After a series of luckluster vehicles I have unexpectedly come to own a very formidable one.
It obviously depends on what your goals are. If you MUST have a BMW, then Acura TL Type S is not for you. However, if you decide to own a reliable and powerfull performance / entry level luxury vehicle - you 've got what you were looking for.
Let me start with first impression:
It does not look too sexy outside, luckluster exterior design of late 1990ies shows. Inside, it is a tipical entry level luxury / european sedan, no frills, but in-dash 6-discs CD changer, heated seats, memory seats, climate control - things you've come to expect from a vehicle of this class.
Magic starts when you start the vehicle and get going. Abundance of passing and merging power, very tight suspension, very light understeer (front wheel drive) - all of these come unexpected for a vehicle of this class and price (could be purchased used for under $15K).
Here is what you get technically:
260hp 3.2-Liter SOHC 24-Valve VTEC V6 Engine - naturally aspired high HP comes at the price of high compression, resulting in somewhat steep torque curve - low torque at low RPM.
4-Wheel Disc Brakes - provide excellent stopping power
5-Speed Automatic Transmission with Sequential SportShift - when you want to race that stiff upper lip BMW, switch into tiptronic mode - and, voila!, you got power on demand (that comes with higher fuel consumption, of course)
Double Wishbone Suspension - will make your car sick to the road like krazy glue.
All in all, I absolutely enjoy the vehicle, particularly, when I remember how much I have spent on it.

While shopping for a used 2004- 2007 Acura TL I found several I liked. This one definetly was an eye catcher. Out of two other Acura dealers that claimed "to have used Acura TL's on their lots in our price range" the old "Bait and Switch" was all we got.

We contacted Steve and he was dead on how he described his used 2004 Acura TL. The exterior condition was by far better than even a couple 07's we looked at. The interior is in mint condition as if new with only the normal wear of what is expected from leather seats. No cracks, tears or stains in any of the interior.

The performance of the car is what is expected from the high end Acura TL.

The electronics all work as new.

We have put over 1000 miles on it and have had no signs of any problems whatsoever.

We received all the owners manuals in the original binder as promissed from Steve the dealer that sold us the car.

I will definetly refer anyone I know to ask him before buying a newer used car, I believe him when he says "he can get you any car".

We met Steve in Staten Island New York at his over flow lot, he has quite a few higher end cars there so check him out first.

Thanks Steve, I will definetly let you know if I or anyone I know ever needs or is looking for a newer used car.

Jay-R

I bought a used 2004 Acura TL two months ago and drove it from Dallas to Atlanta. This is one of the rare cars that has excellent performance, good comfort, and decent mileage. While the front wheel drive layout may not offer handling quite as precise as rear wheel drive competitors you won't notice it outside of racetrack conditions. The interior layout is great with room for 5 and the navigation system and XM stereo is fantastic. Overall, I'd recommend the car to anyone looking for a midsize car with good performance.

It's just a great car. Looks good and sporty. Very fun to drive. Controls and drivers seat really hug the driver and give you all confort you need. Just an awesome 4 door sporty sedan. Bose sound system sounds great also.

As a previous Audi owner I have to admit I loved my Audi way more however after the poor reliability and outrageous cost of routine maintenance, I was ready for something more reliable. The TL was a good choice. I like the style of this TL more than the newer ones. It is the last of a classic looking luxury sedan in my opinion. They all look overdone now... more "fancy" lighting and instrumentation and less actual luxury. It really is just a jazzed up Accord though. The "Bose" stereo sucks in my opinon. I am actually surprised Bose made it and/or put their name on it. There are no tweeters or mids for highs, just 4 full range speakers in the doors and a sub in the rear decklid. The Bass is good however you will quickly want to replace the full range door speakers with some 2 or 3 way Infinity's or other high quality factory replacement. Once you get them out you will be surprised how cheap and thin they are. They claim the speaker size is odd , like 5.5" which made it hard to find the correct replacements however it sits in a plastic ring that adapts it to fit like a 6.5" hole in the door so 6.5" replacement speakers fit nicely with no mod required. It is after all, an Accord so look at the fit guide for an 03 Accord for sizes and wiring codes. With the door speakers replaced it sounds more like you would expect a system with the name Bose on it to sound. Other than that, the handling and performance rocks. The 3.2L motor is strong and smooth. I chose to get the Navigation instead of a Type S and am glad I did. Unless you get the Type S with navigation, I wouldn't spend any extra money on a Type S as opposed to the standard trim line or navigation. The navigation is definately worth some extra money. The standard motor pumps out 225 HP which rockets the car along quite nicely for most people... in fact more than enough for most people. The type S only adds another 30HP and slightly improved suspension. Everything else is instrumental. If you really like the silver guages and the headrests of the Type S, buy them from a junk yard and swap yours out. I would definately buy a Type S if I could get it for the same price however I would not pay extra for it. The transmission is a known issue on these cars with a cost of about 3500.00 to replace at the dealer. Mine started going at about 45,000 so luckily the factory warranty covered it. The new one has it's own 36,000 mile warranty after that. Make sure the transmission is either new or covered by warranty because it probably will go out. If not, budget for it in advance and plan on it. The seats are slightly odd to me, typical of Honda. They aren't uncomfortable however I can never seem to get perfectly adjusted like I can in any other car. The butt warmers only have two settings, "on fire" and "barely on", aka "high" and "low". At 65,000 miles, the "butt" portion of the seat heater went out in my driver's seat with a cost of $400 to fix. The center arm rest is pointless to me. It is too low to be of any real comfort however I can throw a CD book on it and use it occasionally. The xenon headlights rock however since they aren't projection, they tend to blind other motorists even when they are properly aimed. People "flash" me about twice a week which I have just gotten used to. Someimes I flash back just to show what the high beams can do, lol. Those are really just my complaints. Besides that I like everything else about it and believe I made a good purchase for the money.

I wanted something other than the same old cars I always see around town. I was looking for a used luxury type car and just from the description and pictures on ebay, I knew I wanted it. It was a steal at the price I got it for and the car was in great condition. I like that it had everything I was looking for such as a speed, sunroof, heated seats, and a navigation system. It also had a few things that I didn't expect such as how the door mirrors had a defrost on them plus they go down when you put the car in reverse, which was cool. The only thing it did not have was tinted windows, which I took care of already. I also had to pick up the car two hours away which gave me a chance to really see how the car ran.
Thanks

I bought a 2005 Acura TL and was immediately impressed with the quality of the interior. It feels like a Europian luxary car but with the reliability of Honda. Attractive leather adorns the seats with real aluminium trim on the console (if you're into that). Everything's super cush, up until about 1500 miles of nonstop driving the seats did make my lower back a little sore. The base TL performs well in windy Rocky Mountain roads and has good steering response for a FWD car. It's no EVO, but the TL is peppy and has power when you feel like burning more fuel. Fuel economy is above average, even with the engine taking premium. Coming from an SUV however, any car's mpg is good. For the money the TL is a very good value. Cheaper than the BMW 3 series with roughly the same amount of features and quality. Fun to drive and impresses the ladies.

My college age son had his dream car, a Camry Solara, for only three months when he was hit by
a younger more inexperienced drive who totaled her car and his. He was heartsick.

Having bought 3 cars before on ebay, including the Solara, I went looking again. Before I could
find him another Solara, HE found this wonderful Acura on eBay. We went to visit the car and
bought it. He is not heartsick anymore.

The ride is smooth and luxurious. It has all the bells and whistles he likes and he is very proud
of the car.

Thank you Texas Direct Auto for a flawless transaction.

This car is beautiful inside and out, the leather seats are among the most comfortable you will find in anywhere. The engine has quite a bit of get-up-and-go while maintaining very good gas mileage. The autostick is fun to play around with. Repairs and maintenance are nothing out of the ordinary cost wise. Beware -- 1999-2003 TL's are renown for their faulty transmissions, which Acura covers under warranty UP TO 109,000 miles. Do your research on the car before buying it, and get it inspected before finalizing payment -- it could save you lots of money. That issue aside, you will find absolutely no faults in the car (perhaps with the exception of outdated navigation data). Awesome fit and finish, roomy, dependable, smooth and quiet ride, easy to use controls, great Bose sound. Should last you well over 200,000 miles.

My wife and I bought our 2004 Acura TL new in May 2004. We liked the Acura's but had to have one when the new stylish model came out. The Navigation system, bluetooth phone link, with voice activated controls of both of those and the climate control is so well done, useful, and too cool. We use it all the time - especially the "go home" or "call home" commands when we are out and about. We always travel in our Acura TL for the longer road trips and it is our preferred vehicle over the Eddie Bauer Explorer.

The car handles like a dream. My wife, who is a very conservative driver, really likes the power and ability to turn or stop on a dime when she needs it - she loves the way it handles. I love to feel the V6 VTECH respond when I need (or like it) and to handle the turns, exits, and lane changes fast when I feel that way.

Most of the time, though, we drive it to get the best gas milage and it is impressive! We get over 30mpg traveling on the highway with the cruise control set at 75 mph. We have made it to DC from Raleigh average 33mpg at those speeds which continues to impress me.

We put a wing/spoiler on the back of our TL for style and when the stock tires wore out we put Perrelli P Zero Nero's on her and she got even better than brand new.