I had a 2002 TL. Loved it but couldn’t resist trading it for the redesigned model that came out in 2004. That model really was the pinnacle of TL design. Kept my 2005 for 12 years.
Totally agree with you… The third GEN TL was amazing! My wealthy neighbor next-door who’sin her late 80s and lives in a $5 million house, could probably buy any car she wanted, but she drove her 3rd gen TL for 15+ years.
I had an ‘01 back then and it was my first car with xenon headlights. That, the Navi, and the factory lower-body kit gave it a more planted look. I also had 18” silver Giovanni wheels on it that complemented the look. It may look pedestrian now but the TL was pretty special (especially the next gen one). Like others, my TL had the transmission issue but Acura quickly took care of it. They sent me a check and I took it to an authorized shop for replacement. It ended up being around $2K less than expected and I got to keep the balance. I definitely had some good memories in that car and everyone in my small town knew when I was arriving because nobody else had xenon headlights at the time (except this one lady that had a ‘97 or ‘98 Lincoln Mark VIII).
Man...if only Acura would've kept the 4-speed auto from the '99 model year, this car would've had a bulletproof reputation. Unfortunately the 5-speed auto in later model years ('00 to '03) became notorious for their transmission issues.
@@stevennevins6643according to a lot of 3rd gen owners the early 3rd gen automatics also had those transmission problems that these have and weren’t fully fixed until 2007.
I had a 99 V6 EX Accord(4 speed auto), pretty much the same car minus some tweaks. I went through 3 transmissions in one year. Had an 03 accord(5 speed auto), had 1 transmission issue concerning 2nd gear. It was fixed and never had a problem again.
We a 2001 in the family for 21 years, my grandma's car for most of that time. Dead reliable for nearly 110k miles, and never a transmission issue. The 3.2 is a great engine, solid, peppy, and simple to work on. And that Bose stereo - phenomenal.
I just bought a 2001 TL from an older gentleman in the suburbs. New tires, new battery, new exhaust. 170k miles. I like to get the engine warmed up before taking off. The transmission runs fine once it's warm. 😊
I had a 01 Acura TL a few years ago. Had 300k on it and Never had a transmission or engine issue. That car was solid the only thing that killed it eventually was rust on the underside
My mom had a black 2003 TL Type S. Bought right when the 2004 redesigned model was coming to the dealerships. I learned to drive in that car. I still miss it. If she would have handed it down to me like the original plan, I probably would have kept it all these years later. Damn.
I'm pretty sure this car was partially responsible for high school kids in the late 90's putting those horrible blue-tinted halogen bulbs in their Hondas to make them look as if they had HIDs. That trend continued into the early 2000's until re-based HID bulbs became a thing and people started putting actual HID kits into their halogen headlights, blinding everyone else on the road. Kids would spend several hundred dollars trying to make their Civic or Accord look like an Acura LMAO. Sadly, this is still a thing today except its with LEDs instead of HIDs and it's a lot cheaper and easier to be a menace to oncoming traffic 😅
I remember Grandma's white 2002 TL, loved when she use to pick me up from school in it! Also remember it being smooth, smelling good and had great get up and go!
I never realized this looks a lot like Accord stablemate of the time until i saw this video. Glancing upon my old Car and Driver magazine before I thought it looked distinctive enough to be an Acura.
Beyond the initial 5 speed automatic, I love the styling inside and out. Also, I liked how Honda products had an open engine bay that was relatively easy to access and visually admire vs. some of the completion.
Great car at the time. Loved the styling!! Acura was on a roll during this era. The transmissions were made of glass on the 2000-02 examples of this car, but Acura addressed it within a few years, plus the Type-S was a gem...and available with a manual!(Honda's stick shifts were buttery smooth!) Acura even allowed for a body-kit that made the car look even better at the time.
Had this car briefly when knew. I loved it. Quiet, comfortable, smooth. It had a kind of confidence that's difficult to describe. And that engine is so smooth. I didn't keep it but it holds up so much better than any of that German crap
I had a 99 and 2003 Type-S and both were great. The 2003 had a much better navigation system, fog lights, memory seats and On Star. Also easily exceeded 30 MPG on the highway with the 5AT vs the 4AT on the 99.
Amazing value with these cars considering the Acura Vigor that started the segment for Honda was around $24K base in 1992 when it launched. They were as popular as the 98+ Accord they are based on. You literally saw them everywhere. Honda took it to the next level with the 2004 TL. They were literally 10-15 years ahead of everyone else at that time. The cool oddball TL is the 1995/1996 3.2 TL where they redesigned the Vigor and gave it the V6. I had an uncle who bought a 96 new and kept it as a daily driver until 2016. Parts availability is what forced the car to retire.
Listening to John Davis' introduction, there was another reason why Acura lost market share in the 90's. It was the overnight success of Lexus after its 1990 introduction, and Lexus soon became Japan's #1 luxury brand, a title it still holds today.
They sold tons of Legends and Integras until 1995 when the Legend was discontinued. Far more than Lexus did with LS400 and ES250/300. The difference was the customer. Lexus went directly after the Mercedes customer and that's why their cars just looked like Japanese Mercedes. Acura went after the enthusiast that wanted reliability and all weather driving. All of Acuras models at the time we're offered with manual transmissions. It was actually a perfect scenario because the boring people went for the Lexuses and the enthusiast went for the Acuras, and those that wanted to be different went for the Q45.
It was smooth as glass. And, unfortunately, as reliable as if it was made from glass. I'm not sure if Honda did a recall, but they definitely replaced a lot of them under warranty.
No 1999 had the 4 speed automatic transmission. The 2000-2003 had the problematic 5 speed Transmission. But other vehicles with the 5 speed had problems also.
Acura is more like a Honda+. They never produce a rear wheel drive or V8 competitor to the likes of Mercedes Benz S Class or BMW 7 Series. Even the E Class or 5 Series for that matter. Infiniti and Lexus were true competitors to the Germans. Honda was the first to create a luxury division for the States but Toyota and Nissan brought real competition to the game.
This was true for a long time. But, these days, all three Japanese luxury brands are lacking in crucial areas, especially Infiniti. Lexus has also fallen way behind competitors in every class it competes in (with the exception of RX). Then, Genesis came out of the gate swinging showing what a modern Asian luxury brand should be like. Those three have a lot of work to do to catch up and it seems like none of them want to put in the work despite having the capital.
@@austing4321 Once upon a time Lexus, Infiniti and Acura enjoyed success battling their German rivals. Today, it’s a different story. The new Infiniti QX80 is their best product in years. Hopefully in the near future all three will return to their original formula that made them popular, desirable cars. Still would love to see a rear wheel drive V8 from Acura though. Since downsizing is the trend I know it’s not likely.
@@hellkitty1014 It should be pointed out that only the CL Type-S had the 6-spd manual option...strange that there was no manual option for this 2nd-gen TL.
@@KardiFan2000Yes, it's strange, but at the time, Soichiro Honda had just recently passed away, and Honda was a little bit lost, and they decided to follow in the boring footsteps of Lexus and made all of their cars softer and less sporting, except for the Integra, which was a moneymaker. They later realized their mistake and offered the TL in manual again, But by that point it was too late because the American build quality of the TL was not as good as the Japanese made Legend and the fourth generation TL was so ugly that it didn't sell well.
I just checked Autotrader, to see how many Acura TLs (2008 or earlier) there are available for sale in Ontario, Canada that are certified by dealers for sale = 3. Similarly, there are a total of 8 2008 or earlier Toyota Corollas available for sale. Almost 3 times as many. That shows you that a Toyota lasts longer.
@@Bruce.-Waynethey finally got the transmission stuff sorted around 2007, then a few years later promptly handed things off to ZF who used that hateful 9-speed with the turd that was the 1st gen TLX.
@ensignjimmy3237 I was talking to my phone it repeats things I didn't say. That car is called tlx now so it hasn't been talked about in a while about were the Acura is being made anymore. And I don't appreciate your attitude with your comment.
@@bradkalman2353 I stand by my comment that the information you seek is readily available on the vast interwebs…and since that seems to be difficult…yes the TLX is still made in Ohio.
@@bradkalman2353to answer your question, yes, they still make the TLX and it’s built in Ohio, but sales are tanking and it probably won’t be around much longer.
*2004-08 TL 6MT, the BEST sports sedan Acura has ever built, including the new overweight, overhyped and overpriced TLX-S.* 2G Legend 6MT a close second.
I didn't realize these were already around in 1998 until much later during the next generation in the late 2000s. Saw my first example in 1999, not sure it was instead new for 2000. It was an okay car, that felt like a large midsize and clearly a reskinned Euro Accord. Didn't like the facelift in early 2001. Honda clearly had been pining to get away from the Audilike Vigor lineage of the original TL and put this out in only 3 1/2 years.
@@johnjones393 Wrong! Honda ( and Toyota) front wheel drive automatic transmissions had established a poor reputation long long before the TL showed its face, so get your facts straight buster!
I had a 2002 TL. Loved it but couldn’t resist trading it for the redesigned model that came out in 2004. That model really was the pinnacle of TL design. Kept my 2005 for 12 years.
That 3rd gen came out in 2003 as a 2004, not *in 2004* . To see something like that in the early 2000s was special.
Great choice BTW.
The 04-08 TL is my favorite Acura design of all time, with the exception of the NSX.
The 2004 TL is still valuable and ricers love it....they're all over the streets, modified and deformed....😊
Totally agree with you… The third GEN TL was amazing! My wealthy neighbor next-door who’sin her late 80s and lives in a $5 million house, could probably buy any car she wanted, but she drove her 3rd gen TL for 15+ years.
I had an ‘01 back then and it was my first car with xenon headlights. That, the Navi, and the factory lower-body kit gave it a more planted look. I also had 18” silver Giovanni wheels on it that complemented the look.
It may look pedestrian now but the TL was pretty special (especially the next gen one).
Like others, my TL had the transmission issue but Acura quickly took care of it. They sent me a check and I took it to an authorized shop for replacement. It ended up being around $2K less than expected and I got to keep the balance.
I definitely had some good memories in that car and everyone in my small town knew when I was arriving because nobody else had xenon headlights at the time (except this one lady that had a ‘97 or ‘98 Lincoln Mark VIII).
Man...if only Acura would've kept the 4-speed auto from the '99 model year, this car would've had a bulletproof reputation. Unfortunately the 5-speed auto in later model years ('00 to '03) became notorious for their transmission issues.
@@KardiFan2000 True. Acura replaced the transmission in my 2002. The problems were sorted for the 2004 redesign.
Literally made of glass. Plagued this car and the Honda 3.0 V6.
@@stevennevins6643according to a lot of 3rd gen owners the early 3rd gen automatics also had those transmission problems that these have and weren’t fully fixed until 2007.
They don't have issues
I had a 99 V6 EX Accord(4 speed auto), pretty much the same car minus some tweaks. I went through 3 transmissions in one year. Had an 03 accord(5 speed auto), had 1 transmission issue concerning 2nd gear. It was fixed and never had a problem again.
We a 2001 in the family for 21 years, my grandma's car for most of that time. Dead reliable for nearly 110k miles, and never a transmission issue. The 3.2 is a great engine, solid, peppy, and simple to work on. And that Bose stereo - phenomenal.
I just bought a 2001 TL from an older gentleman in the suburbs. New tires, new battery, new exhaust. 170k miles. I like to get the engine warmed up before taking off. The transmission runs fine once it's warm. 😊
I had a 01 Acura TL a few years ago. Had 300k on it and Never had a transmission or engine issue. That car was solid the only thing that killed it eventually was rust on the underside
I was a kid when these were new in ‘99. Total nostalgia! 👌❤️😎🥋
Had NO idea that Gus Fring worked at Motorweek and did Car Interior testing!..... 4:00 mark
Lmao hilarious
Giancarlo Espocito can't hurt you
hahaha
😂😂😂😂😂
Thats because Gus has quietly done it all without anyone noticing him
Thats his greatest strength, being unseen
My mom had a black 2003 TL Type S. Bought right when the 2004 redesigned model was coming to the dealerships.
I learned to drive in that car. I still miss it.
If she would have handed it down to me like the original plan, I probably would have kept it all these years later. Damn.
3:59 John: LIKE THE NOT TOO COMPREHENSIVE AND EXTREMELY PLAIN LOOKING GAUGE CLUSTER! LOL
😂😂lmaoo
Let me guess...no oil pressure gauge?
@@Ethan2xm85 yep
tell it like it is, John
I'm pretty sure this car was partially responsible for high school kids in the late 90's putting those horrible blue-tinted halogen bulbs in their Hondas to make them look as if they had HIDs.
That trend continued into the early 2000's until re-based HID bulbs became a thing and people started putting actual HID kits into their halogen headlights, blinding everyone else on the road. Kids would spend several hundred dollars trying to make their Civic or Accord look like an Acura LMAO. Sadly, this is still a thing today except its with LEDs instead of HIDs and it's a lot cheaper and easier to be a menace to oncoming traffic 😅
Tell me you're a boomer without telling me you're a boomer.
@@johnjones393 Hahaha, yeah I'm practically a fossil at this point. Time to retire, sit outside all day, and yell at kids to get off my lawn.
Confession: I was one of those high school kids that put those stupid blue bulbs in his '91 Legend because he thought it "looked cool" 😓
I remember Grandma's white 2002 TL, loved when she use to pick me up from school in it! Also remember it being smooth, smelling good and had great get up and go!
When Acura was worth buying and ahead of the competition by a significant margin.
I hate to say there’s very few brand new cars I actually like anymore. They just want profits these days.
Like they are to this day!
The Acura Legend still is the Greatest Sedan Honda ever made....😊.....
The world ever made. That underrated Sport Hybrid RLX
I never realized this looks a lot like Accord stablemate of the time until i saw this video. Glancing upon my old Car and Driver magazine before I thought it looked distinctive enough to be an Acura.
You know, I never realized it either although knowing it was the same car. Especially in slalom test you can see the Accord in it lol
Those Acura TL also had the infamous transmission issues.
@@Mrjonesknows1218 lol. Looks like an Accord as it rolls? Lmao
Yup 6th Gen accord
@@tom11zz884mostly the 5 speed auto and not the 4.
We had one of these till 2012 and reached 138 mph in it
Beyond the initial 5 speed automatic, I love the styling inside and out. Also, I liked how Honda products had an open engine bay that was relatively easy to access and visually admire vs. some of the completion.
Great car at the time. Loved the styling!! Acura was on a roll during this era. The transmissions were made of glass on the 2000-02 examples of this car, but Acura addressed it within a few years, plus the Type-S was a gem...and available with a manual!(Honda's stick shifts were buttery smooth!) Acura even allowed for a body-kit that made the car look even better at the time.
Had this car briefly when knew. I loved it. Quiet, comfortable, smooth. It had a kind of confidence that's difficult to describe. And that engine is so smooth. I didn't keep it but it holds up so much better than any of that German crap
I had a 99 and 2003 Type-S and both were great.
The 2003 had a much better navigation system, fog lights, memory seats and On Star. Also easily exceeded 30 MPG on the highway with the 5AT vs the 4AT on the 99.
Best TL generation imo, if you were lucky enough to get the updated automatic transmission under warranty. I still miss mine.
I was just thinking that I missed the Legend and was humorously connecting it with drug lords. Then here we are, with Gus Fring getting into the TL...
Man, I remember when those first came out. I was in love.
I remember the headlights on these were so cool back then
What was co cool about them?
One of the Best of the best!!!
I worked in VQD at MAP when these came out, great cars!!
Amazing value with these cars considering the Acura Vigor that started the segment for Honda was around $24K base in 1992 when it launched. They were as popular as the 98+ Accord they are based on. You literally saw them everywhere. Honda took it to the next level with the 2004 TL. They were literally 10-15 years ahead of everyone else at that time. The cool oddball TL is the 1995/1996 3.2 TL where they redesigned the Vigor and gave it the V6. I had an uncle who bought a 96 new and kept it as a daily driver until 2016. Parts availability is what forced the car to retire.
I race Honda boys in clapped out TLs all the time. If it can survive the constant abuse of ricers it's a pretty good car lol
That would make you a Honda boy as well.
@@ceasartan6041 you can appreciate a car without wanting to own one. I'm a Volvo guy
@@linkthegunner my bad.. I miss read your comment. I thought you had a TL yourself.
woww I didn't know chinese could make something good enough to compete against best of Japanese engineering
@@savemankind738 great b8
This was the first good looking Acura sedan.
Listening to John Davis' introduction, there was another reason why Acura lost market share in the 90's. It was the overnight success of Lexus after its 1990 introduction, and Lexus soon became Japan's #1 luxury brand, a title it still holds today.
They sold tons of Legends and Integras until 1995 when the Legend was discontinued. Far more than Lexus did with LS400 and ES250/300.
The difference was the customer. Lexus went directly after the Mercedes customer and that's why their cars just looked like Japanese Mercedes. Acura went after the enthusiast that wanted reliability and all weather driving. All of Acuras models at the time we're offered with manual transmissions.
It was actually a perfect scenario because the boring people went for the Lexuses and the enthusiast went for the Acuras, and those that wanted to be different went for the Q45.
The TL-S that wore this same skin with the 6MT might be my favorite Acura outside of the Legend Coupe 6mt.
Thanks John.🥶
I had a 3.2 CL. Try to find one of those now 😂
I have one for sale in the same color
I loved mine. Had a 2003 CL-S with the six speed, bought it new and it was still one of my favorite vehicles I've ever owned.
Damn this car is beautiful. I have an 06 with a 6 speed. It’s sooo reliable.
The glass trasnmission car. Build quality of a wet sheet of paper. It was loaded for the price
I always remember these for the dangling overhead grab handle that wouldn’t retract back into the roof automatically.
"Gotta love acura 3, great car and 2tl is the best trim model" 😂😂 typo in title
*Title* you almost had the perfect burn 😂
This generation had crap transmissions for the V6. I had a 99 V6 EX accord, pretty much the same car, and went through 3 transmissions in a year.
Greta car especially the Type-S version. Miss mine!!
I miss my TL Type S
That model year had the infamous transmission issues if i can recall.
It was smooth as glass. And, unfortunately, as reliable as if it was made from glass.
I'm not sure if Honda did a recall, but they definitely replaced a lot of them under warranty.
Not this year, 2000-2003 TLs and CLs with the 5 speed automatic.
No 1999 had the 4 speed automatic transmission.
The 2000-2003 had the problematic 5 speed Transmission. But other vehicles with the 5 speed had problems also.
I have the 99 and never have any issues with it.
This was a sleek design especially the refreshed type S
Anyone else notice when the guy pulled the storage pocket on the back of the passenger seat, the entire seat back cover almost came off with it?😂
Acura is more like a Honda+. They never produce a rear wheel drive or V8 competitor to the likes of Mercedes Benz S Class or BMW 7 Series. Even the E Class or 5 Series for that matter. Infiniti and Lexus were true competitors to the Germans. Honda was the first to create a luxury division for the States but Toyota and Nissan brought real competition to the game.
I disagree. Why follow the Germans. They don’t drive well in winter.
Lexus drives like a Buick what a waste of RWD. Acuras drove more like RWD. Infiniti, look where they are at and they always looked like Nissans.
Why copy the Germans may as well buy one. I like the fact that Acura offered something different t and could beat these RWD cars on a track.
This was true for a long time. But, these days, all three Japanese luxury brands are lacking in crucial areas, especially Infiniti. Lexus has also fallen way behind competitors in every class it competes in (with the exception of RX). Then, Genesis came out of the gate swinging showing what a modern Asian luxury brand should be like. Those three have a lot of work to do to catch up and it seems like none of them want to put in the work despite having the capital.
@@austing4321 Once upon a time Lexus, Infiniti and Acura enjoyed success battling their German rivals. Today, it’s a different story. The new Infiniti QX80 is their best product in years. Hopefully in the near future all three will return to their original formula that made them popular, desirable cars. Still would love to see a rear wheel drive V8 from Acura though. Since downsizing is the trend I know it’s not likely.
Cool car.
These had transmission problems
Not this model year, but 2000 to 2003.
Yep, 00-03 models were plagued like most Honda 5-spds of the era. But the 6spd Type-S was the way to go anyway!
@@hellkitty1014 It should be pointed out that only the CL Type-S had the 6-spd manual option...strange that there was no manual option for this 2nd-gen TL.
@@KardiFan2000Yes, it's strange, but at the time, Soichiro Honda had just recently passed away, and Honda was a little bit lost, and they decided to follow in the boring footsteps of Lexus and made all of their cars softer and less sporting, except for the Integra, which was a moneymaker. They later realized their mistake and offered the TL in manual again, But by that point it was too late because the American build quality of the TL was not as good as the Japanese made Legend and the fourth generation TL was so ugly that it didn't sell well.
The honda inspire
@@punemax Yup. Exported from America to Japan as the Inspire.
@@KardiFan2000and also the Saber
So basically the perfect car.
A lovely Camry.
That would be the Lexus ES
Built in Ohio, loved everywhere.
@@AsiaWatson-ln9gk LMAO!!
I have this car !
Wow $57,000 car!
225hp?
Thats quite alot of power
Nice
The 1st and 2nd gen Integras were nice but the rest were ehhh especially the MDX
What happened to the clever comments in the video description?
I just checked Autotrader, to see how many Acura TLs (2008 or earlier) there are available for sale in Ontario, Canada that are certified by dealers for sale = 3.
Similarly, there are a total of 8 2008 or earlier Toyota Corollas available for sale. Almost 3 times as many. That shows you that a Toyota lasts longer.
wtf. no. it shows they sold more Corollas. duh
😅 dealer installed floor matts
My girl had one 🤣
I’ve been in an 03 base facelift TL and I liked it, but it didn’t feel as solid or quiet as a Lexus ES of the time.
Horrible transmissions in these cars
That was a choke point for many Honda products back then....maybe its a thing of the past now
@@Bruce.-Waynethey finally got the transmission stuff sorted around 2007, then a few years later promptly handed things off to ZF who used that hateful 9-speed with the turd that was the 1st gen TLX.
Is do they still make Acura tlx still made in ohio anymore?
With one less butchered sentence and less typing you could’ve figured this out on your own.
@ensignjimmy3237 I was talking to my phone it repeats things I didn't say. That car is called tlx now so it hasn't been talked about in a while about were the Acura is being made anymore. And I don't appreciate your attitude with your comment.
@@bradkalman2353 I stand by my comment that the information you seek is readily available on the vast interwebs…and since that seems to be difficult…yes the TLX is still made in Ohio.
@@bradkalman2353to answer your question, yes, they still make the TLX and it’s built in Ohio, but sales are tanking and it probably won’t be around much longer.
That Navi looks downright dreadful
It was high tech then. Acura brought the in car Nav to the US with the 1996 RL
*2004-08 TL 6MT, the BEST sports sedan Acura has ever built, including the new overweight, overhyped and overpriced TLX-S.*
2G Legend 6MT a close second.
When cars were real, no ipads with wheels!
I didn't realize these were already around in 1998 until much later during the next generation in the late 2000s. Saw my first example in 1999, not sure it was instead new for 2000.
It was an okay car, that felt like a large midsize and clearly a reskinned Euro Accord. Didn't like the facelift in early 2001.
Honda clearly had been pining to get away from the Audilike Vigor lineage of the original TL and put this out in only 3 1/2 years.
The transmission from any Honda or Acura V6 had a high rate of failure, Honda has never recovered it’s reputation for reliability since.
"American made" There is the down fall
Not quite. It was the fact that they replaced the bulletproof 4 speed automatic transmission with a less reliable 5 speed in 2000.
This was the beginning of the end for Accure, unfortunately. The Legend being called the Legend is very fitting.
This was the beginning of the downfall for Honda/Acura. Soon the massive transmission failures would tarnish the brand.
@@johnjones393 Wrong! Honda ( and Toyota) front wheel drive automatic transmissions had established a poor reputation long long before the TL showed its face, so get your facts straight buster!