The Temple of VTEC - Honda and Acura Enthusiasts Online Forums > Short Take - 2004 Acura RL >

TonyE wrote:
Our green 99 TL and blue 01 CL had the cream colored interior with the blonde "wood". We added the "wood" aplique over the dash and console plus the real wood shifter knob. The difference that it made to the interior is hard to describe.. it turned a sea of plastic into a very nice and warm cabin. So equipped, the interiors of our green 97 and 99 TLs weren't that different (both had cream interiors).

But then, the God Almighty grey "wood" in the Type Ss really turned me off. It was one of the main reasons why we went with the base 01 CL instead -I kid you not. I just couldn't stomach the look. Power or not.

Also, you must remember that the 2nd gen TL was about $7K less than the first. While at the same time was far larger inside, far more nimble and introduced a sleek look, vs. the formal look of the 1st gen. So they had to cut cost somewhere.

But the exterior of the 2nd gen was very nice, IMHO... the front fenders wrapped tucked nicely into the front and the rear doors were long with good access to the back seat (this is where I think the TL is better than the TSX, not in lower cushion depth but in access) The 2nd gen might have been a tad generic, but in a well balanced sort of way.

Oh.. hey? I liked the frame less windows.. that was a design cue takend directly from the Vigor. I never had any problem with them, did you? The second generation Integra sedan also had them.

Perhaps AHM ought to reintroduce the "Premium" or "GS" trim level for Acura.

Jeff wrote:
My mother had a '97 3.2 TL Premium. I have to say that while it wasn't really an inspiring car overall, it was one of the last Acuras that had a truly "elegant" interior. The exterior was not exactly striking but it carried a "premium" look and feel. The only real drawback was the frameless windows.

When the new models came out in '99 the interior was a bit more modern, but I (and particularly my mother) was put off by the generic styling of the exterior and the visibly cost-reduced interior.

Acura's interiors are quite stylish now but they still smack a bit too much of cost reduction. They're already getting better than their recent "low point" (thank god they stopped using that silk screened gold labeling all over the place! - that was one thing they picked up from Lexus that I wish they never had!) but I still think they're trying too hard to engineer to a price point.

Acura seems to lack a bit of confidence that they can compete in the market without out-gizmoing the competitors and undercutting their price at the same time. Lower prices and more features are great, but if I have to spend an extra grand or two on a $35+k car to get one that's finished and trimmed to world class standards (think high-line Audi/BMW), then I think it's well worth it.