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Acura TL 2009 -

1506 messages,  Last post on Nov 09, 2009 at 10:05 AM

You are in the Acura TL Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Acura TL, Sedan


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#1145 of 1506
Re: Mostly Negative [bodble2] by go_mdx1
Oct 21, 2008 (4:33 pm)
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Replying to: bodble2 (Oct 21, 2008 2:55 pm)

With today's economy, dealer foot traffic is a very poor barometer of how well a car has been made or designed. Two months ago, Honda Civic's were flying out of the dealer showrooms. Now, at the local dealer, there is over 50 Civics in stock (including a bunch of hybrids). Honda dealer is nearly empty on Saturday's.
 
So, I vote for factor #1 "gloomy economic outlook" as the main reason this car is not selling well.
 
BTW: I own an 09 Maxima and have yet to see another 09 Maxima on the road in the two months since I purchased the car.
#1146 of 1506
Re: Mostly Negative [go_mdx1] by kennyg8
Oct 21, 2008 (5:00 pm)
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Replying to: go_mdx1 (Oct 21, 2008 4:33 pm)

I agree. The poor foot traffic is most likely due to gloomy economic outlook, and Acura showrooms are no different than showrooms of other (comparable) brands.
 
Surprisingly, there is no comparison of the 09 Acura v Maxima in Edmunds. With the more upscaled Maxima, it is moving closer to the TL, except that you can get a comparably equipped Maxima for a grand or two less. The SH-AWD TL costs $42k, which I think will cost Acura to lose a substantial number of potential customers, unless significant discounts are given.
#1147 of 1506
Re: Acura should call it quits. [dvsutton] by kennyg8
Oct 21, 2008 (5:12 pm)
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Replying to: dvsutton (Oct 20, 2008 11:04 pm)

Sorry to hear about your wife's Honda Odyssey. Like many posters have pointed out, however, your problems are atypical, as Honda and Acura (particularly Acura) do have a reputation of making cars that are rather reliable, especially when compared with other brands. Even Lexus, the perennial favorite of Consumer Reports, produces a few lemons. Yours might be a lemon ... sorry
#1148 of 1506
Re: [gundersen] by kennyg8
Oct 21, 2008 (5:21 pm)
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Replying to: gundersen (Oct 21, 2008 3:02 pm)

Your statement about Toyota/Lexus having less problems than Honda/Acura is generally true. However, based on this article that summarizes findings of Consumer Report, Honda/Acura and Subaru appeared to do even better than Toyota/Lexus, at least for now or in 2007. http://www.autospies.com/news/Consumer-Report-Removes-Toyota-and-Lexus-Models-Fr- om-Coveted-Recommend-List-21817/
#1149 of 1506
by fornov
Oct 21, 2008 (6:57 pm)
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My personal experience with the TL is hot and cold. I have had my '06 TL for almost 3 years now, and it has had zero mechanical problems through 50K miles. I have had the routine maintenance performed, put new tires on at 40K, and paid for gas. That's it. There are significant positives - looks nice, great highway mileage (usually 30-32 MPG), very comfortable, good size for me (6'2 185, with a wife and 2 little girls).
 
However, there are significant negatives, too, which I hope the '09 TL will address.
1. bad understeer and plowing into corners
2. torque steer
3. wheel spin with even moderate acceleration from a stop
4. squealing wheels any time a corner is driven anything but lightly
5. about the slowest car in its class
 
Most of these problems will hopefully be addressed by the stronger engine and SH-AWD system. I don't race my car, but sometimes I like to hit the back roads a little harder when I'm driving by myself. If the '09 TL can fix these problems and retain the parts of the previous generation that I like (mileage, comfort), I may have a good choice here. I also really like all the tech stuff Acura has added to the mix. Although it's not my favorite, I don't mind the styling, and it would be kind of cool to have a car no one else has and most people haven't even seen yet. The increased size is fine with me as long as the handling characteristics aren't lost. The interior is first-rate, truly outstanding.
 
I'm also strongly considering the new G37x sedan (when it arrives) - this is probably the frontrunner right now. I'd love to get an IS-F or CTS-V, but I need the AWD (or at least FWD). The IS250 has a joke for a powertrain, and the CTS AWD isn't what I'm looking for. Plus, do they all have a wood-accented steering wheel? I thought I'd like the Maxima, but it seems like the sucker's version of the G sedan. I drove an MKS - maybe when I'm 50. The 335xi is a real winner, except I can't stand the plain jane interior. It seems a little arrogant to ignore interior asthetics and ergonomics, plus it seems everyone and their mother-in-law has a BMW these days. What else is there? Mercedes doesn't have anything I'd like - maybe if they put an AWD setup in their AMG's. I haven't looked at Saab or Volvo much, but I'm skeptical about their lineups. The XF is cool, but also only RWD. What about Audi S4 - it's not bad, but isn't there a new model for '10? And with a smaller engine now? How about the 300C AWD - I haven't researched that much. GS350 AWD - again with the wood steering wheel? That might seem like a trivial point, but it's really a deal-breaker for me - those are cold and slick in the winter, and I don't like to drive with gloves on. The last 2 cars I've bought were the TL and the '03 G35 (back when I could live with RWD). It looks like those are the top 2 choices again.
#1150 of 1506
Re: [fornov] by jpdisarro
Oct 22, 2008 (6:26 am)
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Replying to: fornov (Oct 21, 2008 6:57 pm)

The G37x would also be the closest competitor with the TL for me. I would be interested in the G37x AWD coupe, but unfortunately, the closest Infiniti dealer is 130 miles away from where I will be moving next year. That leaves Subaru, Acura and BMW as the only options for AWD sedans, and I would not be willing to pay over $45k for a 335xi, so BMW is out as well. The 2010 Subaru Legacy GT sounds like it could be interesting. I may be willing to go FWD, but RWD is not an option.
#1151 of 1506
Re: Acura should call it quits. [kennyg8] by dvsutton
Oct 22, 2008 (6:43 am)
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Replying to: kennyg8 (Oct 21, 2008 5:12 pm)

however, your problems are atypical, as Honda and Acura (particularly Acura) do have a reputation of making cars that are rather reliable...?
 
SAY WHAT? I would love for you to come into the waiting room I am currently sitting in. As I write this on my lap top in a uncomfortable chair in the Honda dealership in northern California, surrounded by thirty or more "customers, seven who are in their for transmission problems on Odysseys, Pilots, MDX's, and Ridgelines like me. Tell them that the quality on Honda products are better than the most. I did a quick survey of how many of us are going to buy another Honda/Acura product. The results were 3 out of about 27 would buy another. One persons brother was a salesman here. So I didn't count him. We all want to know why we are paying extra for garbage Honda's?
#1152 of 1506
Re: Just An Observation [laurasdada] by upstatedoc
Oct 22, 2008 (7:57 am)
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Replying to: laurasdada (Oct 21, 2008 8:59 am)

"The '09 TL, still haven't tasted one in person. But, the beak is still just plain wrong. It may be bold, it may be different, but to me, it is just ungainly. "
 
^^ X2 to that...you know, Subaru did change the design of their homely shnoz on the B9 Tribeca only after 1 or 2 MY because of customer complaints. Maybe if enough people complained we could get a reversal.
 
Or better yet, why don't some of the more creative folks (of which I am not) on this forum sketch some ideas?
#1153 of 1506
Re: Just An Observation [upstatedoc] by bodble2
Oct 22, 2008 (8:28 am)
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Replying to: upstatedoc (Oct 22, 2008 7:57 am)

"Maybe if enough people complained we could get a reversal."
 
I would count on that happening anytime soon. Honda is notoriously stubborn, or slow to react, or both. They haven't changed the equally controversial front end on the CR-V, and it took them, what, 3 years, to change the ugly rear end on the last generation Accord sedan!
#1154 of 1506
Re: Acura should call it quits. [dvsutton] by habitat1
Oct 22, 2008 (9:56 am)
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Replying to: dvsutton (Oct 22, 2008 6:43 am)

We all want to know why we are paying extra for garbage Honda's?
 
I think you've worn out your anti-Honda/Acura bantor - and potentially your credibility in the process. Over the course of your last dozen posts, about half of them contained a "As I write this on my lap top in a uncomfortable chair in the Honda dealership"...
 
It's not my place to question the claim of having had two transmission failures in 18k miles. Nor all of the other problems you listed. Or even question your poll-taking skills with "30 or more" customers in the service waiting room. Rather here's what I would suggest to ease your pain:
 
(1) Have your wife get her own vehicle serviced and repaired and let her sit in the uncomfortable waiting room chair herself. Maybe she did absolutely nothing wrong in the way she drove the Odyssey to cause the failures, but in the slim chance she did, it might help her connect the dots. Worked well for a buddy of mine who's wife had been going through a set of BMW brakes and rotors with every other tank of gas.
 
(2) Buy manual transmissions, whenever possible. That's my standard policy / recommendation in all of these forums, but it seems particularly appropriate for someone with your (wife's) luck.
 
(3) Go ahead and get that Ford that you were praising in another forum as "much better looking than the goofy styled Honda and Toyota". I'm sure you will have much less trouble with a Ford than a Honda or Toyota. But just in case, be prepared to sit on the floor of a Ford service lounge when the bankruptcy court repossesses their Barcoloungers to pay off creditors.
 
(4) Bring those other 27 out of 30 disgruntled Honda customers with you over to Ford. That should get you an immediate appointment as senior vice president of marketing.
 
Please, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting Honda/Acura is perfect by any means. Good to very good, but definitely not perfect. On the other hand, it seems to me that either you work for Ford or have been so severely mistreated, that you have lost your rational thinking skills. I can't fathom how you've managed to post 5-6 times on different days from the Honda service lounge. Our Acura dealer provides loaners for all service apporintments. My former Honda dealer, upon a $10 convertible latch breaking a second time in the first month, sent their technician 20 miles to my house to install the replacement in my garage. Followed by a call from their national customer service rep to apologize for my inconvenience. Try getting that out of Ford.
 
Let us know how you make out with the Fiesta or whatever non-goofy car you were considering.

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