Best Performance Mods for the 3rd Gen Acura TL

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Categories: BHJ Automotive, products, Top 5 Lists

Typically what comes to mind when thinking about car mods is large expenses and lowered reliability. Today we are going to go over our top 5 Acura TL mods for the 3rd gen that will add to the experience of your ride without compromising the reliability of a daily driver. We should also note that this list will be in the ball park of $4000 total, this is a large amount of money to put into mods but each one of these mods is worth the money and can be added to your build at different times.

1. Intake

 

Number one on our list for best Acura TL mods is a cold air intake or “cai” for short. Although intakes are not a magical tube and filter that turns your car into a racecar, they are great for preventing heat soak, reducing turbulence, and increasing airflow which all combine to give marginal increases in performance. Also they make cool noises that are sure to add to the experience of driving your TL.

AEM V2 Cold Air Intake

Our personal favorite intake for the 2004-2008 Acura TL is the AEM V2 Intake. This intake is popular in the TL community and for good reason. AEM uses a dual chamber design to produce more power and torque than any other intake currently in the market for the TL. This will set you back around $324.

2004-2008 Acura TL Intake

2. Exhaust

When it comes to modifying your the exhaust system on your TL, there are a few options. Today we will be sharing our recommended options when it comes to creating a performance driven full exhaust set up.

Pre Cat Deletes

Our first piece to the exhaust setup is pre cat deletes or (PCDs®), we recommend going with the RV6 PCD. This piece was designed using 3d Cad software, making measurements as precise as possible. PCD’s are one of the best bang for your buck exhaust mods as it allows for turbulence free exhaust flow. Costing around $369

Performance J Pipe

After you have deleted your pre cats, we recommend adding a performance J pipe to your setup. Benefits of a quality J pipe include lest restrictive exhaust flow, better ground clearance, and better exhaust scavenging than the stock pipe.
 
We recommend going with the Endless RPM Performance J Pipe V2 as seen below.
Endless rpm performance j pipe acura tl 04-08 v2

You may also find it beneficial to pair this J pipe with the Endless RPM Test pipe to get rid of the 3rd cat completely for optimal exhaust flow.

Catback Exhaust

Our last recommended exhaust piece for the TL is the Endless RPM Catback Exhaust V2. We recommend this catback system as it creates smooth, subtle, almost “European sounding” notes. We also love how the quad tip finish adds a sporty look to the rear of the TL. It also pairs perfectly with our Artwork Bodyshop Rear diffusers.

acura tl quad tip catback exhuast

3. Brakes

Although Brakes will not increase the power of your TL… They are essential for creating a performance ready machine. Brakes can get pretty pricey, especially when opting for a big brake kit. For the best performance while also sticking to our set budget of $4000. Our recommended route is to combine Stoptech drilled and slotted rotors along with their low dust brake pads, which will come out below $600.

4. Suspension 

When it comes to suspension you have a few options for the TL, you can choose from lowering springs, coilovers, or even air ride suspension for the best show ride finish. But as mentioned before we do have a budget, and our favorite choice while staying in that budget would be the Tein Street Advance Z Coilovers. These coilovers combine just the right amount of performance and ride quality while also staying under the $800 mark. They fit the 04-08 3rd gen TL models.
Acura TL Tein Street Advance Coilovers

5. Tune

Our last modification on the list is a tune. Tuning your car opens up a whole new chapter of modifications, although it is not as simple as plugging in a device and gaining horsepower, it does allow a lot more control over how your car operates. 

Hondata Flashpro

Our favorite method of tuning for the TL is via the Hondata Flashpro device. It is a well known and accredited tool in the Honda/ Acura market.

Hondata Flashpro

Conclusion

Although, the 3rd gen Acura TL is not known for its tuning/ performance capabilities. We believe that completing some or all of the mods listed will set you up for a fun performance focused ride that can still be daily driven. 

We hope that you enjoyed our list of the Top Acura TL Performance mods. If you did please take the time to share this article with a friend, and reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.