Overview & Reviews
The premium level is gone, but the TL gets more standard equipment.
- Typical Acura luxury, refinement, and reliability.
- Cramped back seat.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 38.00-
Excellent Car - 1998 Acura TL
By lizaven17 - October 25 - 5:21 pmI got this car back in 2010 as a starter. Since then its needed an upstream O2 sensor and a wiper motor. I have fallen in love with this car and worked a great deal on it. My TL has done two coast-to-coast cross country trips with stellar performance. The car is kinda rare in the US so parts can get expensive if you break the wrong thing. But overall this car is great. A word of caution to fellow tuners out there: the design of this car is kinda nonsensical. Things like wiring a subwoofer are extremely difficult. But as a basic car, the 5cyl is really reliable and the interior is spacious and comfy. A pure-blooded GT car if you ask me.
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Loved It Until 130K - 1998 Acura TL
By caitkmc - July 31 - 11:10 pmBought my Acura in college at 66K miles, no major problems or complaints for the first 4 years! I drove it hard too. But as soon as I hit that 130K mark EVERYTHING started to go. My car quickly went from being valued above 5K to now Im hoping to get 1K for trade in. The breaks, the radiator, the intake system (?), and the timing belt all went within 1 year of each other. VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX!! The three different mechanics all told me the same thing - it can cost 2 times the amount to fix these high performance cars as even just a basic Honda. I wouldnt advise anyone to buy one of these cars with high miles, especially if maintenance costs are a big concern. But always drove beautifully!
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The best car money can buy - 1998 Acura TL
By Jeff - August 23 - 10:05 pmWe bought a 97 with about 68k on it i 95. It seemed very expensive at the time. Other than 2 starters (a persistent problem with these cars (requiring the axle to be removed - $-) along with the terrible window operations), and the recommended timing belt change with water pump, I have performed all maintenance which consists only of fluids, filters and brakes (do my own work). This car now has 260k on it, drives as if it were new, with no smoke or leaks from the engine. It does need a power-steering pump but the kids drive it now and they need the exercise. I now have a collection of 3 of the 3.2TLs ranging from 96 to 98 and have my eye on another. If taken care of, they always run.
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Very nice car, high reliability - 1998 Acura TL
By TLW - June 25 - 9:15 amI bought my 98 2.5 TL about 5 years ago, I also paid $1200 for the extended warranty to 100K miles. I never got to use the warranty. At 107K miles now, D4 light is out, and I have replaced both oxygen sensors as well as doing the scheduled 104K miles timing belt / water pump service. I also replaced the battery a couple years ago, and new brake pads. Im due for replacing the AT fluid and filter. All in all, this car has been excellent. My car with 107K miles drives and feels like a new car - nothing loose or sloppy, and the throttle response is very smooth.
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Honda makes great cars - 1998 Acura TL
By Matt - January 13 - 1:17 amI like this car alot. Unfortunatly I bought one that had been recked. Despite this problem which I didnt discover untill later the car has been great. It is fun to drive with more than average power. My problems have been consistant with the other reviews. The seal on the driver side window is bad which makes for alot of road noise. The placement of the controls in the interior are the worst of any car. Although stylish all of the luxury features are invisable because of the placement. The last thing would be that repairs are VERY expensive. I spend alot of money at the dealership, who are the only people who know how to work on that car, even oil changes. Trust me.
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Luxury & stylish - 1998 Acura TL
By Joshua Carroll - November 23 - 1:52 amBought this car a couple years ago with almost 100,000 miles on it. Now it has almost 150,000 miles on it but still rides like a brand new Lexus. I love it, but it has had its problems like any other car. Right now Im having a problem with my transmission, but thatll be fixed soon. Runs really quiet and smooth when kept clean and maintained all the time. I do hate the position of the cruise control, fog lights, and seat heater buttons but every car has its minor annoyances. The road noise is a bit louder than what I prefer, but the smooth ride makes up for it. I do hate the fact that the backseat isnt big enough for tall people, but I guess the style of the car makes up for that.
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Great car - 1998 Acura TL
By GaryJB - February 28 - 2:00 amTight turning radius is a plus. Speedy acceleration, smooth ride at high speeds. Quick warm-up on cold mornings - heat in the seats.
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A fantastic value - 1998 Acura TL
By jdaniels - December 27 - 2:00 amI bought the TL as an Acura Certified pre-owned car with 44,000 miles on it. Condition of paint/leather/engine compartment was/still is (at 56,000 miles) unbelievable "showroom" new. The car runs and drives like something much more expensive its "gait" on the highway has to be experienced .. it just powers effortlessly along at illegal speeds. The transmission shifts are undetectable, unless youre really pushing it, and then you WANT to feel it shift and it does so smartly. Handling is decent for a car of this size/weight/genre. Reliability is rock solid.
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I wish it was more reliable - 1998 Acura TL
By myself - December 2 - 2:00 amBought the car used, at 70K. The car is perfect, but not as reliable as Honda. I expected it to be as reliable as Honda, but apparently all those nice features introduce failure factors. Things that are supposed to last a long time broke down: a radiator fan started making funny noise, had to replace it ($250), the exhaust manifold got cracked ($1100). Other than that, the car is great, handles well, excellent brakes and transmission.
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TLBOY - 1998 Acura TL
By Pearl - July 18 - 2:00 amVery reliablegood performance. Very smooth ride and precision steering and handling.
