The car is perfect for a person that can't afford a new luxury car but wants all of the attributes associated with owning one. A smooth ride coupled with adequate acceleration makes for a very good package. I purchased the car used with 39,000 miles for around 20K out the door and feel as if i got the most bang for my buck. A classy looking exterior and a simple but ergonomically pleasing interior for the price i payed seems more than fair. Plus, i have the reliability of a Honda. Better than the Firebird i was thinking about buying.

Lacking sunroof wind visor thingy, needs keyless trunk entry, some sort of alarm notification when activated. and that's about it.

As fore mentioned, i paid 20,000 and would recommend the 97 3.2TL to anyone who wants luxury at a practical level without all the useless gadgets. just a good car that handles well, looks good, and will go the distance.

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Tryed Audi A4-nice but not as nice as the Acura, plus not as dependable.
Lexus ES300-to pretentious w/ so many useless gadgets.

world class smooth engine, comfortable interior, classy styling, soft yet sporty handling, looks better than 2000 model, great value for your dollar!

not so good fuel economy, frameless door windows, delicate paint,no wind deflector for sunroof

Great buy, competes well against any german competitor! Superb honda reliability. Would recommend to anybody looking for a second hand sport luxury sedan at a reasonable price!!

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None

My previous car was a 1997 2.2CL, which in retrospect was undoubtedly a "re-skinned" Accord. But my 2000TL however, is certainly in a class of it own. First, it's uncanny handling ability makes it a leader in the near-luxury category of automobiles. Second, is the cultivated and accomplished interior. It really makes it pleasant to look at. Also the driver friendly ergonomics makes the TL more than enjoyable to ride as well. Third, I really enjoy the standard features included particularly the HID lamps, sequential sportshift*, and CD player. Lastly, I appreciate the new body styling for 1999/2000. It's prior appearance was competent but this new platform has more personality and distinction from comparable models.

There is a noise being emmited from the sunroof when the visor is open. Also, the back of the vehicle should've been designed to include a more curve-like appearance. Lastly, the headlamps should have taken after the 2001 CL (greater width).

I paid $28,100 w/o tax. I actually recommend going through the internet. It can save you $500-1,000 of MSRP (I used Autoweb.com). To date, I have no regrets about the acquisition of my 2000TL. I would definitely recommend this automobile. For the money you pay, you are getting substantially more automobile & features than a ES300, IS, LS, & I30**

**(Based on personal research I conducted prior to purchase).

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As previously mentioned, I drove a 1997 2.2CL. There is really no comparison between the two. I've driven in a late model Lexus SC400, which paled in comparison to the 2000TL.

I like everything. The NAV system is remarkable. The car is fast, luxurious, comfortable, quiet, refined, sporty, excellent value in every way.

Passenger's seat should have more controls, like lumbar, otherwise there are no complaints.

Highly. We looked at a few cars in this category, and if you need space, luxury, comfort, refinement, sportiness, a great NAV sytem and tons of standard equipment, there is no other car like it out there at the moment.

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We own an '00 A4 2.8 as well, and each has it's own personality. We like both cars for different reasons. The A4 is more tossable because of it's size, and more fun to drive for the same reason.

Overall Acura refinement. Silky smooth and powerful engine. Manumatic transmission. Tight tolerances and the overall feeling of quality. I also like the aggressive edge to the suspension calibration, this car likes to carve.

Not much to comlain about. Would be nice to have side airbags and five forward speeds (note, both of these are now standard starting with the MY00). Manual transmission option would make this automobile untouchable for the price.

Paid MSRP with mats and locks included. Highly recommended. Excellent value.

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Lexus ES300- 3.2TL much better value.
Audi A4- ?reliability issues. Cramped interior.

Saab95- reliability.

Without question, the best value out there. Beautiful interior, refined yet muscular look on the exterior, dual exhaust looks really sharp. Will beat almost anything when travelling at speeds 65+. 2.2 RPM at 65MPH means lots more power! Look out all you folks with your "fast" SUV's! You are about to be beaten!

Stereo is ok. Come on- I'll pass on the "subwoofer" just to get a better speaker set. Hate to break it to most folks- but BOSE really sucks. Stereo is probably ranking a 6 or 7, but the CD player truly stinks. Pick up an Alpine (yes, that is what the CD/stereo is) CD Changer at Circuit City for 240 bucks, and you will notice a quantum leap in sound quality.
Climate Control system buttons are hard to tell if on/off during daylight. Bulb needs to be more intense.
As mentioned in another review- doors should lock upon ignition.
Minor, but relevant. Even volkswagen has a handle in the inside of the trunk so that when your car is clean, you pull the trunk lid down using handle, rather than gripping by locking mechanism or getting smudge prints on the deck. Ok, so I'm a bit anal.

I love this car. It really moves- it loves to go fast- so watch out. The ride is excellent. My wife does most of the riding in the backseat with our little guy, and she tells me that the ride in the back is really nice.
As mentioned, interior is beautiful. Yeah, so the wood trim might look a bit fake, but you can't have everything I suppose.
As for memory seats, you have to make a few compromises I guess, but memory seats are really not that big of a deal when the seats are already power anyway (don't let anyone else drive this baby- problem solved!) -Honestly, you get everything else, heated seats, heated mirrors, power seats for driver & passenger (these are typically manipulative option packages on other cars).
Don't get the NAVI system. It's not worth the money. Tried it, it was a nice toy (but for the most part not better than yahoo. Hey- it did have all of the Acura dealers preprogrammed though).
This was my second Acura by the way. First one was an excellent experience. When you get to this price bracket+, it becomes tough making a decision on German or Japanese. By default, you can't go wrong with a Japanese car. They may not be quite as up to the Germans in the interior, but you are defintely compromising something then with a German car.
As for Lincoln- the LS, "Motor Trend Car of the year"- Your commerical with Wood, Leather, etc. The only thing that is wood is 1/4 of the steering wheel on your upper level LS. You must have paid Motor Trend off, which is pretty obvious when you sit inside an LS. Cheap Cheap Cheap.

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Tried the I30 (guess who also owns Infiniti now? Renault- I'll pass), BMW 328CI (too pricey for what you get- trips back to dealer later on down the line can be as bad as a root canal), Audi A4 (nice, but resented the constant manipulation for other option packages), Lincoln LS (cheapest interior out of all)

Quietness, elegant interior, smooth engine, solid feel, handling, firm (though not harsh) ride, value, luxury features

Stereo reception and sound, no folding rear seat, exceptionally bland exterior styling, ridiculous in-dash CD holder, poor headroom, no memory seats

I paid just under retail for this car and traded in my 2.3 CL (didn't quite get what I owed on the car for my trade in). I pay about $460 a month for my 48-month lease, and left the dealership without paying a penny.

I would have really liked the navigation system, if there is someone who can really use it, it's me. Acura's is the best available, but it just costs too much. To save the $2,000 I can print directions from Mapquest.

As it stands, the base model is an incredible value. There is not another car out there that can touch the Acura as far as performance and luxury features. I've driven the five and seven-series BMW's, and the Acura hangs with them as far as the features and performance, yet costs thousands less. This is the least expensive car I've ever seen that even has Xenon headlamps. It has every conceivable luxury feature (except for memory seats, which it SHOULD have), even some I couldn't have conceived, such as an automatic day-night rear view mirror and sunglass holders.

It is more fun to drive than any car I have ever owned, and it will hold five people in relative comfort. However, someone in an earlier review posted a concern about lack of front-seat headroom. This is true, this car has less headroom than any four-door sedan I have ever driven (except for the Diamante with sunroof). It feels like the seat should adjust down about another 3-5 inches but it bottoms out higher than that. I am just under 6' 2" so taller people should be very concerned about this issue.

The Bose stereo sound is adequate at best. Even with a subwoofer, I have to turn the bass up in order to hear it. Same with the treble, the sound is too flat otherwise. In addition, the reception isn't that great, even with stronger stations. The stereo on the 2.3 CL I traded in was better than in this car. Also, there is a tray above the stereo that will hold four CDs. However, this thing is so complicated that I'll never use it. It looks as if Acura engineers wanted to use it as a changer, but gave up when it didn't work!

The car should have a fold-down rear seat so that I can put my snowboard inside the car. It has a pass-through for skis, but my board won't fit. Other luxury brands have this feature.

My only other subjective complaint rests with the styling of the car, especially from the rear and side. While the front is cool and consistent with Acura's other products (the triangle shape), the rest of the car is no more distinctive than any other mid-priced family model.

Hope it doesn't sound like I'm too hung up on the negatives, note that I still give the car five stars. This is my second Acura, and I'm sure it won't be my last.

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Mitsubishi Diamante, Acura 2.3 CL

Very refined, good power, manumatic is wonderful

backseat legroom, toned down styling

I just bought this car a few months ago, and I love it! The engine is extremely quiet, and there's enough power for anything. The manumatic transmission is very nice, and shifting manually is extremely easy. The only thing about it is that it won't hold first gear to redline, but the rest of the gears are fine. The seats are very comfortable, and both front seats are power(8way for driver, 4 for passenger). The xenon(?) headlights are very bright, and cover a very nice area.

Despite all the good things about the car, I do have my complaints. I am pretty tall at 6'2", and headroom is pretty scarce. When I don't wear a hat or gel, i can feel my hair grazing the roof, and I am sometimes forced to push the sunshade back for more room. My height also makes sitting in the backseat a pretty tight fit. It should be adequate for most, but for people over 6', it is a bit cramped.

Overall, I am beyond pleased with this car. The amount of standard equipment is extraordinary, and the ride is superb. I would recommend this car over the Maxima and BMW, it is just a better value.

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2000 Maxima GLE, 2000 BMW 323i

Quick and comfortable, all the room and luxury I need.
Great price for content

No memory seats, no foglights available (some one let me know if you have found a good aftermarket product), little dealing on price.

Had it since March and love it (4,000 miles to date). Looked at A6 2.7T, Lincoln LS (V8), and 528 (I30 not out when I ordered). This car is equal or better than all of these and at least $10 less with Navi in Acura and not in others. Did have to wait almost a month for Dark Emerald Pearl w/ NAvi - but all the better since it is rare to see the color as well as never seen another w/navi. Paid $30,200 w/navi (a little off sticker)

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Prior car Saab 900 convertible

Power to spare, Traction Control is almost as good as AWD on wet roadway, excellent comfort, smooth ride, quietness equalled only by Lexus LS 400, "sport transmission" is a real asset in fast in-town traffic, superb service at our dealer (though I've not needed it yet on this car).

Don't know of any yet.

Paid $29,000 + tax and license, etc., which I regard as a bargain. CAR & DRIVER magazine featured the TL vs. 8 or 9 other "sport sedans" back in about Nov. '99, and it came in number one.

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Had a Maxima SE 5-speed for 3 yrs before this, great car but slippery as an eel on wet pavement. Had Mitsu VR4 turbo before that, and it's the only car I've had wiyh better traction. Test drove 2000 Maxima, Lexus 300, Infiniti I30, Mazda Millenia S, and Audi A4, and none of them could compare for value and features, overall.