...and I really hope that the Moderators keep this post up so that all might benefit from future improvements in the Acura line-up.

Dear Acura Engineers,

I am a mechanical engineer (23 years of experience), a "car nut" and an admitted "perfectionist."

That being said, I traded by 2007 Acura TL Type S today for a 2009 'Vette after having driven it only 10,900 miles.

1) Did anyone ever test the windshield wipers on this car - especially at highway speeds - before it was put into production? This is the only car I've ever seen where the windshield wipers pull more water onto the windshield than they remove. (Driver's side. And yes, I tried three different high end replacement blades in addition to the OEM blades, plus every windshield/glass cleaner known to man). The wiper motor also seems under-powered...These wipers are DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS in heavy rain!

2) What's with the suspension? It's "flinty" over high frequency pavement imperfections, yet the car FLOATS like an old Buick over lower frequency bumps when it's pushed even remotely hard. Front end rebound damping is simply too soft, although all dampers and springs are just too weak to justify any suggestion of real "handling." Only the anti-roll bars seem suitably sized here.

3) ...and it still under-steers - way too much for a "performance" sedan.

4) The front seat-belts whack the interior "B" pillar trim because no-one bothered to tweak them to work properly with the Type S seats.

5) A 5 speed automatic in 2007/2008 luxury car? And your 2009 top-of-the-line RL also uses a 5 speed automatic. I saw a Chevy Malibu in a dealership today with a 6 speed automatic!

6) What's with the DAMN brakes? Why specify expensive, four piston Brembo front calipers and then specify under-sized rotors that would be "appropriate" on a 4 cylinder Accord? My TL-S auto weighs nearly 3,700 pounds (plus me). These brakes have no real stopping power at elevated speeds. Furthermore, they are noisy, produce more dust than a 40 year old vacuum cleaner and the front pads require frequent replacement.

7) While I have personally not had the problem, I really feel for those who have experienced spark knock/detonation, only to have Acura deny it.

8) The OEM Michelin "all season" tires are junk and have no place on a "performance" sedan.

9) This Acura gets worse fuel economy than my 1999 LS1 powered Z28 got - on the exact same roads and despite the fact that I drove the Camaro faster. Plus, that LS1 V8 made more than 300 HP - AT THE WHEELS (on a chassis dyno) and would blow this Acura into the weeds without trying. (The difference in engine weight is less than 100 pounds.)

10) You call the pocket in the door panel a "sunglasses holder?" Why not use a REAL sunglasses holder (fold down, mounted on the rood console) like my 2004 and 2006 Accords had?

11) My 2006 V6/6 speed Accord coupe was a quicker car that my TL-S.

12) Why waste money on an aluminum engine/transaxle subframe instead of putting the aluminum where it counts (i.e. unsprung weight in the form of suspension control arms)?

13) A few months into ownership I saw a video on U Tube, which confirmed the rumor than TL-S automatics were top speed limited to about 130 MPH. My 1986 Mustang GT would do that flat out, but that was 23 years ago, that car only made 200 HP and it was about as aerodynamic as a brick. EVERY pre-2007 Acura TL is ultimately a faster car than the 2007/2008 TL-S automatic. How do you think that makes the buyers of your "performance" model (Type S) feel?

14) The aluminum accelerator pedal is downright dangerous. Rubber inserts were correctly specified for the brake pedal, yet there aren't any on the accelerator pedal. I found that out the hard way while trying to merge in front of a semi with damp leather sole dress shoes. I fixed it by putting some stairwell tape on it.

15) The exterior paint had numerous flaws.


What I see here is a car that is mostly about MARKETING. The basic structure is sound, the stereo sounds nice, it's not a bad looking car, I like the seats and the overall feel of "luxury" inside is good. I see absolutely no redeeming qualities beyond those.

Acura need a small displacement (e.g. 4.4 liter), direct injected, SOHC, aluminum block and head V8 and a dual clutch DSG transmission similar to Audi's. Acura also needs to consider weight. The RL weighs more than 2 tons and that's not a large car. The rumored AWD TL will probably weight even more, since it likely won't use the aluminum suspension components that are used in the RL...

Little V6s just aren't enough to move two tons worth of car in the modern era...

One thing I will note is that resale/trade-in value on this TL was pretty respectable.

Anyway, hopefully someone will read this and give it some thought. Acura will never be in par with Lexus or BMW in terms of "panache" unless it addresses these serious issues.

 

First off congrats on the new vette I hope you looked into test driving it before buying it. Now to the rest of your post <- my avatar.
Since you have come here, you have bashed the TL in every way or form. You have failed to recognize it's qualities that make it superior to other competitors. I wish you the best with your new car. I will close this thread so other's do not crash your going away thread.