so my parents have a 09 TL and i drove that around for a while...the handling was very good and very responsive.. i recently got an 05 TL and the steering seems a bit laggy.. its not as responsive and very stiff compared to the 09. is that how its supposed to be? are all 3g tl's like that?

 

Car & Driver can say it better than I can:

Driving the TL back-to-back with its predecessor makes it clear that major improvements have been made, with one exception. Body motions are better controlled, road and wind noise have been all but eliminated, the brakes feel solid, and the TL corners with a more level attitude than its compliant ride would suggest. Torque steer, long a TL drawback, is far better managed. On the other hand, steering feel has lost the plot. The new TL uses electronic power assist, as opposed to the old hydraulic unit. It’s more precise on-center, but the old car’s steering was better weighted and offered much more feel.

 

^yup, what he said.

 

Front drive cars are not noted for having decent steering. However, there certainly are exceptions. One the one extreme, you have the Chevy Citation and early FWD Japanese small cars. On the other hand you have the Ford Contour and its cousin on steriods the SVT version, and yes, the Acura TL - in particular its manual version.

I have an '04 manual TL and an '05 automatic TL. I can verify that the manual has a better road feel with superior steering input and feel. But I have to also say that my '05 automatic TL is very good for what it is.