I've had my 04TL for four days and about 250 miles.

Here is my opinion thus far:

Performance - Throttle response is good. At this point it feels a
bit slower than my previous car, an 01CL-S. Once it is broken in I
expect to to be about the same in this area. I'll take measurements
(0-60, 60-0, 1/4 mile) once I pass 600 miles. Of course compared to
V8's with 300+ lb-ft of torque the TL is a bit sluggish!

Handling - I drove the car up Highway 9 (a seven mile twisty climb)
from Saratoga to Highway 35. The car handled very well with minimal
body roll. The ride is firm, but also reasonably comfortable.
Given some of the rough roads I regularly drive on, I don't think
I'd want the suspension much firmer.

Tires - The Bridgestone Turanzas work better than expected, so I
will probably leave them on the car for a while. They are noisy,
but that is probably due to the fact that the cabin of the car is
very quiet with very little wind noise.

Audio - It is the best factory audio system I've heard. I'm impressed
with XM, the quality is very good, and the programming selection
is also good. Sure it drops out when there isn't a clear view to
the sky such as in garages or under dense trees, but I don't see
that as a big problem. I will probably continue the service after
three months. 5.1 DVD-A discs sound very good, as do standard CD's.
I do wish there were an AUX input and that it was possible to load up
CD-R or DVD+R discs with MP3's. I'm not an audiophile any more,
so I think the stock audio system is just fine, and don't plan to
modify it, other than adding MP3 capability at some point.

Navigation - I was happy with the Navi in my CL-S, and the TL Navi
takes that and improves it. The larger screen is great. The voice
commands will take some time to get used to, but I think they will
be very useful.

Interior - The interior is very nice, probably the best I've seen.
All the controls are laid out nicely and logical. It looks good as
well. Not sure about the fold out map pockets... I'd rather they
be fixed to make sure they don't have any problems as I'll never
fold them out. No opinion on the sun glasses holders, I carry my
sunglasses in a case in the center console. Outward visibility is
fine with the mirrors adjusted correctly.

Transmission - With the drive-by-wire, the shifts are very smooth.
SS mode works fine, though I'd prefer to make the 1-2 shift on my own.
In practice it works fine though as the shift point increases as
more throttle is used. I do wish Acura had not dropped the 4-3-2-1
positions in auto mode, as I sometimes used the 4 and 3 positions.
However, the D mode does work much better than the D mode did in
the CL-S. I generally use the SS mode anyway.

Exterior styling - I think it is very good, aggressive, but not
too flashy. For reference, I think my CL-S was too conservative.

Trunk - The size is good, and I like that the Navi unit is on the
right and out of the way. (On the CL-S it was under the rear deck,
and sometime got in the way.) I like that the trunk hinges are
protected, makes loading lots of stuff in the trunk easier.

Bluetooth - No comment here, as I'm with Verizon, at least for now. ):

Problems - I have two minor rattles that occur over rough roads.
I've not tried to track them down yet. Based on what I've read I
think they may have made the seat leather too soft, though mine is
fine thus far. After 3-1/2 years the seats in my CL-S still looked
great, I hope the TL is the same.

Conclusion - I think Acura has done a fine job with the TL. It is
luxurious, handles and performs very well, and it is fun to drive.
The technology included is impressive as well. Given what it offers
I think the price is reasonable. Based on what I was looking for,
nothing else came close, even for more money. I'm very happy with
the car thus far.

-r

 

Are you happy with Black? I have a deposit on Anthracite but after seeing pics of the Black w/ the body kit I am thinking of changing.

 

Yes, I'm very happy with the black, but then I tend to like black cars. I also think that black looks sportier on a sedan. I've seen the Anthracite and think it looks very good too. I was tempted by it!

If you like both equally I'd go with Anthracite since it should be a little easier to take care of.

-r

 

Lookin good! Enjoy!

 

A few more comments:

seats - The seats are very comfortable. The
driver's seat also has good adjustments, and the
two memories are nice. The front seats are lacking
in side support for spirited driving though.

trip computer - I would be nice if it had "tenths"
digits for the average fuel economy. While instant
fuel economy isn't really useful, it would be nice
to have, and easy to add since the sensors are
there.

steering - The steering is very good, about the
right amount of boost for all occasions. Road
feel isn't the best, but it is OK.

-r

 

I'm undecided between Black/Quartz and Anthracite/Ebony!