2004 Acura TL 3.2 from North America

Summary:

Best car I have ever owned

Faults:

No problems with it yet.

General Comments:

Bought a used 2004 Acura TL a few months ago and could not be happier with my decision. First, as a 6'4, 230 lb man, this is the first car I've driven where I feel comfortable. The seats are wide, comfortable, and supportive. I can stretch out my legs, and my head does not touch the ceiling. Congratulations to Acura for making a car for the large man. I usually buy a car every 2-2.5 years, but I will probably keep this one for much longer.

Performance-wise, the TL is great. The engine pulls very strong and the handling is as good as can be expected for a front wheel drive car. Mashing the pedal with VSA off (vehicle stability assist) will make the tires squeel. This car is especially impressive on the highway. I get anywhere from 32 to 36 mpg depending on how fast I drive, which is almost as good as an economy car. I believe this is due to the gearing, which allows the car to maintain highway speeds at only about 2000 rpm, while an economy car's engine would need to work much harder to maintain the same speed. If you do a lot of highway driving, this is the car for you. City mileage is not as good, in the low to mid 20s, about average for a luxury sports sedan.

The car has every feature you can imagine: heated seats, memory seats that sync with each key, speed-sensitive wipers, dual-zone climate control, heated side mirrors that automatically adjust downward when you shift into reverse, auto dimming rear view mirror, DVD audio, and you can open the windows and moonroof remotely with the key transmitter. All this is standard on every TL. The only feature that's not standard is navigation. Mine doesn't have navigation, but I don't care as I very rarely drive to unfamiliar places.

Regarding quality, the fit and finish is the highest of any car I've owned. There are no wide seams, no rattling or squeeking, nothing wobbly, and the quality of the leather is very high. The sound system is the best stock system I've heard in a car.

As for cons... I really can't think of anything bad to say about this car. I wish I could, in order to make this review balanced, but nothing comes to mind. I guess I wouldn't mind if the turning radius was smaller, is the only thing I can think of.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th September, 2008

2004 Acura TL from North America

Summary:

Reliable. Low maintenance cost - except for tires

Faults:

Tire wear is terrible. Have gone through 2 sets in 58000 miles. Tires are rotated and balanced every 5-7K, run just below suggested max inflation. In first year, experienced crack in rim which caused tire to deflate and become damaged beyond repair. RELUCTANTLY, dealer finally replaced the rim, but not the tire. Any recommendations for an all season tire with good, even reasonable, mileage?

Wife loves the car. I've seen better quality.

Automatic choke is ROUGH. Dealer efforts to correct have had no effect.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th August, 2008

2004 Acura TL 3.2 from North America

Summary:

This is a terrible car for the money - buy an Audi, VW or Infinti

Faults:

Bought this 04 TL new and had to replace the tires at 18,000 miles. This was a big surprise. I've had it aligned six times and the dealer now blames the tires. The tire maker blames the car. I give up. I'll drive slowly and with both hands on the wheel - it's a nice little struggle to keep the car on the road as it pulls hard to the right. This is a $35,000 car that you can't drive at freeway speeds because it's so horribly out of alignment it's not safe.

The headliner has fallen down.

The headlights are out of alignment.

It rattles on the inside worse than the old 200,000 Mazda I took to college.

General Comments:

The car is fun to drive but you can't let your mom drive it. She'll end up in a ditch (of course, on the right side of the road)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th July, 2008

20th Aug 2009, 03:45

You say this car is a waste of money over a simple pulling problem? Then you go and say to buy a Volkswagen product an Audi?

Sure the TL has a couple issues, but it is no where near the headache you'd get from an Audi. You'd be better off with a newer BMW or even Mercedes.

People that buy Volkswagens and Audis new after 1994 deserve what they get. Crap cars.

21st May 2014, 15:55

I have a 04 TL... I blame the driver.