early next week its likely i will be getting a '13 model tech pkg base. i owned a 3g base for 7 years, put almost 200k miles on it and was plenty happy with its handling and performance and power. ive driven the 4g Base few times here and there and thought it handled fine and sounded better and had more power than the 3g. ive only since started reading and researchig the SH AWD and reading things like "i wouldnt even consider the FWD..." has got me kind of questioning my decision. i live in central MS so i never see snow unless its vacation in the mountains, occasional rain here,etc. i never noticed any torque steer with my 3g, it handled wet pavement fine,etc,etc. i do like decent gas mileage and comfy ride but i like to push the car a little here and there as well. so im good with the FWD right or am i really missing out on something if i dont search for a SH AWD?

 

These are the 0-60 times of the 4G TL.

4G Acura TL FWD auto 6.0seconds
4G Acura TL SHAWD auto 6.8seconds
4G Acura TL MT SHAWD 5.4seconds

I personally wouldn't want to sacrifice almost a second of 0-60 time for AWD so I would go in the direction you are going. UNLESS you are getting an AWD manual. If its not a manual, I would go FWD all day.
The AWD is great and does handle better, but I never really found the FWD of my previous 2 TL's lacking in handling . Find a manual if you can, its a very worth it unicorn if you can find one. I had mine driven to me from 3 states over.

 

thanks for the reply man! makes me feel a little better ive been pretty stressed lately about this decision. as far as the manual i once had a mustang gt manual but vowed never to buy another after that. im sure the acura is a different beast than a pos 98 mustang, but at least for this car i definitely want to go automatic

 

I used to have a 09 FWD and now I drive a 12 SH-AWD, if I have to do it again I will take the SH-AWD for sure. The FWD has a lot of torque steer, I had to install a thicker progress bar to help with that annoying issue. The average driver will never feel the 0.8 seconds difference on the 0-60s and unless you are planning to take your car to the track that is not even important. What you can feel instantly is better handling, the SH-AWD is a great system, is super fun to drive and always leaves a smile on my face every time I drive her. Also, if you want to mod/add more power you have a few more options for the J37 engine. just my 2 cents.

 

There is no way in heck that MT vs AT is a 1.4 sec different on zero to 60. I have timed a number of times where 0 to 60 is in the 5.3 to 5.8 sec range

 

That's not even close. The 0-60 difference from the 6AT FWD to SH-AWD is negligible at best. Yes, the 6MT is faster than both but pretty much only through 1st gear. From a roll, they're all about the same. The SH-AWD is far superior to the FWD in handling, regardless of which transmission it has.

 

They both have pros and cons, If you like carving canyons sure the AWD is the better choice but if you spend most of your time in traffic or on the highway the FWD has more straight line speed. The FWD is also better on fuel and has a slightly softer suspension. I have a FWD and did a few things to help with the handling, low profile 19" wheels and tires, progress 22mm sway bar, and Tein sport springs and I'm very happy with the car. The only thing I wish I had from the AWD is the slightly thicker steering wheel and of course the cool on rails feeling and confidence you get from sh-awd.

 

You get a little more trunk space in the FWD because there is no rear diff. A little more.

 

There is a difference with AWD. No way around it. It is more fun to drive as well. I've had 2 other FWD 4G TL's and while you feel the straight line power yes, you don't have the same handling as the AWD. I don't care about gas mileage. I care about performance. But either engine will leave you satisfied

 

I'm just posting what Car and Driver (or maybe road and track) posted in their test scores.
People value different things, personally I drove the FWD 3G TL for many years and never even thought about Torque steer once. If the regular 4G FWD is about the same as the the 3G's, I wouldn't think twice about buying it over the SH-AWD.
I test drove an automatic SH-AWD prior to buying my six speed and thought it seemed sluggish to me.
Some people value elite handling more than straight line speed. I prefer the 0-60 more than the elite handling.
Fortunately I have a Manual 4G, so I have the best of both worlds

 

SHAWD is great when you push the limits, but you'll need the right tires to truly appreciate its capability. If you're not an aggressive driver stick to FWD - the SHAWD is much more performance oriented than inclement weather. I could break the rear end loose with ease when I had mine. Its a lot of fun but honestly the car still sucked in the snow. Doesn't take much to fill the wheel wells with cars that low to the ground. What kills the 4G TL is the transmission. Honestly if I were in your shoes if you're set on an automatic I'd completely avoid the TL - much better options out there for around the same price that will drive much better. The TL auto truly crushes the car's capability - the 3.5/3.7 engines have plenty of whoopie in them but the tranny ruins it. Good luck with your decision. I still love the looks of the 4G but I don't miss mine one bit

 

You really are going to miss out.

Have you driven both FWD & SH-AWD to compare?

If not, you should!

Good luck

 

It sucked in the snow?! One of the primary reasons I purchased the awd edition, is due to Midwest winters!! Does anyone agree with this statement? Most of what I read gave this vehicle great reviews in inclement weather. I have a 2010 sh-awd

 

well the FWD didnt work out for me. had a little issue so i didnt get it. still on the search. guess i need to drive a sh-awd before i make a final decision

 

Meh- SH-AWD is just fine in the snow. So is the FWD. Don't expect to drive 50 MPH in either. Don't drive like an asshat in the snow and either will be fine.

 

You must be referring to only the Auto tranny.

 

Blessing in disguise. I can assure you there are FAR more FWD 4G owners that wish they had SH-AWD than the other way around...even if they'll never admit it.

 

what type of mpg do u get in yours? that along with the suposed more "harsh" ride and chance of more issues is what has me on the fence about the sh awd

 

I get 21mpg overall, (about 2/3rds highway), but I also have a lead foot. If I wanted a smooth ride, I'd get a Lexus ES350. If I wanted gas mileage, I'd get a Prius. Maybe a better vehicle choice for you would be a Lexus ES300h.

 

I agree with that statement. SH-AWD sucks in the snow. It is tuned for performance and not really for ice and snow. Even with Blizzaks, I always end up going sideways if I accelerate through a turn.
Too bad there isn't a snow mode that limits the power that goes to the rear in situations like this!

 

I live in Northern IL, had my '12 SH-AWD from Oct '11 until last year - even when the tires were new the car was unpredictable in snow deeper than 2" - most of that problem can be attributed to the shit Michelin's Acura chose to put on this car - even with proper snow tires the car is not going to handle as you'd expect.

Yep - the manual is another story

 

so, if going auto then stick to FWD?

 

Like people have said on many posts here that if you are going to pay premium price for a premium vehicle why care about the cost of gas? Top trim makers don't talk about gas mileage they talk about class and status. Get the Kia Optima lol. or Nissan Leaf with the smiley face

 

There is no car/truck in existence that you can do some type of aggressive driving in ice. Not sure why you would ever need or want to do that.
Those are the people I see stranded on the highway in the snow who bought into the hype that their
AWD cars/trucks could somehow magically navigate quickly over ice. People like this cause accidents for the rest of us that are taking it slow just trying to get to work in one piece.

 

Get SH-AWD and never look back.

 

No aggressive driving at all. There are a few turns I have to take that go uphill and the SH-AWD pushes its tail out each time.
I have a Mitsubishi Outlander with S-AWC which has an Active Front Differential and have zero problems in the winter. Torque Vectoring in the front like that works better than torque vectoring in the rear in winter. However is is less fun to drive than the TL.
SH-AWD is purely for performance and not ice and snow.

 

Interesting. I have Conti Extremes on mine and have never had an issue. But I do take it slow.

 

Yes, and I would strongly recommend looking at other vehicles. Non SH-AWD/6MT simply don't compare to what the competition is offering.

 

tlx ?

 

Yes, I agree there should be a "Snow" button that disables the torque vectoring in the rear for snow/ice conditions. The European 2G Acura RL actually has it. When the button is pressed, it locks the rear diff and keeps it from transferring power side to side. That said, to say the SH-AWD "sucks" in snow is a bit of a stretch. It is still significantly better than any 2WD platform when the weather gets shitty. Personally, the only time the rear end starts coming out on my car is when I want it to. If driven normally, the SH-AWD is a very competent winter driver.

 

Obviously, tires will make all the difference in a test like this. If the Acura was fitted with Michelin Latitude Tour HP's while the Lexus and Audi were equipped with lesser tires, it's not really a fair comparison. The video does prove the SH-AWD system can climb a 30% grade with all-season tires in icy conditions.

 

MDX SH-AWD must be different system, I think it is best thing in snow, it is better compared to my ex Subaru or Lexus gs awd for sure. All my family cars have dedicated winter rims/tires, because it is most important part of the car. And I love torque vectoring in snow, when I need more play in the back, just push accelerator little more. I can control Mdx at any speed in snow, as long there is no ice

 

Unfortunately not all roads in life are straight and uphill!

 

The MDX most likely benefits from the added weight. When the TL is fully loaded with passengers, it behaves much better in sharp turns in ice/snow conditions.