may have better/more driving experience with a variety of cars than me, especially the Camry/Civic, for comparison...

campaned_out's response about the hydraulic steering was spot on and super helpful!

Si_jeff

It's always been Toyota's/Lexus philosophy to have a very plushy ride and quiet cabin with a very num steering feel. Personally, I hate it. Try driving a Toyota on high speeds, 70-80mph, you will feel that the steering is very soft and you don't have that "road feel" , I think most people like this but in my opinion, I prefer the stiffer steering where you feel the road and it also handles better on spirited driving on back roads.

truonghthe

I drove my bro LS430 and the steering seem to be scary, steering very light I got used to the TL-S steering feel. There is a lot body roll I though the car gonna flip, over the LS430 felt like a boat more than a car, the car came with sport suspension package lol. The LS460 somewhat improve on steering feel and suspension tune more sporty side with out scarifying the comfort of a full size luxury sedan. I drove most of the Lexus line up anything from an 1st gen IS300, 1st and 2nd gen IS250, 1st gen IS350, 2nd gen GS300, 1st gen GS350, RX350, NX200T, IS200T and IS-F. The closet Lexus with sporty feel ever came close to our TL is the IS-F, the transmission on IS-F shift rough just like the TL-S too. The power on the IS-F is on another level.

Scottwax

A Camry is like driving your Grandma's couch.

eastvantrading

ha ha that's also how I describe it sometimes. Not necessarily a bad thing.

WDPanda

You need new shocks. Definitely shot by now and contributing to the Civic feel. Camry is soft all around, gives the illusion of smooth even with bad shocks. 2011 shocks vs 2006 is another factor.

metal571

I come from an all-Honda family, so I've driven a 95 Accord, used to own an abused 05 Civic, and now drive the 07 base navi. Apparently in 07 they changed the shocks to be softer than the 04-06 and it shows...mine feels more Lexus-y than I expected compared to any product Honda makes, but with 171k miles it's probably just that my shocks are also worn out as crap. Compared to a Civic there's far more body roll and the car feels a lot more substantial trying to strut around turns whereas the Civic I had felt like a featherweight by comparison.

I've also driven the '16 TLX so I know what EPS is like...it is especially noticeable how easy it is to turn the wheel at parking lot speeds, but it's more devoid of feel on the road. I'm pretty used to the heavy hydraulic steering from only driving older Hondas, so that is very normal and it can sometimes be a bit of a pain at parking lot speeds.

Another thing you might notice is the throttle delay which took a lot of getting used to for me when I first switched from the Civic to the TL. It's much longer on the TL (feels like it's almost 1 second long to respond to changes in pedal position) due to what feels like an "early" version of an electronically controlled throttle which is commonplace nowadays in newer cars.

Revving up during acceleration more than a Camry is definitely normal. Honda engines have always needed lots of revving out to achieve their full performance. I'd say a typical modest acceleration in the TL involves enough throttle such that shifts occur ~4k RPM. Don't be scared of revving it out - I thought the TL was a lot slower than I expected and even a little boring the first couple times I drove it. But when you floor this thing it GOES like no 4 cylinder Honda can.

In the end, it feels like a sportier touring car that is MOST at home on very long range highway drives. It cruises like nothing I've ever ridden in or driven before. Just my 2c

eastvantrading

Thanks for taking the time to write such an in-depth response. Maybe it's just the cold weather but my TL has been feeling pretty stiff and heavy these days until it warms up. Not the Camry, it feels sofa-like from the get-go. Unfortunately I live/drive 100% in the city.

metal571

Yeah I feel that too. The throttle is kind of jumpy and transmission at least on mine is harsher as well until the car gets to temperature so nothing really is wrong there.

YeuEmMaiMai

The Accord has been DBW from 2003 so if you are saying there is a difference it has to be an accord older than that. I never noticed a throttle delay when driving a 04-06TL as compared to the CL-S that I had. Honda has made changes over the years (particularly with the 5AT cars where they power limit you in the first 2 gears) though so who knows on the newer ones

IMHO the TL drives and rides better than the strut based Camry and Accords... that double wishbone is a nice setup on the older accords and TL cars, they seem to handle road irregularities much better than the strutted cars. With the TL you never have to wonder when the car is at the limits, the Camry on the other hand rides like sofa on wheels with softer spring rates and more compliance in the suspension bushings. the 04-05 TL ride much like the previous version's type S car nice and sporty without being too hard. 06+ they softened it up A LOT but it is still pretty good handling car.

As for the J series based off of the 3..2: type S motor, they have PLENTY of torque across a wide RPM range giving good acceleration at lower throttle inputs.. 2K is more than enough to move the car in city settings at a reasonable pace...plus you get the bonus of a rev happy engine when you want it. Remember TLs come in at 34-500+lbs in auto form about 67lbs in manual.. not exactly light

nothome17

I'm sure you notice the shifts from Park to Drive is a bit laggy, or Reverse to Drive.

YeuEmMaiMai

^ never noticed it unless it was REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLY cold (you know like -26f actual temp)

also in my above post

Remember TLs come in at 34-500+lbs in auto form about 67lbs in manual.. not exactly light

should read

Remember TLs come in at 34-500+lbs in auto form and about 67lbs lighter in manual.. not exactly light cars to begin with

llllBULLSEYE

iTrader: (1)

I used to drive 2011-2014 Camrys all the time at work. They are more comfortable,steering is super light and have less road noise, but omg I rather the stiffness of the TL all day.
With the TL I feel like I'm actually driving the car instead of it driving me. I guess its cause I grew up with BMWs and they are stiff everywhere.
Im 35 now maybe when I'm 70 I will change my mind.
btw good thing you don't have the Type S steering and suspension is more stiff and the AT feels like a manual when it downshifts very sporty feel.

srg818

Try parallel parking a Type-S in a tight spot, skip arm day