2003 Acura 3.2 TL - Autobytel

[Pages:6]2003 Acura 3.2 TL

Thanks for your interest in the Acura 3.2 TL. Make sure you visit often during your car shopping process to get the latest reviews, articles and rebate information on the cars you're interested in. When you're ready to buy, join the millions who have used Autobytel to get up-front pricing and delivery information from a local dealer and a friendly, no-hassle buying experience. Once you use our service, you'll never buy the old fashioned way again.

Inside This Report ? Price, Key Features and Description ? Similar Vehicles ? Available Trims and Standard Features ? Reliability and Satisfaction ratings ? Customer Comments

Consumer Rating:

Est. Market Price: $27,472 - $31,540

Invoice Price Range: $26,413 - $30,509

List Price Range:

$28,980 - $33,480

Key Features: - Alarm (available as a standard feature) - CD Player (available as a standard feature) - 3.2 liter Engine - Horsepower up to 225 - Navigation System (available as a standard feature) - OnStar System (available as a standard feature) - Traction Control (available as a standard feature) - Basic Manufacturer Warranty of 4 years 50,000 miles.

Vehicle Information:

The 2003 3.2 TL is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, or sports sedan, available in 4 trims, ranging from the Sedan to the Type-S w/ Navigation System. The 2003 3.2 TL's closest competitors include the Audi A4, the Lincoln Town Car, and the Volvo S80. Upon introduction, the Sedan is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, V6, 225-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the city and 29-mpg on the highway. The Type-S w/ Navigation System is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, V6, 260-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the city and 29-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims. The 2003 3.2 TL is a carryover from 2002.

The Estimated Market Price is a national average of base model prices paid by consumers. Actual prices will vary by region, dealer, and options selected. Picture(s) for general illustration only. Actual vehicle(s) may vary depending upon level of features you choose. Photos Copyright 2003 Automotive Information Center The estimates shown above are based on information provided to Inc. by independent sources. They are for U.S. vehicle configurations and are shown in U.S. dollars.Please keep in mind that prices can change without notice and there are many factors that affect vehicle pricing. There are additional costs not shown here which vary from state to state and even region-to-region. These include taxes, title, registration, and emission fees. Specific vehicles may have dealer- or manufacturer-added options not shown here that also affect price. In addition, there may be regional marketing and advertising fees or other costs that are beyond a dealer's control. Your Accredited Dealer will help you understand how a vehicle's price is calculated and would be happy to answer your questions on specific vehicle configurations.

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Customer Rankings

This is how our customers ranked this vehicle.

Maximum score is 100. Average score based on 20 reviews submitted for this vehicle.

Average scores: For the Acura 3.2 TL: 89

For all vehicles:

89

Comfort: Performance: Quality: Look:

( 88 ) ( 93 ) ( 89 ) ( 87 )

Similar Vehicles

The following chart contains other manufacturer's vehicles that are similar to the 3.2 TL.

Trim Audi A4 3.0 quattro with Tiptronic Audi A4 3.0 BMW 3 Series 325xi Chrysler 300M Pro-AM Chrysler 300M Sedan Infiniti I35 Luxury Mazda Millenia Premium Special Edition Mazda Millenia S Pontiac Bonneville SLE Sedan Volvo S60 AWD

List

Price

Engine

$33,340 3.0L 6Cyl. 220hp Gas

MPG MPG ABS

City hwy Brakes Airbags

18 26 Std

Std

$31,390 3.0L 6Cyl. 220hp Gas $28,850 2.5L 6Cyl. 184hp Gas $29,055 3.5L 6Cyl. 250hp Gas $28,885 3.5L 6Cyl. 250hp Gas $29,100 3.5L 6Cyl. 255hp Gas $28,975 2.5L 6Cyl. 170hp Gas

19 27 Std

Std

19 27 Std

Std

18 26 Std

Std

18 27 Std

Std

20 26 Std

Std

20 27 Std

Std

$31,175 2.3L 6Cyl. 210hp Supercharged 20 28 Std

Std

$29,055 3.8L 6Cyl. 205hp Gas

20 29 Std

Std

$33,375 2.4L 5Cyl. 197hp Turbo Gas

19 26 Std

Std

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Available Trims

Manufacturers often sell the same vehicle with varying levels of equipment. These are called "trim levels." The trim levels for the 3.2 TL are shown below.

3.2 TL 3.2 TL Type S 3.2 TL Type S with Navigation System 3.2 TL with Navigation System

Trim

List

Price

Engine

$28,980 3.2L 6Cyl. 225hp Gas

$31,330 3.2L 6Cyl. 260hp Gas

$33,480 3.2L 6Cyl. 260hp Gas

MPG MPG ABS

City hwy Brakes Airbags

19 29 Std

Std

19 29 Std

Std

19 29 Std

Std

$31,130 3.2L 6Cyl. 225hp Gas 19 29 Std

Std

Major standard features available for the 3.2 TL:

3.2 TL

Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Tachometer, Moonroof, Power Seats, Bench Seating, Rear Defroster, Power Windows, Leather Seats, Child Seats, Power Locks, Bucket Seating,

3.2 TL Type S

Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Tachometer, Moonroof, Rear Defroster, Power Seats, Leather Seats, Power Windows, Bench Seating, Child Seats, Power Locks, Bucket Seating,

3.2 TL Type S with Navigation System

Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Tachometer, Moonroof, Power Seats, Leather Seats, Rear Defroster, Power Windows, Bench Seating, Child Seats, Power Locks, Bucket Seating,

3.2 TL with Navigation System

Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Tachometer, Moonroof, Power Windows, Power Seats, Rear Defroster, Bench Seating, Leather Seats, Child Seats, Power Locks, Bucket Seating,

Customer Comments

The following comments come directly from visitors to our websites.

Things they liked...

"Auto-manual transmission" "Overall driveability." "The headlights" "Engine power (Type S)"

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"Probably the 6-disc in dash CD changer"

...and things they didn't

"Garage door opener button is impossible to find in the dark."

"Creaky center console armrest"

"Conservative tires"

"No windshield wash low indicator"

"Car has some trouble in snow"

General comments

"I have the 3002 3.2 TL-S and love every aspect completely. I had a 1999 32. TL before and neither car has ever had any sort of squeak, rattle or defect. The quality and peformance for the money are unequaled. I also have a 1999 Audi A6 that has had numerous problems and repairs. Audi quality is woefully far behind Acura. The Audi also gets much worse gas mileage and lacks low-end torque. The Acura has 60 more horsepower and shows it readily. Acura quiet and driving comfort are unequaled. I absolutely love the way this car performs. " Tom T. (Lisle , Illinois - August, 2003)

"Handling very good, but not quite equal to BMW 3 series. The ride is also a little more 'choppy'. The S transmits more road noise to the driver than the non S type. Power is superior to the standard BMW 3 series. Can not compare to the upper end BMW 3 series because I did not drive those. The leather seats allow the driver to slide laterally too easily during hard cornering. Needs more bolster support. Again BMW was superior. Fit and finish is excellent as it has been in every Honda product I have owned.The TL-S is an excellent car and value. Honda's (Acura, of course, is a Honda) quality has always been outstanding along with reliability and value. I drove BMW,Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, Volvo, Volkswagen, Honda, and Acura before buying the Acura. The $5000 difference and reliability swayed me to buy the Acura over the BMW. The others had strong points, but were not the equal of these two."

Eugene , Oregon - June, 2003

"Wife's car. I took it on a 1700 mile trip. The true beauty of the Type S engine comes through when pushed to top end. I was surprised that the harder I pushed it, the better it ran. The car looks good, but I felt with somewhat conservative styling and tires. After the trip, it even looks sportier. A truly comfortable and fun drive. I rated performance excellent due to the engine, obviously the tires/front wheel drive combo does not handle as well as the BMW or G35. "

Craig C. (Morristown , Tennessee - May, 2003)

"It is the wife's car... Except on the weekends !! Right after break-in period, drove on 1250mi trip straight thru I could of kept going the car is so much fun to drive !! If you get one, get a Type S, more enjoyable."

Don W. (East Haven , Connecticut - March, 2003)

"The 2003 Acura TL Type-S is the sweetest ride you'll get for under $32,000 by far. First off, acceleration is unreal- 260 horses and 232 lb/ft of torque make this car fly (car and driver claims 6.5 seconds to 60mph, I clocked my car in at 5.8 using the manumatic shiftgate). There is no manual available for this car unfortunately, but the manumatic shifts quick and effortlessly, giving the driver more control of the cars seemingly limitless power. This car also looks great, inside and out. While styling is always subjective, I believe that overall this car scores high on innovative and

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fresh styling. The inside is extremely comfortable and the navigation system is incredible- just tell it where you want to go and it will tell you how to get there(it literally talks to you and tells you- its sick). The best thing about this car perhaps though is its overall value- I test drove a BMW 3.30i, infiniti I35, Audi A4 3.0L, Lincoln LS V-6, Lexus ES300, and Mercedes-Benz C320 before buying (leasing) this car and none of them offered anywhere near as many standard features for the money (the performance was also not as impressive as the TL). The TL comes with everything you could want (except the Navigation) for about 29,000- the Type S brings it up to 31,500 and the navigation makes it about 33,000 total. That same amount of money would have gotten me a 3-series BMW with manual adjustable seats- I mean it was ridiculous. BMW and Mercedes in particular will charge you extra for every single thing that you would think comes standard(should come standard) on a luxury car, Acura does not. Add to that a great looking car that's fun to drive and Acura reliability(recently ranked #1 company in Consumer Reports 2003 car issue) as well as great safety features and you've got yourself one hell of a contender. I have had my car for almost a year now (they released the 2003 TL's last march) and have had no problems with it whatsoever- the only negative things I can think to comment on are that it has mild trouble in snow on inclines and the headlights are so bright that other drivers sometimes flash me to turn my brights off when they're not even on. But other than that, this is by far the best car I have ever had (I previously drove a 2000 Nissan Maxima, before that a 1997 Accord) Hope this was helpful to you, I highly recommend test-driving this car if you are interested in buying or leasing a car in this category, you most likely won't have to look any further. "

East Setauket , New York - March, 2003

"This car is a great buy for this price range and this class. I LOVE IT!!!!" Merchantville , New Jersey - March, 2003

"Love the way it handles. The acceleration is almost as good as my 1999 Volvo S80 T6. Stereo is awesome. Seats are great and it has everything you could want."

Steve B. (Northport , New York - October, 2002)

"Great accelaration at start and handling! It's definitely the best value for the price I paid. " Paul M. (Riverside , California - September, 2002)

"Took delivery of vehicle and left on a 540 mile trip the next day. Awesome ride and comfortable for two. Gas mileage exceeded 32 MPG all the way. Getting 23 MPG around town with short trips. Easy to clean and keep bright and shining."

Larson L. (Pensacola , Florida - September, 2002)

"Awesome speed and acceleration for a family sedan. " Tri N. (Murphy , Texas - September, 2002)

"SMOOVE AS SILK" Rocco B. (Wantagh , New York - September, 2002)

"I love the car" Rico D. (Chicago , Illinois - August, 2002)

"I am very impressed with the acceleration, and fuel economy. It is very easy to get the car into neutral when shifting from Manual/Auto to actual Auto so be careful. Handling is smooth and precise. At middle speeds, the transmission hunts between fourth and fifth gear. I am content with the many standard features, but wish that the car had a telescopic steering wheel, and trip computer. The CD player only displays the disc and track and not the elapsed time on the track that you are listening to."

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Khajak K. (Palmdale , California - August, 2003)

"Leased this car to replace a Saab 9-5 turbo V6. This car isn't as distinctive in exterior style, but has lustrous paint &great wheels. The interior is comparably well laid out, though the waterfall dashboard puts some controls a stretch away (as compared to Saab or VW more vertical layout). Trunk is smaller but usable. Handling is far better, ride &brakes are comparable, car is quieter at idle/cruise, has a nicer muted roar on acceleration. Excellent stereo &a/c with well-laid-out controls. " Steve D. (Springfield , Virginia - November, 2002)

"I'm impressed with the acceleration smoothness and the Navigation system. The comfort is pretty good too. I dislike the lack of lights for the steering wheel buttons(cruise control, volume) and the absence of dual climate-control. It also would have been nice to have a rear-window sun-shade (at least a manual one like Camry has). I like the 17-inch wheels, although the turning radius is not as good as I thought for a car of its size. The look is totally common but with time (3 months) I learned to like it. I was poised to buy a 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5 V6 but after I drove them both, I easily turned towards Acura. I bought the Acura given its impecable reputation (I also had Hondas in the past) but I'm totally shocked to hear about their transmission problems. Had I known this in advance, I might have opted for the Infinity G35. " Traian T. (Worcester , Massachusetts - November, 2002)

"The noise level is a major distraction. But, using the audio system helps to muffle the loud exterior noises of the street/hwy. Visibility level needs to be a little higher and together these items would make it an awsome vehicle...for the price." Sari A. (Smyrna , Georgia - October, 2002)

"Four door sports car, overall pleased with the car however many 'little things' have added up. Drivers side mirror glass was loose when I got the car home, they replaced it of course. Both front wheel bearings went at 8500 miles, dealer says they've seen this problem on the accord. Still waiting to see if acura is going to pay for it. Sunroof squeeks like it needs oil when driving over semi-rough roads. Sometimes before the car is warmed up, it will 'sputter' at highway speed, only for a second, annoying none the less. Still, love the car just was hoping that with an 'upscale' brand there would be fewer or no 'little things'" James H. (Johnson City , New York - September, 2002)

"Audio system is weak, needs speakers in the A-pillars. Needs trip computer. Needs telescopic steering wheel. Steering wheel controls need to be illuminated. Excessive wind, road, engine noise. Ventilation fan is noisy. Transmission has annoying delay(lag) in engaging after the gear selector is moved. Should have side curtain air bags. Acceleration from stop is jerky and not smoth. " Jed T. (Columbia , Illinois - February, 2003)

"I found the seats uncomfortable and stiff along with the back seats not being very roomy. The glove compartment was cheap looking and extremely small. Finally, the exterior color selection is awful and uncomplimentary to the classic styling of the car. The exterior and interior color combinations are poor for this priced car. I had spent a great deal of time looking at this car and collecting information and was convinced it was my dream car before test driving it. I was not disappointed by the test drive, but very disappointed with the interior design." Jean P. (Littleton , Colorado - January, 2003)

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