-V6 engine (140k)
-great power, even fully loaded with passengers
-trunk space
-rear passenger room
-This car has everything, even reading lights for the rear passengers!
-410 miles to the 18g tank

For a 1988 car, it has things today's car's lack.

My '88 Legend has truly been a testament for the longevity of Honda cars. Original engine, transmission, paint, rims, rotors, etc. In the past year, I've reupholstered the interior with new leather, installed a mp3/ipod deck, and tinted the windows, and an after market alarm. Now that this car is "modernized" its an even better car. With so many Legends still out there, most of them in sh*t condition, imagine how long mine and others like mine will last when kept in great shape.

Power, mostly all the luxury options, decent interior, excellent buy for the price

No fog lights, some rattling on occassion from the seat.

This car is GREAT! I had to write a review due to all the bad it receives here. As stated by another reviewer, this is the only site I see a lot of negativity on. I purchased my car as certified and I religiously have it maintenanced. The car has treated me better than some incdividuals I see with newer cars. The dealer is excellent! I get a loaner when maintenanced and the car gets washed. They even replaced my tranny because they did not like the way it looked. Great customer service and followups. I have 87,000 and the car still runs like new and looks new. It is by far the best car I've owned. All the bells and whistles, power and descent look, although I like the 2004-2006 look better. Handles great in all kinds of weather. I would highly recommend this car but if you buy used than I would certainly make sure it was certified. As with any car, you MUST keep the car maintenanced to get the most out of it. I also had a 1998 Acura CL that treated me GREAT! Acura certainly has a reliable product and they have been ranked tops in reliability for years and it shows.

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BMW 325, Maxima, Acura CL, Ford Explorer, Chrysler Pacifica, Nissan 200x, Cadillac, Toyota Celica

Looks great.

My car rattles and my seat squeeks.
Just recently it started to buck (I am using 89 octane gasoline) and it stalls.
I brought it to the dealership and picked
it up the following day. I have only
had it back for 1 day and it happened again today. THe interesting thing
is each time it had stalled I had just
come back from driving about 40 miles on
the highway and came off to slower traffic. That is when it seemed to run
rich and felt like it was bucking and
then stalled. I am dropping it off again on Monday. Doesn't have good gas mileage. When I have the rear window defogger on the "FM" radio has static

Let me start by saying I fell in love
at first sight. I had owned a Toyota
Camry for the last 7 years and NEVER
had any problems. The charm of the TL
really caught my eye. I loved all the
extras that came with the car. This was
the first time I had ever owned a V6 and
had been quite impressed with the kick
and power the car demonstrated. My husband (a racecar driver) actually enjoyed test driving my TL. I was on
my way to the Toyota dealership and
the Acura dealership came first on the Hwy. I hadn't driven anything else
and saw this car and that was it for me.

Power, handling, especialy good steering.

Transmition delay and the rest in my
review

Not a bad car to drive, but:
1. The front suspensions was squeaking shamelessly , when I went last spring to Florida (heat and dry ).
As soon as I was back in NJ the squeaking is gone. The car had 18,000 miles.
2. A few days ago (the first warm day in NJ this spring)I turned air condition on and no cool air.
Made an appointment with Acura service.
The rep said I would have to pay $175 for refrigerant if nothing is wrong with Air conditioner.
Since the car is under warranty I will ask to check the clicking sound while turning the steering wheel to the limit on both sides.
3. Today I checked the brakes and rear pads are due for replacement.

The car has 23,000 miles and was driven
very smoothly
My last car was 1990 Maxima I drove for 10 years and 190000 miles and it was real worry free car.
My wife drives 1998 Maxima (87,000 miles) and I cannot recall any problem yet.
Did not charged air conditioner yet and brake pads lasted about 45,000 miles.
But you cannot compare these two cars.
The Acura is much faster and powerful
car.

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The last two:
Maxima 1990, Maxima 1998.

Style, Reliability, Power, Vehicle Stability Assist, Ease of Entry and Departure, Heated Seats, Climate Control system, Comfort.

Mileage, Resale Value (if high mileage), Dealer Service Pricing

Those of you out there who aren't happy with your Acura TLs, esp. the Type-S, need to take a step back and think about if you really take good care of your car. As a domestic only driver since age 16, I was loyal to a fault. A Ford Explorer changed that. Had a Volkswagen, Lexus, and was actually anti-Honda. I don't go for hype. Went to Acura, salesman told us to go to Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and the others. He told us to drive them and if we liked them better, to buy them. If we liked the Acura better, to come back. Well, we bought the TL in April 2003 and loved it. We bought the CL Type S coupe in May 2003. We then bought the Acura MDX Touring Edition in August 2004. We bought mom a 2005 Accord coupe (since Acura discontinued their mid size coupe) and she loves it. Here's the deal: Acura is the best kept secret in the import luxury market. But I want to spread the word. We had a Lexus. It's all about the emblem and the need to say you have one. While I give props to them, they have nothing on the Acuras, and the Lexus costs a lot more. The TL Type-S we have, which has close to 60,000 miles on it for just about 3 years of driving, is amazing. It has not had any repair issues. The transmission recall thing, they checked it, and it was fine. The car is smooth, reliable as hell, and I still get people who literally stop their cars in the middle of traffic to tell me how much they think the car looks great, how they want to know what it is, and how they like it better still than the new models. It's a show-stopper! Now I service my car religiously at the dealer. Over the years, I learned that if you take care of your car, it will never leave you stranded. The car is a delight, and runs as well as the day we brought it home. We've been thinking about getting a new one to replace it, but when push came to shove, we realized why mess with a good thing? This car has it all, and it will last many more years. We got into Acura, after a friend who still drives his 1989 Legend Coupe shared how reliable his car has been, and how he thinks nothing of taking off for a trip in it, after all these years. For his retirement, he bought a 2003 TL Type-S just like ours, but he keeps that in for special weekend drives, and still runs around town in his '89 Legend. Another friend has a '92 Legend, he bought used, and it's as smooth and reliable as my car. His other half just bought a new '05 TL, so we'll see what she has to say, in time, but he's just as happy with his '92 as we are with our '03. Acura has it going on in so many ways. My only wish is that they'd enter the hybrid world. My other wish is that Acura would come out with a convertible. So if any of you have bad things to say about the TL, you need to really think about how the car has been cared for, and consider that. Acura TL is a fantastically fun car, reliable, stylish, and a great car for the money. Other cars may seem to have more, but you will pay for it. For $35,000 you are getting an amazing driving machine that won't leave you sorry. Let me

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The acceleration is more than plenty to get me out of a jam. there is a slight delay in delivery though. If you need more power, you probably need a highway without cops. interior is well appointed, seats are comfy, the back seat can fit a baby seat with ease (probably the only reason i didn't buy the legacy). exterior is big just the way i like my cars, especially when you're outnumbered by 18 wheelers. trunk is huge, can fit baby carriage and grocery, my jeep can't even do that. The creature comforts are plenty, ie, glare free( and defogger) side mirrors, auto dimming rear view mirror, radio controls on wheel, clean crisp sounds of radio, good quality leather, adjustible arm rest, 7yr,100k warranty on engine and tranny. i drive 100 miles a day, so i need the opulence and the comfort and the envious looks of other people.

according to the dealer, the Type S has the tranny problem, due to access heat at the 2nd and 3rd gear. I myself do detect some tranny confusion there, although very slight and not something that would scare me. i just wouldn't play with the triptonic and cruise too much and overburden it. the warranty takes care of that. everything is excellent!

I have just purchased this car 3 weeks ago as certified used. This was, I believe the best alternative to the accord(smiling rear) and camry(frumpy looking). besides if i wanted them with all the bells and whistles, i was looking to pay the same price as a new TL. I only went to the acura dealer for S+G's, just to see what they have. they showed me a used TL '03 with 13K, i knew the gods were smiling. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. The price I paid includes taxes and everything. This is the only site I hear people complaining about this vehicle, so i posted. Go to edmunds and MSN and all you hear are accolades. i highly recommend giving the used ones a look, especially if you like more bang for the buck.

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i drove a '97 ford taurus, VW jetta, dodge stratus before, i know what lemon is. my other car is an '04 4runner,fastest/fantastic jeep for the money and it doesn't sit on a minivan/truck platform!

The styling. How everything is include, makes the price good, especially if you like "bells and whistles". 270 horsepower is nice - definately enough to get out of a jam. If great styling and high tech for a low price is more important than that extra edge of power and handling, buy the TL. If you don't mind a bit of a sacrifice in styling and don't mind paying a bit extra for upgrades and want a small edge on handling and horsepower, buy the G35. If handling and power is really important and you can either go without upgrades, or pay a lot more, buy a BMW. I forgot to mention that I really like how both front windows have auto up AND down. And I've had my care for almost two months and just figured out that you can roll all windows open and closed with the key in the drivers door - cool feature. The Navigation System is very user friendly. The Handsfree Link is very good and easy to use if you take the time to master it.

Continued from above: the driver's side window had a bubble right in the center. It bothered me so I had it swapped out. The back glass had three rings that looked like coffee cup rings whenever it rained. My guess is that it came from the suction cups that were used to install the glass at the factory. I had no problem having both windows swapped out for no charge in just a couple hours - took several days for the parts to come in. The back window is kind of small which creates rather big blind spots. I guess this is one sacrifice for the great design. I installed wide angle mirror circles on my side mirrors to help remedy the problem. I'm also surprised that the turning radius is not better. Also, the trunk is smallish, another sacrifice for design. I would love to see an MP3 jack incorporated on future models.

This review is to help answer all the unique questions I had when I was researching entry level luxury sedans -If you've had a hard time finding answers about about some of the TL's unique features, maybe this will help. I actually have a 2005 (but review sheet isn't allowing for 2005's yet) As far as I know, the 2005 is basically the same as the 2004. I've been driving an SUV for the past 8 years, but now that my wife is driving the 2004 MDX, I wanted a car to avoid owning two SUVs. We love the MDX, so I decided to buy the TL - now we're a two Acura family. I love the look of the TL. Mine is the dark gray (anthracite metallic) with quartz interior, with Navigation. I love technology, gadgets, quality and style, so this is the car for me. I have read some consumer reviews about some tech difficulties. I've had none so far and have been very pleased. The Motorola V710 Bluetooth phone has proven to work very well with the TL Handsfree Link. I had to fork out about $400, but well worth it. I use HFL all the time. You have to pair it each time you remove the phone from the car or when you turn off the engine, but it's way easier than the innitial pairing. I can now do it without looking. Callers have no difficulty hearing even the backseat passengers as if they were talking directly into the phone. It's a great feeling when I'm listening to music and the radio turns itself down to allow for the incoming call ring. All I have to do is push a button,(I recommend waiting about a second) then say "hello". I had some difficulties at first with outgoing calls because I thought I had to hold the button in the whole time while giving voice commands. The HFL works best if you push the button, release it, then give your command immediately. Never wanted XM Radio, but now I'm hooked. I love showing off the DVD surround sound system by playing the demo disk. Hearing is believing - the Steeley Dan song with the instruments to the left and right and the backup singers sounding like their in the back seat - wow! The navigation system is great and very easy to use. I wish it had Infiniti's birdseye view, but it's still far superior to others. Having the dedicated dvd player for the Nav system is essential. I've been in BMWs and Hummers that didn't have that. Way to go Acura! The voice recognition works really well now that I read the directions and follow the rules. The TLs interior seems first class to me. Not a Bently, but great for the price. The dash is not molded plastic, but padded. The brushed steel and black carbon fiber style accents are very attractive. I really like the little compartments everywhere, the sliding center arm rest and the deep cup holders. Just wish that the center compartment's power outlet would work with the engine off so I could charge my phone when not in the car. Way cool are the blue lights that shine on the center console at night. I really like how the car's computer can recognize driver 1 and 2 by the key used. Everything just slides into place. I know most luxury cars have similar features today, but what sold me was that Acura offers only two basic packages: everything and everything with Navigation. I looked seriously at the Infinity G35 and BMW 3 series. They all started around the same price, but with Infinitie's and especially BMW's a la carte menus, they ended up costing way more than Acura. Same applied when I bought our MDX. I really like the exterior design of the TL. In a time where cars seem to come out of a cookie cutter, I think the TL really stand out nice. Without going over the top like let's say, the Infinity FX. I am especially attracted to the back profile and the side lines. I seriosly considering upgrading to chrome wheels, but can't completely justify the expense. I don't like the 20 spoke chrome Acura offers. One option is to have the existing wheels chromed for about $150 each, not including the tempory wheels I would have to find while mine are being worked on for two weeks (all according to estimate). I have had a few positive comments about the look of my TL, which is nice to hear. I am not a racecar driver, so the comments about the TL's less than perfect handling at high speeds don't really concern me. All I care about is having the ability to accelarate quickly when I really need to and to feel fairly comfortable negotiating turns at a moderately fast speed. I feel the TL acchieves this just fine. As for the front wheel drive, I have to agree that rear wheel would be better. Maybe Acura will listen to everyone's comments and switch to rear wheel drive for the TL's future re-design. I've had a couple probems so far. Just like another reviewer, I received my TL with a minor ding on the trunk. I didn't notice it for a couple days, but I'm 99% sure I didn't do it. That .1% unsurity kept me from taking the problem to Acura. See below for more problems.

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The ride is confortable

Repairs, Recalls, lack of responsibility by Acura to recognize poor craftsmanship. Left sitting on the side of the road over a "Recall" flaw

Very Disappointed. At first it was a thrill to drive and have. But there were a lot of hidden problems. I purchased my vehicle used from a Acura Dealership in May, 2001. I was not aware of the faulty brakes and rotors. They tend to warp, which requires sanding to make them smooth to avoid a shimmey when you hit the brakes. Well they were sanded twice, pads and rotors replaced once at their expense. Keep in mind this was all within a timespan of less than 2 years. Then in May, 2003 I took it in for a tune up and the shimmey had returned. This time I was told I had to pay for the sanding. Now here we are 3 years out and rotors and brakes are needed front and back. I drove a 92 Nissan Maxima for 9 years and only had one set of brakes and rotors. It is a known fact the Acura brakes/rotors are defective. But we the owners are left with a costly repair. So in 3 1/2 years I have had two sets of rotors and 4 sets of brake pads. It seems my car has developed every "Recall" problem! A headlamp went out and the first thing out of the service techs mouth was "That's not suppose to happen they are suppose to last for life" needless to say it was $220 life long lesson. I met all of my service obligations and this car is still costing a fortune. Today's repairs/brakes will cost $1000 and the service tech told me I still need at least $1400. So out of pocket expense for the next 3 months will be $2400. I had my Maxima for 9 years and never spent more than $600 a year on repairs and maintenance. The last six months I had it, I spent $2000 which to me was expected considering I had it so long and was not making a car payment. At that point I was just replacing my clutch. Now I have a "Recall" about transmission flaws on a car that I've had less than 4 years.

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None

Electrical and mechanical design

Acura engineering is inadequate. The value-for-the-money business case comes with frustrating shortcuts in workmanship and design. This is the virtual luxury vehicle with the lacklustre performance to match. Acura is nothing more than another compromised japaneese product with cheap leather seats.

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handling, interior room

Poor mechanical reliability, driver's position.

I've been very disappointed with this car. With just over 60,000 miles, I have spent over $2,000 fixing things that should just not break on a Honda product. The starter went out, a steering linkage broke, the VTEC system is constantly needing attention, the check engine light has come on 3 times-each one needing over $300 to fix. The car drives nice, but I don't like the driver's position. My wife, who drives it all the time, loves it. Lot's of room. But I'll be buying a different brand next time.