HondaOnly

I love my TL and it begs to be driven fast, but this bloody torque steer is really getting on my nerves. I have AT so I can only imagine how much worse it is with MT. I've been driving FWD cars my whole life so I'm used to torque steer, but this is the first time where it's really cutting into my enjoyment of the driving experience. Being in the midwest, there's no way I'll ever get a RWD car, but one thing I do know is that my next car will not be FWD either. I hate to say it, but the folks at Car & Driver were right...well, half right. The TL is a great car and it could've been a REALLY great car. As soon as they come out with an AWD TL, preferably a hybrid version, I'm trading up. Acura goofed on the RL. I hope they don't goof again by making the next TL FWD.

yohan81718

Personally, I wouldn't really go for Hybrid unless I'm really worried about the environments

joed40

Ahhh, it's all about BMW when you quote Car and Driver. Someone there must invest heavily in that German market. Invest in an A-spec suspension which will improve that problem. The TL is a torquey(?) car anyways, unlike most other FWD cars, the steering problem is magnified. So for now upgrade the suspension/RSB and maybe invest in better tires.

TheAcAvenger

I think my springs/struts/sways/grippy tires have cut down my torque steer quite a bit, even though i've got a few engine mods to go with them. However, wen that supercharger comes...

avs007

What? Are you serious? The TL has less torque than almost everyone elses V6 engines. (At least those with similar HP numbers) And it has almost 100 less pound ft of torque than the V8 GM shoved into the Grand Prix GXP and Impala-SS.

Personally I find the torque steer of our TL to be quite sedated compared to our Grand Prix. (Though it's still there).

joed40

V-8s vs V-6 are apples and oranges! V-6 Impala 214, and for the Grand Prix 280 for a 3.8 ,Camry 197,Honda 211,Saab 258, and Passat 265. I owned the last two and feel the only one that had as much was the passat, and that was controlled by a aftermarket suspension kit and new tires. Admittedly, the numbers can be deceiving, some models may have more torque but have less effect on the handling then the TL. Which is why I used the word torquey (?) for lack of another word, meaning effect of steering.

mickey3c

Not sure how long all the orignal poster's life is but I would bet I have been driving longer and have driven RWD FWD 4WD and AWD cars. The TL is not that bad. If it bothers you so much do not get on the gas so much from a stand still. Or, get a lessor powered car. LOL. This is interesting huh I am known to bash the TL and I am defending it... LOL

I have had several cars that have had torque steer issues and the TL is not the worst. The car delivers a fair amount of power to the wheels and you get some side affects.

I guess if the person gets a RWD car with 250+ ponies they will complain about some oversteer as well ...lol

Actuary

I don't know how you drive your car but I'm fastest car off the line and every turn and I'm fine with torque distribution.

On the other hand, I complain about getting 16MPG doing that.

bluenoise

The only time the torque steer bothers me is when I really get on the gas and the front tires are getting uneven traction. I feel it on smooth, even pavement, too, but it doesn't really bother me as much then.

TCMS

I have to laugh at you. Sorry.

This thing does not have bad torque steer, maybe it's a personal thing. All I know is that my I35 sport had much worse torque steer, as does my little brother's maxima.

This makes me laugh. Ha.

JohnDoe2

Hybrid? Hybrids are like 8-track tapes, the LISP computer language, and socialism. All destined for the scrap heap of history.

With a hybrid, you have both an Internal Combustion engine and electrical system, twice as many moving parts and twice as many things to go wrong.

Instead of helping the environment, the disposal of the huge acid and lead packed batteries will be a tremendous toxic waste issue.

Yes, you'll save gas, but you will lose money in the end. When you need your batteries replaced, you'll be standing in line to sell your blood to cover the cost.

And, if that wasn't enough, if you get a hybrid, people will think you're unmanly, perhaps even gay, not that there's anything wrong with that.

mkaresh

I've driven a lot of cars. I didn't think the torque steer in the TL AT was bad at all. The MT was a different story.

Torque steer is magnified by changes in suspension geometry as the nose lists under acceleration. This likely explains why people who have fitted firmer springs report less of it. The tires should make as much of a difference, though of course when one begins to slip you'll also get more torque steer.

I didn't find torque steer per se a big problem with GM's FWD V8s. The larger problem there is that the nose gets real light and squirrelly under hard accleration--it doesn't pull to one side, but wants to wander about and simply doesn't feel tied down.

It's all about suspension geometry. Get this right and torque steer is much less of an issue.

tmitch2315

I never even heard about or thought about "torque steer" until Car and Driver complained about it and I had a TLs before the TL and drove Porsches before that. You have to deal with understeer or oversteer in any performance car to a greater or lesser degree and it presents a challange which is fun to deal with. Its the same with the "torque steer" in FWD cars. Minor issue in my view which, I understand, they have improved in later models. If its a big issue to you come on out to Phoenix with your car and spend the weekend at the Bob Bonderaunt Driving School and by Sunday you will wish you had twice the horsepower and twice the "torque steer".

If that does not do it rent a helicopter and have them show you what happens when you have a tail rotor failure. Now that's TORQUE STEER. After that you will never notice it in your TL again.

dlin920

I have an '06 and supposedly they did some tweaking to the computer to alleviate the problem. So far, I haven't noticed too much tugging, but then I've only had the car a couple weeks and haven't thrashed it too much. Anyone driven an 06 and the 04/05 who can do a comparison?

cblackburn

The torque steer bothered me when I first got the car, but I don't even notice it any more. I suspect the degree to which the torque steer affects you is directly related to how well you can drive the car and compensate for such things. It's much like drinking beer. People who never drink, think that beer taste nasty. However, the more you drink... the more you get used to the taste and like it. It's that simple. Beer and driving go hand in hand... oh wait.

drdamian

when i fist bought the car i didn't notice the torque steer unless i was accelerating hard through a turn and the road was uneven. now i don't even notice it. i guess i just hold the steering wheel tighter and not let it get away from me. when i had a loaner TL which was Auto (i have 6mt) i didn't notice it al all. i guess its just one of those things that we need to deal with in a FWD car. if i had a choice between torque steer and a RWD. considering where i live and RWD is HORRIBLE in the snow. ill take the torque steer... hands down , or maybe im just crazy

Actuary

ok, wanna feel torque steer? Stop at an intersection (preferbly 4-way stop or some kind)

Now, make a left turn with gear in first, gas to the floor.

You just felt torque steer. I do it maybe twice a month and I just hold onto handle firmly with two hands. Driving Safety School teaches to hold handle at 3 and 9 right? you just gotta do that.

ndx2

It's only with the MT, if I remember correctly. It just cuts power when the VSA is on. I don't think any changes were made to the 5AT's.

tims1448

I control the torque steer by holding the steering wheel... works wonders...

ndx2

I don't know how nice the roads are in MA, but you have to keep in mind, if the roads are badly patched up (thus very uneven) like in Michigan, then you'll definitely notice the extreme effects of TS.

Sure, you can still control where you're going, but you'll be all over the road if you're going WOT on shitty pavement - it gets more than a little annoying if you like to floor out of turns/corners.

mkaresh

Sounds about right.

I've only driven one car in the last few years where the amount of torque steer totally destroyed my ability to enjoy driving the car: Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. Turns out you don't need mega-torque for torque steer, just bad engineeering. Conversely, great engineering can nearly eliminate torque steer with even very powerful front-drive cars. The Acura TL MT falls somewhere between these extremes. The AT has much less.

Anyone know if both use equal length halfshafts? I assume they do, but you never know.

avs007

Just don't do that too often, as that's an easy way to destroy your tranny, if you have an open diff. It will strip your spider gear if one wheel spins too much faster than the other, such as when you start doing one wheel burnouts.

chill_dog

About the only time I feel it.


And that's how I deal with it.

Adobeman

I have to agree, the TL's torque steer (TS) just ain't all that bad.

Actuary - As far as "Now, make a left turn with gear in first, gas to the floor" I agree that you will really see the TS then but that is something I never, ever, submit a FWD car to on purpose. By accident fine but to deliberately put that much torque into the CVs when they are at that angle just doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's not that big a deal but I just can't bring myself to do it. Perhaps it is because that's when I would get bit by the TS.

Actuary

well I guess I dont think too much about car's long term effects.

I try to drive conservatively these days and I don't ever experience torque steer.

I do fast merging on ramp but that's about all I do, no torque steer at all.

cortc

The TL is a nice car but the torque steer is actually pretty bad (I have driven many other manual front drive cars and with this much power FWD just does not work...) and the number of rattles are pretty bad as well... Had an 06 6sp with NAV and Performance tires for two weeks and traded for an RL...

TL Dude

SebringSilver

A deft right foot and progressive steering inputs tend to negate torque steer. I never have a problem with it.

TonyCD

I'm good with the whacks at 8-track tapes, lisping and gayness, but leave out the socialism. Socialism is very underrated.

Unless, of course, you'd like to sign over your Social Security to me.

mkaresh

Cars in general will eventually end up on the scrap heap of history. And most individual cars end up on the literal scrap heap in 10-12 years.

This really isn't a valid analogy, anyway. You don't invest in a hybrid the same way you do a computer language or a media format. When a computer language goes by the wayside, everything must be rewritten and people must be retrained. When a media format becomes defunct, you must replace your entire media collection.

In contrast, people won't have to replace something they didn't plan on having to replace if and when hybrids go away. It'll be time for a new car before hybrids end up on the scrap heap.

It would be different if different infrastructure were required to support hybrids, but a major draw with them is that no new infrastructure is necessary.

You might also want to note that diesel-electric hybrids have been the dominant technology in railway engines for well over half a century now, and don't appear to be headed for the scrap heap.

Finally, the batteries aren't lead-acid. They're nickel metal-hydride (NiMH), a material developed in part to be relatively non-toxic.

TonyCD

My compliments.