todde

Have had the car a week, great car, best car I have ever had so far. I shopped around and test drove several cars, 330i, G35, Lincoln LS, CTS, Maxima 3.5, etc. etc. etc. The Acura was the best car for the money, bar none! I tried to get an 04 because they were giving pretty good deals. I had a quote on an 04 TL, Blk/Parch., Navi for 33,200. They could never find it in all of Texas, LA, and surround states. Soooo, I ended up waiting for an '05, same set up. I asked about the price difference, they said $250 more MSRP for the '05, so I said, give me the '05 for 33,450. Got it.

Here is what I ended up with: 05, Black w/ Parchment Int., AMT, Navi, Burl wood Stick shift knob, protection pkg (floor mats, trunk liner, Locking Lug nuts, underbody coating), trunk deck spoiler (Not the lip) and 10 spoke chrome wheels (actually painted chrome, not really chrome.) Got the whole package for $36,000... The rims are awesome looking, and a little wider I think than stock rims, but still 17". They look like Hematite(sp), like black chrome.

So, I put 1000 miles this past week on it (drove a bit, Houston to Austin and back, around Houston, etc.) and here are some issues I ran into and what they did to fix it:


1. Ink on back seat - dealer repl entire back seat bottom cushion
2. dirty hand prints around the enterior - dealer cleaned it up good inside/out
3. warped center spkr grille - spkr grille/spkr replaced
4. windshield wipers squeeked a bit - wiper blades replaced
5. vibration from front end - dlr balanced tire/whls and this seemd to fix most vibration
6. rattles from new center speaker assemply - taking it in tomorrow
7. rattle from rear deck lid area - taking it in tomorrow
(I read the DIY on these rattles and will let them know about it.)
8. I think I am feeling the 1500 RPM vibration (harmonic?) at 60mph in 5th gear. Barely noticable, but I might mention it to them to see what they say.

Annoyances:

a) I would really like to see them pull down real time weather radar images overlayed on to the current map. (Ran into a bad storm driving to Austin. )
b) Would like to kick out a DVD-A without the system switching to XM or FM. I then have to go back to Disk to load another. Kind of awkward if you ask me.
c) I would really like to see a passenger seat with 10 position adjust., but I think the in seat sensors for the airbags limit that, like the fact there is no back htr for the passenger, only seat cushion heat.
d) The head liner/visor material is easy to snag especially if your hands are dry or you have callusses or snaggled fingernails...
e) I find it a little hard to see out the back window when turning around to look for cars when changing to the right side lane. I have been having to use my mirrors alot more.
f) No OnStar!!! The sales guy said the '05 would have it, and it's in the user manual, but not in my car! I doubt I will be able to add it later either. Wife could use it as she travels alot.

A few Questions I have:

1) Does anyone have the 10 spoke chrome painted rims as seen on the Acura site? The look bad a$$ by the way!, but I am worried about cleaning them. Right now, just doing a soft sponge, but should I finish off with basic car wax? I am worried about putting tire rim cleaner on them.
2) I don't seem to have my remotes linked to the system, when trying to set my Driver 1 settings, it says the remotes are not linked, how do you do that???
3) Anyway to get DRL in the US models? Why do they do this in CAN, but not in US?
4) Is there a good set of "quick" engine mods to improve performance? Such as buying a K&N filter, high flow oil filter, fuel pump, etc.? Stuff that is easy to do for the most part.
5) What good window tint does everyone recommend? I am thinking SolarGard Hi-Performance, metallicized tint, 35% sides, 15% rear. Yes? No?
6) I am thinking of getting the invisible Bra, does anyone have this? Any good bad throughts on this? I want the full package; bumper, hood (1/2), and mirror backs.

Some things I like about the 05, that I think are not on the 04.

1. Radio and AC settings are added to driver1 and 2 remote controlled entry.
2. You can turn down left or right outside mirrors when backing up.
3. Foglights!!!! These are bright by the way!
4. Touchscreen system is really fast, I heard it was slow in the 04???
5. DVD-Audio rocks! but having hard time finding a good selection anywhere in Houston.
6. I was dropping my Tahoe off at the Chevy dealer, when I noticed some customers commenting to a couple sales guys while staring at my car, "Wow, that is a really beautiful car." Dealer responded, "Yeah, that IS a very very nice car."

Things I get from my dealer: Houston, TX - John Eagle
- Car wash/wax anytime.
- sodas/water, snacks while waiting
- Service Loaner any time.
- free service for 2 years (oil changes, fluid checks, tire rotate/balance, etc)
- Accessories at sales guy's cost (20% off discounted price) I picked up splash guards for $63 for example.


I will put up some picks of it with the rims as they seem to be pretty rare around here on TLs. They rock!

Later!
todde

Cdn04TL

here we go again.....interior rattles carry over into '05.....good luck with your '05....i was thinking of trading in my '04 rattle box....but after a month or so of reading posts by '05 owners i am having doubts.....

Ken7

I had mentioned some time back that I didn't think the 05 would address rattles. Rarely if ever does the manufacturer address issues like this from one year to the next of the SAME model (no significant model change). I've had several ES300s and each has had the same type of noises that previous ones have.

I took my TL in for the ticking noise near the driver's side grab handle and was pleasantly surprised that it was 100% fixed. It's absolutely amazing how, at least in my case, your perception of a car can be so influenced by the presense or absence of ratttles/noises. Since now my TL is relatively noise free, my feeling about the car has gone up significantly. The car is fabulous when you don't hear those noises!! Some people just aren't sensetive to noises/rattles, but I sure am.

STAC

Ink spot? How do the get there. Looks like it bleed through leather
I have one too.... (Driver's front seat top right) Did dealer fix w/ no questions? I really thougth is was something I did...
All in all a SWEET car no major issues....

trance

Yea, I too was disappointed in the fact that the manual mentioned OnStar and it is not installed on the car.

Has anyone contacted American Honda about this?

jtw

11-05-2004 03:17 AM
Cdn04TL here we go again.....interior rattles carry over into '05.....good luck with your '05....i was thinking of trading in my '04 rattle box....but after a month or so of reading posts by '05 owners i am having doubts.....



HERE WE GO AGAIN... somebody communicates their excitment and enthusiasm about their car, they got a great deal, have a great dealer to work with, and have a great car. and CdN04TL wants to talk about rattles and turn this into another one of those posts. Go to another rattle post with your whining.

Todde- Congrats on your car, thanks for sharing your experience, it was very informative and I look forward to reading more responses.

Hawhyen51

Todde, congrats on your new ride. Hopefully the dealer will fix the problems you already found. As far as mods go, there are only a few that are available such as CAIs, swaybars, springs and exhaust systems from Comptech. Big Brake Kits from Rotora and Brembo, and a few other companies that offer suspension items. Your question on tint - you might want to look into a ceramic film vs metalized because of interference with the NAVI and AM reception. Some folks have had problems and others don't. Might wanna do a search on tints and clearbra or as some would call it, Paint Protection Film. There is a bunch of info here, a lotta of the members are very helpful, and use the search feature in researching a topic. Despite the annoyances you mentioned, enjoy your ride as we all do and Welcom to the Club!

nednj36

I am a Type-A rattle neurotic and have a few in my new 2005 TL that drive me nuts!!!

-rattle from aluminum trim around shifter
-rattle from center speaker grille
-rattle from passenger seat belt
-general console rattles

maybe it's the cold weather, but I agree with you about perception. I'm love/hate with my cars and it's usually due to rattles and steering wheel shimmy

any ideas on my rattle? any feedback would be appreciated

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

Congrats! can u post pics of your 10 spoke wheels? it seems no one in this forum has added this on to thier car, only the aspec wheels..... but ive seen them in real life and they do look awesome.....pics pleas!!!

05TLTony

The rattle from your aluminum trim around the shifter can be eliminated by inserting a thick piece of paper (I used a piece of the dealer's business card) in the gap between the shifter trim and the carbon fiber. The seat belt height can be adjusted up and down by pushing the button up. By adjusting it upward, I've eliminated the rattle in mine. I have not experienced speaker rattles of any sort. As for the rattle coming from the consule, it may be from the cover under the dash on the driver's side. When you go over a bump, the two plastic plates vibrate against each other causing the rattle. The rattle can be subdued by placing some sort of cushioning material in between where these two pieces meet. In my case I folded a piece of napkin and stuffed it between this spot. My car is rattle free for the time being. Hope this helps.

rets

todde, thanks for review. Welcome to the forum


Btw, are you sure those features 04 TLs don't have??

catmag

todde: Iwas looking for a TL in houston also. Who did you get your deal from at John Eagle Acura? Also, talked to them over there, they said they only give 2 years of oil changes, not full maintenance. Did they tell you that you get full maintenance with your car?