Used 1997 Acura TL Consumer Reviews
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Good car but not great
divergentdan, 01/08/2013
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I bought a '97 TL because the trannys on the 99-03s are notorious for failing. Bought the car with 138K and now it's up to 176K. I've replaced radiator ($150), axles+tie rod ($450), fuel pump ($250), starter ($150). Also replaced regular things (battery $100, rotors and pads $300). The car does tend to overheat, but it's usually caused by air in the cooling system so you just need to bleed the system when it does and it takes care of the problem 95% of the time. Gas mileage is just OK (26-28 highway, 24 combined). Slow windows is a universal problem. Otherwise it's a good car.
This is my secon Acura 2.5 T L
ave8tor, 06/25/2012
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I have now owned two Acura 2.5 T L's. What an excellent automobile. The first one I sold after putting on almost 300,000Kms with just regular maintance. The only major problem is the manifold cracked and was not repairable, a $2,000 fix. Other than that I loved the car. The paint was excellent, and the interior stood up well, with just a few cracks in the leather interior. I purchased my second 2.5 t l in Geroria with only 40,000 miles on the spedo. Drove it Canada and had it totalled in a rear end collision with a pick up truck this week. I would recommend this car for its comfort, economy, and reliability and driving performance. A true five (5) star automobile.
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See all 0 listingsGreat Reliable Car
TRayner, 07/12/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Have enjoyed the car since purchase. Very sharp simple design and cleans up very well. The placement of the fog light switch and criuise control button is hidden behind the headlight stalk. Very bad position. Love the leather interior and the factory sound system is excellent. Factory Michellins are adequate but a bit loud. Trunk is a bit small with a small opening, so loading luggage has to be planned. No problem ups to 100,000 miles and counting. Do keep the transmission fluid changed since the Acura don't have changeable filters.
'97 TL, an Excellent Car
Clay, 12/31/2005
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Excellent car in every way. At 110,000 miles the dealer replaced the o2 sensor and the spark plugs under the free Acura extended emissions warranty (up to 150,000 miles). Otherwise the car has been extremely reliable with only regular maintenance. Regular maintenance costs were low. The paint and the fit and finish of all interior and exterior parts are still great after eight years of use. And it's still comfortable and fun to drive with good acceleration, braking, and handling.
lIZ REVIEW OF 97 TL
LIZ BECKER, 03/19/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Overall the car is pretty solid, my only complaints are the road noise and the sheer wind factor on the driver's side. Cush claims this is a design problem and cannot be fix. I find this hard to believe in a car that when was new sold in the 30's. The sheer wind factor can be very irrating and would love to be able to fix. Cush dealership is great would buy from them again.
1997 Acura TL
todd, 04/22/2009
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This is the best vehicle I have owned yet. It currently has 285,000 kms and going strong. I just replaced my cv axle. It drives smooth, quiet and peppy as ever. I do find my fan (blower) isn't working as well as it used to but if that's my only problem... then I really don't have any. Still keeps up with the best of them.
Acura = 10 years without repair work
ealfarotx, 11/30/2007
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I've owned this car for 10 years and other than regular oil changes and regular maintenance I have only spent $250 for on-board computer connector that was replaced. It's time to do the timing-belt change now, but that's expected with close to 100k miles.
Not my favorite car at all
Eric, 07/11/2010
1997 Acura TL 2.5 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Let's see when I bought this car ay first I loved it had no problems at all until the ac idler pulley went. Got that replaced. Then no more then a month later that belt Burns off, then the ac compressor went. Like a 600dollar job. My catalytic converter and flex pipe go. 700 dollar job. Back brakes plus calipers both sides. Front ones need to be done now. Passenger window gettin ready a blown speaker. Also the d led light is out for drive. Left front tierod too. And this is all happened in about 5months. There's more I'm sure but this car is horrible for things going wrong between 89,000-100k miles. Ridiculous. Was wondering if anyone else has probs like mine.
97 3.2 TL
John, 05/09/2005
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Great audio for a stock system. Beautiful car and much more elegant than Toyota. Solid engine, but it could use a little more power. Very reliable, but the gas mileage isn't the greatest. Never try to change the timing belt yourself. It took me three days. It can be done, but it's a pain. If you change the transmission and differential fluid often it will shift very smoothly and erase the "clicking" sound when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. Overall, a very stylish and dependable car. I'll be driving this for a while.
I liked it though.....
Jay Kim, 05/08/2003
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I purchased this car about one year and half ago. I never had any problem!! Great Reliability~ Great design~ I never get bored. Sound system's quality is good but power is too weak. Smooth and enough performance to enjoy~ But wind noise is the only the part I don't like.
Love this car!
Adam G, 07/12/2002
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This vehicle deserves a much better rating than given. This car is reliable and a beautiful automobile. It holds its value well and it looks like a brand new car.
great care
Frank tha shocker, 07/18/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Just got a used one, so far so good, really pleased with everything...wish they made this model with the vtech engine, kind of surprised they didnt!
Best car I've ever owned!!!
RyanMorrow, 08/26/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Going on 21 months now, and have had no problems with the car yet. It had 69,000 mi (@ 3yrs) and in the last 7 months I've piled on more than 15,000 mi. The brakes squeel once in a while because the disc brakes are exposed, you have to learn not to pump the gas because it floods a little and takes a couple seconds to regain power (ie, at a stop sign/light), and there is quite a bit of road noise. I keep the great stereo system cranked, so I don't notice the noise at all though. Given the amount of mileage I accrue, I'm hoping this car will hold up another 100,000 miles. When I do have to get another car, I look forward to buying another Acura!
7 Years old and Still Sharp
parker002, 11/09/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have owned my Ac. for a year or so, and it has 82,000 miles on it. Besides the normal tune-up and some oil changes the car runs perfect. When I drive through town people still look at it. Even though the style has changed over the past few years; it still looks sharp. It also drives like a gem
2.5 tl
cms1027, 03/27/2002
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
car rides great. never had problems.
Best Vehicle I've Ever Owned!!
Buckeye64, 12/23/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Car handles excellent. Power is what you'd expect from Acura - great. We've had our TL for 3 years and put 70k miles on it. No mechanical or appearance problems. Will definitely buy another Acura.
Holds Value Well
ebharrison, 12/28/2002
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Reliable, and fun to drive. Good resale value makes me feel good about this choice. Some passengers complain about how low the seats are to the ground and those with long legs dislike the rear seat.
reliable but not exciting
It's just me, 01/31/2003
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is, in essence, a glorified Honda. Reliable and predictable, but lacks the soul and spirit of a european car. This car does everything it is supposed to do- but without passion. Good Points: reliability, quality of fit and finish, quiet ride (other than wind noise), good stereo, Excellent Acura Dealership, low overall cost of ownership. Bad points: wind noise, poor layout of dash (fog light, cruise control and fan switch) low unsupportive seats, miniscule trunk space, bland styling, cheap feeling leather, rough idle (typical for 5 cylinder), no tilt on sunroof and tendency to fog up on rainy days.
Acura/Honda are always reliable.
Sheng Sheen, 07/24/2003
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is my 4th car on the Honda line. I've had Civics and Accords prior to owning this 3.2 TL. I will probably keep this car until it dies. I love it, and I put so much into it. The handle is great, and it's fast. The acceleration is far better than any car I've driven, except for a car I had with Turbo on it. There's no reason why people are driving the speed limit in this car. You can cruise 90 easily without feeling anything.
I love this car!
bw, 02/26/2005
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have owned 3 Acuras and this is by far my favorite. I bought this new in 1997, have put over 200,000 miles on it and have only done basic scheduled maintenance on the car. Reliability and quality are exceptional. The look is timeless and my mechanic says I could put another 150,000 miles on the car without a worry. Rides like a dream. Buy this car and you'll never buy another brand again.
Dream Come True
SBoogie, 10/16/2003
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I was looking into the TL for 2yrs before I finally purchased it. I looked at other vehicles but still kept coming back to the TL. The combination of luxury and price could not be beaten regardless of how much research I did. The only major problem I've had is that I've needed to change the muffler - that's only because the first one has lasted for 8 years! Talk about reliability! It just a beautiful car.
Luxurious Ride
Jenny, 05/28/2005
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my 1997 Acura 2.5 TL in 2004. The paint has held up wonderfully with a great topcoat. The sleek design is very desirable to most. No cracks or problems with the leather interior. Very little maintenance problems. A very luxurious ride. I am very pleased.
My 1997 3.2 TL
oulaw90, 01/25/2004
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is a great and reliable car. You cannot beat the price of this car used. I am going to keep this car till 150,000 miles and still get $$ on resale Dont buy a new honda or camry when u can buy this for half the price?
My 1997 Acura 2.5 TL
Muchacho, 06/29/2004
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Well, to begin, I've had this car for a little over a week, so I cann't really say the long-term status of my car, but for now I'm enjoying it. This is my first car, and it's compitant overall. The interior and exterior design is all fine and dandy, but lacks soul and excitement. The CD system is amazing, and the 5-cylinder really revs fast, but since the car is fairly large the 176 hp don't move the TL very fast. Everybody only has good comments on the car, and for the most part I agree, although alil spice overall wouldn't hurt.
Luxury and Performance
AcuraMan, 09/22/2004
1997 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my Acura used with 40,000 miles. It now has 140,000 miles on it, Driven rough the whole time. Only had two mechanical problems with it. Driver side actuator and starter went out. Total of $400.00 in Repairs, for a seven year old car not bad at all.
97 TL 3.2
mrlifts, 01/21/2005
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car has a excellent ride quality and handling performance. The engine provides smooth acceleration with good fuel economy. All of the driver controls are very well designed and durable. This is a very comfortable and reliable car. It is an excellent value.
Great car for the money
3.2 premiun, 05/22/2005
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Just bought a used TL with 73000 miles. The car looks great and has all the features you can ask for $8500. My only complaint is that I had to have the starter replaced at 74000 miles, and the starter for this car is pretty expensive considering its a honda ($550). I also notice when I park slowly I can hear the gas swishing in the gas tank, it also seems like the fan always turns on when the car turns off. Otherwise the car is very fun to drive. It handles great, the interior and exterior look great.
TL 2.5
Steve in Alabama, 05/24/2003
1997 Acura TL 2.5 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Good reliable vehicle. Good looks and fair performance. Had problems with power windows not much else. Aucura nameplate still impressive and gets looks.
3.2 TL Premium, Excellent car
Ken Biddulph, 05/29/2003
1997 Acura TL 3.2 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I love this car, its a bit big for my needs but it handles great inspite of its sheer mass and 15 inch wheels. Excellent interior, better looking than the newer TL's in my opinion.
Yawner...
mtalinm, 11/29/2003
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Picked this up in a hurry when my BMW died. As others have said, I'm sure I can drive this car for 10 more years with minimal maintenance...the question is whether I would WANT to. From the outside, it looks like a Honda Accord with an Acura badge slapped on it. (The Honda stamps on the glass don't help.) The controls (wiper, cruise, even horn) are identical to the Accord my family drove in 1978. No evolution. None. Even worse is the engine. This thing can only break 10s 0-60 if I manually shift, and it's a yawner for passing anyone.
Wished I kept my Honda
ktwill904@yahoo.com, 08/08/2002
1997 Acura TL 2.5 Premium 4dr Sedan
0 of 3 people found this review helpful
Worst car I've ever had. Everyone else has the exact same problems with their cars. A technicians told me that the 2.5 TL's were the worst cars Acura makes. I will NEVER buy another Acura. Hard to believe that these people make Honda's. Ask a TL owner about problems they've had with their cars. You'll get a list. Here are things to worry about: parking brakes, regular brakes wind noise, radiators, if your car goes dead and you don't have the code to your radio you are screwed,inside brake lights, power lock shortage, the center piece in your rims will fall out,numerous recalls