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Acura TL Review: 2008 vs. 2009

If you are in the market for an Acura TL now is a great time to shop and compare the 2008 and 2009 Acura TL. Both models offer advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to comparison shop before you decide which model will best suit you and your family’s needs.

Overview of the 2008 Acura TL

Since 2008 is coming to a close the 2008 Acura will be less expensive than the fresh-off- the-line 2009 Acura TL. The 2008 Acura has been on the market for a year which means that it has a proven track record and has been road tested. This is Acura’s best-seller and its standard features include Bluetooth, leather seating, power front seats, sunroof and a surround-sound system. For a sport sedan, the 2008’s road-handling capabilities are that of a standard sedan and its fuel economy is slightly higher than the 2009 model.

Overview if the Acura TL 2009

The TL has become an Acura mainstay, but the new look of the 2009 Acura TL is boxier than its predecessor. The new Plenum Grille on the 2009 has been likened to a vehicle from the movie Cars. Although the 2009 Acura TL is bigger than the 2008 model; it is also boxier in styling. The 2009 Acura TL boasts a 6-cylinder engine, and all-wheel drive as opposed to the Acura 2008’s front-wheel drive. The standard 2009 TL features include iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and Acura’s popular surround-sound system. However, there are many other comparable vehicles in the entry-level luxury sedan category like the BMW 3 Series, The Infiniti G35 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Overall the 2008 Acura TL is a better choice for the money. The appeal of the 2009 Acura TL is specialized mainly because of its new design that is considered a step forwards compared to the previous generation. The base 2008 offers more standard equipment as its only factory option is a navigation system; therefore the base model 2008 Acura TL comes more equipped than the base model of the 2009 Acura TL.

tiguy99

What about the ride and drive comparisons? How does the new one stack up against the older one? Anyone here care to share? Thanks in advance

SkLePro

08 TL ftw

425types

07 ftw lol

kevin_d925

Will get both. lol

R.I.P.Playboi

I test drove a 2009 TL and although IMO it is a solid performer it does not out-perform earlier model TL's (at least not in low-end torque) which is what I was expecting it to do. It's still a beautiful car except for that idiotic grinning grill and if something awful happened to my 2003 TL I would probably buy the '09 and upgrade it's aerodynamic but ridiculous looking mouth.

Toddbass123

'08 FTW for sure

SirAwesometron

The 4th general TL's look like Japanese anime people

prattjn

08 TL FTW "F" what you heard!!!

canitolindo

iTrader: (1)

1 agree like a pokemon or something lol

AnimeWheels

Hey, pokemon is awesome, so I dont mind the 4th gens

trollstein

07 ftw

GerryBloomfield

08

Locokinto07

Best 3G years ever made

Bullet1974

To me the 04-08 looks way better

Acuramatic

I think the 08 model looks beautiful, the 09 model just looks like a big ass family sedan imo.

Laxura

08 by far... Such a sleek and aero focused body type.

Nenad1985

I'm more for the 09 version, I like its style.

nanxun

2007-08 TL ftw, for sure. Can't beat that "Italianate" styling of the 3G....






VS

treal512

wilspainar

I like the 08 body style but I like the 09 because it is AWD.

SilverJ

That is NOT the 2010 TL. It is the 2012-2014 after the MMC. Great looking car, but I may be a tad biased. Beyond looks which are always subjective, it is by far a better car than any of the prior TL's, and its not even close.

Beak14

Look at it again, SilverJ. That's not the MMC, 4G, TL. That's the 09-11 TL, no doubt!

Unless I read what you wrote, incorrectly.

nanxun

Thx for sharing your thoughts, SilverJ. As an owner of a 3G TL (2007 base), I'm certainly biased and readily admit it.

I simply think that the 4G (2009-10, pre-MMC) TL became a bit bloated for my own tastes, esp. in the rear-end. It also put on some weight (3480 lbs. for the 2007-08 3G base, 3699 lbs. for the 2009-10 4G base) but added about 22 horse (258 hp for the 2007-08's 3.2L; 280 hp for the 2009-10's 3.5L). I'm not a fan of the "parrot beak" front-facia, either. But again, that's just me.

Here are two silhouettes of the '04 and '09 TLs, for further comparison....

Mister86

I'm a big fan of '08.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I think I've only met one or two folks who do not like the look of the 3G TL, however, I cannot count the folks I've met where "fugly" is what they think of when the 4G TL comes into the discussion.

As a general rule, it seems the 3G TL is almost universally liked while the 4G TL is disliked by the majority of folks who even know what the hell it is.

Richie Roads

I was a big fan of the 3G TL, but it was a bit over my price range, so I patiently waited for the 4G TL to come out, thinking it would cause a nice drop in used 3G TL prices. But as soon as I saw the 2009 TL, I knew the 3G TLs were going to hold onto their price. So just last month I ended up "settling" for a 2012 TSX (3G TLs too much mileage, 4G TLs too ugly) . Hopefully in 5 years, they'll be a TLX whose looks I like. Looks matter.