100% Everything is fine the way it is!

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WOW! Having owned a 1991 integra GS sedan and still driving my 1990 Legend LS sedan my 3rd Acura TL-S in Silver non-navi is by far the most FUN sedan i''ve ever owned! How could I have considered a 4x4? Great Job Acura R&D! Always loyal to Acura!

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Accord V6 2000, 1990 Legend Sedan LS

The engine is very quiet, smooth, yet very powerful. I personally like the style of the vehicle, but I like things that are understated. The amount of car you get for your money.

The stereo is a little weak but adequate enough where I''m putting off switching it out and upgrading it.

You can''t get more car for the money. This includes everything from standard features to the Type S engine. The car is larger then I expected and what I am used to, but it handles and is very quick!

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Stereo Update: Regarding my initial post, I would like to clarify my comments on the Bose Stereo system. I did not articulate my thoughts correctly. I have discovered that the bass and treble levels have plus and minus indications on the LCD readout. I did not take this into account in first report. Again, I think the system sounds just fine. However, I have the bass set near the middle position and the treble nearly maximized to get, what I perceive, as the best sound.

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Power - you won''t have any trouble merging onto the freeway in this car. Value - everything is standard here - leather seats, moonroof, alloy wheels, 6-disc CD changer...you name it. Anything else in its class will run you *at least* $10K more.

Not many, but the most obvious.... 1- Radio reception. A real power antenna is in order here. The one in the rear window just doesn''t cut it. Stations fade way too easily. The Bose system is adequate, but if you''re looking to shake the windows of the guy next to you at a stoplight, this is not the system for you. ;-) 2- No 60/40 folding rear seat. Would be a nice plus for us family guys who could use the added versatility. Unless you''re carrying skis, the passthru is virtually useless. 3- No manual transmission. Acura, if you''re going to call this a *real* sports sedan, do yourselves a favor and put a 5 speed (or better yet, a 6 speed) manual in this car next time around. 4- Just my opinion here, but although I can live with the *Ebony* woodtone trim, I think a titanium look would go much better in the interior. It would pick up the metallic look of the gauge faces and make for a cleaner look. As it stands, most people will either love the ebony wood or hate it. Nothing inbetween. ;-)

Overall, this is the best car you can buy for $30k. Gives a firm, yet comfortable ride. I haven''t had other folks'' experience with a harsh ride - the suspension seems to do a very nice job absorbing bumps without taking away too much road feel.

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I''m coming out of a 1996 Nissan Maxima SE, and I''m missing my 5-speed manual and the power antenna the most. The TL has made me forget everything else.

Long list of amenities - all standard
Acceleration
Spacious

Cheap fake wood interior paneling
Sound system

I'm generally pleased with this car. Acceleration is solid with minimal torque steer and the engine sounds great. Braking performance is OK, but the feel could be enhanced. I'm also pleasantly surprised with the gas mileage I'm getting, which is more than I expected from a car with performance engine. I'm very impressed with the backseat and trunk space. The seats are very comfortable.

Things I find lacking are the cheap fake wood interior and the weak sound system. It also would have been nice to have the availability of a standard transmission, more color options and a rear windshield wiper.

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I considered the 330i and S4, but I couldn't get myself to drop the extra dime for both of these cars.

Its has got evry thing on that.. not like the Lexus/Toyota/BMW types... where you get the naked car and you add starting from a brief to suit. This car come like a Gentleman..

The Bose sound system really sucks on the Acuras. I sat in my friend's Nissan Pathfinder and the bose sounded awesome.. but I hate to say the I feel really bad about the sound system.. It needs two more tweeters in the front. And above all I think auto door locking system should have been there on this car.. Even a Ford Focus locks itself when you reach a speed of 5-10mph..

The Car is veryyy goood. I liked the day I drove this car.. I planned to but an Infiniti I-30. The ride was quite stiff and so were the seats. The Navi on the I30 sucks. By the time it tells you how to go. you would have gone by then. We bought two cars from the same dealer with the same config. was at the end of the month and the July 4th week. so got a pretty good deal from the dealer.

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Nissan Pathfinder/Maxima. Infiniti I-30. Audi A4

Excellent drive.
Added hooks for child safety seats.
Spacious trunk for strollers and golf clubs.

BRAKES THAT FAIL.

I absolutely love the smooth drive, it is easy to go too fast. However, the brakes are problematic. When my car is not driven for a few days it is likely that the brakes will fail. My husband and I have both experienced this MAJOR flaw and have had the TL in for repairs three times. The first service (by Virginia dealership)resulted in a new master cylinder and the subsequent services (by South Carolina dealership)have left the problem unresolved.

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Compared to the Honda Accord, the Acura 3.2TL is a more luxurios drive. However, the brakes never failed on our Accord.

Well if you haven't noticed I really love this engine. The five speed auto w/ sportshift is quite good too. All the luxury touches that come standard and the elegant styling. I also love the HID lights!

I'll have to agree with some that stereo leaves a little to be desired. The actual controls of the stereo and the 6 disc cd changer are actually impressive, it's the sound quality and speaker placement that I don't care for. I feel the speakers don't reproduce the music as good as other stereo's i've heard (lexus is30, bmw 3 series). I think Acura could of added a pair of tweeters by the A pillars and tuned the sub for more bass.
I also think the steering is too overboosted for my taste. I had an Integra Gs-r that had better steering input.

Talk about a WOLF in SHEEPS clothing. This car has got to be THE sleeper car of the year. I actually surprised a Camaro Z28 as we were both merging onto the freeway. When he caught up and (finally) past by, the driver nodded his head in admiration. Anyways, while I don't condone drag racing sports cars, I will say that it's sometimes necessary to open her up. Having 260hp on tap is a blessing in disguise especially since the car is so concervatively styled, making stop light take off's and f-way on ramps sooo much fun. All this while I'm sitting in my perforated leather seat with the Bose stereo blasting, and the climate control set at 68 degrees. Talk about being having your cake and eating it too. Just ask the Chevy guy.

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Lexus IS300-great looking interior did I mention the stereo Lexus prestige but to small inside and looks to much like a modified civic not to mention underpowered compared to my type S.
BMW 330i-Great drivetrain, exterior looks, Ultimate drivi-well you know BUT not as reliable as the japanese, over 40k for almost the same features I have, the interior is not as ergonomically designed.

Not much. I guess most of all I liked it's engine (when I was the only one in the car). The vehicle has a great [short] passing gear and you can really feel the juice when it engages.

:inhale:
-The driver's seat on mine actually had about a half inch of play in it and therefore felt like it was not fully bolted down. Scary, huh?
-The transmission and the engine have HUGE communication issues to resolve. They fight like a married couple and if one isn't crying about something then the other one is. They don't get along. For instance, cruise in auto about 5 mph.. now punch it.. tick tock tick tock-- beehhhhhwwwww-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! There we go!! C'mon girl! Yes, yes y-- what are you doing?? Get back up there!!! Don't stop!!! Oh it's terrible. The 3.2TL behaves very much like an Accord through the gear range when the pedal is down. It can get pretty violent. My 2000 528i has really spoiled me and to be honest, I probably wouldn;t have even been able to identify this had I not driven the pinnacle of sports sedans on a regular basis :)
-I found there wasn't enough headroom for a 6'2 guy like myself.
-The leg room in the back is VERY limited for how oblong this vehicle looks. On the outside it looks HUGE but once you get inside you feel like you're in an Accord... errrrr actually you ARE in an Accord. ;)

I paid $31K for mine. My payment was around $500. I now own a 5 series Bimmer and I pay another $200 a month for it. $700 a month for it. Some people think $700 is way too much for a car payment. Then again some people think $30 a month is too much to pay for a health club membership. It's all about what's important to you.

One last point about the 3 series vs. the 3.2TL.. the 3 series is a MUCH sturdier, ROBUST vehicle even though it is smaller. The Acura is classic HONDA aluminum. Those airbags aren't going to do you a damn but oif good if you go head on with another vehicle. Then again, Honda doesn;t make vehicles with safety as a top priority like (eg) BMW, Volvo and Mercedes do.

Don't be fooled by the exterior size of the 3 series either.. get to a BMW dealership and DRIVE one before you make up your mind. I KNOW you won't regret it.

Apples and oranges.. bratwurst and rice..

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BMW 328i. No, I don't own a 328, but I have driven quite a few and the 328 is BY FAR superior to the Acura in every way possible. No comparison whatsoever. Apples and oranges... bratwurst and rice...

Firm Predictable handling coupled with automatic climate control, superior sound system and a quiet well designed interior make this automobile a pleasure to drive.

If I could change anything, I can't think what it would be.

I paid $21,250 plus tax and license for the premium model with out navigation. I wanted a luxury sport sedan without the price or ostentation of a BMW or Mercedes. This model is exactly what I wanted. The RL or LS 400 were too big and soft for me. This car has a good balance of supple ride and firm feel for the road.

Given that the '97 was originally $36,000 the price seemed an excellent value. I like the '97 styling better than the 2000. My perception is that the newer models have been engineered down so as to not compete with the RL and provide a better price competition to the ES 300. I am dissappointed with the way Acura engineered the dual exhausts on the 2000. From the rear you can see an exhaust pipe running from one side to the other. It looks like a last minute change that just hangs out.

My one regret is not test driving the ES 300. Although a head to head test by Car and Driver on the '97 model gave a slight edge to the Acura, I should have tested it to be sure.

I am very impressed with the brakes. They are powerful, predictable, and require little foot pressure. Around town handeling is firm, not harsh, and predictable. On the freeway, the car feels as good at high speeds as around town. I pushed it to 120 Mph in a couple of sections and felt no lost of control or shimmy. The car seemed willing to go to the electronically limited speed of 145 with no trouble. I bought this car with 50,000 miles on it. It runs and feels brand new.

If you want a luxury sport sedan, without the luxury price, with excellent reliablity, this is an excellent choice.

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I've owned the Acura Legend, Camry, Civic, and a Suburban. The Legend was an '86, I liked the similarities to the older model and am pleased with the refinements.