Replacement for 2002 Acura TL Type S

I managed to test drive a Mazda 3. The car handling was excellent, I didn't really find any issues that jumped out at me immediately from a driving standpoint. The S GT has the better dash with the central tach and digital speedo. I didn't like the digital tach in the i models and that's terrible with a manual (and hard to see during the day) The Auto tranny did a good job and was quite responsive. The interior was nice I found the seats to be confortable as well. The S GT model would probably be my choice.

I have not gotten a chance to test drive the new Civic yet. The 9th gen Civics were awful for me to sit in. I had less than 1" of head room and the two tier dash which looked like that thing from the mid 90s prelude which killed that car is awful to look at. I had a similiar problem with the related ILX, no headroom at all. The narrow windows on both cars and bad seating situation ended any chance for me to even consider them. I did sit in a demo 2016 civic at an auto show last year and I had about 3-4" of headroom. I'm curious to see how it drives as its the most likely alternate choice in my prefered size and weight class.

Doing my due diligence I am also looking at cars close to the TL-S in size, I test drove a Mazda 6 i touring, I liked that car as well, it doesn't quite have the razor sharp steering as the Mazda 3 but it did have a nicer more normal dash. Handling didn't seem quite as secure as the Mazda 3 or an Accord Sport but that may have been in part to the replacement tires as this used 6 had 70K miles on it.

Accord Sport now this car was an interesting case as it was the first CVT I drove. I hardly even noticed it under normal driving, but it does feel a bit odd when accelerating in more than a "normal" level. I thought it handled better than the Mazda 6 and felt more stable in the corners. It felt like a slightly heavier Mazda 3. If I could combine things, I would like the Mazda 6 engine and transmission in the Accord sport.

I had a Nissan Altima S as a rental for a week. The CVT in this car would do some odd things even during normal driving. Sometimes I would see the tach go up and down even when I am trying to go at a constant speed. This car handled decently and it had decent enough power. If I had a problem with the Altima it was with the zero gravity seats. I'm one of the people who don't find them comfortable. If it wasn't for the seats, I would give this car some consideration as its being heavily discounted making even the V6 model in my price range. The car was very stingy on gas, I got 33 MPG for the week.

I think normal stepped gear automatics are preferred for me over a CVT.

I was hoping to rent a Focus not an Altima but I'll take a look at one. Hatchbacks are not my preference and I do see lots of low mileage used ones for sale, that doesn't look good.

Both the WRX and Legacy are on my list but they lose points due to AWD not being necesary where I live. That means its lowering fuel economy and increasing weight of the vehicle. WRX insurance rates are high and its a little over my budget unless I get the base WRX.

I was a little disappointed that Subaru toned down the concept I saw at the auto show on the 2017 impreza. I'll take a look at one as the local Mazda dealership is Subura and Mazda. I'm sure the WRX would easily outrun the Turbo Civic but for 98% of my driving I simply don't need that kind of power.

I recall I didn't like the seating position in the Impreza but the Legacy was good, but I was rather rushed at the auto show and details on the Subarus are a little fuzzy, I just recall I liked how the concept car looked.

I will take a look at a Legacy Premium or a 2017 impreza.

For some reason Honda goes out of its way to discourage folks from buying a Manual, they limit color choices and generally I can only find a manual accord sport in black (which I don't want)

That is my hope too. I'm considering holding out for a MT turbo civic. As much as a touring civic with a CVT might be nice, I probably would be happier forking over a little more for a V6 accord if I was going the non MT route. Sadly, V6 MT Sedans have gone the way of the dodo.

Looking over all of the safety tech, I'm not really sold on the adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist or lane keeping assist. These technologies are still in their infantcy and 5 years down the line they will seem obsolete once they fix their shortcomings and improve how they work.I do find the rear view camera as handy.

I'm starting to look at some used cars as possible candidates.

I looked at a used TSX but I noticed prices on the 4th Gen TL to be almost the same as a TSX. I certainly like the idea of getting another TL probably a 13 or 14 although its not going to be great on fuel use. However, I think the used Lexus market looks better. There are lots of used ES350s for sale loaded with everything I care for under 25K. For just a little more I see GS 350s. Same good stuff but uses double wishbone suspension and RWD.

I'd like the IS 350 but they seem to hold onto their value better than its GS and ES siblings. I don't really want the IS 250 as it sucks fuel and has weak power for a V6. If they had a 200t cheap enough maybe but I don't want to buy a new one or lease one.

Maybe late in the year I can snag an off lease Lexus.

I finally got around to test driving a turbo Civic.

The car drove very nicely, I couldn't even tell it was a turbo. The car had plenty of power. The most notable things about the Civic is the NVH is higher than I experienced in an Accord/Mazda 3 and Altima S. The car didn't feel as stable as the Accord or Mazda 3. Steering was razor sharp like the Mazda 3 clearly quicker than the bigger cars I test drove.

Visibility was good, seats were good and I have 3" of headroom with the sunroof. Brake feel was slightly twichy but adjustment came quickly.

So far, no car I test drove screamed out this is the one to get. I'm wondering if I should test drive a new Mazda 6 since the one I test drove had 70K on it and probably had cheap replacement tires.

I go back over the test drive route with my TL-S just to compare things. Other than the Altima's seats I think any of the cars I test drove so far are a good choice, but none of them stand out. While it was my first intention to get a car that was smaller and more nimble, I find that has some tradeoffs with NVH and stability.

I think I need to test drive a few more cars. For new, maybe Subaru Legacy, Acura TLX 4cyl, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Camry and maybe something else? Used I was looking at Lexus ES/GS/IS but maybe BMW 320/328? I notice there is no shortage of used BMWs for sale. Recent 2013/2014 Acura TL/TSX are fairly rare in my area but there are lots of used ILX and TLX.

I did a few more test drives.

2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited. It was easy to drive, has lots of features and is the compact car size I was looking for. The car drives great as long as the road is very smooth but any decent sized bump or rut and you are going to feel that rear suspension give you a jarring jolt. I thought the EPS steering on the car was slightly overboosted for my tastes. I can see this car being a decent cross shop for Sentra/Corolla buyers but its not as good as a Mazda 3 or Civic (but significantly cheaper). If this is considered to be the 3rd best compact car I don't see any point in test driving any more compacts, if I go compact class its between a Mazda 3 or Civic.

2014 Lexus ES350. This car was whisper quiet, extremely smooth power delivery, totally isolated ride you feel very little even over bumps and if I thought I didn't like EPS steering on cars I test drove before this one, oy was I in for a surprise. The steering was completely numb, nothing, I couldn't even tell the car was moving. I'm sure I could get used to something like this eventually, but when I took my car over the same "test drive" course it was clear I don't want to pick this car given a choice. The seats were comfortable and the controls were all easy to operate, its clearly a well made vehicle and hardly a penalty box. I suppose for the right price I'd still take this car, just know that its going to be a comfy DD. No pleasure drives.

2016 Acura TLX base. I did test drive a used 2015 TLX and I thought the ride was jittery in corners and the 8AT was "lazy", but it could have been the result of poor replacement tires. I hear the 2016 was better from the acura forums so I test drove it. Yes, this car was much better it does a better job over rough pavement than the similar Accord and in Normal mode the Auto shifted very quick and was very responsive. Sport mode pushed that up a little more. The car interior was quiet and it handled well. It feels a little underpowered but its quick for a NA 4 Cyl. I still don't like EPS but I can live with this car's steering feel.

I just feel all of these cars I test drove are a downgrade from my current car.

Well a bad torque converter on the Acura TL-S forced my hand.

Ended up getting a Honda Accord EX-L V6. It was the closet thing to the Acura TL-S in terms of engine feel, power and interior features. I seriously considered the Accord Sport, but I had concerns over the 19" rim/tire and the car was relatively spartan inside, it only cost a little more to get nicer features on the EX-L.

I orginally wanted a smaller lighter car, Mazda 3 and Honda Civic were the front runners. Both of these cars drove really nicely, while the Civic was faster and got better mileage, the Mazda 3 handed better and was the overall nicer performer. Either car would have been a good choice but I decided to get a V6 car before they go the way of the dodo to all of the Turbo 4s. Its very likely my next car will be one but I am going to put that day off for 10 years at least. They will likely still be around, with better turbos and we will have more reliability data on the fordless Mazdas and some good data on the Honda turbo engines.

Same deal with the Mazda 6, they were offering some pretty good deals on them and it was possible to get a nicely equipped one for about thousand or two less than the Accord Sport. I felt the same way, I'd rather wait for more data on them.

I'll keep these cars in mind since my mom is going to replace her 2000 Accord sometime next year.