"Stupidru" (Schm1an)
12/01/2014 at 10:44 • Filed to: None
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"Stupidru" (Schm1an)
12/01/2014 at 10:44 • Filed to: None | 6
| 9 |
On Black Friday instead of hanging out at the local malls or retail stores, I hung out at my bank to meet a private buyer and his mechanic (...and brother, and cousin) to sell my 2009 Forester XT.
Then after all of the financials were taken care of, I made the trek across the great state of Wisconsin to pick up a 2004 Acura TL... with a manual. The seller had taken a new job in sales which required a new car, then broke his leg and couldn't drive manual anyway. At 115k miles it just had a new clutch replaced, timing belt, and water pump. Everything checked out and it drove beautifully so we signed over the title and I made my way home in the snow & ice without being able to really use all 270 horses at the same time. I'm happy to report that they're all there, it seems. No lack of power in this! And as a virgin to DD'ing a manual transmission, I'm actually feeling pretty comfortable with my skill level. I've been practicing my rev-matching and started to try heel & toe downshifting when I have the chance. Aside from that, I have to say that I'm VERY happy with my purchase! I had a 2006 Legacy GT which was nice because it had 250hp, a solid chassis, it was comfy, etc etc but this car blows my LGT out of the water in every category except wet/snow traction. Even then, the TL has Nokian All-Weather tires and VSA which limits wheel spin and does a pretty good job at keeping you pointed straight.
Any TL owners out there? What are some things I should know about these fine machines?
Thanks!
Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
> Stupidru
12/01/2014 at 10:47 |
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Did Dusty Ventures buy your Scooby?
PushToStart
> Stupidru
12/01/2014 at 11:03 |
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wait, are his mechanic, brother, and cousin all the same person....
Aaron M - MasoFiST
> Stupidru
12/01/2014 at 11:03 |
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Not a TL owner but my father has an Accord V-6 6MT of the same vintage...same transmission, essentially the same suspension tuning, slightly different engine (240hp 3.0L v the 268hp 3.2L in the TL). Very comfortable, well-built car, and the manual is probably one of the best you can get, especially in a midsize sedan.
I don't know about the stock suspension tuning in the LGT, but I had the experience this weekend of driving my dad's car 250 miles from New York to Boston and then hopping in the WRX...the difference in feel between my car and the Honda is vast. It actually made me remember why I was willing to give up a degree of ride comfort, it really was that much better in every single way other than the bumps I felt.
Sn210
> Stupidru
12/01/2014 at 11:06 |
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I thought that shifter looked familiar, I've got an 08 TL-S. I've owned it since January and have been really happy with it.
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Stupidru
> PushToStart
12/01/2014 at 11:17 |
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No, he brought his mechanic, and his brother, and his cousin. It was pretty bizarre
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Stupidru
> Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
12/01/2014 at 11:17 |
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Who?
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Stupidru
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
12/01/2014 at 11:21 |
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The stock suspension in the LGT is kind of floaty. It likes to dive and squat a lot under load, which is why I upgraded to Bilstein HDs and STI pink springs which was a great combo, but didn't live long in my car before I sold it.
I will agree that the transmission in this car is wonderful. I test drove a Mazda6 before this, and the shifter was wobbly, vibrated a lot, didn't go into the gears well, and the car died 3 times while I had the clutch to the floor. I got in the TL and it was like night and day how different they were. That, and the level of refinement between the Acura and the Mazda was just astounding
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> Stupidru
12/01/2014 at 11:43 |
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The Honda never seemed floaty to me, in fact it was as level (if not moreso) as my old Celica...the one big issue is it steadfastly doesn't want to change direction. Turn-in limits are low, and transition smoothly into complain-y understeer. For a highway cruiser this is completely irrelevant, admittedly. And my Dad still uses OEM Michelin Primacy tires, which are designed for comfort and all-weather safety rather than performance.
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PushToStart
> Stupidru
12/01/2014 at 11:54 |
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Not as weird as if his brother and cousin were the same person...