We decided to take the wife's new FWD 4G TL to Phoenix and Sedona, AZ from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. A total of close to 2,500 miles by the time we got back. When we left, it had close to 2,000 miles on the clock, and of course had never been on the road.

Herewith some random comments:


Ride/Handling

I have to say I was impressed with the interstate ride quality. It rode flat and smooth; more serene that I expected. Of course, it still hit the rough spots on the side roads a little hard, but then, I'm accustomed to a Lexus LS460. I'll still say this is one very nice highway cruiser.

Cornered flat and predictably, even in the mountain hairpins. Nothing ugly at all.

Comfort

The seats in the 4G are supportive and comfy, and all-day drives didn't give me the least bit of backache or leg-ache. About the only complaint I could have would be that the edge of the center stack, where I rest my right leg, is a little hard and in just the right place to irritate the side of my knee. This is not the first car that has affected me this way, and it's not a deal-killer by any means. Easy to find a good steering wheel/pedal/seat combo.

I also missed the air-conditioned seats in my LS.

Engine/Transmission

Plenty of power for all situations we encountered, including some runs up to 100 and some mountain driving. Droning along at 80+ was a piece o' cake. I still think the TL needs another gear, but the tach still reads pretty low at highway speed, and it didn't adversely affect fuel economy at all (see next section). Nice smooth delivery.

Torque steer was not a problem at all.

The transmission is smarter than I thought. When you downshift with the paddles on a slight grade, it automatically upshifts in only a few seconds. But when in the mountains, I found that the downshifts held as ong as I was goign downhill (or uphill, for that matter). It seemed to know how long I needed the lower gear. I never used "S", since the paddle shifter downshifts were so intuitive. That's some smart tranny.

Fuel Economy

Wow, what a surprise! Our first tank of Dallas area (oxygenated and 10% etanol) gas returned a quite respectable 27.7 mpg. But when we gassed up with untreated gas, the second tank turned in 31.1 mpg. the next tank was muddled by a good bit of in-town driving in Phoenix, so it dropped to the mid-20's.

I was amazed at the 31.1, but the tank we ran for over 330 miles from Flagstaff, AZ to the far side of Albuquerque was the real winner - a whopping 33.3 mpg! And this was at 82 mph, since I 'cheat' by 7 mph on the road. We drove around some in Albuquerque, so when we ran the rest of that out it had recovered "only" to 30.

Suffice to say we were very pleased withe the mileage ... far better than we expected.

Electronics

Needless to say, the nav is the best in the business, bar none, period. That screen is so pin-sharp and bright and crisp. The "nav lady" understood me fine and delivered up the info and routes we needed. The only glitch was a Safeway store in Phoenix that didn't exist ... looks like it was torn down a few years ago and the database never updated. That happens.

We found the doppler radar helpful when we were dodging storms in eastern AZ and across New Mexico. Some people think it's silly, but I say give me all the info you can on weather, road conditions, traffic and whatever.

XM nice, as always. Bluetooth very respectable. Didn't use an iPods, etc.

General

The car is tight as a drum (unlike my '06 TL, which started buzzing and rattling after about 1,000 miles). Fit and finish are very good, and everything worked like it should. Trunk space is a little compromised by the odd floor shape and smallish opening, but it was way more than adequate for our 3 bags.

Road noise was a little high on coarse road surfaces, but then again, I'm used to the LS - one of the quietest cars on the road. But on asphalt, it was commendably quiet. I might mention here that I ran the tires at 30 psi (cold) to take a little of the edge off sharp bumps. The lower pressure didn't add noticeably to the noise, and neither did it affect handling or stability (or gas mileage!). The Tires picked up no more than 3 psi, which was also surprising, since were in 114 degree temps in Phoenix (My Lexus will gain 4-5 psi).


All in all, the wife and I were both very pleased with the car. It's an excellent size, it rides and handles well and has all the creature comforts you need for cross-country treks. I give it a big thumbs up, regardless of the grille.

Here's a (bad) cellphone shot I took at a measly 29.9 mpg, before got really good. Note that the mileage on this tank is 232.8 miles since fill-up, so this isn't some kind of cheesy 'instant-mileage' number. After it got into the 30's, i was busy and didn't try to take any more 80 mph shots:



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Nice right up. I believe I remember you from the RL side. I traded my 06 TSX in for my TL and I must say despite the grille, I love the car. I just love the audio system, being an audiophile, however I think I still enjoyed the system in the RL just a tad better. The RL audio system was easier to listen to. The TL audio is pounding. I guess some like that. I am amazed at the few problems that have shown up on the first year TL. Certainly not as many problem as the new TSX. I did have the bad speaker in the passenger door, but I can see why with the TL's pounding audio system. The audio controls need to stay flat, especially at loud volume. Did you trade you LS for the TL?

 

Oh, no. The TL is the wife's. She had an '06 Cadillac STS that came off lease and she wants no more of Cadillac. Because of my good experience with Acura, she decided to try a TL. She loves it so far!

I tend to agree on the audio ... the RL's was a tad richer and fuller, and maybe less jarring as you say. Maybe it was the fact the RL was quieter (?)

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I really believe the TL sound system is better. As you know sound is subjective. The TL system was design but that Elliott dude, and the RL by Mr Bose. What we hear are the interpretation of what sounds right by these two. In my hearing, MR Bose won.

I almost bought the Caddy CTS, but I am still not sold on American yet.At the moment the replacement for out leased RL was the 09 Maxima. Certainly no RL but good value at the time. As the RL is, the 09 TL is hard to beat for the money, and is a much nicer car then the Maxima. The Maxima does feel a lot more powerful, but its fit and finish is no match for the TL.

I also was surprised by the gas mileage of the TL. My TSX was a gal mileage champ( up to 38 MPG) and I miss it, but the TL is a MUCH better car. As you mention the ride is very good balance between sport and comfort. The CTS was good at that too. My only complaint about the Tl is the exhauset note. There does not seem to be one I always have my modified Miata, so when I want exhaust sound, I guess I will just have to drive it.

Was it you that had the RL that was using oil?

 

nice write-up. I am planning to buy a 2010 TL with 6MT in either March/April 2010. Had the 09 TL as a loaner car 2 times (was able to keep it overnight) when I had my 06 tsx serviced. My tsx has 89,000+ miles (including 3 cross country road trips totaling 24,000 miles)

 

Good review Mike. One question for you:

About the only complaint I could have would be that the edge of the center stack, where I rest my right leg, is a little hard and in just the right place to irritate the side of my knee. This is not the first car that has affected me this way, and it's not a deal-killer by any means. Easy to find a good steering wheel/pedal/seat combo.


Can you elaborate on this a bit more? How tall are you by chance?

I'm trying to find a replacement for my cramped up IS. Your comment is one of the few things that I believe can usually be noticed after you have the car for a while. Did you notice this irritation during the test drive?

 

Good review!

 

Nope - my RL was solid and trouble-free ... but when I got center-punched by a Ford pickup, I decided to move on.

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As the former owner of an '06 IS350, I can tell you the TL is FAR more roomy and comfortable!

I'm about 5'9" or so. I wear jeans almost all the time, and the thick side seam on the jeans seems to rest right against the edge of the center stack when I lay my leg over there (which is virtually all the time). It makes a pressure point that gets to burning after awhile.

It may just be me, and may not even bother anyone else. Didn't notice it during test drives - only on long trip.

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Enjoyed reading your trip evaluation...haven't had my TL on a trip yet. It's nice to know what to expect, thanks.

 

Mike, as a former RL'er would you pick the TL over another RL if it was your own daily driver??

I'm sitting out car buying for a while, but I'd still pick a (used) RL over the new TL myself. but I love shifting so the 6MT TL might sway me. I'd really love cooled seats but not sure if I'd payup for an 09 RL or that fancy 'new coupe' Acura's about to drag out. (We've had fifty 100+ days this summer here in Austin).

 

That's a tough question. I'm not real happy with the latest changes made to the RL. IMO, the '06 like I had was almost perfect, styling-wise, in that the grille, the tail lights, etc., all flowed perfectly together, and no styling cue drew attention from another one. It was just so well-integrated.

In addition, the comfort and the amenities of the RL were just top-notch, and in many ways better than the TL.

Having said that, the new TL has an impressive amount of refinement that is well beyond that of the previous generation. And the 4th Gen's Nav display is so far beyond that of the 3rd Gen that it's no contest.

But I guess if I had to choose, a brand spanking new 2nd Gen RL (before the "refresh") would be my choice over a brand new 4th Gen TL. If I had to choose from the post-refresh RL and the new TL, I guess I'd probably still go with the RL just because it's more of a luxury car, but it would be a tougher decision.

Maybe that's not a great answer, but like I said, it's a tough question!

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Good to know. I like the exclusivity of the RL over the TL, but with current sales... now the TL is exclusive!

I agree the 09RL body changes look incongruous and tacked on, but better than the pieces o' plastic toy look of the 09 TL imHo. I think it's a grower for some, but first impression ugly for many.

The 05 RL looked like it had a predetermined design goal. The 09 looks like somebody said, "look, peoples gotta see us comin from miles away cause MB gots a biggo star and Audi gots a biggo horseshoe, so we made this biggo beak thing to screw on the front".
bang, bang, bang, done.

 

Nice write up. I have just about paid off my 05 TL (bought brand new). I think that I'll keep this car for another 3-4yrs, no more car note. In that time Acura may be rolling out the new generation TL and the new generation RL should be a couple of years old. If Acura can maintain its stellar interior and the amenities as well as refine the exterior, I'll get another Acura (TL vs RL).

 

Well, I'll (continue to) be honest ... I'm very interested in seeing what they do with the RL when/if they redesign it. I'm sure it'll have the 6spd AT the new wagon/SUV/crossover/whatever is getting, and hopefully will be bigger and more powerful.

My LS460 lease is up in Jan of 2011 (less than 1-1/2 years from now), so I'll be looking for a replacement that makes me feel somewhere near as luxurious, and assuming Acura maintains its tech lead, another Acura is in my future.

OT for a minute - we saw a new M-B E Coupe on the raod yesterday and I nearly ran off the road. What a beauty! Too bad M-B tech sucks so badly!

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I bought my first daughter an 09 TL last year. Have spent much time in it and really like it. I've even given some serious thought to dropping my 07 RL for a TL SHAWD. The tech inside is so much better and it's the same size.

Got my second daughter a IS250 recently. That's what she wanted Tried to steer her to an Acura. I've driven the IS several times now and so far I'm not impressed. Seats and driving position are not as comfortable Nav is inferior. Voice commands are limited. Refinement, handling, and general performance just isn't there eventhough it's basically the same price. The TL is the best car in this segment right now unless you must have RWD.

 

Couldn't have said it better.