maverickinvestor

Today is the big day - the official launch of the 4G TL.

So I thought we have a dedicated thread where everyone could post their test drive experiences.

Please try to write both what you like and what you dislike about your test drive.

This way you'll be both helpful to others as well as not coming across like a Acura employee or competitor troll :-)

We want a balanced review.

Thank you.

Mods. Please make this thread a sticky.

TallyCL-S

The ride is much softer, and the shifts are much more smooth compared to the 3G TL. In terms of power, it definitely feels as though it has more low end power and it handles very well. The electric power-steering system is also a good upgrade because it makes the larger TL feel much more nimble and agile.

The interior is very nice & modern, the Tech model has nicer feeling seats and a lot of nice features.

The Handsfreelink system is very different in the TL Tech, everything runs through the navi display in the center console i.e. pairing, calling, etc. I did not really like it too much because I had to push the navi talk button to say 'dial' first, followed by another push so that I could then say the number. In every other Acura vehicle, you can say 'Call' or 'Dial' followed immediately by the number.

The navigation display is much clearer thanks to the VGA screen, and the overall speed of the system has been increased thanks to the hard drive (vs DVD). The cd player in the Tech model is a single disc player, and a 6-cd changer is found in the base model. The reason for this is that the Tech model has the hard drive so you can rip music from the disc to the HD.

The car is definitely larger, I lined it up side-by-side to an 09 RL, and they appeared to be exactly the same length. There is more rear seat legroom in the new TL also. I am not going to comment on the exterior styling of the car, or the stock 17" wheels, I will say that the car would look great with an 18/19" wheel....

maverickinvestor

How did you like the road feel through the steering?

Some of the professional reviews thought it was just right where others thought the electric steering made it too light/numb.

Thank you for the review.

TallyCL-S

Well, it does feel light at slower speeds(in a parking lot), but at higher speeds it does tighten up a bit.

Maxell

I load 6 DVD-Audio discs in my 08 TL head unit. Each DVD is about 4.5 GB, some are DVD+R DL, at 8 GB. Even if I could rip one or two of these to the hard drive in the 09 TL, would they play in surround sound in full DVD-Audio resolution? If not, this is a step backwards for the ELS system.

TallyCL-S

I was wondering about DVD-Audio and a DVD loaded with MP3s when we were ripping a regular CD, but nobody had one readily available and we were in a rush. I will try it out for you tomorrow. The new sound system sounds great btw.

Treblig

Didn't tighten up enough for my taste. Felt too loose at the higher speeds and I can see getting into trouble at high speeds if not real careful. I understand that the SH-AWD tightens the steering even more though.

Maxell

I test drove the new TSX before I purchased my TL this past August. I really liked the TSX except for the steering, which was too loose even on the highway. Is the steering in the new TL as loose as the TSX? It's too bad there isn't a mechanism to adjust the steering boost. One would think that since it is electric, it would be easy to do.

maverickinvestor

One thing I am always surprised about our 3G TL is the large turning radius it has despite the "trim" exterior dimensions.

The 4G TL actually has a smaller turning radius than the 3G TL, despite increasing in size considerably.

scottDOTb

I drove one around the block and the gas definitely felt more responsive. The steering makes the car feel more luxurious than sporty. To be honest, it really reminds me of driving a lexus es330. The interior is a nice change though, comfortable seats, no more little holes in the leather to get stuff stuck in, but there is a double bulge in the dash that is a little obstructing. I don't like how the gauges angle inwards either. The multimedia area looks a lot like the new accords and thats a little turnoff. I'd rather it be unique. Overall, the interior is pretty nice. If the exterior.. well.. were a little better I might think about getting one. The grill looks like it is smiling at you.

Treblig

Sorry Maxwell, I can't answer that one for you. I haven't driven the TSX.

maverickinvestor

Thank you for the concise and personal review!

By the way, I thought the new seats were perforated too.

I got to try to make it to a dealer this weekend and give it a spin.

But my wife will think I am nuts and that it's totally pointless to test drive the new TL when we just got the 08 TLS only a few months ago. :-)

TeKNiC3

Having driven both the TL and TSX, the TL steering isn't as loose as the TSX, but is still on the light side.

The SH-AWD should feel better.

maverickinvestor

So far for the AZ community, the 3 polls say:

Majority of the people here like the interior of the new TL;

Majority of the people dislike the exterior;

Half of the people are positive in the test drive poll so far.

Does any of the old timer here know if polls were done when the 3G first came out?

If so, how do the results compare?

Colin

I don't remember, but there was a lot of resistance to the new (3G) when it first came out.

Colin

Here's a few older threads

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/new-looks-blah-blah-blah-537461/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/exclusive-2004-tl-%2Aunmasked%2A-acura-tsx-com-536371/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/things-i-hate-about-536424/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/anti-2004-tl-536098/

PetesTL

This whole "style thing" reminds me of EXACTLY when the first Bangle-designed BMW's came out. Back in '05, I got a TON of flack from fellow Bimmerphiles for buying a 545i. Professional car critics and swarms of BMW enthusiasts all HATED the Bangle-designed BMW's with a passion.....now, the 5 series is universally hailed as the "benchmark" in luxury sport sedans and is one of BMW's best sellers.....even some styling cues from the Bangle-designed BMW's ended up being copied by other car makers....i.e. Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, GM, etc.

elstls

I drove the 2009 TL Tech on Sept 24 when the dealer had it available and today with my son. Both of us were impressed with the interior and the technology. The suspension is a big upgrade. I think the 305hp model will even be more impressive. The exterior will have to grow on me for a while. I own a '07 TL Type S and am still very pleased with this model. I liked the body style since the beginning in '04. It will be hard for me to give it up for the new 4G TL because I don't necessarily like the bigger body. Mainly I don't like the way the body style looks - too much like a Lexus. The 18" wheels that come stock on the 305hp model are nice though.

maverickinvestor

Yes I've seen these threads. I was actually wondering if there were any polls done when the 3G first came out.

I am trying to compare the %s.

maverickinvestor

BMW has sold very well and is indeed the benchmark for luxury sport sedan segment of the car market.

But I think that's more due to their undisputed combination of established prestige and impressive handling than to the infamous Bangle styling elements such as flaming eyebrows and Bangle butts.

If one can get a look at BMW's market research on top reasons for purchase, I am not sure if styling will be high up there on the list.

If anything, it might be more accurate to say that BMW's have sold well despite the Bangle styling influence.

After all there hasn't much of an alternative if you're looking for a true performance luxury sedan.

maverickinvestor

Thank you for your review.

The styling consideration aside, the 4G's larger body has not translated into that much into additional interior space in comparison to the 3G.

The 6 additional inches on the outside only translated into 1 additional inch in the back seat legroom.

Not only that, the headroom numbers actually went down for both front and back passengers.

For a car that has grown 1/2 inch in height on the outside to somehow lose 1/2 inch for the backseat headroom is not too impressive!

According to Acura, much of the space went to accomodate the SHAWD.

For me then, if you are going to get the 4G, you should really get the SHAWD model.

Otherwise, it's like you're driving a much larger car without getting the "benefit" almost!

I wonder for people who owns a 3G and sat in the 4G, did you find the loss of headroom (esp. in the back) noticeable at all?

hdcolumbus

Had my test drive on Friday at Lindsay Acura (Columbus). They had 13 on the lot and stated they had already sold 6.

Initial exterior design impressions
I could clearly tell a difference between the Tech and Base models--and was more impressed with the Tech subtleties.

The colors they had available were WDP, PM, PMM, BPB, and CBP. Of all of the color choices, I was most impressed with the BPB; however, the CBP screamed luxury--but the contrast of the front "shield" was a turn-off.

Overall, I was slightly surprised at how much more I liked the design seeing it in person; although, the wheels seemed slightly undersized for a vehicle of this size.

Initial interior design impressions
Both the Base and Tech Model interiors' were extremely impressive. The leather seemed tight and luxurious and everything looked fastened securely to minimize some of the rattles from the 3G.

I spent the most time in the Tech Model and was amazed by all of the innovation. The NAV screen is perfectly located--and having the ability to use the HFL to control everything without touching the center console was impressive. There were way more innovations than I would ever have time to learn or use.

The keyless/remote entry and engine start (Tech Model only) was nice; but, I found it difficult to figure out how to simply engage the car's power without actually turning the car on. I'm sure it can be accomplished with the right steps.

One thing I was hoping they would fix is the driver-side arm rest "dimpling" issue from constant use (at least in my '06, this was a problem). This issue existed around the window area as well (where I spent the most time keeping my arm). Well, I'm not sure they fixed the problem--but they certainly made it more difficult! The area directly below the window is now almost completely flush with the window--making it hard to rest your arm there. The actual arm rest seemed solid; but, too low for my liking.

It certainly felt more "roomy" in both the front and back seats. Head clearance seemed a tad higher and leg area was a little wider. The seats "hugged" and were very comfortable.

The steering wheel is now made up of some sort of "gripping" composite that felt extremely nice. All of the other "brushed" silver accents seemed a little overdone for my tastes.

Initial driving impressions
One thing I was really happy with was that although I was driving the next-gen of the TL--it didn't feel completely alien. It still felt like I was piloting my 3G; but, the shift paddles will take some time getting used to.

Maybe it's the extra length, but it felt like the turning radius is a little less. For example, coming out of the dealer lot, there is a U-turn that has to be made in order to get going in the right direction. I've made this turn no problems dozens of times in my 3G--but had to turn it into a 3 pointer in the 4G.

At low speeds (-40MPH), the ride and steering felt a little loose. It tightened at higher speeds. The handling felt better at higher speeds as well.

The engine had plenty of punch from the start and was smooth at higher speeds when downshifting. The suspension felt really tight at lower speeds; however, loosened up at higher speeds (again).

The tech package while driving was impressive and I didn't feel like I was overwhelmed at any time or that I needed to take my eyes off of the road for an extended period of time (although, the clock is in an odd place and took me a second to find). The HFL came in handy when managing the climate control, NAV, radio, etc. The backup camera--I'm not sure how much I would use it--the distorted view made me feel a little uneasy about trusting it.

Overall, it was a good experience and I was most impressed by the interior improvements. I'm waiting until November to test drive the SH-AWD before coming to a verdict.

hdcolumbus

I had not realized it lost that much headroom until I read your post. As I said in my review above, I really felt like there was more headroom.

hdcolumbus

Couldn't edit my original review... but BDP was NOT there and not my favorite of those there--it was PMM: