TL or IS
11-19-10, 08:23 PM
#1
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TL or IS
Hello all. I've been a very long time lurker on CL but this is the first time posting a thread. Is there any members that came from a 07-08 tl to an IS?50? What were your dislikes and likes about each cars. Is it better to get factory navi or flyaudio? I would appreciated if people can give me some feedback. Thank you.
11-19-10, 08:37 PM
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I hope you weren't expecting unbiased responses here! We of course all LOVE our ISX50s! Although I've never driven an Acura TL, I do own a 2IS. If it weren't my daily driver, I'd have definitely opted for the quicker and punchier IS350 instead of the IS250. You'll find a plethora of possibilities as far as modifying goes and if you want a navigation unit, I'd definitely recommend purchasing one already equipped with an OEM navi. I've read and heard enough horror stories about the aftermarket FlyAudio unit and lack of support etc. to conclude that it probably isn't worth it until they've been able to work all the problems out.Good luck making your decision!
11-19-10, 08:45 PM
#5
the TL is a great car, very solid built for that MY you're looking for. very refined and a great alternative to the IS350. but personally, if it's not the Type S and just the TL, then IS 350 easy. it makes it difficult to see whether it's an IS 250 or 350 just from the overall look, but you can generally tell between the TL and TL-S, which i absolutely loved and still don't quite understand why they made it only for two years. 
but even the older 350's look great, and it keeps getting better year after year. lexus keeps progressing on an already great product.
but even the older 350's look great, and it keeps getting better year after year. lexus keeps progressing on an already great product.
11-19-10, 09:10 PM
#6
Hello all. I've been a very long time lurker on CL but this is the first time posting a thread. Is there any members that came from a 07-08 tl to an IS?50? What were your dislikes and likes about each cars. Is it better to get factory navi or flyaudio? I would appreciated if people can give me some feedback. Thank you.
The Lexus was quicker than either, had a nicer interior than either, Lexus as a brand had better reliability and resale than either, the IS was the only one with vented seats... and the TL also had the disadvantage of driving the wrong pair of wheels.
Basically of the 3 the TL ended up my last choice.
The G was close... but the Lexus was just a bit better in virtually all areas, and the price was reasonably close, so it became the easy choice, and I got one of the first 08s (special ordered).
As to the nav, I specifically special ordered to NOT get Nav (special order is the only way to get Mark Levinson without nav) because the OEM nav kinda sucks on pre 2010 models... doesn't even do realtime traffic or any of the other features that were common on most Garmins 5 years ago for 1/10th the cost. This was the one and only place (besides a little more interior space) that the G35 was well ahead of the Lexus... it offered a more reasonably priced, and much better featured nav system.... (I don't recall being overly impressed with the Acura one though)
Last edited by Kurtz; 11-19-10 at 09:13 PM.
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11-19-10, 09:35 PM
#8
When I was searching up for cars two months ago, I was deciding between four cars. My first options was a 2007 BMW 328i, second was the 2007 IS350, third was the 2007 Infiniti G35x, and the last was a 2008 Acura TL. I was pretty much going to buy the BMW for sure but decided to test drive them all. I went and tested each one out in that order and I knew I didn't want the TL because I just thought it couldn't compare to the other three. The only real reason why I thought about the TL was that is was much cheaper and my sister has an '06 Acura MDX that so far hasn't had a single problem. The Infiniti, the performance on that was amazing, acceleration was probably the best but I didn't like the looks too much and didn't know much about Infiniti cars. So it was between the 328i and the IS350. At the end, I went with the IS350 because they offered it for $20,300 used. That was a deal I couldn't turn down when the KBB value of the car is like $25,000.
Overall, I think I went with the right choice. The IS350 has been a great car with no problems the 5 weeks I had it. The only complaint I have so far is the 14.3 MPG I'm getting. I went to the dealer to get it checked out but they said nothing is wrong whatsoever and that I do a few things they suggested to increase fuel efficiency. I also got a friend at school with a 2006 Acura TL, he thought that it was amazing until he tried out my IS350.
If I had to choose between the TL or IS350, I'd take the IS350 without a doubt. Both cars are very similar though, the Acura uses lots of Honda parts and the Lexus uses Toyota parts. Both cars are generally going to be very reliable. The looks, performance, and quality of the Lexus I say is better than the TL. You can also work on the Lexus yourself, I'm only 18 and without much car knowledge but doing maintenance on this car in my garage is super easy, especially with all the DIY guides here. The only benefit of the TL is that the back seats have a lot more legroom than the IS350. Go with the IS350, you won't be disappointed but it's up to you.
Overall, I think I went with the right choice. The IS350 has been a great car with no problems the 5 weeks I had it. The only complaint I have so far is the 14.3 MPG I'm getting. I went to the dealer to get it checked out but they said nothing is wrong whatsoever and that I do a few things they suggested to increase fuel efficiency. I also got a friend at school with a 2006 Acura TL, he thought that it was amazing until he tried out my IS350.
If I had to choose between the TL or IS350, I'd take the IS350 without a doubt. Both cars are very similar though, the Acura uses lots of Honda parts and the Lexus uses Toyota parts. Both cars are generally going to be very reliable. The looks, performance, and quality of the Lexus I say is better than the TL. You can also work on the Lexus yourself, I'm only 18 and without much car knowledge but doing maintenance on this car in my garage is super easy, especially with all the DIY guides here. The only benefit of the TL is that the back seats have a lot more legroom than the IS350. Go with the IS350, you won't be disappointed but it's up to you.
Last edited by chi123; 11-19-10 at 09:38 PM.
I just get friends, especially taller ones, that I'm driving with me to school complaining about how little room there is back there.
11-19-10, 10:00 PM
#11
I think I was in the same boat as the majority of people here. When i was shopping for my IS350 back in 08, I was comparing between the IS350, TL-S, and infinity g35 sedan. I had to get a sedan because a coupe is too inconvenient for me.
The TL-S was by far the slowest out of the three and the steering didnt feel right (probably because acura had to do something to prevent torque steer). However the looks of TL-S to me was a very gorgeous car.
The infinity was pretty nice, but it pretty much did the exact same thing as the lexus. The interior was nice, the is350 and the g35 sedan are pretty much neck to neck in speed, and they cost almost the same. Both cars, IMO had the same types of curves; however the lexus did have a little better reliability. So basically i was able to rule out the infinity because the lexus did everything it could do along with be more reliable.
It basically came down to between the IS350 and the TL-S. The lexus eventually won out after i did extensive test drives, the awesome acceleration in the Lexus just blew me away. However sometimes when i see a TL-S i cant help but feel a little jealous of how aggressive it looks.
The TL-S was by far the slowest out of the three and the steering didnt feel right (probably because acura had to do something to prevent torque steer). However the looks of TL-S to me was a very gorgeous car.
The infinity was pretty nice, but it pretty much did the exact same thing as the lexus. The interior was nice, the is350 and the g35 sedan are pretty much neck to neck in speed, and they cost almost the same. Both cars, IMO had the same types of curves; however the lexus did have a little better reliability. So basically i was able to rule out the infinity because the lexus did everything it could do along with be more reliable.
It basically came down to between the IS350 and the TL-S. The lexus eventually won out after i did extensive test drives, the awesome acceleration in the Lexus just blew me away. However sometimes when i see a TL-S i cant help but feel a little jealous of how aggressive it looks.
11-19-10, 10:01 PM
#12
The only true advantage of the TL-S is the fact that it comes with manual transmission (if desired).
Truth be told, Acura isn't in the same class as Mercedes Benz, Lexus, BMW, or Infiniti. They're forging the way through a newfound "tier 2" luxury class which they term "smart premium," and they've openly admitted that they aren't even trying to compete with the upper level luxury brands like Mercedes Benz and Lexus -
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...-mercedes.html
The Acura TL is slower in a straight line, not as prestigious, and not as luxurious as the IS350.
The manual transmission of the 2nd generation TLs have had some issues with respect to shifting to and from 3rd gear, so it's not as bullet proof as the "Acura/Honda" moniker might initially suggest.
Subjectively, I think the 2nd generation TL looks terrific, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course - this is for the buyer to decide.
11-19-10, 10:13 PM
#14
Yep. "Straight from the horse's mouth," as Mike would say -
“Among the technologies we have at Honda, we must apply those that symbolize our advanced performance technology and environmental technology,” Ito said. “We call this ‘smart.’ We agreed that smart premium is what we should be targeting with Acura, not the upper-segment vehicles such as Lexus or Mercedes-Benz.
It threw a number of acura forums into somewhat of a frenzy when it came out. I was actually surprised that the CEO was so forthcoming with his message. You'd think he would say something along the lines of "We don't need V8s or RWDs or $100,000 flagship sedans or halo supercars or wealthy target markets, or etc. etc. to compete with Benz, Lexus, or BMW!"
Nope. He straight up admitted that Acura doesn't compete with Lexus and won't even be trying anymore. It's sort of a shame, really. Good competition helps to elevate the entire segment.
“Among the technologies we have at Honda, we must apply those that symbolize our advanced performance technology and environmental technology,” Ito said. “We call this ‘smart.’ We agreed that smart premium is what we should be targeting with Acura, not the upper-segment vehicles such as Lexus or Mercedes-Benz.
It threw a number of acura forums into somewhat of a frenzy when it came out. I was actually surprised that the CEO was so forthcoming with his message. You'd think he would say something along the lines of "We don't need V8s or RWDs or $100,000 flagship sedans or halo supercars or wealthy target markets, or etc. etc. to compete with Benz, Lexus, or BMW!"
Nope. He straight up admitted that Acura doesn't compete with Lexus and won't even be trying anymore. It's sort of a shame, really. Good competition helps to elevate the entire segment.
