Does anyone know where I can find a full test review article on the 2007 or 2008 TL Type S published by Car and Driver magazine?

I know they had to have evaluated the car and written one. I've subscribed to C&D for a really long time, and I have most of my back issues from that time period (I'm guessing the article would have been published sometime between September 2006 and May of 2007), but I can't find one.

I couldn't find it archived anywhere here on Acurazine, and these two brief mentions of the '07 TL-S are all I could find online:

August 2006, "News: Acura brings TL Type-S back for 2007": http://www.caranddriver.com/news/new...-2007-car-news

December 2007, "The Quickest Sedans of 2008: $30,000 to $40,000": http://www.caranddriver.com/news/new...-2007-car-news

I'm looking specifically for a full test review article by Car & Driver, not the other car mags.

Thanks in advance!

 

I googled this and only found a couple of comparison tests for the TL in 2004 and 2005 in Car & Driver. I don't keep my back issues but seem to remember only a brief review of the TL-S in its time- that was what made me buy an 2006 since I wanted AWD and it didn't come with it. Here's a link to the 2005 comparison test that got me thinking TL: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...cura-tl-page-1

 

Is this what you're looking for?

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/new...-2007-car-news

 

R&T did a review and head-to-head test of the G35, IS350 and TL-S.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/co...7-lexus-is-350

 

That's the same new-model announcement brief I linked in my original post. I'm seeking an actual feature article after C&D did a full evaluation of the '07 TL-S.

There's gotta be one, otherwise where did the 0-60 and quarter mile figures quoted in the C&D Fastest Sedans article come from?

 

^ Search the C&D web site and see for yourself- there is no review for the TL-S. I suggest you use the R&T article and call it a day. Also I think there is a section in the Garage of this site that has various reviews also listed- maybe there is a review in Autoweek or another publication. Maybe the 0-60 came from Acura or some other source. In doing a Google, there really are not a lot of hits for the Type-S

Here's another link: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...acura_tl/2007/

Or here's a link for the 2008 Type-S which is basically the same as the 2007: http://reviews.cnet.com/sedan/2008-a...ml#reviewPage1

 

Okay, thank you. I was really just thinking my Internet search skills were lacking, and was ready to be flamed for being unable to find it on my own.

I've been a devout C&D reader for close to 20 years, and I really enjoy their style of vehicular hyper-criticalness. I would really love to know what they thought of the car back then, and how their opinion varied from—or dovetailed with—the usual carping in other reviews about TL-S's torque steer/lack of RWD, languid shifting response, and harsh ride quality.

 

Your search skills were fine and it's good that you tried searching on a question like this. They simply never did a review for some reason or another- for 2 years it would appear. There were a number of reviews in the earlier years of the 3G so C&D probably did not want to get blasted by people for doing yet another TL review like they sometimes get with BMW reviews sometimes.

Even though C&D appeared to not test the TL-S, I think the earlier reviews would show their thoughts towards the TL-S because there were not that many fundamental changes in the S to cause a quantum leap in their scores.

The S still had FWD as one major stumbling block for getting the S into the holy BMW 3 Series standings. You bet they would have tested the S if it came out in AWD like the rumors were alluding too, but it didn't which caused me to not wait for the S when I could get a 06 base with stiffer suspension than an 07 base.

As you can read in the earlier reviews, they like the car for its comfort, technology, and even handling if I remember right. In one test the TL was the slalom winner of the bunch.

 

Here is a C&D test/review of the '04 A-Spec TL. IS it possible that this is the article you're thinking of?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take-road-test


OR C&D may have done some testing of the TL-S, but never did full write up (for whatever reason). That would also explain where the they got 0-60 times for the TL-S.

 

Agree-- C&D never did a full Road Test or comparo with the 3G TL Type-S. x 2. I also read other car mags, but subscribe to C&D for its irreverence and willingness to push cars enough to wreck/blow them up.
A large upscale-sedan comparo had the 2004 TL as the FWD/AWD leader, behind the G35, IS350 and a 330i that had several braking malfunctions and CELs during the testing.