I drove a new 2004 Acura TL a couple of weeks ago and the car sucks!! The suspension on the car is so stiff that you feel every bump!! I mean every bump!! I don't like the fact that the car is actually shorter than the previous TL which takes away from the trunk space. You can't even fit a couple of golf bags in the trunk let alone suitcases. I do like the interior and exterior styling of the car but what's with the leather seats!! They leave this huge impression in the seat like someone has been using it for years. And I read that the seams are always cracking on the seats. The brakes aren't all that great either. The Bridgestone Turanza tires are the worst. Their is a considerable about of road noise as well. It's definetely not as quiet as my Lexus or my Dad's BMW. I am considering the car as a replacement for my Toyota Avalon.
Has anyone driven the 2004 Acura TL with the High Performance tires(Bridestone Potenza) and Brembo brakes?? Does it make a difference in the ride and feel of the car. Any comments on this car would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

I like the car. I personally have always had cars with more sporty and stiff rides so the TL ride is perfect for me. Although I don't own one, I probably would end up getting aftermarket suspension anyway which would probably be stiffer than stock. That is one of the fist things I'm looking to do to my Lexus SC is stiffen up the ride a bit. Anway, I thought the car was a good car. I never noticed any problem with the leather. Was the car brand new or a loaner/test drive car? Over all the 04TL felt better than the newer ES330s I've driven. Maybe it is just the fact I prefer more sporty and tighter feeling cars and the ES in definately not one of them.

 

Wow that comment sounds just like the one my 60+ unckle made about the BMW 3 series. My comment to him was 'maybe you should just get a Lexus or go to your nearest Caddi dealer'.

 

I'm guessing it's the ONLY car you've ever driven?? I can see from your explanation why you wouldn't buy one, but this particular statement is a bit, no... WAY over the top.

 

hahah I thought the exact same thing, my first impression was, hmm sounds like one of those big full size Ford Vans would suit him just fine, boaty soft suspension, mucho cargo space, heavy duty seats etc.
What gets me was that he asked a question at the end as though he's really interested in the car, I was like, if you hate the car so much why do you care about the breakes

 

yes judging by you review, you should arange tistdrive apointmets at nearest Caddy, Lincoln and Buick dealerships.
on the other hand this passed Saturday i negotiated a deal on 05 TL for my father at the local NYC dealership. from the research that i have done, TL includes more features per dolor than any other compeeting automaker. my sisters BF purchased 04 TL w/Navi in the beginnig of the summerand, from his review and numerous testdrives on his car my father made up his mind. driving home from the dealership was the best time in my life i havent seen my father smile so much.

 

Vinster: you say you didn't like the ride. Did the TL you drove have a firmed-up 'Sport" suspension package? That can make a big difference in the ride, especially with firm high-performance tires.

Now: I'll let you guys in on something: MANY new cars sitting on a dealer's lot, when you test-drive them will actually ride firmer than they are supposed to. Why? Simple. They have more air pressure in the tires than they are supposed to have. This is done so that when the cars are tied down riding on the trains or trucks while being transported, and the train or truck rocks and bounces, the soft tires don't collapse under load and allow the expensive alloy wheels to contact the truck or train floor and be damaged. Now.....when the cars are unloaded at the dealerships, the new-car-inspection guys are SUPPOSED to adjust them to to whatever the normal COLD inflation pressures are indicated on the little panel on the door-jamb (or in the glovebox)...and maybe leave an extra pound or two to allow for normal air leakage sitting on the lot. This is part of their job, but obviously, many guys are lax at this. I've seen brand-new cars sitting on the lot with as tires as much as 50-52 PSI....and people WONDER why they ride stiffly.
So...I've learned from experience to take a pressure-gauge with me whenever I plan to be test-driving a new car....and that is the first thing I check.

Vinster: my recommendation to you is: go back to that Acura dealer, find either that exact car (if it is still in stock), or another one just like it that has NOT been recently driven, make SURE the tire PSI is OK, and test-drive it again. ( If it has been sitting in the sun, the PSI will normally be a little higher...that is normal).
THEN come back and tell us here at CL if you STILL think the ride is too stiff. If so, then that car obviously is not for you.

 

I drove a new TL a few weeks ago when we had the NSX in for service and didn't notice any of the items you posted about. I was pretty impressed with the car for the money.

Handling was decent, but not super. Not too rough though, but I'm used to either my GS (very stiff) or my LS (very plush) and the TL was somewhere in between. I've grown used to RWD platforms so the handling / torque steer was noticable, but not annoying. I had an auto, so I expect it would be more pronounced if I had better control over the power with the stick. There was a good bit of road noise from the tires.

Seats and driving position were good, dash was much better than the last one, and the XM radio was enabled and sounded great. Overall, thought the car is one that I would definitely consider if I were looking for entry 'bang for the buck' luxury with decent performance.

 

Have you noticed what I do, Dave?.............that new cars on the lot often have over-pumped up tires? I take it the car you drove had the proper PSI.

 

I haven't test driven enough cars lately to notice that, but very likely. Makes a big difference in ride, handling & mpg. Since the one I drove was a regular loaner (although a pretty new one, I think they only give the TL loaner out to NSX and RL owners ) I suspect it didn't sit on the lot like newer ones do.

 

i love the car and i was really impressed, but i have to think about buying another ACURA again since i am having troubles with my RSX ( check engine light has been on for somereasons and they have been fixing it for 3 times now and the problem is not fixed yet. my family has been stick with toyota forever and this is my first car from honda. i am kinda upset about it. But i absouletly love my RSX in terms of driving dynamics, performance, and etc. )

 

i usually got loner for TL ( but the service has to be more than a day ) when i had my RSX for service.

 

Well, If you are used to your avalon, maybe you should take a look at the ES330. It is much softer and more luxurious and was intended to be that way. I have driven some Acuras including the new TL, and was farely impressed with it. Has a good balance of everything. But if you want ride quality and a top notch interior, The ES would be a better choice.

Robert

 

My 2002 ES300 comes with Bridgestone Turanza's and I don't find them noisy at all. Perhaps you're a bit more sensitive than I am.

 

Both the Avalon and the ES are very smooth and quiet; they seem to have about the same ride, but most people would agree that the ES....especially the present one.....is much more plush inside, especially with wood paneling.