Anyone who's ridden in/driven a BMW or M-B know how they've mastered the art of ride compliance vs. handling. Simply put, the TL has not. It rides way too hard and is jarring on all but the best paved surfaces. The FWD car is way too hard and the AWD car is simply ridiculous.

And don't tell me "it adds to the car's sportiness," etc. because, as I said earlier, BMW and M-B pull off the perfect suspension tuning without a hitch. And I defy you to say BMW designs cars that wallow or are too loose.

 

My 2010 sh-awd/six-speed manual/tech package, can be pretty harsh over crummy roads. I admire the car for being a solid sports sedan at an attractive price but there is room for improvement here.

 

The FWD rides well I think, but the AWD is barely acceptable (read: not so good) on the 18 inch wheels. It's a rock hard ride to be sure. With the 19 inch wheels I don't think I could deal with it.

The Advance package could bring a comfort setting that would help a million.

 

Really? I thought the FWD ride's too soft.

 

The FWD, imo, should be as firm as it gets for luxury cars (without sport package). The SHAWD i had was way too hard riding and noisy. I got complaints from my passengers asking me why it's so noisy/rough. It wasn't jarring though.

I like the way the suspension feels on most european cars. I'm not sure specifically which ones, but the last few i've been in (mb c300, bmw 328i sedan, audi a5) all seem to have a pretty good balance when it comes to ride. the SHAWD may handle better than those cars in many cases, but the way those cars drive make them FEEL much more agile/planted. The sHAWD i had was too heavy, you could feel it in every tight turn. I don't get the same feeling when i drive the A5 through the same turns, which feels planted, agile, and drives relatively light.

 

The SH-AWD is very stiff and harsh at times. On less than perfect freeways I can feel all the imperfections in the road; seems to make the feet rumble and tickle at times. A little jarring to say the least.

On ideal/smooth roads, the ride is very planted and smooth.

As I drive the car more and more on a daily basis, IMHO, it maybe not the ideal daily driver. I thought of this briefly when I was shopping the 335xi and A4, but didn't give it much thought. I agree with Jasonwdp10 above, the Audi's drove relatively "light," and IMHO a little smoother over imperfections on the freeway.

In contrast with Lexus with the IS 250 AWD I had briefly, which was too soft and floaty for my taste.

Then again, the grass is always greener.

 

It's not that rough of a ride. My TL is now at 1400 miles and I am begining to really enjoy it. No comparison to the Germans you mentioned. If you got the extra cash to blow than why go for the Bmw or Mb. I felt that it was a great balance between price, options, reliability, and handling on the TL.

 

The FWD model rides pretty smooth. It's soft but doesn't feel too floaty and seems very stable when cornering. You want to test drive in order the gauge these things though, eveyone has different preferences.

The suspension is great IMO, but the road noise level could be better. Heard that road noise is a Honda trait, wonder what it is exactly.

 

What's with people always using reliability as an excuse to buy the TL? Yes it's very important but it's HARDLY the only reliable luxury sport sedan for the money.

 

With H&R and riding on 20's? Yea, rough would be an understatement, but I'm still pretty young and it doesn't bother me (and better yet my wife hasn't said anything so it can't be that bad). While I'm sure when I put on my 18's this winter I'll think it's too soft. I think it's all about what you are used to, too much individual perception. It's definitely rougher than my 3G TL-S, but at this point I don't remember what stock feels like.

 

Ride could be a little smoother, but honestly I'm not complaining. I knew that when buying the SH-AWD that I was getting the sporty version (kinda how the second and third gen type s were stiffer) the seats are also firmer, which I love.

I knew what I was getting into and it doesn't bother me. If I wanted a smooth ride I would have bought a cadillac.

 

Now I am starting to worry. I ordered some 20" Verdes that are do here on Thursday. I have never purchased aftermarket wheels, but the look of the O.E.M 17's were starting to make me nauseous. Do 20's ride that harsh ?

 

Having owned 5 BMW's in the last 10 years (and soon to be 6 ), I can honestly say that BMW's are the best in the ride vs. handling dept. bar none. Nobody even comes close. Yes, the SH-AWD TL does ride somewhat hard...thanks to big rims, low ratio HP tires, and sports suspension. (As a matter of fact, most Hondas, I've noticed, have firm rides compared to the competition). On most roads though, to me, it's pretty acceptable. The trade-off of course is better handling on challenging roads and a "sportier feel." I think for guys coming from sporty coupes and sports cars, the ride on the SH-AWD isn't too bad at all. I think it would greatly help if Acura makes adjustable dampers available on the MMC or the 5G.

 

I don't want to sway you, but I'm sure you may notice a difference. I think the biggest difference for me is that I've got the H&R springs and drive on arguably the worst roads in the North East. Honestly I don't think it's that bad, and as I said above my wife doesn't notice and doesn't complain so it can't be that bad. I'm sure you'll be fine - and 20's look perfect on the 4G. All the comments here are all personal perception, it all depends on where you have been in the past that shapes your vision now.

 

Compared to my last 3 cars I actually find the TL SH-AWD a little soft. The roads I travel are pretty good so I dont have a problem unless there's construction.

 

If the SH has a drawback in ride quality it is that it could be a bit better dampened. An example would be an 08 535xi with stock 17's which is actually a firmer ride, meaning that you feel the road and it's imperfections more than you do in a TL SH. It is as tolerable (maybe better) as the TL because it is better dampened. The SH doesn't ride all that tight, you don't feel "everything" and it still has plenty of suspension movement, they just could soften the blows a little more. Considering that it is on 18's with fairly low profile tires and what it is capable of, it's rides extremely well IMO and from personal experiences.

I don't think you can ever say it rides well or rides poor all by itself, everyone has different preferences and is coming from different types of vehicles, you need to weigh it against it's handling capabilities and dynamics as well as consider rims size and tire characteristics too.

 

I think a change in tires would make all the difference in the world on our Tl's. I recently bought new tires for my Miata and the car rides like a much different car. The ride is much smoother then before, not to mention the handling is awesome. If I lacked some common sense I would buy new tires for my tl with 6k miles on it.

 

DITTO!

If the AWD were not avialble I woudl not be in a TL, I found the FWD 4G to be too soft, numb steering and floaty ride, the AWD is just right for me.

 

It's kinda tough to answer when you say you don't want to hear certain answers. That being said, I wouldn't call the ride harsh but stiff on certain roads. On smooth roads, it's one of the best handling cars I've driven. It's not perfect by any means but to expect perfection at this price point is not realistic. BMW might have better tuned suspensions, but their cars lack in other areas. You can pick any car apart if you want to.

 

FWIW, the city/county/state is WAYYYY delinquent in road care and maintenance after this past winters' storms in metro NY and LI, what little they've done is stick band-aids on 90% of the road hazards.
The FWD is definitely smoother than the AWD. Our E350 4matic is in between the FWD & AWD in this respect.
On "decent" roads the AWD is OK but, could be improved.

 

Quick question, why are you on this board? Almost everything I've read that you right is negative about the 4G TL or you question someones positive views about it. Just a question. It is one of the more reliable vehicles and for some folks that is a huge factor.

Some of the roads in my area are finally being repaired. When the city government brags that part of our sales tax is for road repair I am often mystified because to be in a southern state where there are hardly any harsh winters the roads are crap. Then when they do repairs the use metal plates to cover holes...pitiful. It's bad enough we're still 18th century with the railroad tracks all through the city.

I've notice like most cars with stiff suspensions they tend to level off a bit over time as and thing that's taught will lossen up over time with use. It's surely not as rough a ride as say a "pony" car, but nor is like riding on a coach like a large Lincoln or large Cadillac.

The FWD was smoother, I have yet to hear all these rattles and the ladies who have ridden in my car have never complained about the ride...one even was in awe of the way it takes a curve at 80 mph. My kind of female.

I personally like feeling the road so I can be in tune with it. I have a friend who owns an exotic car dealership in Raleigh, NC between driving his 650i convertible or the Benz SL convertible or any of the other cars he owns or on the lot what you have hitting the road makes a difference. Tires.
He was impressed with both Acura's I've owned, especially the ride of the 01 Cl after 200k, and I've had plenty of opportunities to own a Bimmer or Benz, but the Acura work for me. His affluence affords him greater options. It's not always about price, status, glitz...but what works for you.

 

BMW used to have the whole ride/handling compromise pretty sorted out. That is, until they went with run flat tires. That changed the ride, and not for the better. I ended up changing out the run flats for more traditional tires (at great expense). Ride/handling became much better.

The ride of the TL SH AWD reminds me a whole lot of the ride in the 3G TL-S....probably a nod towards the TL SH AWD being more refined than the TL-S.

I test drive both an A4 and a MB c300 4 matic. A little bit softer ride in those cars than the TL SH AWD, but at the expense of handling.

I know I'm in the minority, but the ride of the TL SH AWD errors on the firm side. But, it's confidence inspiring (and I do drive spiritedly all the time). Wouldn't call it harsh, though.

The base TL is a different animal. Its ride reminds me more of the CTS, A4 and Benz C class.

It always depends on what each individual wants. I really like the ride/handling of the TL SH AWD. Big potholes will jar it, but that's true of just about any car.....particularly one with a sport suspension.

 

I know my car w/ the HP option 19s is a firm ride. I can deal w/ that .
Really stood out when I did the BMW drive last week - Mercedes E350, BMW 550i, 550GT, a 3 series and an X5
For what I paid I'll take that as a trade for the great handling. in the future would be nice to have the MDX/ZDX's magnetic shocks option

 

Am I the only one who things the SHAWD feels soft??

 

not the only one, but probably in the minority

 

Me, negative? Where'd that come from? I love the TL and chose the SH-AWD
because I preferred the ride and handling over the FWD, granted I'm not the primary driver but, my wife loves it, too. Just gotta learn all the techno stuff.

 

To answer the OP, in a word, "no," not for me. Maybe our streets here are not as bad as in other parts of the country, but I love the firmness of the AWD 6MT. Yes, if you slam a pot hole, you'll feel it. Same as in most cars with low profile tires and sports suspension. But when you can toss a 3800 pound car around a twisty road with utter confidence like you can this one, that more than makes up for any rough road firmness.

I've driven/ridden in a number of German sedans. They're nice, but haven't blown me away. And certainly not worth the price differential, at least for me. Add in the delta on reliability and it makes it a no-brainer.

 

The FWD model is definitley smoother on the road than the SHAWD. I hate the 17" wheels(Ugly) so I would think the bext remedy is to get the FWD model with the 18" wheels. The 19" or bigger wheels are going to make any vehicle ride harsher.

 

My last car was a BMW 530i and I bought a TL SH-AWD a couple Mo's ago with the 18 in. wheels and yes the TL rides a bit harsh. But then again the BMW is 20k more $$$. I am happy with the TL but the steering needs improvment there is no road feel, I feel like I am driving a vidio game.Now that I have had it for a couple mo's I am getting use to it.

 

I agree the steering feel could be improved, but as you say, I've become used to it. The car does go precisely where you point it though.

 

stagefoursurvivor that wasn't intended for you but the dude with the 04 TL and his wife is pushing a A4 with a VR6.

 

Quick question, why are you on this board? Almost everything I've read that you right is negative about the 4G TL or you question someones positive views about it. Just a question. It is one of the more reliable vehicles and for some folks that is a huge factor.

Some of the roads in my area are finally being repaired. When the city government brags that part of our sales tax is for road repair I am often mystified because to be in a southern state where there are hardly any harsh winters the roads are crap. Then when they do repairs the use metal plates to cover holes...pitiful. It's bad enough we're still 18th century with the railroad tracks all through the city.

I've notice like most cars with stiff suspensions they tend to level off a bit over time as and thing that's taught will lossen up over time with use. It's surely not as rough a ride as say a "pony" car, but nor is like riding on a coach like a large Lincoln or large Cadillac.

The FWD was smoother, I have yet to hear all these rattles and the ladies who have ridden in my car have never complained about the ride...one even was in awe of the way it takes a curve at 80 mph. My kind of female.

I personally like feeling the road so I can be in tune with it. I have a friend who owns an exotic car dealership in Raleigh, NC between driving his 650i convertible or the Benz SL convertible or any of the other cars he owns or on the lot what you have hitting the road makes a difference. Tires.
He was impressed with both Acura's I've owned, especially the ride of the 01 Cl after 200k, and I've had plenty of opportunities to own a Bimmer or Benz, but the Acura work for me. His affluence affords him greater options. It's not always about price, status, glitz...but what works for you.
__________________

 

Actually between the AT and the MT - the steering feel on the MT is much better. I found the AT when i test drove that it did feel rather numb.

 

When your Audi gets electrical problems we'll see if reliability was your excuse

 

I am kind of with you on this. Put it this was, I have owned way harsher riding vehicles. To name a few native to Acura, the RSX-S and my old 04 A-spec with 18's and PS2's, even the TLS to a much smaller degree but that was on 17's.

 

It also depends very much on where you live, too. In big cities like Chicago and New York, riding around in 20's or larger is just asking for trouble. I swear Chicago has some of the worst streets in the country. There was a interesting report made a Triple A last spring (after a typical brutal Chicago winter) that said that millions of dollars in repairs were reported by drivers due to damages tires, shocks, and suspension components from potholes and broken pavement. My brother-in-law messed up $7K worth of custom 24" rims and tires on his brand new Escalade after going over some nasty potholes a couple years ago.

 

Nobody will accuse me of being a fan-boy, but I think the TL SH-AWD ride is about right. Both Audi and BMW can be too harsh or about right depending on the model - my S4 was positively brutal. The TL isn't as "sorted" - meaning it's a smidge uncertain at times - but it also is much better at avoiding tramlining that afflicts Audis so badly. And the perception of the unsortedness might be because the car rattles more than any Audi or BMW I've ever had. Not like Subaru rattling, but Audis and BMWs feel and sound like single blocks of metal.

 

Personally, after driving both a 4G Base and 4G SH-AWD, I found the AWD version just too firm for my taste, as with the I4 and V6 TSX models! I think the 4G Base TL has a very comfortable, and almost perfect ride quality/road feel balance with not being too firm/rough like the AWD version is, but allowing just the right amount of road feel into the car with its suspension set-up which I like!

The Nissan Maxima I had was the exact same way, the sports package model was just to fim/jarring but the regular premium and SV suspension set-ups was much more comfortable and had just the right amount of comfortable ride while allowing just the right amount of road feel, ride into the cabin!

At least for me, I like to have a comfortable ride, but also need to have a little road feedback in the wheel and suspension! Its hard to find that, Lexus and Buick is way to soft for my taste, while BMW and Infiniti are way to firm/jarring. Acura and Audi seem to have the perferct balance in regards to ride quality and what they allow you to feel come into the cabin!

That is what I like about my 3G TL. The ride is just about has firm as I would want to go in a vehicle without sacrificing comfort and too much being allowed into the cabin!

 

I like my SH-TL except the times when I hit them pot holes! But when I had a base TL as a loaner, it was sooo smooth and the engine ? even quieter than my SH.

 

I'm good with mine.