guys if i was to buy a new car right now. what woul du sugest a 2k2 max ir 2k2 tl type s? because now they cost about the same. and TL-S look a lot better inside, and is a lot more luxurios then the max. also it has tipronic tranny, and more hp a lil. for the same price. what do you think?

 

I think the Maxima looks better inside. Anyways, I would say test drive both of them. Black on Black Acura type-s with the bodykit they have at the dealership is pretty sweet. I love that car. I'd say go with the Acura. I'm probably the only person here who would say that though.

 

nah man...if price was the same, and the tl-s was out when i got my max, i might be at another forum rite now....love my max, but 260-hps stock...tip-tronic.....dont they have like 300watt bose too? however if u want manual, 6-spd max dawwwwwg
atw

 

I agree that you should test both cars then judge for yourself.

 

I also looked at both. Currently I own a 99 SE. If prices are the same, then that's another story. In Canada similarly equipped TLS cost about $2,500US more ($25,000 or so for the loaded SE, and $28,000 for the TLS). I hear in the US they are quite a bit closer.

Exterior:

Some think the Maxima is ugly, other love the aggressive look. The TL-S is conservative and seldom offensive. It looks more classy IMO.
The dual exhausts look nice.

Interior:

The Max has more headroom as the brochure shows, and I feel the same. For some reason various individuals said the TL-S is more roomy. I drove the TL-S a few months ago and liked the interior. It does feel different than the Max.

Performance:

Hard to say because the numbers aren't out. The sport-shift of the TLS on paper is faster than the Auto Max, but the 6 speed Max is supposed to be faster because of more torque, less weight, and less power loss. Either way both are fast.

Reliability:

My 99 has been solid. I haven't seen too many negative posts here.
Some common problems with the TLS and CLS include weak brakes, rotor problems, tranny issues, sunroof squeak, passenger side seat belt hitting the pillar, misaligned bumpers, etc. Go to both www.acura-tl.com and www.acura-cls.com and post some questions there. Warranty will cover all that stuff.

The VQ engines are smooth and well liked. I can't say much about customer services of Acura vs Nissan.

Hmm, what else? I think the Acura name gets more attention/praises.
Drive both and see which one has LESS things that you don't want to live with.

Here is a link to the CLS Forum discussion

http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...threadid=51753

Keep in mind that even the most expensive cars can have reliability issues :-)

 

While shopping for my Max (I got a 02 SE) I looked at the Base TL but the engine didn't measure up to the Max. They also had a TL-S w/1000 miles that they were selling at invoice $28,995. I test drove this one and thought the engine was the the equal to the Max - with the Max a bit smoother, the TL-S really screams when pushed - I didn't like it. The TL-S did handle well. I took some on-ramps quite fast and it really stuck - handling goes to the TL-S. Everything else is a toos-up. I like the Max seats better. The Tip-tronic is nice but there is a delay when you upshift - it would take some getting use to. With the gated shifter in the Max I think the Tip. is less of an advantage. Also, a timing belt on the TL - no chain. As far as price I guess you're considering MSRP. They don't move much on TL's in my area and I got my Max at invoice. My advise is test drive, test drive, and test drive.

 

I had a CL-S vs. 02Max dilemma but after going back and forth on test drives i ended up getting the Max.

I wanted the Tl-S but i didn't like how it looked, too boring for me on the outside and handling was a misnomer in my opinion. It felt like i was driving a much bigger car than it was.

Anyway, with the Cl-S vs. Max:

CL-S Pro:
- Pretty roomy
- Power seats on both driver and passenger
- Lots of features that are standard
- Acura customer service (e.g. free loaner car, etc.)

Con:
- Though roomy, it still felt smaller than the Max and driving it felt like it was too big for me.
- Dime a dozen. Too many cl-s/tl-s where i'm from
- Tiptronic that won't let you go from 1-2 on your own. It upshifts too early. Though you can manually control 3-5.
- Given it's a VTEC engine i got tired of having to rev up to redline to get the maximum power from the engine.

Max Pro:
- Very roomy and felt more solidly built
- Better and more comfy seats
- More torque
- Smoother engine that just begs to be pushed
- Felt stronger and faster on the road (by feel)
- Cheaper (i didn't want to pay for options, i got the base SE. No sense in paying for a sunroof i don't use, a BOSE radio that will get swapped out eventually, etc)
- I know it may just be me, but owning a Max is ... well... OWNING A MAX!
- Real gated shifter, sure it's not tiptronic but at least you can let it stay on 1st gear all day long if you really want to. Slow shifts? mod your VB

Con:
- Gas guzzler compared to the CL-S (couple of mpg difference)
- No standard free loaner car when servicing
- hmm... that's about all i can muster up.

Hope this helps you out a bit.

 

OK, maybe someone here can answer this one. The guy at Nissan told me that the new 3.5 VQ in both the Altima and Max have a version of the VTEC. He called it a CVTEC for "Continusly Variable" blah, blah blah. If this is true, then the Maxima and Altima would both scream and work better at higher RPM's. My point is that we can't complain now about better power at lower RPM's since both cars have to be Reved up a bit to really run. Has anyone else heard of this?

 

True, Nissan does have CVTC however the VQ engine can produce more power at a lower RPM than the Honda in this class.

For comparison:

TL/CL-S
260 Hp @ 6100 rpm
232 Tq @ 5500 rpm

Max
255 Hp @ 5800 rpm
246 Tq @ 4400 rpm

And given it's usually the torque that moves you especially from a stop having it in the lower rpm range makes it more useable especially in normal day-to-day traffic/driving.

Of course you can rev it up high up to redline but some people (like mme for example) prefer keeping it low on a daily basis and just pump it up when needed

 

Has anyone else heard the rumors about a 6-speed being avaliable in the TL-S or CL-S? Is this true? If so, that would be a great race vs. a Maxima 6-Speed.

 

CL-S should have a 6-speed next year.

VQ35DE has VVT, not VTEC or CVTEC. It's variable valve timing, not cam lift/duration.

If you're buying an automatic and don't need the little bit of extra room in the Maxima, buy a TL-S. Period. (hopefully) better customer service, nicer interior, etc.

If you want a manual... well duh.

If you don't care... then try it yourself, IMHO. I prefer TL styling to the Maxima, but that's just me. Power-wise... ohhhhh the VQ35DE. DROOL.

 

Nah, TL-S costs about $35K, and GLE you can get for under $30. If those $5K are not an issue, go with Acura...more upscale brand, better resale value, better service, no bad paint.

 

Actually it's CVTC for continuous variable valve timing and control. VVT/VVTL-i is a Toyota term.

But they all pretty much mean the same anyway.