wreak

So I feel like I've had enough wheel time in my 2012 TL Base that I can give a little review as to what I think of the car. Remember this is for the FWD 3.5L V6 model. I left a few things out (mpg), I got bored of writing and I've been receiving the same fuel mileage every other person who has reviewed this car got. Please excuse all spelling/grammatical errors I didn't edit this or even really re-read it.

Interior:
Most of the materials the driver and passengers touch are of high quality. The dash is a nice soft touch material but I find the texture of it a little annoying, especially when wiping it down with a dash cleaner. The steering wheel leather is nice and soft but damages really easily (scratches), so if you wear any rings that have sharp edges I'd remove them when driving. Sunglasses case is VERY cheap and will rattle your sunglasses while storing them (I lined mine with foam to stop this). Also I hate the cheap rattling plastic things that hold your drink in place on centre console cupholders.

I like the rubber grip on the backside of the interior door grip but the front of it is a fairly low quality plastic that I notice everytime I get in the car. Wraping the whole thing in rubber might've been a better idea.

The metal covering the interior door handle/lock feel really nice and solid. The car without a doubt has more creaks/rattles than I'd expect for a car in this price range. I notice them a lot more in very cold weather but in the summer they're mostly gone except for a sunroof rattle I hear on really uneven road surfaces.

After having the car for a while the tech package is a must, I got the base for a great deal I couldn't pass up but after some wheel time I definitely wish I had the tech package. The display in the base model is pretty dated looking. This I find a little confusing since Acura is supposed to be all about "Advance" yet they make some questionable decisions sometimes (ie. cassette player in the 2008 Acura TL?!?). The base should have a better display but I guess this stuff happens near the end of a cars generation cycle.

I know that sounds like a lot of complaining but I'm actually fairly satisfied with the interior overall there are just a few things that annoy me that I had to point out.

Things I like are the glove box and it's slow release hinges, door panels are really nice, nice sound when you shut your doors, the seats are very nice as per usual with Acura, speaker system seems adaquate and the base options seem pretty plentiful. I've noticed the homelink signal is much stronger in the TL than it was in the TSX which allows me to open my garage door from much further away.

Trunk:
As many people have said the trunk in this car isn't really all that impressive, the truck opening (can't remember the technical term for this) isn't all that large so you might get stuck outside Best Buy unable to fit that new surround sound system you just bought. I ran into this difficulty trying to transport some Christmas gifts this year. No Fold down rear seats also really limits your cargo space.

One thing I will say about the trunk is that its very well sealed, I stuck some awful smelling takeout food leftovers in the trunk and went to see a movie one evening and the smell never made it into the cabin, something I could never get away with in my 05 TSX.

Performance:
Highway passing? No problem, the 3.5L has ample pull to make very quick passes at highway speed, the double downshift with the paddle shifters in the 6speed really pulls. The 3.5L has plenty of muscle when it comes to straight line performance, especially in sport "S" where the shifts seem quite a bit quicker than regular drive "D". Most people (other than of course auto enthusiasts of course ) shouldn't require anymore power than this car offers them. Traction from a stop is tricky with the FWD, torque steer isn't really an issue (a little bit but nothing worth noting) but getting grip with the a/s rubber is another story, especially in the wet. This issue can obviously be corrected by purchasing the AWD model.

Handling:
This car has a surprising amount of grip for it's size and weight. I can easily out corner my old 2005 Acura TSX with this car so I can only imagine how well the AWD model holds the road. The base has some body roll but it's actually a lot less than my old TSX. My biggest complaint about the handling is related to the tires, mine came with Bridgestone Turanza a/s tires. With a nicer set of lower profile sticky tires the FWD model should be a really fun car to toss around. (I'm upgrading my 17" wheels to 19" wheels in the spring)

oc48bound

Great review! I've had a '04 3G for the past 7-8 years until recently buying a '13 SHAWD and the wheel spin during takeoff was horrible especially if there was any moisture on the road at all. I upgraded to really good tires and it helped a lot. I think my last set were Goodyear F1's. They were expensive and only lasted about 15-20k miles but worth it from a handling perspective.

charlesmbroadus

The rubber seal of the sunroof of my 2005 acura tl has become loose. I can see grooves on the bottom of the seal. Was/is there an adhesive or glue to keep it in place?

Tony Pac

good review!