SLLAZ

My 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD is almost 11 months old, has been driven almost 14,000 miles, and has 410 days to go till the lease expires. I can't wait.

First the good. The engine and transmission are superb. The all-wheel-drive performs well. The sound system is first-class. The seats are comfortable. Roadholding and handling can be so good, if the car has high-performance summer tires, as my TL once had. Properly shod, the TL SH-AWD with Advance Package is fun to drive. The folks at the huge Acura dealer are unfailingly polite. Reliability has good other than a failed battery and a failed air-conditioning system.

Now the bad. The TL places form, that is, styling, before function and that includes safety. The outward visibility is dangerously limited. I have had three near accidents because the blind spots are huge, not to mention the long, wide hood and the front's low ground clearance. The trunk is small, hard to load, has a high lift-over, and is awkwardly proportioned, not to mention that the rear deck lid has a nasty point at its center. Be sure to raise the deck lid to its maximum height! Entry and exit to the rear passenger compartment isn't easy for many folks. The air-conditioning system failed due to lack of refrigerant and because the dealer couldn't find anything wrong, he charged me $151.33 and said that there was no warranty coverage as the car has more than 12,000 miles. (I will pursue this issue with the dealer's management and Acura.) The battery has been replaced under warranty. An irksome rattle was cured under warranty by adding insulation to the trunk. On the 19-inch Goodyear Eagle tires road noise is excessive and grip is low. The instrument panels are highly styled to a fare-thee-well at the expense of ease of use; try to find the clock.

I drove a 2012 Acura TX sportswagon and found it nimble and pleasing to drive. It made the TL seem clumsy by contrast.

I had considered and drove several new cars, including an Audi A6, Infinite M37 and M56, BMW 535ix and Volvo S80 and S60 T6, before I chose the Acura TL because of its reputation for reliability, good performance, and price.

I won't miss the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD.

omaralt

the dealership charging you makes no sense. what does it mean that the warranty coverage is only 12K miles?? its' 5 yr 60K miles, so you are definitely within the warranty period.. i do agree with the trunk being small, however i dont agree with the blindspots. i've had no problems at all. and you have the blind spot system as well... either way this car is definitely not for everybody, good luck with your next car

Ken1997TL

Try a 3rd gen TL to get a feel for actual thick A/B/C pillars and blind spots!

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

Sounds like you're in the market for a sport bike?

eazy

iTrader: (8)

If you have blind spots, you don't know how to set your mirrors right. AND you had blind spot indicator....

mightl

I'm wondering what were the cars you had before compare to 12' TL in terms of blind spots complants. It can be subjective comparison.
I agree with you on the small trunk, but nothing is perfect, I can live with it.

It is unfortunate you have to stick to the car for another few months since you already have more cons than pro at this moment. Good luck persuing your next viehcle.

Pete2010

Yea - i don't get the blindspot thing. Sad thing is most people have their mirrors too far pointing in. You should not see your own car in your side mirrors. I can understand the low front and the long hood - I've adjusted my seat upwards so that my sightline was not impaired.

Also - that does sound BS that the dealership charged you for the AC fix - warranty is well past 12k miles - and it's bumper to bumper - so that should have been covered.

SeismicGuy

All of the visibility, access, and comfort issues should have been easily identified during your initial visits to the dealer and test drives while shopping for your car.

As for the air conditioning and battery issue, that is just the luck of the draw. My wife's previous Acura TL was a 2000 that we had for 12 years. The only unexpected expense was after a couple of years when one of the motor mounts needed replacement. Other than that the car performed flawlessly with only the usual scheduled maintenance expenses.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

still trying to figure out this 12k mile warranty thing....

EazyRider562

The blind spots are huge, I usually just go with my instinct, it hasn't gotten me into trouble yet....

EazyRider562

I think you should get a SMART car, I think that would suit your needs better....

silverrevlis

Why pay when the car is under a bumper-to-bumper warranty? Hope you get your money back for that one. In regards to the other design dislikes, why didn't you notice this at the dealer when testing the car? I personally don't know how you can have 3 near accidents as I have the same model car as you do. If there is a car in my blind spot..............my blind spot warning indicator starts flashing on the related side of the car. If you change lanes and simply don't look, well, yea your going to have near accidents. Due diligence needs to be carried out to see what is around you.

012TL-GLM

best of luck finding a car with *better* blindspots. You want the airbags, you're getting blind spots - pick one

get your money back on that A/C issue

Sorry you're not happy with the car, but that's exactly why I went with the Tech package w/18's, much better handling than the 19's, which I determined after a 20 minute test.

EazyRider562

I love my TL w/tech package..... I'd most definitely get another one.

supereri

I'm not trying to minimize OP's opinion, but shouldn't most of this have been noticed during the test drive?

EazyRider562

Exactly what the above poster said.... Great comment!

sockpuppet

Wow...good point. Blind spots were a big factor for me when I was doing my shopping. My TL certainly has them, but their not as bad as on some of the vehicles I looked at. But I'm embarrassed that I didn't piece together the effect that airbags would have on the pillars.

EazyRider562

Personally I prefer safety and having a few blind spots than not having blind spots and basically just cruisin' for a bruisin', per se...

Kind've a no-brainer IMO. Right?

Treblig

Blindspots, all cars have them. However, as has been mentioned a couple of times here, there is a pretty effective cure for that, it's all in how you adjust your mirrors.

Edward'TLS

Very true. If one finds any/all of the above issues bothering him/her when shopping for autos, he/she should have gone for another model that feels right.

There's no point complaining afterward, after having picked the "best" choice among the test-driven bunches.

3rdGenHybrid

wow, your actually using blind spots, being charged for a/c work(dealer fault, if your vehicle did not have a leak like a rock in the condenser, you shouldnt have paid) the rear seat entrance and exit, trunk space, and the lack to find the clock an issue....lol sorry but those aren't even a problem. ever been in the back of a ZDX??

im not trying to be a D*ck, but if you have blind spot issues on this tl....you probably can't drive....i can squeeze that car between tractor trailers at 80mph on the high without even looking in the mirrors, if i can fit my golf clubs in the trunk, im good, adjusting to the clock location took some time for me coming from the 3rdgen TL, Your biggest concern should have been how the back seats dont fold down, thats my only issue with the car =P

fsttyms1

Rocketsfan

A....men!

slick316

One of the reasons I bought the TL was because the dealer let me take it out for a couple hours to test drive it however I wanted. I took the car I was looking to buy, with 2 miles on it and returned it with 73 miles. I bought it the next day.
During that test drive I addressed any concerns I had with the car and made sure I liked it before committing to it.
You can't determine future problems and issues with a car during a test drive, but after 70 miles, I'd know whether or not it had massive blind spots that I couldn't deal with.
Sorry that you didn't enjoy the TL, hope you the best on your next purchase.

BTW, The TL has another thing going for it, excellent resale value

Bo_Darville

you criticize the tl for not being nimble, then shop other cars known for not being nimble. you are either too fat to fit into a smaller car, or you do not know the meaning of the word 'nimble'

enjoy your next ford taurus sho or f-150

winstrolvtec

^Ya, I couldn't decide if the OP needs a larger car or a smaller one for some of the conflicting/contradicting issues. The only fault I think is truly warranted, strictly related to the vehicle and not the driver or owner as well, is the trunk and lack of fold down but the majority know that going in, if it's any consolation.

LaCostaRacer

Even if I was not an Acura owner, I would think those issues are pretty minor. Lots of cars have blind spots and it seems like the trunk issues should have been known going into the deal- after all this model has been out for 4 years now and the trunk design hasn't changed that much. Tires are not deal breakers and can be replaced with better and quieter replacements.

Not sure what to say on this one. I'm not buying the 4G because it is too long and won't fit in my garage but otherwise the car seems fine to me. I hold my cars for a LONG time so I like to read the owner's manual BEFORE buying a car to see if I'm going to have issues with it. The test drive only covers vehicle dynamics and feel and I focus only one those issues instead of getting distracted by a salesperson showing me Bluetooth or what have you. I'll know more about the car than the sales person usually so surprises are not the issue for me.

JAB00

I hate these kind of threads. People who nitpick like this will not be happy with any car they have.

KarKraze

Agreed,before i purchased my Tl i had the same experience where i was given the keys and told by the salesman to take it for a couple of hours,after taking the car back from the test drive i told them that i would take my family to lunch and discuss the purchase,at this point they told me to take the car again ,my point being that i had ample time to figure out my likes and dislikes for the car.Like the OP i test drove several different cars but in the end i choose the Tl.Good luck with your next purchase.

jvette

I am on my 3rd TL, 2007, 2010, and now a 2012. I really don't see the blind spot problem at all. If I remember correctly most car manufactures normally have a one year warranty on the air conditioning, wheel alignment, and a few other things. With that said if you had a good dealer they would have taken care of it to keep you happy but it sounds like you are so unhappy with other aspects with the care that wouldn't have helped. I can tell you that the resale on your TL will be pretty high and you might want to see what you can get for it and go ahead and get out of it while you can. One thing about Acura is they really hold their resale value.

Shellyduchsk8s

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Sorry you feel the bad outweighs the good.

6SpdTerror

This thread is a load of rubbish and a waste of everyone's time and bandwidth.
Youre complaining to a bunch of guys who all have the same car and went out and spent our money on it because we like the overall package. As previously mentioned, did you even bother test driving it and looking at it on the showroom floor or did you just sign the papers sight unseen?
If this isnt a troll/shill post then i dont know what is.

types1fan

Funny thing is that the OP has not said a word since he/she posted their dislike for the 4G TL. I hate when members do this.

zovinger

^^^ OP has also posted the same post on the Edmunds forums and so far has generated very very little traffic on the subject. I would certainly categorize this as a troll post - and obviously here on AZ we bit, not so much on Edmunds :-)

012TL-GLM

hey, look at the flipside - soon there'll be an almost new TL on the market that you can beat the guy down on price just because he's so desperate to get rid of the car

SLLAZ

The dealer's service manager left me a phone message: "I absolutely agree that the repairs should be covered by warranty." I am awaiting a credit to my charge card.

My 2012 TL with Tech and Advance Packages does have blind spot indicators, which are indeed useful.

When I wrote about the inadequate, even dangerous, outward visibility, I meant that it's hard to see not only rearward and sideways, but also forward. When I turn left at an intersection, for example, I find that the wide, sloping right A-pillar blocks a lot of the two lanes to the right. I cannot always see oncoming traffic, which may be turning left into the intersection as I turn into it. I now routinely lean forward to see what the A-pillar may be blocking.

By the way, I'm 5'8" and I do know how to adjust the side mirrors. I tried several settings. I've also had track time at several high-speed courses.

The Acura TL's compromised outward visibility is shared by other cars made by Toyota, GM, Ford, among others. For those manufacturers style trumped utility and safety.

When I test drove the TL, I was bothered by its outward visibility for the driver and by its trunk, but I reckoned that those two features wouldn't be a big deal.
By the way, yesterday I was a passenger in the back seat of my TL for a two-hour round trip and was once again aware that road noise is high and that ingress and egress are difficult due to the sharply sloping roofline.

The lease now has 406 days to go.

types1fan

^^^ Hey op atleast you don't have to keep her, when the lease is up you can get something else.

Ken1997TL

Sounds like you need an Acura Vigor or Honda Prelude to be 'happy' with the outward visibility

emanon256

I think the visibility is pretty good, I guess it could be my height, I'm 6'1". I think every car has blind spots, and I've never been able to see around corners, those problems are not unique to the TL.

As for the stock tires, I agree, they are not the best. But they are replaceable.

Glad the A/C got covered in the end. You should have never had to pay. I'm not sure what the problem is with the trunk, it's a little small, but I assumed that was because of the AWD.