We are the second owner of this most Germanic, solid, and discreetly luxurious Japanese Touring Sedan. I know "Touring Sedan" sounds highfalutin. Still, I think the TL is in a class with the BMW 5 Series, tucking somewhat under the BMW in drivability, and WAY, WAY under it in cost of maintenance, and way over the BMW in durability. I have long been a fan of Japanese Luxury cars, though most of them isolate you from the driving experience. This car gives a rather nice, visceral feel of the road. Let me paraphrase the 2004 Road and Track review of this, the second generation of the TL. "It appears as though it was designed in Germany, but on the plot adjoining Italy, and a little bit of Italy got in under the fence." The car is understated but with a bit of Italian in the rump. The very tidy and spare dash design is one of the very best. The TL has been run on synthetic oil, changed every 6000 miles since new. Its only physical blemish is a scrape that my usually careful wife put on the flank. We have detailed the car twice per year. Previously, we drove a TSX - quite a nice vehicle, but it began to feel like a glorified Civic. I set off looking for a TL, 6M, as it got almost the same MPG, was more substantial, and it was safer. I drove a few Type A’s, which rode rather harshly. Thus, I consider the TL 6M the sweet spot. I purchased this car from the original owner, a very organized engineer in Santa Rosa, by paying $500 more than the first person who saw it. I doubt that now #2 Gentleman has come to regard that $500 as well-saved. I caught the inaugural June 27, 2017, Marin to Sonoma SMART train from Larkspur to Santa Rosa to pick up the vehicle. By this, I can calculate we've owned it for 8 years. For maintenance, we have always used quality parts from Akebono, Bosch, and Brembo. The oil has been Mobile 1. At my wife's urging, we're moving on to a Honda Civic Hybrid. I am going to miss the 6-speed manual sorely. Maybe you're just looking for a Japanese manual transmission sedan, and all of the above is poppycock. That is certainly a valid perspective, and I do apologize for putting you through my personal reverie. Please reach out if you wish to "Chat", Message, or have a telephone conversation.
Thanks for Reading,
Gary Ph.D. ret.
