RJC RSX

they like it...a lot

edit: and now the details. i'm having issues with my scanner, so i'll post the highlights surrounding the TL now and will try scanning later.

On the very first page, the subheading is, "Upscale Sedans: Inside and out, the redesigned Acura TL is best in its class."

Redesigned for 2004, the Acura TL is a significant improvement over the previous version. Overall, it scored well enough in our tests not only to top this month's group, but to edge out the BMW 330i as the best upscale sedan that we've tested (see the Ratings chart on the facing page). The 330i had held the top ranking for nearly three years.

The TL is based on the Honda Accord V6, which has also received excellent scores in our tests. It's more fun to drive than its predecessor and feels more like a sports sedan. The TL also has a comfortable, impeccably detailed interior and a refined 3.2-liter V6 engine that achieved both the quickest acceleration and best fuel economy of this group.

Most of the top models in the upscale-sedan category use rear-wheel drive, which typically helps a car's handling and steering. While the front-wheel-drive TL didn't quite match the BMW 330i in at-the-limit handling performance, its agility and power make it invigorating to drive. At $33,150, it also costs about $7,000 less than a comparably equipped 330i.

Ratings: Upscale Sedans

1. Acura TL*
2. BMW 330i
3. Lexus IS300
4. Lexus ES330*
5. Mercedes-Benz C320
6. Lincoln LS Premium V6
7. Audi A4 3.0 Quattro
8. Cadillac CTS
9. Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE
10. Infiniti I35
11. Saab 9-3 Aero
12. Infiniti G35
13. Jaguar X-Type 3.0
14. Saab 9-5 Arc*
15. Volvo S60 2.5T*

*in this issue.

Acura TL

Highs | Acceleration, fuel economy, handling, transmission, quietness, fit and finish, value.

Lows | Turning circle, rear seat doesn't fold.

The redesigned Acura TL provides an excellent blend of comfort, convenience, and sportiness. It delivers taut, agile handling and the quickest acceleration and best fuel efficiency of this group. We also liked the impressive interior, comfortable ride, and quiet cabin. Although it provided the best handling in this group, the TL doesn't match the overall driving experience of the BMW 330i. Reliability should be better than average.

The Driving Experience

The TL's firm ride is well-controlled, with good isolation from bumps. The highway ride is steady, and the cabin is very quiet. The wide turning circle is one of the few negatives.

The Acura feels taut and responsive in cornering, with well-contained body lean. The nicely weighted steering is communicative and quick. In emergency-handling tests, the TL demonstrated good tire grip and cornering balance, and it proved secure in our avoidance maneuver, where it posted the fastest speed of the group.

Powered by a smooth 270-hp, 3.2-liter V6, the TL is noticeably quicker than the other cars here. Even with such high horsepower, the car was largely devoid of torque steer, a tendency for the front wheels to briefly pull the vehicle off its intended line under strong acceleration (common in front-wheel-drive cars). The engine is coupled with a smooth and responsive five-speed automatic transmission.

The TL gets a respectable 23 mpg overall and meets Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standards, which means that it is 50 percent cleaner than the average 2004 model. Braking was very good. The standard HID low-beam headlights have a sharp cutoff that can be annoying to the driver and oncoming traffic. High-beam distance is good.

Inside the Cabin

The interior is impressive, with precise fit and flawless execution. Outward visibility was excellent for all drivers behind the tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The firm, comfortable front seats provide good support. The roomy rear bench has ample leg and head room, but it is a bit low. Three adults will fit with moderate side contact. Access is easy.

Controls are well-placed and readable, with most lit at night. Minor gripes include a long reach to the defogger controls and obscured mirror controls. Cabin storage space is good. There are two sturdy cupholders in both the front and rear. Unlike the Saab and Volvo, the rear seatback does not fold to expand trunk space.

Safety Notes

Front-air-bag deployment varies, depending on impact force and safety-belt usage. Sensors in the passenger seat disable the side air bag if an occupant leans into its deployment path. The rear center seat lacks a head restraint.

Driving with Kids: Some rear-facing infant seats may have too much tilt in the rear seats when installed with the car's safety belts. The LATCH and top-tether anchors are awkward to access.

Majorhouse

Is this in their current magazine or on their website?

Care to divulge any other info?

need4spd

Can you scan it or post a hyperlink?

rets

What do you mean? Can you post it?

I didn't see Consumer Reports give 04TL a "checkmark"...

MDX, RL, and RSX have been checked.


Happy New Year.

RJC RSX

it's in their current magazine which just came today. sorry for leaving you guys hanging, i am typing up the good stuff and just wanted to get the thread started. it placed first place out of 15 upscale sedans, beating the 330i

Majorhouse

I figured it would do well. It is ULEV rated and has all the safety features anyone could ever want. All that with a great sound system and close to 300 reliable ponies. All the stuff CR loves.

:bowdown:

vtechbrain

HA!!! EAT THAT ONE CAR AND DRIVER!!!

gbriank

They haven't updated the CR website yet...probably not for a week or two.

Teh Jatt

TL IS DA BEST

need4spd

Thanks for typing all that up!!!!!! and continuing!

¿GotJazz?

This sux!

1) You thought it was difficult to get one before? I feel sorry for anyone who hasn't ordered yet ...

2) It isn't a "sleeper" anymore.

3) Everyone is going to want one, so my car won't be as unique anymore. Thank goodness I ordered Desert Mist!

Way to go, Acura! (But everyone here already knew that)

Majorhouse

Thank you very much for the great post. It only confirms what I, and most if not all of you already know about this great car.

It is with some sadness that I will be breaking Mustang tradition in the next few months, but I am sure I will easily adapt to life as an Acura driver.

Again, thanks for the great info!

Happy New Year!

Donte99TL

I will go check to see if it's out at the book store. If it is I can scan in the article if RJC RSX doesn't do it. Good find RJC RSX.

rets

U're the man. Thanks for your efforts.


Happy New Year.

TorontoTL

Thanks for typing all of that up. I am glad that CR gives the TL the attention and approval that it deserves. I have to agree that there is little torque steer at least in my 5AT. I think most of us here would agree that the TL is the best overall car in this class.

DNA

CR's opinion won't matter to most car enthusiasts and wouldn't have had much effect on my purchasing decision either. However, in this case I think CR nailed it, both in their positive and negative comments. The lack of rear fold down seat and its aircraft-carrier turning radius (compared to previous cars I've owned) are the major issues I have with my TL (once the seat memory problem is fixed).

I'm not sure I understand CR's comment: "The standard HID low-beam headlights have a sharp cutoff that can be annoying to the driver and oncoming traffic." The sharp cutoff is a fact (I have no idea how it compares to other HID lights in that regard), but I've never found it to be annoying and I'm trying to imagine how it would bother oncoming traffic. Any thoughts on that?

MB-telecom

What 0 - 60 time and what 1/4 mile time and trap speed did CR achieve?

need4spd

DNA - Consumer reports as been a long time advocate against HID without the self leveling feature (such as on BMW, Audi, and I think Lexus) so that when a car is on an uphill, or goes over a bump, the opposing driver does NOT get the full brilliance of the light as they go under the cut off line.

The cut off line is there to prevent blinding oncomming drivers on flat roads, but without the self leveling feature that the TL should have, I can see when I am blinding oncomming drivers in varrious road conditions that the wifes car with self leveling does not.

CU has been pushing the govt to pass tighter requirements on HID head lights with self leveling as one of the mandates along with others.

Regarding enthusiasts, I would aggree, that a CU report will not sway any, but the masses it will.

This is one of the better car reports I have read from CU in a while.

RJC RSX

I definitely agree. CR tends to be the last place i turn to for auto reviews, but this one was done nicely.

RJC RSX

Some stats:

0-60: 6.7
45-65: 4.2
1/4: 15.2

60-0: 130
Predicted Reliability: Very Good
City/highway mpg: 16/35
Turning Circle: 42

DNA

I assume that CR tested a 5AT/non-Nav (given the 33K price), right?

need4spd: Thanks for the HID/CR info.

RJC RSX

right, non-navi 5AT

neuronbob

Hey RJC, I'm late to the party here but wanted to thank you for your effort. That's one of the most positive reviews I've read yet. Anybody who takes the TL over the 330i is my buddy.

davezaristo

CR is full of crap...330i still rules after driving a TL and a E46 back to back...

Also, it is BS that the G35 rank #12 out of the bunch...the G35 should rank second while the TL should be 3rd at best...

fasTLane

What color is your 2004?

alvon

If performance is the only factor, no doubt the 330i is way better than TL, but CR is famous for value, so TL beats out 330i because of the overall value factor. Honestly, TL is a solid choice for 99% of the people who drive less than 8/10th most of the time.

davezaristo

I agree with the value part...but in that case, the G35 should be the winner...the TL is very good but not quite up there with the 330 and the G35

fasTLane

What color is your 2004?

Modeler

What are you doing on this board, if you're so anti-TL? Are you doing this to start a flame-war?

alvon

If I remembered correctly, CR does not like G35 for its:

bumpy ride,
driver seat power control location
interior noise (road, wind and engine)
grappy brakes
rear end tends to slide out in fast tight turns
and other things that I don't remember.

davezaristo

I am not anti-TL..i am just stating my opinion...

This 3rd gen TL is pretty nice compare to the 1st and 2nd gen in which i would rather save the money and buy an accord instead...however, i am just saying the CR is full of crap and makes no sense....

Brokedoc

I agree with CU and I don't think the G35 should have been rated high in this review of Upscale Sedans. The interior is much less impressive than almost every other car on the list. If this was rated purely on performance, the rankings would be totally different but CU takes in the whole picture, heavily weighting value, and bases it's rankings on what the majority of buyers in that segment are looking for.

Congrats to the TL! Now the waiting list gets a little longer....

Modeler

You forgot to add "in my opinion". Because that's all that is, and you should add that qualifier because your opinion doesn't agree with opinions of 99.9999999% of other people. You can make valid claims that G35 is a better car in terms of handling, but there is no way anyone is going to agree with you that it's better value than the new TL. It costs more, has lower resale value, contains cheap materials, has lower assembly quality and lower reliability than TL. That, my friend, means LOWER value.

Majorhouse

Well Dave, I don't think that you will get much sympathy about your issues with the G35's less than stellar CR rating in this board.


:tflamer: Prepare to be flamed :bigun2:

partagas

I have to laugh about the absurd posts of people who obviously know nothing of what they write. First, those who bash BMWs or even G35s but don't know the first thing about them beyond prejudice and then, those who suddenly appear here and say something like "TL is neat but not as good as a 330i or G35." Too much BS. Let's have a specific issue or shut up. How many of these "critics" have really driven and compared the real handling, comfort and performance issues of the cars?

Who has driven a G35 in enough 9/10ths situations to be able to say "it handles better?" Why does a 330i handle better? Uninformed opinions are geting to be a PITA. That's what mother-in-laws are for.

shingles

You know, in all honestly, the only going for the G35 is the looks on the outside and RWD. The interior is not good, it will look dated shortly. Nissan fit and finish is questionable at best... I have a Maxima. The G35 has small back seats, the ride is ok, the seats are not comfortable... The G35 sedan is REALLY ugly while the G35 coupe is sexy as well. But the coupe is not in comparison, so the sedan is ugly as sin.

davezaristo

Obviously, you are quite blind for NOT reading my words carefully since i did state that it is MY opinion. This post is about my opinion against CR, not against the TL. However, I still think that the 330i and the G35 is preferred over the TL overall since i've driven all 3 of them.

I know I will get all the flame for formulating my opinion in this strongly biased TL board but I don't care. If you go to bmw board, people there are overly biased about bmw as well.

Again, I think CR makes no sense in their ranking and TL is based on an accord, which CR has been in loved for all these yrs. Personally, I think camry is a better car than a accord. I don't have much respect for any honda cars except for S2k and nsx and now the TL based on its looks and the bang for the buck features.

I think Acura got a profit maker here by rebadging an accord and beef it up a bit and adding all kinds of gadgets...however, if the 4th gen TL becomes rwd, then it may become a true winner...

rets

I respect your opinions.

You seem to be a performance-mind driver. BMW is a great car, but I only appreciate its driving ability, engine, quality, and reputation, nothing else. CR apparently values these vehicles at their complete worth. They try to weight each component in cars and form their evaluation charts, they are pretty fair to public ppl, who would think of best value for themselves.

Car and Driver magazine seems more performance trend, so they prefer RWDs. You believe that's your most interest.

I know how good BMW is and love it, but I won't close my mind to refuse 04TL. 04 330xi and 04 530i were my only targets, (I did try other cars too), but where I live was totally aginst this idea, then decided to spend money wisely on 04TL.

BTW, I totally don't like G35, IMHO, it's never able to compare with BMW and TL (and my 94Legend & 99GS300).



Happy New Year.

davezaristo

Thanks for your kind words...i think you are the only one that spoke my mind....again, i am not turned off by the 04 TL but i do HATE the 1st and 2nd gen TL since they are ugly and too accord like....the reason i am on this forum is i actually do like the 04TL for its looks and features and the bang for the buck factor...i am actually consider leasing one after i sell my slk since i need a bigger car....however, i doubt i would take the tl to an autocross and still think that CR overrated the car...

fasTLane