I have an admiration for Hondas and Acuras. There are reliable and considerably more sporty and stylish than other cars on the road. Being a former Accord and Legend owner, I know what these cars can do. Needless to say I was excited to drive an Acura 3.2TL. I mean come on, they look nice and drive nice, too.
This Acura was bought at an auction in PA. 106,000 miles and I got it for $7,500 before the fees and such. When it was pulled into the parking lot I felt like I was on top of the world. It had the BOSE premium stereo that wasn't so premium (I'll talk about that later), leather, power everything, sunroof, blah, blah, blah. And now for the ride home to Brooklyn.
The highway drive was... it was... you know, it was good. It coasts at a comfortable RPM at 60 and smooth indeed. But when it comes to passing, it's like a Hyundai next to my 93 Q45. However, this is a 3.2 liter V6 and not a V8, so consider that. The interior is very comfy and roomy for everyone but that lighting was not what I expected. I thought that Acura would spend a little more money on brighter lights or LEDs, the buttons look kind of dull. Nevertheless, a very classy off-white look. I especially like the three gauge pod, reminds me of the 350Z.
So I'm finally home at around 9:30pm and I stepped outside to snap a few pictures. The Xenons look spectacular in the photos but then I remember all the stories and news reports about the high theft rate of Xenons. Then I remember that I park on the street. Ok so moving on... the rear. Classy all the way, an Acura without making a big fuss about it. Using the badges and placing the tail lights the right way Acura did a good job. I'm surprised at how straight the body is. I assumed that after 106K miles that someone had to have done some bodywork, but no.
Now I step inside. There's something about this car's interior that doesn't look Acura. The lighting isn't that bright and it reminds me of my cousin's '98 Accord. I absolutely love the leather seats; soft, comfy, and good looking. Top notch job with the seats. The BOSE stereo was the real thing that attracted me to the car when I first got inside. I noticed that subwoofer mounted between the rear speakers which looks like an 8". I opened the trunk for a preliminary peak. What? This sub is small. Really small. I didn't expect hard bass and of course there was none. The stereo in a Dodge Caravan just as good, and just as loud. But if you are reading this review and thinking "this guy doesn't know what he's talking about", well after listening to 3 10"s for over a year, this stereo sounds like crap. Oh and what's this space ship like excuse for a shifter. From the top there is Park, Reverse, Neutral, D5 (to the left of this is the manumatic + and -), D4, D3, 2, then 1. This shift gate is over engineered and cumbersome. I want to drive a car that doesn't require a pilot's license. Driving a manual gearbox is fun, when it's a manual gearbox. Bad Acura, bad.
Performance? I thought you'd never ask. This car got it. Its got the horsepower and torque to propel you from a standstill and push you back into your seat. Aside from the low-mid range power which Honda motors don't have, the rest of the powerband hustles.
It's my duty to tell you potential buyers of the biggest problem with these cars; the transmission. Automatic transmissions built by Honda have historically been a little shady but this car takes the crown. It seems like Acura and Honda spent more of their funds on the manumatic software and hardware than the rest of the transmission. It is not uncommon for 3.2TL owners to have their transmissions rebuilt or replaced more than once. A friend of mine had his replaced three, yes three times before the car hit 100K miles. Fortunately he had a warranty.
I must say, this car dissappointed me. It's an overpriced Accord with a different motor and sheet metal. I selling it to my sister for the same amount after 3 days. This car just isn't me. I'll stick with the headache I call my '93 Q45.
UPDATE: 06/24/06
Well I was given this car to watch for a few days while my sister goes to Canada. My attitude towards it hasn't changed. I still don't like it. The premium stereo won't played copied CDs and has trouble playing other ones. I think an aftermarket head unit, and addition subwoofers would be a better option than paying for the BOSE. And the transmission makes me angry when trying to engage park from drive. It takes some getting used to and it is hard to explain with words. Gas mileage is not as good as I expected. It is a small tank and short range. It's too soon to determine exact MPG, but I'd say i get like 19-21 miles per gallon on average. Interior room is pretty good, enough room in the front and back. My biggest problem is that this car doesn't have a good lean. Lean, in this context, is the ability to fully extend the driver's left leg and left arm. The steering wheel tilts, but doesn't telescope (which makes it difficult to drive with the left arm over it), and there's not much room for tall drivers to stretch their left legs. I can see much clearer the similarities with the Accord. The HVAC controls, radio, keyless remote, gauges, and the headlights which are interchangeable with 98-02 Accords. After about 300 miles I clocked on this car, I still don't like it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 7500
Condition: Used Model Year: 2000 Model and Options: All the bells and whistles
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