Acura TL - best in class

[wowo5]

W kategorii $30000-$45000 wg czasopisma Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4018597&src=Home&pos=Edit2

[drpawelek]

Nie pozostaje nic innego, jak tylko jeszcze raz pogratulowac zakupu. Ciekawe,
jak oceniasz proces kupna (dilera, finansowanie, serwis)? Co nie podoba Ci sie
w tym samochodzie? Ja bede zmienial samochod we wrzesniu i Acura TL ma powazne
szanse.

[drpawelek]

A Best in Class under 18k$ - VW New Beatle. Nie jestem za bardzo przekonany...

[wowo5]

Jestem bardzo zadowolony jak do tej pory (raczej powinienem byc bo na liczniku
dopiero 400 mil). Diler byl bardzo w porzadku. Nawet nie namawiali za bardzo na
niepotrzebne dodatki jak GAP insurance, Lojack itp. Jak powiedzialem, ze mnie
to nie interesuje to dali spokoj. Dorzucili mi za darmo weel locks i trunk
tray. Bez problemu dostalem pozyczke na 2,9%. Co do wad samochodu to sa dwie
jak do tej pory - kiepska widocznosc do tylu - plaga wiekszosci wspolczesnych
aut i duzy promien skretu - parkowanie wymaga przyzwyczjenia. Zastanawiam sie
czy nie zainstalowac czujnika parkowania (diler liczy sobie za to $750 z
instalacja). Jezeli mozesz to kup nawigacje - kokpit wyglada lepiej z
nawigacja. Do tego jest to najlepszy system nawigacyjny na rynku. Swietne jest
tez stereo. Wczoraj zapuscilem moim zdaniem najlepsza plyte wszechczasow -
"Dark Side of the Moon" - i mowe mi odjelo. Obok opcjonalnego systemu Mark
Levinson w Lexusach to jest zdecydowanie najlepszy fabryczny system audio na
rynku. Za Levinsona Lexus niezle sobie liczy, a w Acurze swietne stereo to
standard. Zadne Bose nie siega mu do piet. 99% ludzi nie ma tak dobrego
sprzetu stereo w domu. Moj system domowy jest lepszy ale nie tak bardzo
(powinien byc - kosztowal $3600).

[drpawelek]

Nawigacja w TL nie kosztuje chyba zbyt duzo. Wnetrze z nawigacja jest
rzeczywiscie znaczni ladniejsze - ogladalem kiedys obie wersje. Kilka nowych
samochodow choruje na zbyt duzy promien skretu m.in. Acura, chociaz najorsze
jest podobno volvo S80 - w jakims tescie napisano, ze do zawracania potrzebuje
boiska futbolowego.

Jest kilka rzeczy, ktore kiedys wydawaly mi sie w samochodzie calkowicie zbedne,
a teraz juz bez nich nie kupilbym nowego pojazdu. Nalezy do nich wlasnie czujnik
parkowania - bo w nowych samochodach widocznosc do tylu jest wlasciwie zerowa.
Urzadzenie dziala swietnie i bardzo ulatwia zycie w miescie. Dodatkowo - chroni
lakierowane zderzaki. Na drugim miejscu postawilbym ksenonowe swiatla -
precyzyjne i jasne. W tej chwili zwykle zarowki halogenowe wydaja mi sie zbyt
ciemne - prawie jak w starym maluchu z pradnica i kiepskim akumulatorem. Na
trzecim - automatyycznie podgrzewane siedzenia - niesamowicie podwyzszaja
komfort porannej jazdy do pracy!

[marekatlanta71]

Z tym systemem HiFi to zes strzelil - Acura RL ma system Bose bo firma robiaca
system do TL'ki nie byla w stanie zagwarantowac odpowiedniej (wysokiej) jakosci
dzwieku i musieli szukac innego producenta. Zajrzyj na strone Bose.com i zobacz
ktore samochody maja sprzet Bose...

BOSE

[drpawelek]

BOSE to firma glownie marketingowa - opinie o niej sa, jak pewnie wiesz, dosc
skrajne.

[marekatlanta71]

A ja tam w sprzet Bose wierze, ale nie jako high-end ale jako najlepsza
alternatywe cenowo-jakosciowo-wzornicza. Nawet najlepszy zestaw
mikro-glosniczkow Bose nie brzmi tak dobrze jak nawet niezbyt drogie
pelnowymiarowe kolumny JBL, ale bije na glowe jakiekolwiek inne zestawy
mikro-glosniczkow w podobnej cenie. Za to w samochodach Bose jest
niekwestionowanym liderem - to ze nawet Ferrari ma sprzet Bose o czyms swiadczy:
www.bose.com//flash/automotive/ferrari_kiosk/index.html
Maybach tez ma Bose:
www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/automotive/maybach/maybach.jsp
Maserati tez ma Bose:
www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/automotive/maserati/quattroporte.jsp
Porsche (wlacznie z Carrera GT) tez ma Bose:
www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/automotive/porsche/carrera_gt.jsp
Wszystkie Acury poza TL i najtanszym modelem RSX (na ktorych Honda
zaoszczedzila...) tez maja Bose:
www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/automotive/acura/rsx.jsp
Mysle ze to wystarczy....

[marekatlanta71]

Oooo - nie zauwazylem ze ten niedrogi pojazd tez ma sprzet Bose:
www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/automotive/mercedes/slr.jsp

Tylko maly disclaimer na koniec

[marekatlanta71]

Sa znacznie lepsze firmy produkujace sprzet audio - np:
www.burmester.de/index.html
Ale cena do jakosci dzwieku w przypadku Bose jest rewelacyjna.

[drpawelek]

Cos pewnie w tym jest. Clarion w moim 9-3 SS jest chyba najgorszym elementem
tego samochodu - wszyscy na niego narzekaja.

[marekatlanta71]

Jezdzilem kiedys Saab'em 9-3 i bylem dosc zadowolony z jakosci dzwieku - nie
byla rewelacyjna ale jak na samochod tej klasy to calkiem OK. Radio mojej Hondy
jest tak beznadziejne (pomimo ze podobno to ten sam model co w Acurze TSX) ze
czasem mam ochote ja sprzedac i kupic cos lepszego. Za to dzwiek w Pontiacu
(radio Delco + wzmacniacz i glosniki Bose) jest rewelacyjne. W kazdym razie
jednym z elementow testowania nastepnego samochodu bedzie odsluch muzyki.

Skopiowane z Saabnet:

[drpawelek]

The lease on my '02 9-5 Aero was up, and because of unfavorable rates, the lease
on an '05 would have been more than $100 higher per month. No thanks. As Mike
Lynch would say, I really got a "killer deal" back in '02 with 1.3% financing.

The car was nearly perfect! Other than routine maintenance, the only item
requiring attention was a rattling passenger-side window. (A well-known problem,
requiring some rubber pieces to be reinstalled)

I looked around and almost got the new BMW 330i. In terms of sheer driving
pleasure, this is the one to beat. The steering and handling are simply amazing.
But they're charging an arm and a leg for this one because it's new, and it's a
first-year model which is bound to be problematic...

I drove the latest Audi A4 Quattro and was also impressed. I drove the 2.0
turbo-4 with gasoline direct injection. It beats the SAAB 2.3 turbo in terms of
smoothness, and it has less turbo lag to boot. Handling is nice and nimble, but
the interior is too cramped for my tastes, and Audi reliability can be questionable.

I looked at the Infiniti G35. Nice car, lots of power, but the interior is
really cheesy--it felt like I was sitting inside a mid-80's Maxima!

The car I wound up getting an '05 Acura TL 6MT w/navigation for about $32.5K.

The first thing that strikes you about the Acura is how modern it is, especially
compared to the 9-5 which is growing long in the tooth.

ENGINE/GEARBOX/DRIVETRAIN: I loved the SAAB turbo 4 in the mid-80's, when it was
one of the first to feature such advances as a 16-valve head, turbocharging
w/APC, and later, Trionic, but this engine is a dinosaur now. The DI issue is
only being solved now (maybe?), and why in the world do the pulleys still
disintegrate? This engine also eats spark plugs (every 10-12K for copper or
every 25-30K for platinum) and cooks engine oil (you should only use the best
high-30 weight to 40 weight synthetic engine oil and change it often)

The Acura has a state-of-the-art 270-hp V6 with a real 105,000 mile tune-up
interval, and because it's a V6, it's unmatched by any 4-cyl in terms of
smoothness, sound, and flexibility. It carries ULEV-2 certification. In
day-to-day commuting (NYC/Manhattan and Long Island), I'm actually getting
slightly better fuel economy with the TL compared to the 9-5.

As is the case with all Honda products, the Acura's 6-speed manual gearbox is a
joy to use, with short throws. You can shift it as quickly as you like, unlike
the SAAB manual gearbox, which doesn't like to be rushed. The TL easily pulls
around low-speed corners in 3rd gear whereas the SAAB would complain in 2nd.
Midrange torque is better in the SAAB of course, but the Acura isn't
torque-limited in 1st and 2nd gears so it sprints to 60 mph in less time (5.7
sec vs 6.4)

Acura doesn't have to torque-limit the TL in the lower gears because it has 100%
more traction, via a limited-slip front differential. The TL puts power down
through BOTH front wheels, unlike the SAAB with its open front diff. With an
open front differential, once one front wheel loses traction, it's game over.
Traction control will apply the brakes and cut engine power. No comparison to a
limited-slip diff which will send the power to the other wheel. This is
particularly useful when accelerating quickly out of turns.

SUSPENSION: The TL has a firmer, but less harsh, suspension. It feels stiffer,
but actually swallows potholes better. It doesn't mask high speed as well as the
SAAB. However, bigger tires and wider wheels give the TL a higher level of grip
on the skidpad. Also, higher ground clearance in the TL means less bottoming
out. Overall, the TL is more nimble and tossable, and has better measurable
handling (objectively) but not quite the same high-speed feel (subjectively) as
the 9-5 Aero.

BRAKING: The SAAB's brakes are excellent, with wonderful feel, but they produce
copius amounts of sticky brake dust. As expected, the TL's brakes produce much
less dust. The TL has 4-piston Brembo brakes up front. The TL has a shorter
stopping distance but less pedal feel compared to the 9-5.

LIGHTING: The TL's bi-xenon lamps illuminate the road better than the ones in
the 9-5. They have a wider, brighter beam, and better throw. Also, the TL has
LED brake lights which are brighter (and quicker to illuminate) compared to the
incandescent bulbs used in the 9-5. I prefer the rear amber directionals in the
9-5, however. The TL features red directionals.

INTERIOR/CONVENIENCE: The Acura has great seats, but the 9-5 Aero seats are
still king! The 9-5 has a roomier interior and trunk. But everything else in the
interior of the Acura is better!

Let's start with the dashboard. The Acura has beautiful electroluminescent
gauges, and real aluminum trim (unlike the fake plastic in the 9-5 Aero). The TL
has higher quality switchgear, and a more modern layout. There's two large
cupholders in the center console--FINALLY, a cupholder for my fiancee! (She was
very happy about that) The TL has more nooks and crannies where you can store
things.

The TL has Bluetooth technology, which works perfectly with my Nokia 6600. As
soon as I get in the car and start it up, they're linked. The phone stays in my
pocket, and any incoming or outgoing calls route automatically through the
stereo. No more fumbling with a headset or the phone keypad. Caller ID shows up
on the MID (Acura's equivalent of the SID) The Acura's voice recognition feature
is much better (quicker and more accurate) than the OnStar system's.

The TL has (as optional equipment) one of the best navigation systems on the
market. It has a large 8" touch screen and it can respond to voice commands.
It's fun to ask it to "find nearest Chinese/Italian/Japanese (etc) restaurant".
Through Bluetooth you can call that restaurant easily to make a reservation or
place an order! Or, the system can locate the nearest gasoline station, police
station, hospital, shopping mall, etc.

XM satellite radio comes standard on the TL and it's very entertaining on long
trips, with over 150 channels to choose from. My fiancee enjoys this feature as
well. It's somewhat strange that XM didn't make it into the 9-5 earlier than the
'06 model, since GM is such a huge supporter of XM...

Oh, and speaking of the radio, the TL has one of the best systems on the market,
with DVD-Audio 5.1 surround and DTS capability. I love the in-dash 6-disc
changer. The tape deck facilitates an iPod connection (through an adapter) but
an input jack would have been better.

Acura has the best implementation of the "mirror tilt down while in reverse"
function. The mirror adjustment selector switch has three settings--left, middle
(off), and right. When it's to the left, the driver's side mirror tilts down
automatically in reverse gear, and when the switch is to the right, the
passenger mirror tilts in reverse. Center position=no tilt.

The remote for the door locks works from a much greater distance on the TL.
Also, it lets you roll down all the windows and open the sunroof, by keeping the
"unlock" button depressed. This is convenient on hot days. (Closing them
requires you to use the key)

I love the Acura but will continue to have fond memories for SAAB. I look
forward to seeing the next-generation 9-5.

If anyone finds a steel-gray, stick-shift '02 9-5 Aero sedan with ~37K miles on
it, with a SAABNET sticker on the rear passenger side window, that was mine! I
left some goodies on it, like a Stratmosphere piston-type BPV, a Fumoto oil
drain valve, wheel locks, headlight & foglight protectors, and the original
carpets (I used SAAB all-weather mats, so the carpets were mint).

I'll still be lurking on the BB as time allows!

Jason

Na temat Bose

[wowo5]

Ponizsza recenzja doskonale ilustruje filozofie firmy:

Reviewed by: Jon, AudioPhile

Price Paid: $0

Summary:
Buyer Beware
the "bass" module only goes down to 46Hz (most less expensive speaker systems
will go down to 29 or 30Hz such as the Energy Take 5.2 and even cheap Paradigm
speaker packages). The Bose Bass module reaches up to 200Hz. Here is where the
problem begins... The little cube speakers go down to 280Hz. So you are missing
sound from 200Hz to 280Hz. If you listen to music or use these for Home
theater, then you will be missing a pretty important part of the sound
spectrum. But wait! That's not it! The cube speakers only go up to 13KHz (Human
hearing can reach 20KHz). Bose has decided for you that anything above 13Khz is
not important. Well, like I said before... If you use these for music or Home
Theater you will be missing a lot. Unbelievable! Due to the system's internal
crossover, there is an audible gap from 200Hz to 280Hz and from 13KHz to 20Khz.

THAT MEANS ONLY 66% OF THE ACTUAL RECORDING OR MOVIE IS BEING PLAYED BACK TO
YOU!!

This is the most outrageously overpriced speaker system I have ever heard.
Please do yourself a favor and go listen to other products. If you can't go to
a decent audio store to audition speakers and your ONLY option is Best Buy or
Circuit City, then spend less money and get the Athena speakers or JBL speakers
or Klipsch speakers. Much better options (not available at chain stores yet
they are probably available at a decent audio shop near you) would be speaker
offerings from Energy, Paradigm, Gallo(very small speakers but impressive
sound), B&W... and great bargains on terrific subwoofers can be found if you
look at SVS or HSU subwoofers (not extremely expensive but great bang for the
buck).

Ask yourself this? Who told you Bose makes great speakers? Radio Commercial?
(paid for by Bose) Magazine Advertisement? (paid for by Bose) Infomercial??? A
person who owns Bose and has never ventured outside of Sam's Club or Best Buy
to listen to speakers?

Please, before spending your hard earned money, do some research on these
speakers. Search the message boards at audio websites such as Audiogon, Audio
Asylum, Sound and Vision, AVS forum, etc. etc.

I don't expect everyone to take my word as Golden and I completely understand.
Just do some research about these speakers!!! I probably can't post links but
this will get you started...
look for discussion forums at Web sites such as Audiogon, Audio Asylum, Sound
and Vision Mag, and AVS forum.