In its last year before the '04 remodelling, the 2003 Acura TL presents a solid and comfortable domestic midsize sedan. The main change for '03 comes in the trims equipped with a navigation system: OnStar now comes standard. Otherwise, the 2003 TL stays pretty much the same in the wake of the introduction of the Type S trims in 2002. You can choose from 4 trims: 3.2 TL, 3.2 TL with navigation, Type S, and Type S with navigation.
So what distinguishes the 3.2 TL from the Type S? One word: horsepower. The 3.2 TL has a 3.2 L, 225 hp V6 while the Type S upgrades the powertrain to a 3.2 L, 260 hp V6 model. All 4 trims have 5 speed automatic transmission, 4 doors, and room for 5 passengers. Gas mileage comes out to 19 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway.
Overall, drivers appreciate the TL as a solid domestic midsize sedan. The extensive standard equipment and capable powertrain get the job done. However, the interior could use better materials and style. In any event, the TL got a re-design in 2004, fixing some of the shortcomings and bridging the gap with the foreign competition.
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I would compare 2093 Nissan Maxima or later 2009 Altima SE that i owned previously. Ride smooth has same about of power with V6 engine. 2009 Altima has more comfort features and better technology being a newer car which Acura lacked. However maintenence wize Acura was cost less and was more reliable. Mar 24, 2024
by Tommy C
Oct 18, 2022
Car needs some work done to it runs ok alot of miles good price I guess see one car like my for $6000 am going to fix it and sell for more cash .Oct 18, 2022
by Richard H
Jan 01, 2022
This car is a good value. Powerful V-6 engineJan 01, 2022
User rating:
by Patti C
Mar 24, 2024
I would compare 2093 Nissan Maxima or later 2009 Altima SE that i owned previously. Ride smooth has same about of power with V6 engine. 2009 Altima has more comfort features and better technology being a newer car which Acura lacked. However maintenence wize Acura was cost less and was more reliable. Mar 24, 2024
by Tommy C
Oct 18, 2022
Car needs some work done to it runs ok alot of miles good price I guess see one car like my for $6000 am going to fix it and sell for more cash .Oct 18, 2022
by Richard H
Jan 01, 2022
This car is a good value. Powerful V-6 engineJan 01, 2022
by Nathan P
Jul 26, 2021
One of the best “driving enthusiast” cars out there! Jul 26, 2021
by James L
Jul 21, 2021
I have not taken it for a test drive but it is my dream car.Jul 21, 2021
by Lucas F
Dec 29, 2020
Car was perfect pass inspection with flying colors even The Mechanic said he will buy the carDec 29, 2020
by Tak L
Oct 21, 2020
Very powerful car,it has 260 horse power. comfortable, sporty,nice Honda built. Oct 21, 2020
by Anonymous
Sep 14, 2020
The Acura 3.2 TL is a comfortable and smooth vehicle to drive . And its very reliable . Sep 14, 2020
by Anonymous
Feb 07, 2015
Great handling, smooth power. great standard features. The ride is really sporty, and comfortable, but lacks the refinement of the rear-wheel drive competitors, such as BMW and Mercedes Benz. However, I highly recommend this car to anyone. It is simply a gorgeous, and sportier Honda Accord.Feb 07, 2015
by Anonymous
Apr 18, 2014
I like the fact that it is a good looking car and is very fun to drive. I do not like that it is very expensive to maintain, if anything messes up you are looking at a few hundred dollars to fix minimum. Have put over 3,000 in the car since I purchased it 3 years ago! The car also requires premium gasoline so it just adds to the high costs of this vehicle.Apr 18, 2014
by Anonymous
Jan 21, 2014
I've owned this car for 7 years and put over 120,000 miles on her! We've been all over the US on roadtrips and the smooth comfortable ride was worth the maintenance costs. Replaced the transmission at only 89K miles which was a bit shocking to me, but other than that I enjoyed this car!Jan 21, 2014
by Anonymous
Nov 07, 2013
I just bought this car and it is in excellent shape for a vehicle 10 years old. It drives like a new car and the interior is surprisingly not outdated too much. Would like an outlet for an aux cord or Bluetooth, but it does have a cassete.Nov 07, 2013
by Jose H
Jul 24, 2013
I liked the feel of the car, the suspension was soft and ride quality was good. Wasn't a fan that it was a front wheel drive car but it handled nicely in the rain. The interior learther was soft and very comfortable. I'm a tall person and there was plenty of room in the rear seats.Jul 24, 2013
by Ben S
May 20, 2013
I've been very happy with my TL Type-S. I bought it with over 200000 miles on
it, and (other than replacing the starter) it runs like a champ. It has plenty of
pick-up and even more passing power. To be 10 years old, it looks great. It
doesn't really show its age. There is some where on the dashboard, but it
seems pretty common for this model. The mpgs are ok. In hilly city driving, I get
between 18 and 22; but on the highway, I get between 27 and 30. It also hugs
the road pretty good in the corners and is great fun on a straight a-way. If you
find one with decent miles on it (under 300k), grab that joker up. It's fun, and
it'll run forever.May 20, 2013
by Matt M
Jul 25, 2012
By far the most reliable car I've ever had, replaced one headlight and the vapor canister other than that nothing beyond standard wearable items. Acura dealership has been awesome to work with, my next car will be another Acura for sure! Jul 25, 2012
by Judy S
Feb 24, 2012
This car has been a joy. A surprise. My husband bought it as "his car", mainly driving to and from work. I have a Lexus RX model, and there are times when I prefer to take the Acura on road trips. Feb 24, 2012
by Aly N
Jan 08, 2012
Well built car that visited the dealer shop only for regular maintenance until this year ! After the 144,000 km service, incl. transmission flush I started noticing transmission problems and told it required replacement. Did anyone have a similar problem? Aside from that recent issue, that car offered good gas mileage (average 9 liters/100 km) and felt quite safe to drive even under adverse weather.
Jan 08, 2012
by Vijai K
Oct 30, 2011
Performance - Good acceleration and braking, handling is ok
Build Quality - My car is past 70k miles, No repairs, squeaks/rattles
Appearance - interior is semi-out dated and exterior styling gives a bulky feel
Cost of Ownership - gas mileage is ok - for a Honda product could be better,
maintenance free!
Fun Factor - is this car fun to drive? - Somewhat agreeOct 30, 2011
by Anonymous
Dec 30, 2010
Original owner, it breaks my heart to sell her. Great car, safe and has never let me down, or stranded me. She needs a new transmission and a new owner who will care for her! Someone with a bit of car skills can have her for another 100,000 miles.Dec 30, 2010
by Barrington M
Nov 06, 2010
This car had great performance and handling for a front-wheel drive car. Whenever I stepped on the gas, there was no hesitation and it appeared to have limitless power. I never had to yearn for more acceleration. Everyone wanted to drive it.Nov 06, 2010
by Miranda B
Jul 12, 2010
great i love this car this is the best car i ever had its is fast very nice on the inside and it is paid for i am so glad i got this car but fixing it cost so much but its ok Jul 12, 2010
by Stefan G
Oct 31, 2009
Bucket seats are really comfortable. All you need to change is the oil & brakes & you're good to go. It is pretty expensive to maintain unless you got hook ups or covered under warranty. Just buy it & you won't regret it. Oh & they are pretty reasonable now a daysOct 31, 2009
by Anonymous
Sep 21, 2009
It may be subtle in style, but this is such a beautiful
touring car -- it rides extremely well on the freeway
with plenty of power to cruise around. Bose stereo,
power seats, sunroof, heated seats, preforated leather
seating... a 7,000 rpm redline, what's not to like?Sep 21, 2009
by Steve S
Aug 15, 2009
Handled beautifully but not well made - lost its 'tightness' after a year or so. Nice design but manufacturing quality found wanting. Good overall value form money when purchased new but unsure about used quality. Fun to drive though - lots of powerAug 15, 2009
by Lacey W
Jul 12, 2009
VTEC! Acceleration is immaculate braking is good..which is a good thing for me=)..Its a acura which is the american Honda..so of course it's built with excellent quality...it looks super nice. It has black leather interior and a beautiful gunmetal metallic color...you want to own one..now days my car will cost you about 15 grand with over 100,000 miles on it...but its soooo worth it. Super fun to driveJul 12, 2009
by Evan B
Oct 21, 2008
This was one of my mom's cars. She and I both loved it and it was the car that i learned to drive in. Her's was a white type-S and had the 286 horsepower V6. It was great fun to drive and pretty luxurious as well. Overall great car. I would definitley recommend it to a friend.Oct 21, 2008
by Samuel W
Sep 17, 2008
Performance: Acceleration is good. Braking could use a bit more. Handling is good.
Build Quality: Minor rattles after owning the car for 6 years. No repairs done so far. So for 6 years, it's done pretty well.
Appearance: I love it.
Cost of Ownership: I get close to 29 mpg, and I've only had to do the normal oil change maintenance so far.
Fun Factor: Fun to drive, although steering radius could be better.Sep 17, 2008
by Loren S
Sep 16, 2008
I really like the TL-S. It accelerates with authority and still gets 27mpg running to work everyday (no highways!). The fit and finish is great. Exactly what you would expect from Honda. I have had no issues in 18 months which is impressive because it had 117k miles when I bought it. While I would have loved an Infiniti G35 for the RWD, the TL-S is great at less than half the price.Sep 16, 2008
by Ricky B
Jul 14, 2008
its not a racecar, but it will outrun most of anything you see on the road. acceleration is good and it handles great. it also has a great exhaust note that gets attention. the quality was outstanding the entire time i owned the car ( it was totalled head on in 2008) and there was nothing to my knowledge that was starting to crap out on me. the car isnt the most beautiful thing on the road, but it has that luxurious look you can expect from an Acura. the interior couldnt be more perfect though, from the guages to the leather seats to the cool cup holders (that passengers love to play with). maintenance wasnt bad, but gas mileage could have been better (about 18) and premium is recommended. this car is also incredibly safe. i was in a head on collision with a pickup and i survived thanks to this car. im getting another one as soon as i get the moneyJul 14, 2008
by Jason N
Jul 04, 2008
The Acura TL S type with the A spec package is a very high quality sports-luxury sedan. It is a beautiful car from the factory and does not need much performance enhancing. The car is fun to drive, smooth from a stand still all the way to 130mph without hestitation. The design features classic luxury class features and fit and trim is perfect. The Acura line was developed as the "precision" line from Honda, the innovative leader in automobile technology. Most do not know the "A" badge is actually a symbol of "calipers" reflecting precision. Overall the performace is extremely high, the build quality is outstanding, the appearance is lovely, and just a great purchase. Acura prides itself on high reliability and repairs are minimal, mainly requiring normal maintenance. The cost of ownership is well worth such a fine automobile and I look forward to purchasing the next TL-S in addition to keeping this one.Jul 04, 2008
by Mehul K
Jun 15, 2008
The car has an amazing ride to it. Very smooth. I think it needs a little more power, but overall a great car.Jun 15, 2008
by Brandon E
Jun 07, 2008
It has been a great car. Its not a performance machine, but it passes on the interstate well, handles cloverleafs better than expected, it is quiet, comfortable.Jun 07, 2008
by Brian R
May 25, 2008
Interior is nice, kinda plain for what it is. Black woodgrain looks sporty. good on gas until you dig into it.May 25, 2008
by Shawn T
May 18, 2008
Really enjoy the car, though it is a bit noisy on other than smooth road surfaces. The acceleration and handling at quite nice for this size car. My only real complaint is that I'm on my 3rd Transmission, but all have been covered by Acura even though the warranty is over. The newer TL's are better in all aspects. May 18, 2008
by Russell S
Apr 07, 2008
The trani issues are vin number specific. Get the right car and you have a ride that cruises at 85-90mph and 2250-2500 rpm. If it had a super charger, then I would drive it into the ground. Only other wish would be SH AWD and a refrigerated bourbon disperser, both items not offered on the 2003 tl s.Apr 07, 2008
by Flip J
Mar 18, 2008
I think this car is okay but, rattles, squeaks and risk of tranny failure make me worried about owning it. This car has killer looks pretty good performance and a solid engine. So far I have owned the car for 6 years and 50k miles had no problems other than rattles.Mar 18, 2008
by Andrew B
Jan 07, 2008
It is nothing more than a really nice accord with a bigger engine. a nice package for the money but not a world class car at all, can't come close to a german car for fit, finish, handling...very tinny, plastic bumpers fell off twice. tranny went at 30K a/c went at 25K, plastic inside is cheap.Jan 07, 2008
by Anonymous
Aug 13, 2007
Pleased with all aspects of the TL except perhaps the transmission. Ours went out at 66K, while out of warranty ACURA stepped up and paid for it. They initially offered only 50% however after I asked some "hard questions" about the associated recall for transmission cooling they relented and paid it all, some $5500 or so. Aside from the transmission we have had no issues with this vehicle.Aug 13, 2007
I'm looking at a 2003 Acura TL that has 160,000 miles on it. It's had one owner, no accidents and regular maintenance. I need a car that will last a long time, through my college years, without breaking the bank to keep it running good. Is this the right car for me?
Hi my 2003 tl motor froze due to water I thawed it with a small heater but now I have a no start situation it'll crank and crank but no start I've checked the fuel pump it's ok I checked main fuse it's working I have spark but it just won't fire up any ideas on what else I can look for Thank you