a friend of mine has decided to get rid of his camry for either a

2k max auto, OR a 99 TL OR was it 00 01 TL that soon turned into a 5spd auto?

how do all these match up against each other?

i believe TL has tranny problems, any side effects with the 2k?

 

match up in acceleration

 

2k Max will be much cheaper. Yes the Acura have some tranny issues. Acura is a nicer car with more amenities.

 

The 99 had a 4sp auto (a la 6G Honda Accord). Between the two, I'd get the TL and upgrade the wheels (plus 1). Some guy @ my commuter park/ride lot has TLS wheels/tires on his 99 TL and it looks great.

As far as reliability, my next door neighbor bought his 99 3.2TL w/Navi new in 98 and its had its share of shoptime; However, it was a 1st year production run for the 2G TL so, they are prone to more problems than the other 2G years.

That said, the Y2K Max should be MUCH cheaper to purchase.

 

very match up in acceleration
just the 1 gen TL had tranny problem. The TL are great car very quite but the Max is more fun to drive

 

I owned a '99 3.2TL. It was a great car, much more luxurious then my Max. After they converted to the 5-spd auto in '00 there tended to be some issues. I've heard stories of guys having to go through several trannies because they would just drop a gear during normal driving and blow. The '99s very rarely had this problem. If I was to chose either an auto Max or a TL, i'd pick the TL. But if you are going for a manual then there's no competition.

 

My mother owns a 2k3 TLS and I must say its a far nicer car than my 2k2 SE. I would assume that this would apply to the cars your friend is looking at as well. The fit and finish of the Acura is just a level above the Nissan. But then again, you pay more for the Acura so it should be that way.

 

I've had (or still having) the same dilema.
I'll be in the market soon and 00 TL and 00 MAX are in my shopping list.
I've been reading a lot of posts both here for max and acuraworld.com for TL.
in my opinion from reading up others say, TL's more refined/luxurious than Max. But it's got horrible tranny problems (not only 00+ 5spd, but also 99 yr 4spd as well.) Acura extended the tranny warranty upto 7yr/100k miles but I don't want to get through the hassle once my tranny dies. I know the auto tranny in max is not perfect either but I still have a choice to go for manual (I prefer). Auto trannys in general are more problemetic than manuals and more expensive to fix once broke down. So in the end I rulled out TL from my list.

If you don't drive hard, must have auto and you get low mileage TL, at least you have extended warranty whereas tranny in max is not covered.

I found 2k TL's are more expensive than 2k max and even more so than 2k I30.
You may consider I30t instead of max. that's more comparable to TL. 2k i30t has HID as standard and more expensive than TL when it was new but cheaper or same used.

YJ

 

True. The I30t is the best of both worlds: the sportiness of the Maxima SE but the luxury of the TL (sans Navi option)

Anthunny, what's your price range?? Depending on your budget, you may be able to squeeze out a good deal on a loaded 2k2/3 Maxima (VQ35DE!!! ).

 

The tranny problem in the 5spd auto in the TL is ugly.

I personally had a 02 TL Type-S and ended up selling it after the second tranny dropped. The first one dropped after 12,000 miles........the second one dropped 5,000 miles after they put it in. I had to wait 4 weeks to get my car back because trannies were dropping faster than a cheerleaders panties on prom night and Acura couldn't keep up with it. It's not just the TL that has the problem though........ANY Honda vehicle from 99 on that has the 5spd auto tranny can have this failure. And it's a nasty one too depending on how fast you are going at the time of failure. If memory serves, it's the 3rd gear service pack (bearings) that fails. Once it goes, it's gone and you will never get the car higher than 2nd gear. The problem being......if you are driving at a quick rate of speed and the tranny drops............be prepared. The car will downshift itself to 2nd gear. When mine dropped I was going about 85mph. Dropping to 2nd gear at 85mph doesn't feel real good and isn't good for any other driver around you.

I sold the TL-S for an 02 Max. I miss the luxury of the Acura........but I'll take the Max over it anyday.

 

good testimony on TL 5spd auto tranny failure. Too bad you had to go through all that.

I'm now having my eye on 2k max se 5spd(manual) or 99 3.5 RL. I'm either going all the way LUXURY (3.5RL) or all the way SPORTY(MAX SE). The price diff. will be about 3-4 grand (Canadian) higher for 3.5RL though.
14-15K C$ (MAX SE) vs. 17-18K C$ (RL).
Still can't decide. Hopfully I make up my mind when I actually go shopping for it in about a month.

 

I've owned an RL as well. Nothing (in that price range) can touch the RL when it comes to luxury. I "downsized" from the RL to the TL-S and I missed it everyday. If power under the hood is a consideration, the RL is far from being a beast. It can handle itself with ~220hp (if I remember correctly) but it is a heavy vehicle. The only thing (in my opinion) that would make the RL better would be for Honda/Acura to use a V8 so it could compete on a more level playing field with the other flagship sedans.

 

jtortorella, you've had all of my favorite cars. I'm jealous
I like RL as it is now (for me at least). All the other brand flagships (LS 400/430, Q45, etc.) are RWD. Here in Canada (Quebec/Ontario), I would want to avoid RWD due to heavy snow falls during winter. 220 something HP on RL should be adquate for me since I don't drive hard. One thing I'm concerned about is POOR GAS MILEAGE on RL. it consumes GAS as if it's V8 engined car (not from my experience though. based on testimony and spec.).
Other than that it's a great value for what it is. Thanks for unpopularity (blend styling. I've always liked it from the introduction in 96 though), the price for used 99 is what I can afford. On par or less than fully loaded compact cars (civic, sentra, corola etc.)
Either it's going to be MAX or RL, I can't wait to have it. too bad it's gotta be another month or so.

 

Rumor has it that they will still use a V6 but with an output upwards of 270bhp much like the TL. I'd imagine they try for a flatter torque curve. But the big news is AWD. Acura really need to drop the FWD platform, it's getting beat by AWD and RWD competitors.

 

if you can afford it, go TL, itll be worth it in the long run!...

 

What extra amenities? My 2k SE has Bose, Leather, Heated/power seats, heated mirrors, auto climate control, etc...When I bought my 2k I also test drove the Acura. It has all the sensible design that HOnda/Acura is known for (My previous cars were Honda EX coupe and Integra). That said, it was several grand more than the maxima (and the one I drove wasn't as loaded as my maxima), and most importantly, WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITH A STICK SHIFT.
That sealed the deal.....

 

i would have to say that 03 maxima is faster than 03 TL, on TLS its neck and neck, so for performance, maxima is far better for its money, you can take the money you would have spent for a TLS and upgrade your MAX for better results. but far as a luxurious side, i would have to go with the TL, it looks so much nicer than the MAX, but im sure thats different for all of you, but as far as performance wise, MAX, hands down

 

I test drove a 00 TL for 2 days. Very nice car with alot of amenities including Navigation. I thought at its pricepoint (new) it had too much road noise, tranny downshifted weird at lower speeds, and the TL was too small. I could live with it but just couldnt go for it. My previous 02 Max SE is larger, tranny smoother, and that 3.5L ....Yes the TL is nicer but overall I like the Max better.

I did sell the Max which I regret but I just bought an 00I30t. Overall I like this car better than the 02 Max. Like the above post mentions, the I30 is a nicer car with qualities of the TL and Max at a good price. I do miss the VQ35

Sam

 

why dont they just make VQ35 I30?
wouldnt that make people much happier?

 

uhhh you mean a I35??? they have those

 

there is a vq35 equipped i30...it's called the i35

 

damn this computer took 6 minutes for it to respond!

 

I wouldn't go with the Acura for sure. I had a 2001 CL Type S and after all the problems I had with that I will never buy any Acura ever again. The TL has many tranny issues also. I had a 2002 Maxima SE and really liked it before I traded it for an Lexus IS 300. As for the 2000 model year Maxima, I think it would be a good choice.

 

Do some research on Carreview.com and you will see that the Acura has had tranny problems. I am surprised because its a Honda. Read the Maxima reviews and you wont see any bad reviews or especially trannys going out.

 

to get comments from the other side...

www.acura-tl.com

 

I was a believer in Honda after owning a 2000 Civic Si that I put 70000 miles on and had no problems with. I unfortunately got into an accident and totaled the Si. I had intentions of purchasing a 02 Max SE, but the deal fell through. I was highly considering buying a 01 CLS, but I have read so much about the tranny problems recently that I might change my mind. I would still love to find a nice 02-03 Max SE 6 speed with leather within 50 miles or so of Yardley. I just don't know if I am going to find a certified Max with the 100000 mile powertrain warranty. I really don't know what to do.

 

about the tranny problems on the CL-S...that only pertains to the auto tranny. I believe the 6spd version is actually flawless.

Okay not flawless, but i have never heard complaints.

 

but they offer a massive trannty warranty. I def think the TL is the best choice, reliablity and value. Residual value is great too.

 

Go with an I30t or an I35! They are a great value. I got my I30 for $19k (well, before CA taxes... Ended up at $23k) in mint condition with only 18k miles on it!

Fast, Sexy, and you can bring her home to meet the parents. Shes got manners.

 

yeah, stick is max faster, auto max is slower. Auto to auto, TL will win. I have had a personal experience on that, screw "its a drivers race" I couldnt even catch up after 90.

 

Was this a NEW 2004 TL? If it were 2k3 vs. 2k3 Autos I would have thought the max would pull. I guess I havent been giving the Acura the respect it deserves.

That said, Im still glad I got my I30 over the TL.

 

No. It was my friends 2002 TL type S against my 2003 Maxima SE Titanium Ed. I had the GAB, and we were pretty even... His tranny is much to quick in shifting... but we were even until 90 then his better gear ratios of his 5speed auto just pulled on my bigger 3rd gear. In the low end Id pull, but the acura seems to have a nice powerband through the rpm ranges. I love acura because they dont really get any respect. They always work hard for better enginered cars. Now, they are coming out with somthing called SH-awd, which is supposed to be the best AWD system out there.