You will get more chicks with a Mercedes than an Acura.

(oops, maybe you don't like chicks...)

 

hell, he'd get more guys in a mercedes than an acura too.

 

I can't believe you guys are even discussing this. This is a front wheel drive POS compared to a Mercedes. Give your heads a shake. Someone here was saying the Honda .....oops, sorry Acura, has a better handling..... a front wheel drive POS.

Mercedes has quality problems...yea right, the seat squeaks can be heard slightly above the noise level making it through the dual pane side windows, not like on the Acura.....can't be heard there, even though I can hear every drop of rain hit the tin foil roof and door panels!!!

Ed

 

If you are comparing 04 C230 Kompressor with 04 TL, I would say TL in a heartbeat. But 05 has many improvements, then it depends on your taste.

But you are wrong to ask this question in this forum in the first place. You should go to Lexus forum or Infiniti forum or any other third party forum to ask this question. Mercedes-Benz owners would be more biased to M-B vehicles for sure, same thing happen to any other car forums.

 

C230K should compare with TSX not TL. If price the same, I take TL over C230k. Period.

 

MB has surely brainwaished you guys from looking beyond the Benz. Think about it, The TL is ten times better than the C-class and you know it.. Stop denying it to yourself that you overpaid for options in a car that are completely standard in the TL.

CoryLiv, you're sayin that the C230 is the same powerwise as the TL??!?!?!?!!? You're a joke if you made yourself believe that....

 

That's silly - MB owners should be mature enough to rationally discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their cars vs. other marques. Though it does seem like you do have a point by reading some of the responses here. Especially when you get blanket statements like the TL's handling is worse than the MB's simply because it's FWD.

 

Nobody here buys C's (except for AMG models) for speed. No doubt a TL will spank any C class all day, even the old model TL would. We do buy them for the road feel and driving experience. A TL will beat the hell out of a 325 as well, but as far as a total driving experience nothing will beat a German engineered car.

 

Look at this guy paid what 55k on a E Class with a V6 engine that DOESNT HAVE XENONS OR LEATHER STANDARD and hes telling us WE OVERPAID. Can you understand the stupidy of your post? Spend a few more and get a V8 then maybe you could talk. other than that STFU.

 

Why are we even arguing about TL and C class, TL reallly cannot even be compared to any car the Mercedes makes. The fact that you are comparing a car against a superior brand means you already know that TL sucks. BTW if you tell some one I drive a TL all you will get is "Do you like the fake luxury", on the other hand if you say i drive a mercedes or a bmw you get "wow nice cars" .

Again TL is really bad car you dont want to even compare these brands.

 

I have a feeling DaCeptak0n believes that owning an E Class makes him/her higher up in social ladder compared with the C class 2nd class peasants.

As far as the comment on nothing will beat a German engineered car I beg to differ. In the same price range I will take a G35 coupe over a similarly priced 325i coupe any day. The same goes for the sedan.

 

Actually I'm not brainwashed....I'm 6'5" 275 Lbs...used to play football.
I don't fit into anything Japanese (maybe some Lexus). Maybe you don't notice it, but most of the Japanese products have smaller ergonomics than the German cars.

Check it out ... Many, Many basket ball players drive a Merc. Not only does it fit them better...but brings a touch of class to himself, and the Game.

Now, someone recently said that just because it's front wheel drive doesn't mean it handles poorly. Well...... in case you didn't notice, all well handling cars, and all sports cars are either rear wheel drive, or all wheel drive.

Go and hammer the gas peddle around the corner in your front wheel drive (if you have the guts)...if you are not wrestling the steering wheel, it's because the vehicle is going straight, or you are in the process of burning up the differential.

Fact of the matter...Front wheel drive is a compromise! And in fact, when it comes to Acura, everything about the car seems to be slightly compromised to me....seats to small, fake wood, thin glass, tin sounding fenders, etc, etc. To me, it just doesn't seem like the real thing....it's rice.

I think I take a Pontiac GTP first.

Ed.

 

I got an E because at the time, my father had chosen the car and I just came there after to pick it up. A C-class wasn't an option and an S would be stupid for a youngin like me to drive.

I am not sayin I am better than you C-class owners by far I am not! I am not a conceited ******* that you're thinking I am. I am fortunate in my life and do not throw those things in people's faces!

Fast Eddie, most of the things you said are right. Noble, you don't even have a V8 so why would you tell me to shut the **** up. We're all grown-ups around here, you can spell out the words instead of abridging it (STFU). Quite childish I believe.

More the topic at hand is a C320 versus a TL, and there is no comparison you say Mercedes or Acura, definitely people oogle at a Mercedes. With my taste, I oogle at a TL while I drive the E...

 

I had virtually decided to buy the new Acura TL. On paper, it looked fantastic compared to all the competitors (even including the E class). And I have owned Acuras in the past. Then I went for a test drive and got immediately turned off by the Acura. The problem is not simply the front wheel drive, on top of that it has almost a 65/35 weight distribution (65% on front wheels). I could really feel that when I drove it. It was enough to rule the car out for me.
There were other annoyances too, like the rear door being very small, the rear passenger headrests interfering with the rear view mirror etc...etc..
I ended up with an E320 4Matic. I fell in love with it in the test drive.....Acura does not even come close in drivability...

 

Test drove both for my gf. The 4cyl engine in the MB is unrefined compared to the six and the fwd in the tl is annoying. The solution an 05 240 with the new sport wheels and tires which will be around the same price as a tl.

 

Ed, that was me, and I'm sorry, but you're not making sense. The c class in stock form is just not a capable handler (except the c55/32, of course), and yes, it will be outhandled by many fwd cars on the market. You're overgeneralizing without really doing any kind of valid comparison. If you want to, you can drive my crx vs. my ccoupe back to back, and see which one is a better handler. It's just not as easy as saying that X is RWD, and therefore, is a better-handling car than FWD Y.

 

FWD vs RWD...

I agree with Tommy. People shouldn't generalize like that. My fathers Domestic FWD handles much better than my c240. MB's weren't made for handling, they are straight line cruisers.

As for the c vs tl...

I've never driven a TL, but on paper it is hands down a far better car. Much better value for the money. And those of you saying Honda/Acura is POS, get over yourselves. There is more, and better on the road, than MB. Take off your blinders and start living in reality. And yes, I have an Acura in the family, so I know a bit about them.

Thank you...

 

Hey david N,

You don't have to edit your post. If you don't like what I have to say then don't read it. There is an ignore feature, feel free to use it. . And yes I saw exactly what you wrote.

I went off on that that Deceptakon guy because he said "You know the TL is 10 times better than a C class" That kind of quote is not going to keep me quiet. I will express myself without sugarcoating when i want to.

btw you are Pu$$y for editing your post.

 

LOL! I don't mind saying what I think. But I know the mods will mind. That's why I edited it. I didn't do it for you. I value my membership here more than I do tearing a strip off of someone. But yeah, your posts drive me nuts. Give it a rest. Stop trying so hard, not just in this thread, but in every thread.

 

Well Tommy...I don't think a 2400 lb CRX vs a 3200 lb Merc is a fair match up on an autocross course. Perhaps a better match would be your CRX vs Miata as far a specs in HP and weight. CRX is FWD, Miata RWD. Want to autocross your CRX against a Miata? (I really not sure...just guessing) On each corner, when the Miata hits the apex, down goes the throttle...so long CRX.
Even if you do manage to keep up with the Miata, the playing that you will do to make up for the FWD (Torque stear, wheel spin, understear) will make it much less fun to drive than the RWD.

Miata has been aroung for a while now, and an autocross fav around here. Reason it's a sweet machine to drive.....it's RWD.

Ed.

 

Your dad's Domestic FWD?

Well My Daddy has got a GTP ( yea, I know, and he is actually 74 years old). I'll bet it beats your Daddy's domestic.

Anyway, he was telling me how powerful it was, and how “ if I hit the gas pedal hard I really have to hang on to the wheel.” I guess he doesn't want to the superb handling of the FWD car to direct itself into the ditch. Anyway, I refrained from calling it a POS when he told me this. He loves the car, and I don’t want to break his heart.

When you examine handling of a car, and come up with these judgements, are you actually paying attention to what the car is doing under different conditions?

The VR6 Jetta I had.....F&^ck sake....the number of times I plowed straight through a corner in the winter time, swearing turn you Bast*&^d to the car.

Or…maybe it's just me .... but I like the way RWD allows the car to stay pretty much neutral. I have a nice chicane straight off of an intersection just around the corner from here. I love the way, from a stop, I can peg the throttle and accelerate throughout the corner with a neutral steering wheel (I am usually doing about 75 mph by the end of it).

Anyway – I dislike the effects of FWD. I guess Porsche, Merc, BMW, Jag, Ferrari, and just about every other higher end manufacturer agrees with me. Acura isn’t in that group, cause it's a POS.

Sorry;

Ed.

 

Oh, I see - now you are saying that there is the possibility that one FWD car could outhandle a RWD car. Thank you for at least coming off your all-inclusive statement.

I agree - all things considered, the same weight and size cars, equally equipped, a RWD car will outhandle a FWD car. But that's not what you were arguing. Go back and read your posts; hopefully, you'll admit that your posts weren't making much sense.

Ever heard of the NSX?? Now, which manufacturer is that again? Once again, you're glossing over something. And the TL will be AWD soon enough, which will clear up some of its handling issues like the scary torque steer. Won't make it classy-looking; Acura's already messed that one up.

Where I autox, there are plenty of crxes to go along with the miatas, boxters, etc. Not many Mercedes, though.

 

tommy;

OK I guess we got some common ground. Even a 30 Year old Mini (say a Cooper S)will probably keep up to the Merc on an autocross course...probably keep up to a lot of other stuff on an autocross as well.

However, the NSX is RWD and thus undoubtedly handles superbly. I still don't fit into it though.

It will be really interesting to see if Honda is going to properly balance the AWD TL by longitudinally mounting the engine, with the transmission mid-chassis., Or are they going to keep the transverse engine and just ad a drive shaft and a differential for the back wheels.

If they choose the later, although it would provide some improvement to the weight distribution, it would certainly not fix it completely.

But it boils down to...are they going to do it properly, like Audi, or are they going to compromise it. I'll bet they compromise.

Ed.

 

The torque steer on the TL is only a real problem with the manual not so much on the auto, I wouldn't be surprised to see this issue improved upon for 05.

 

Yep. the TL got 270 hp, the 330 got 225 hp and the C230k got 189 hp.

You probably would have to drive a WRX-STI or a Lancer Evolution to beat the TL in a speed contest.