My sister just bought a 99 3.2TL last week.

Let me explain...

I have always complained about the rattling noise from the rear speaker, but now I realise this. The bass is pretty punchy and clear compared to the Bose in the TL, then even the TL rattles slightly. I always thought the tweeters where alittle brassy on some notes. Ughh did I miss the highs when I drove the TL. That thing has no tweeters whatsoever.

The squeak from the center stack really annoyed me. The TL has numerous squeaks from the A-pillar and dash over bumps. Even after 50K miles, my Maxima still feels tight. I complained about the metallic click when I shut the doors, but the TL sounds thin.

Sometimes my engine would let loose a couple secondary vibration, nothing big. The TL lets out alot more through the steering wheel and you can even feel it through the seats.

Headlights, I always wanted HID's when I first saw them. Well guess what? The TL's headlights do have a horizontal cut-off like the Maaxima's, but the beam is alot les precise and defined as the Maxima's. On top of that, aside from the pretty white light it gives out, the Maxima tops it in road illumination. Light scatters less and is more focused. Driving in FOG with those HID's isn't something I hope to experience again.

I'm not ******* on the TL. This comparision could have been with any other car, it just happened to be with that one. I now realise that I've been taking my Maxima for granted.

 

Yea there was a problem it seems with the 99-2001 TL-CL cars. The 2002 they put alot more padding in the areas where it rattled. So far after 10k of miles mine has been quiet. The only thing that was making a noise was my sunroof seal was squeaking, but I just have to armorall that at least once a month and its quiet.

Dunno about the 99 TL since its headlights were much smaller than the 2001+ TL or CL, but mine are so good at night, its great. Spreads real nice, perfect cut offs. But our lights are about twice the size as the 99 TL was. So maybe they fixed that.

So not every manufacture is perfect I guess.

 

Is it me or is every car manufacture struggling to make a tight, squeak/rattle free car these days?

I don't remember one late model car that didn't rattle.

 

Those stock Bose system while not exceptional, it's leaps and bounds better than most stock systems. My buddy just got a BMW 325I and the Harmon/Kardon system in that thing just plain stinks.

 

I think the rattles have always been there, but today's car are just so much quiet (quieter engines, exhausts, tires) that interior rattles are much noticeable.