Acura: TL news **Facelifted Version Spied (page 24)**

[dom]

I was making a right and it was coming towards me from my left. For a second I had no idea what it was, so I guess the grille doesn't serve its purpose when its painted. It didn't look bad. But this was the first 09 RL I've seen in the flesh so I don't have much to compare to.

This ad is not displayed to registered or logged-in members. Register your free account today and become a member on Acurazine!

[LuvMyTSX]

I haven't seen a new TL or RL yet either. There are quite a few 05-08 RLs around, though.

It seems my dealer has only sold one TL since it's been out. I've checked their inventory several times and nothing is moving except TSXs and MDXs once in a while.

[phile]

that after-market bumper really helps the TSX, IMO. It doesn't even look like one of those after-market bumpers, it looks more like the way the TSX should have looked stock. Why couldn't Acura have figured that out??

[dom]

Originally Posted by phile

that after-market bumper really helps the TSX, IMO. It doesn't even look like one of those after-market bumpers, it looks more like the way the TSX should have looked stock. Why couldn't Acura have figured that out??

Because there was a way to make more $$$$ by offering it as an option.

You can't tell me any one at Honda actually thought those stock wheels look good. Just another way to separate us from out $$$.

[afici0nad0]

2009 Acura TL Full Test

The Sensible Person's Sporty Sedan
By Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
Date posted: 11-12-2008


In preparing to write this full test of the new 2009 Acura TL, this writer was reminded by the powers-that-be that automotive styling is a subjective matter.

Indeed, continued the boss men, it would be helpful to no one to simply tee off on what is a truly lovely car in every way except the one judged by human eyes.

Besides, it was determined, no honor or lasting joy could be had by poking fun at a car that's an easier target for ridicule than a fat kid on a scooter. The last communication from the Home Office read, in part, "...your conscience (such as it is) will be your guide."

Right.

Not Silly-Looking
The bigger, longer, entirely new-looking 2009 Acura TL is one of the more sensible entry-luxury cars on the market. "Sensible" is encoded into Honda Motor Company DNA. One could rightfully claim that the 6-inch increase in length and the roughly 100-pound weight increase of this new TL compared to the one it replaces is not a historically Honda-like thing to do. But with a larger Acura TSX nipping at its heels and the super slow-selling Acura RL wasting away in the Size L segment, the TL had room to grow. It is now essentially identical in size to the RL, except that the "midsize" sedan is now 2 inches wider than the "large" sedan.

The upsizing yielded a slight increase in overall passenger volume (from 97.9 cubic feet to 98.2 cubic feet). But the bigger story is that essentially all of the extra room has been given to the rear-seat passengers — something Acura says owners of the current TL requested. There's an almost 1.5-inch increase in rear legroom compared to the '08 model and about an inch more hiproom. That might not sound like very much, but it's a meaningful improvement when you're the one stuck in the back.

Pretty Motor
To maintain the same level of performance as the well-liked outgoing model, Acura dropped a 3.5-liter V6 into the standard TL in place of the 3.2-liter of the '08 TL. You'll recognize the 3.5-liter from the outgoing TL Type-S. In this application, the 3.5-liter makes 280 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 254 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. That's down 6 hp and 2 lb-ft from the Type-S. But this base engine (which burns premium fuel, by the way) represents a 22-hp increase over the old base engine.

That Acura managed its super-sizing — both in terms of engine displacement and dimensions — while maintaining the same EPA fuel economy numbers as the smaller, less powerful TL (18 mpg city/26 mpg highway) is no small feat, certainly considering that the car uses the same five-speed automatic transaxle as before.

In our testing, the '09 front-wheel-drive TL cranked off a 6.7-second run to 60 mph (6.4 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like at a drag strip). Because of its additional weight, the higher-performance, higher-horsepower all-wheel-drive TL SH-AWD model is no quicker and indeed returns identical numbers. These acceleration figures put the TL between the Lexus IS 250 (7.5 seconds to 60 mph even with a manual transmission) and the IS 350 (5.3 seconds to 60 mph). It's quicker than the new Audi A4 3.2 (6.9 seconds to 60 mph), but not as quick as a Mercedes-Benz C350 (around 6.0 seconds to 60 mph) or a Cadillac CTS with the direct-injection V6 (6.3 seconds to 60 mph). It is utterly annihilated by the Infiniti G37 sedan (5.4 seconds to 60 mph) and the BMW 335i (5.2 seconds to 60 mph).

At $39,445 with every possible convenience feature a sensible person could want and then a few more, the TL represents something of value in this class. Also, if lots of interior volume and a price tag at or below $40,000 are prerequisites, several of the TL's competitors won't make the cut.

Pretty Moves
The TL is categorically not a four-door sports car in the mold of the BMW 335i or the Infiniti G37. The Acura's 60/40-percent split in front-to-rear weight distribution sees to that. It is instead a vehicle with a broad range of talents — something, in other words, like a Honda.

Still, our early drive in the car on Southern California's indomitable expressway system had us believing that Acura had more or less given up on the sporty aspect of this model. It rides beautifully on its modified Accord platform; this is one benefit of the longer wheelbase. The suspension is tuned beautifully, returning quite good body control without suffering the freeway hop that's a by-product of Los Angeles' aging freeways. The ride is supple enough that we were almost prepared to forgive Acura for trading the car's handling moves in return for it.

A night run down Angeles Forest Highway convinced us that no such forgiveness was necessary. The big TL casually and confidently attempts to outrun its headlights. We did not keep up with the BMW 135i that was apparently being driven straight out of Hell. But then, we wouldn't have been able to match that lunatic even if we had been driving an identical 135i.

Our TL wore all-season, 17-inch (245/50R17) Michelin tires that delivered a middling 0.83g on the skid pad. For comparison, a TL SH-AWD with sticky 19-inch Michelin Pilot PS2s will generate 0.93g and a Infiniti G37 with 18-inch Bridgestone Potenzas posts 0.91g. But we tell you, when you're out driving on that dark, swaying ribbon in the mountains, ultimate grip is a less critical parameter than how progressively and smoothly those grip limits are revealed.

The TL responded beautifully to steering inputs (using an electrically boosted system, no less). It takes a set early in a corner and tracks faithfully through with little to no steering corrections. For its size, weight distribution and modest tires, the TL is a pretty remarkable handler. The five-speed automatic might be down a gear compared to many competitors' automatics, but it remains a faithful ally, snapping off clean shifts.

Our only quibble with the car's back road performance is its less-than-exceptional brakes. They're better in hard running than the 122-foot 60-mph-to-0 panic stop test figure indicates (the tires are a factor here), but they are the weakest link in the TL's dynamic performance.

We Got Yer Gadgets, Right Here
True to Acura form, the TL comes fully equipped, sort of. The standard TL comes in at $34,755 (including $760 destination charge). That'll get you heated, power-adjusted, leather-upholstered front seats with memory function as well as an eight-speaker, six-disc CD-changer stereo with satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB port and auxiliary input, steering-wheel-mounted controls for cruise and audio, moonroof, dual-zone climate control and more.

Acura insists on calling cars with its Technology package by a separate model name. This "model" costs $39,445. If you choose to refer to your TL as simply a TL with the $4,690 Technology package, Acura will hunt you down.

At any rate, the package comes with an upgraded stereo with 10 speakers, a 12.7-gig hard drive and a 440-watt amp and speed-sensitive volume control (which is, as ever, annoying). Also Acura's excellent navigation system with voice recognition comes with the package and is displayed on a lovely, high-resolution 8-inch screen. The Tech customer also gets keyless entry and push-button ignition, real-time traffic and traffic rerouting capability and radar weather maps with one- and three-day forecasts along with severe weather alerts. A rearview camera and chrome-accented door handles make the cut, too — chrome apparently being higher tech than painted material. And Acura throws in a GPS-linked, solar-sensing adaptive climate control system with humidity control. We're not sure we need quite this level of technology in our climate system, but we note that we were quite comfortable.

Broadly speaking, we were comfortable with the whole of the interior, even if it is, in places, as overstyled as the exterior. Even the bewildering mass of buttons and knobs on the center stack fairly quickly came to make sense to us. Once you realize that each function (climate control, navigation, audio, etc.) has its controls clustered in its own territory.

Still Not Silly-Looking
As ever, the 2009 Acura TL is a weird bird in the entry luxury segment. It's a large front-drive V6-powered sedan, similar in performance and price to the Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV. But Acura is the corporation's luxury or rather premium nameplate, putting it in de facto competition with the Infiniti G37. It's a brand that's never really been pitched as a full-on luxury brand competing with the Germans. Instead, it's operated (most successfully) as a sensible step up from the sensible Honda models. Despite the redesign for the TL, this positioning hasn't changed for 2009.

And the TL is an even weirder bird than the lovely outgoing model because it has a large metallic squid beak on the front of the car. Whoops. We mean a broken buck tooth. No. What we mean is that the TL looks like what Pontiac designers of five years ago thought the future would look like. Oh, forget it. The TL is a lovely car.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...hotopanel..1.*

[Infamous425]

@ What Needs Work: See Photos

[dom]

All the TL ads I've seen so far, in print and on billboards have the car photographed from the rear.

What we mean is that the TL looks like what Pontiac designers of five years ago thought the future would look like

Ouch.

[Moog-Type-S]

@ the edmunds comments

[Belzebutt]

You got to hand this one to Acura though: nobody complains about the FWD anymore.

[chungkopi]

http://autonewsreport.com/go/?lname=...ura-tl-sh-awd/

Once upon a time, I mistook an automotive journalist for a member of ZZ Top. After a proper introduction, L.J.K. Setright subjected me to a twenty-minute lecture on the Euro-Accord’s five-spoke wheels. He was deeply offended by the fact that the lug nuts didn’t line up with the spokes. I got the message: people who truly understand and appreciate engineering excellence are wrapped WAY too tight. And yet, the desire for a meticulously designed automobile transcends geekery. The market rewards over-engineering– or at least the aura of over-engineering (cough Mercedes cough). In that sense, the Acura brand is not without inherent appeal– despite the TL’s inability to live up to the marque’s upmarket aspirations. Which is a fancy way of saying the TL is an epic fail.

You don’t need a degree to reach that conclusion. Let’s put it this way: when a buff book says a car’s looks are “a matter of personal taste,” you know it’s Medusa-class ugly. Personally, I don’t find the Acura TL’s smiling snow plow prow grossly objectionable. Not like, say, a maggot-ridden squirrel carcass. The TL’s snout is a bit… ungainly. Like a confused squirrel before it gets run over. The TL’s central crease– an over-literal interpretation of “cutting edge”– is just plain silly. The car’s profile shows the design team how it should have been done. It’s subtle, elegant and vaguely European; a striking differentiation from the mass market machine with which the TL shares a platform.

Yes, there is that. Suffice it to say, there’s more than aesthetically challenged sheetmetal to separate the sibs. The TL offers a few extra inches of lebensraum here and there. The TL’s materials are also suitably luxe, except for the buttons, which are not. (L.J.K. would have had a conniption over the power outlet cover’s herky-jerky sliding action.) The TL’s meaty steering wheel and hooded dials are the cabin’s finest hour. But there’s no disguising the fact that there’s no “there” there. The TL is as generic as a blank box of Kleenex.

Lurking within the TL’s all-too-familiar interior: enough gizmology to annihilate the car’s resale value in ten years or less. I mean, mandate an hour-long handover and at least five post-purchase phone calls. I’m slightly skeptical about some of the toys’ utility. Why would I want to burn CDs onto a built-in hard drive when I can just plug-in my iPhone? The more I use voice recognition systems the less I use them. (Although I’m always amused by a car’s answers to life’s big questions. What’s the meaning of life? “XM channel 18 on.”) And if I can upload ten images to wallpaper the nav screen, why can’t I create a slideshow? Or can I? GPS-linked climate control? Real-time power distribution meter?

Ah yes, power. A 3.7-liter V6 powers the top spec (of the two) TL. With 305hp and 273 lbs.ft of torque on tap, the TL makes a powerful case for itself as a performance sedan. In theory. In reality, the TL’s engine is a sonic affront at anything less than 5000rpm. Whiny. Tinny. Cheap. Although the TL’s five-speed autobox has a class-leading ratio spread (how’s that for a boast?), it’s a couple of bolts short of class-compliant silkiness. Traditionally, steering feel is a Honda/Acura strong suit. In this case, the electric variable power-assisted helm is, as the Brits say, pants. The TL’s brakes are effective enough, hauling the porky four-door down from speed with fade-free confidence. But the stoppers are numb in both initial bite and subsequent modulation.

Ask any Lexus driver: a novocain nature is not the worst thing that can happen to a car. Which is why the TL’s suspension is such a shock. Literally. As far as I can tell, K Mart supplied the Acura’s independent double wishbone (front) and independent multilink (rear) components. The TL’s 18″ wheels and all-season rubber crash and thump over the slightest imperfection. At city speeds, the TL feels nervous. Jumpy. Cheap. It’s an unforgivable sin for a car cresting the $30k mark.

The only possible justification for a ride that reminds me of the last gen GT-R: super handling. While the all wheel-drive part of the TL equation keeps the Acura planted, the two-ton sedan feels more like an oak than a willow through the bends. Worse, the seats don’t offer enough bolstering when you get stuck in. The TL’s sweet spinning six delivers a lovely grinding growl at maximum revs, but there’s only one situation where the TL feels the equal of a BMW 3-Series. No wait, there isn’t.

As L.J.K. would tell you, a well-engineered car adheres to a coherent philosophy. By trying to be everything to everyone, the TL is nothing in particular to anyone, save expensive. Back to the drawing board, then. Next time, start with the wheels.


1 out of 5 stars. yikes. it can't be that bad!!

[andrew070489]

wow

[chungkopi]

that's flat out a cheap shot IMO.

[phile]

so I guess he didn't like it too much...

[Ken1997TL]

The "Truth" About Cars website is one of the worst out there.

Its like asking Rush Limbaugh or Al Franken for a "fair" assessment of politics.

[godizus]

Originally Posted by Ken1997TL

Its like asking Rush Limbaugh or Al Franken for a "fair" assessment of politics.

poignant

[Black Tire]

yikes

[NSXNEXT]

Meh, I think we all are in agreement that the TL is not everyone's cup of tea. Lots of cars fit that bill.

He basically gave no significant reason other than it's ugly.

[JS + MS3]

writer = :noob:

i know its ugly though

[Moog-Type-S]

I thought this thread was gonna be full of quotes from the AZ TL thread

[agranado]

^^ I agree.. I almost thought a few quotes from AZINE automotive forum were gonna be in here

[brizey]

The new TL's interior is tits. It is miles better than all the competition--even Audi in my opinion.

I swear if one more journalist complains about buttons I am going to scream. If you are too stupid to deal with 20 buttons then you should hand in your license (and your journalist credentials). It takes a week or so of driving to get the hang of any car's controls. These morons drive the car for twenty minutes and say they have too many buttons.

I use the voice control on my RDX to change the XM channels pretty much exclusively.

[derrick]

^ Most potential buyers are not tech-savvy -- they are the people who drive an Accord who want to 'move on up'. Yes, I think the interior is a great leap forward but the dash is a bit daunting to the non-initiated. My folks who are in the market looked at the center stack in bewilderment. My dad asked me, "where is the rear defog?" And it took me a while to find the right button ... that doesn't bode well for the TL for my folks.

Anyway ... that being said ... I think Acura needs to find a better demographic / focus group when they do the 4th gen TL refresh. They might need to drop serious $$$ to fix the 'corporate look' to Acura. And I mean ... quickly.

[cotmfk]

lol @ what's the meaning of life! I have tried a few things in the car, but not that one. I will have to see if my car says the same thing.

I also don't know why everyone is on this guys' case. He is just saying what everyone else is saying... just a bit harsher. Nobody really wants to get past the looks of the new TL... and loss of touch screen Nav screen. Those things are both FTL. I'm sure there is a lot of new bonus stuff in the car, but I think I am waiting to see what the fifth gen might hold... and forgetting about even thinking about buying a fourth gen. I facelift could do this car wonders!

[mg7726]

in geek terms, this is the Windows ME/Vista of acuras, lol. No one wants to buy, everyone loves to hate on.

[Viscous]

Originally Posted by mg7726

in geek terms, this is the Windows ME/Vista of acuras, lol. No one wants to buy, everyone loves to hate on.

lol, windows me. i think acura has it better off than MS though, at least people are looking forward to the next iteration of the TL. Not too many folks eager to see Win7.

[majin ssj eric]

This review is a joke. Doesn't see the use for a hard drive? What if, like me, you don't have an iPhone? Having a hard drive means I don't NEED a stupid iPod. And voice recognition is very convenient as far as I am concerned. I also think the weather overlay on the nav map would be very useful. Just another case of some idiot thinking that because they don't have a need for a particular feature, no one does.....

Btw, the TL is sinfully ugly but every other COMPETENT review I've read of it says its a very good car to drive....

[F23A4]

Originally Posted by cotmfk

lol @ what's the meaning of life! I have tried a few things in the car, but not that one. I will have to see if my car says the same thing.

I also don't know why everyone is on this guys' case. He is just saying what everyone else is saying... just a bit harsher. Nobody really wants to get past the looks of the new TL... and loss of touch screen Nav screen. Those things are both FTL. I'm sure there is a lot of new bonus stuff in the car, but I think I am waiting to see what the fifth gen might hold... and forgetting about even thinking about buying a fourth gen. I facelift could do this car wonders!

I actually think that is an improvement. I definitely prefer the toggle control on the new Accord/TL's Navi than the touch screen in my 07 AV6.

The new TL is ugly IMHO also but, then again so is my 7G Accord. AND as with my Accord, the new TL's only negative attribute is its aesthetics.

[biker]

Originally Posted by Viscous

lol, windows me. i think acura has it better off than MS though, at least people are looking forward to the next iteration of the TL. Not too many folks eager to see Win7.

I can only hope Acura's next version of the TL improves as much as MS did with Win7 over Vista.

[afaceinthecrowd]

the hard drive comment irritated me quite a bit. if he was as sophisticated as he tries to make himself out to be he would understand the finer qualities of music and listening. i hate ipods and iphones. anything with the letter i in lower case in front of it really. i would absolutely love a hard drive. it is a known fact that ipods degrade sound quality quite a bit. it doesn't help that ipods cut out the lower frequencies of whatever you put on them. you lose 50hz and lower when receiving a signal from an ipod. the hard drive solves this issue and removes the ipod from the equation completely.

[phil2]

I agree....it is hands down the ugliest car I have ever seen.

[Yumcha]

^ It's not the best looking car...I agree. But, it's not that bad in person.

[dom]

Originally Posted by Yumchah

^ It's not the best looking car...I agree. But, it's not that bad in person.

IMO, yes it is.

[JnC]

Originally Posted by dom

IMO, yes it is.

The rear is "OK" at best in person but the front is down right offensive .

4G TL styling is as aesthetically acceptable as herpes is socially

[JediMindTricks]

as well.

the rear has taken some getting used to. but the front is still fugly and insulting.

it's a shame because the interior is so gorgeous.

[titan]

(sigh) I still haven't gotten used to the looks are of this car. The rear has gotten to be barely tolerable, but the rest is still horrible. Out of Acura's lineup, this car has the worst styling, IMO. I don't like Acura's design theme, period, but this car has no redeeming styling qualities.

[(Cj)]

Wow, I think it looks ok . Yes it's quirky and a bit overdone, but not the worse thing I've seen. I'm just glad it didn't look like the ASC. Anyway, I think the TL would have been nicer with a different grille, different tail lights, and different bumpers front and back (although the stock bumpers are ok).

[JediMindTricks]

Originally Posted by (Cj)

Wow, I think it looks ok . Yes it's quirky and a bit overdone, but not the worse thing I've seen. I'm just glad it didn't look like the ASC. Anyway, I think the TL would have been nicer with a different grille, different tail lights, and different bumpers front and back (although the stock bumpers are ok).

and different wheels.

the wheels on the AWD version are nice. but again, acura/honda fails with the base wheels.

but really. different grille, different tail lights, different front and back bumpers, different wheels, etc.

it just needs to be a different car period.

[Black Tire]

Originally Posted by dom

Less than many expected.

Much less than the 3rd gen. 08's were $42,700, Navi was $45,800 and Type-S with Nav was $46,500.

Still a rip off for such an ugly car

[Mokos23]

well i did see the new TL-SH AWD in the parking lot at an X sport and the rear does stand out because a G35 sedan was parked next to it. it made the rear of the G35 sedan look ordinary. no other sedan or car on the road has a rear like that. i have come to live with the rear end even if at first i thought it was ugly. now, the front, once there is a mmc it won't look as ugly you hope.

btw, i have only seen about 4 new TLs on the road and the car has been on the roads since Sept 08. So, either the bad economy is to blame or the car is that ugly for not selling. hey, at least if you buy the car you will be noticed and your TL will be exclusive.

[JnC]

Indeed the bad economy has influenced the sales but I guess potential buyers are ok with the idea of owning a car with ordinary looking front and back than owning a car with good looking rear end and a fucked up front.

I personally have seen 2 or 3 TLs on the road since they have been launched yet every other car that I see on the road is a G35X.