Help me choose a car

November 19, 2019 5:22 PM

I'm trying to choose between a 2006 Acura TL with 6 speed manual and a 2006 Honda Accord with a V6 and 6 speed manual. Which one is more fun?

Both cars are almost the same price and have approximately the same mileage. I'm mostly concerned about the driving experience, and am finding myself really torn between the two. If you love something about one of these cars, please share it and help me choose!

posted by Kicky to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

They are the same car, but the Acura is a bit fancier in trim level. I'd get the Acura - they both have a V6.
posted by Brockles at 5:39 PM on November 19, 2019 [4 favorites]

Acura is the luxury brand for Honda, which basically means an Acura TL is the same as a Honda Accord with some fancy extra bits. The driving experience between the two of them will probably be identical. Although if you’re saying the Accord has a V6 and the Acura does not, the V6 will be more fun.
posted by ejs at 5:39 PM on November 19, 2019

All Acuras TL's at that age are V6s.
posted by Brockles at 6:11 PM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

The Acura will likely drive sportier than the Accord. My mom drove Civics for a while and then switched to the Acura version and it is much more fun to drive.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:21 PM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The TL ought to have a somewhat larger, somewhat more powerful v6 and it might have slightly nicer materials / better parts. It looks as if the TL 6mt gets a limited slip diff, and the Accord gets a similar transmission but without the LSD. But I don't suppose I'd kick the Accord out of bed either. Glancing at wikipedia, it's likely that (depending on which engine (3.2 or 3.5) the TL has, both would have originally accelerated 0-60 in the same time.

I've got an auto TL from the following generation, and even with an auto the driving experience is better than anything else I've owned. And despite having 150,000 miles on it, it looks and feels remarkably clean and fresh, speaking to some very respectable build quality.
posted by wotsac at 7:22 PM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]

I like Accords and I just can’t lie.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:21 PM on November 19, 2019

Here’s one thing to check closely about both cars: were either subject to the Takata airbag recall and if so, was airbag replacement done?

That would be a decisive question for me. If both are clear of that I’d take the Acura by a hair for reasons explained above. But a V6 Accord of that era is also a blast.
posted by spitbull at 4:07 AM on November 20, 2019

Neither the 2006 TL nor the 2006 V6 Accord had any Takata recalls.
posted by Seeking Direction at 10:10 AM on November 20, 2019

Best answer: The Acura is derived from the 7th generation US-market Honda Accord, which is to say, they only share major components like subframe assemblies, engine, and such and there remains significant differences between the models.

Things the TL has the 4-dour Accord does not:

• bigger engine by 40 hp
• better stereo
• better sound deadening. The TL is much quieter. This is the biggest difference for me.
• better components on the manual TL include fancy Brembo brakes, a Torsen-type LSD, better anti-roll bars front and rear
• performance tires: note: this is also a con as these be $$$

Things the Accord has :

• the coupe*
• lighter and better gas milage for basically the same zooms
• cheaper to insure (check YMMV)
• I happen to like Honda interior
• invisible sleeper car

*the coupe. That's the one to get. It's got some of the go fast stuff the TL has, but weights much less. like 700 lbs less. Go get the coupe.
posted by zenon at 12:52 PM on November 20, 2019