DETAILKING
New member
Luckily they didn't have a silver 6 speed in stock so I was able to get out of there easily without a sales hassle. I took a good look at the car, and took a black 05 six speed manual for a test run.
First impressions---->After seeing a decked out TL on the showroom floor with the A-spec kit, the stock ones just didn't look right. They almost had a wimpy stance. The stock 17" wheels look too small for that car. It is screaming for 18's taking in consideration the car's overall size. All in all it had a decent sporty look though, even though it could afford to be lowered about 1/2" - 1." The A-spec kit adds a body aero-package that looks pretty slick. I would definately get that and 18" wheels, but not sure about the springs / shocks upgrade...........
Interior-----> My first impression of it can be summed up in one word...AWESOME! The black interior looks killer and very hi tech. Every button/knob looks and feels expensive. The car is loaded with just about every feature and comfort amenity imaginable. I was very impressed with the interior. The front seats were comfortable, but the horizontal portion seemed a bit too short.....I guess I am just used to my BMW sport package seats with the extended leg support (man I am gonna miss those). The rear seat leg room was less than I thought for a car of that size. The rear seats also seemed to be too low to the floor as when your feet were flat on the floor your legs were angled above the seat instead of resting on it. One thing I noticed immediately was a few blind spots due to the A pillars, and a small view out of the rear window. All that being said, when I got back to my 3 series for the ride home, the dash looked plain and "dated" compared to what I had just experienced.
The test drive-----> I almost stalled the car out as I lifted the clutch to engage first gear.....it grabs super low!! The shifter is awesome. Short throws and solid positive shifts with minimal "play." The car rode smooth and stable and took the bumps well. It was so quiet I couldn't even hear the engine while cruising in 6th gear. I got on the throttle up to redline in 2nd gear a few times and noticed that over 3K RPM's the car really pulled hard. I was impresssed with the acceleration and smoothness of the engine, but the low engaging clutch made it hard to row through the gears smoothly....perhaps it is something to get used to. Handling was better than I expected for a car of that size. I didn't push it hard, but it had minimal lean and felt very stable. I did notice a bit of torque steer but to be honest it made the car feel kind of like the old E36 BMW's that had very low assisted power steering....kind of neat.
Misc---> I lifted the hood to see the power plant.......and it was a bit of a disappointment. It was mostly covered in plastic dress panels but underneath was not impressive at all...I guess under all the guise it is still a honda. Trunk space was decent, although smaller than the previous TL and smaller than I expected. I was bummed to see a "safety dounut" for a spare instead a full size.
All and all i liked the car. I liked the way the car drove although it was much more refined than my bmw and lacked the true road feel. I think I can live with the handling and get used to the FWD without much complaint, and I love the powerplant of the 270 HP 3.2L v6.....a considerable difference over my 325i. The interior is just about perfect, but my only complaint is that from the passanger seat the steering column looks clunky and awkward. Another note is that I wish they key and key fob were combined instead of being separate pieces to have to carry around.
I think this car is one of the best value's out there. What kills it is that in order to suffuce my tastes I would have to spend extra on wheels and an aero kit. I guess I am still on the fence about the styling and the fact that you see 75 yr old grandparents driving them too!
First impressions---->After seeing a decked out TL on the showroom floor with the A-spec kit, the stock ones just didn't look right. They almost had a wimpy stance. The stock 17" wheels look too small for that car. It is screaming for 18's taking in consideration the car's overall size. All in all it had a decent sporty look though, even though it could afford to be lowered about 1/2" - 1." The A-spec kit adds a body aero-package that looks pretty slick. I would definately get that and 18" wheels, but not sure about the springs / shocks upgrade...........
Interior-----> My first impression of it can be summed up in one word...AWESOME! The black interior looks killer and very hi tech. Every button/knob looks and feels expensive. The car is loaded with just about every feature and comfort amenity imaginable. I was very impressed with the interior. The front seats were comfortable, but the horizontal portion seemed a bit too short.....I guess I am just used to my BMW sport package seats with the extended leg support (man I am gonna miss those). The rear seat leg room was less than I thought for a car of that size. The rear seats also seemed to be too low to the floor as when your feet were flat on the floor your legs were angled above the seat instead of resting on it. One thing I noticed immediately was a few blind spots due to the A pillars, and a small view out of the rear window. All that being said, when I got back to my 3 series for the ride home, the dash looked plain and "dated" compared to what I had just experienced.
The test drive-----> I almost stalled the car out as I lifted the clutch to engage first gear.....it grabs super low!! The shifter is awesome. Short throws and solid positive shifts with minimal "play." The car rode smooth and stable and took the bumps well. It was so quiet I couldn't even hear the engine while cruising in 6th gear. I got on the throttle up to redline in 2nd gear a few times and noticed that over 3K RPM's the car really pulled hard. I was impresssed with the acceleration and smoothness of the engine, but the low engaging clutch made it hard to row through the gears smoothly....perhaps it is something to get used to. Handling was better than I expected for a car of that size. I didn't push it hard, but it had minimal lean and felt very stable. I did notice a bit of torque steer but to be honest it made the car feel kind of like the old E36 BMW's that had very low assisted power steering....kind of neat.
Misc---> I lifted the hood to see the power plant.......and it was a bit of a disappointment. It was mostly covered in plastic dress panels but underneath was not impressive at all...I guess under all the guise it is still a honda. Trunk space was decent, although smaller than the previous TL and smaller than I expected. I was bummed to see a "safety dounut" for a spare instead a full size.
All and all i liked the car. I liked the way the car drove although it was much more refined than my bmw and lacked the true road feel. I think I can live with the handling and get used to the FWD without much complaint, and I love the powerplant of the 270 HP 3.2L v6.....a considerable difference over my 325i. The interior is just about perfect, but my only complaint is that from the passanger seat the steering column looks clunky and awkward. Another note is that I wish they key and key fob were combined instead of being separate pieces to have to carry around.
I think this car is one of the best value's out there. What kills it is that in order to suffuce my tastes I would have to spend extra on wheels and an aero kit. I guess I am still on the fence about the styling and the fact that you see 75 yr old grandparents driving them too!
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