gurneyeagle

I just took a test drive in a non-tech '09 TL, and I must say I was mightily impressed. It was Grigio metallic with an Ebony interior.

I currently own a '07 MDX and an '08 G37S that I traded an '05 TL for last year. That little exercise proved to me that I'm really a "Honda guy", but that's another story.

Back to the TL - I thought it was stunning inside and out. The grille wasn't as bad as I thought. I've mentioned before that I was turned-off by the MDX grille, but I got over it fast. I think the same would hold true for the TL.

The overall appearance of the car to me was very sporty and substantial. The car has a great stance. Little details like the rear window roof trim that runs into the trunk line was nice. The back "shield" was non-offensive.

I really liked the interior. The leather is a definite upgrade from my '05 TL and is on par with my G37. Loved the size of the steering wheel and the fact that there is a hand brake. Seats were comfortable, and even with the driver's seat pushed back a good bit, I could still fit comfortably in the back.

The car has a nice ride with excellent acceleration and a firm ride. I was in the car for only about ten minutes, but in that time, I really enjoyed the drive.

I would recommend that folks look at the car in person and drive it if they can before trashing it.

When I got my G37, the G35 coupe guys were relentless in trashing the car. It's about what one would expect when a radical change to a car is made. That has settled down over time. I expect the same with the TL.

So what am I going to do? Probably hold onto the G for at least another year. I will have to consider the SH-AWD when it comes out.

If I had to sum up the '09, it would be that it is a substantial upgrade on the 3G.

JAB00

Good review. There is no doubt that the 09 is a substantial upgrade from the 3gen TL. Objectively, the 3gen TL has a classic design that would be very hard to top but I think the new gen is ruggedly handsome. It's on the same plane as the new Accord or 5 series. Strong lines and a muscular look. I'll definitely consider trading in several years for the SH-AWD w/ tech.

S2000 Driver

I agree -- nice review!

ostrich

Thank you for a real review!!! It is such a breath of fresh air to see a review by someone who has actually seen and driven the car, as opposed to all the negative and trashy comments made by some posters who have not even seen or driven the car... sigh!

imj0257

iTrader: (1)

Nice. I saw/sat in the new TL at a car show last night.

One thing I must say is it really isn't as bad in person than as bad in the pictures. But... I must say the front grill still is pretty bad and I'm not a big fan of the rear as well. The inside is cool but there are so many fking buttons! There are like 15 on the steering wheel alone! It looks like a fking plane cockpit... kinda confusing. But I liked the aux input for an ipod or w/e and the neat little way they hid the power charger/cigarette lighter in the middle console. Overall, not as bad as I thought, but I definitely like the 3G better.
Oh and I must say overall, the RL looked actually pretty nice. Sexier than the TL.

six spd

I too just came back from testing the new TL. It was a tech model. Great bells and whistles. Car rode fine. I am a stick man, however and they have lost me as a customer for now. I will try the SH-AWD when it comes out but it is quite hard to beat a stick. My plate says it all SIXSPD

TLType-s12

iTrader: (2)

NOOO !! My 3G has been bumped down lol Well it was bound to happen. Especially when the 3.7L SH-AWD comes out. I too have seen the new TL in person. Its not great but its not bad like I thought it would be. Honestly the only thing that needs to go is that grille and then maybe Acura will sell some TL'z. Could you imagine if Acura designed a 4G TL that looked so good that everybody dropped their 3G TL's to get a 4G?!! Thats how good the 4G should have looked!!!

blakura

+1

AMIC

I went by the dealership yesterday to see if they had an '09 so I could see it in person, and they did. They had two grey ones; one with tan interior and one with black, both tech models. Since they are closed on Sundays, we were only able to look inside and didn't get to sit in it. I have to say it looks better in person, especially the front. I could actually, if given enough time, get used to the front. The back is a different story. It is a disaster. I just can't imagine what Acura was thinking. It is every bit as ugly as the pictures. I don't care much for the wheels either. The '04-'06 stock wheels are so much better and the tires they have on there look like truck tires for some reason. The interior seems to have too much plastic from what I could see and yes as someone else pointed out, there are way too many buttons. I don't like the placement of the navi screen it just seems like it would be difficult to see with that big hood over it. The shark fin XM antenna does nothing for me either. Way too obtrusive. I wish I could have gotten a better look at the interior. I'm not at all interested in buying one, but I'd still love to take a test drive.

Costco

On the contrary the hood over the screen is just fine. It works great in BMWs, even on a cloudless sunny 80 degree day. The car was bigger than I thought also, and while the front didn't look as bad as it does in pictures (I still think its by far the ugliest sedan in the segment) the rear looked even worse than in the pictures! The rear was just continually growing on me from the pics and then I saw it in the metal and I was disappointed. I didn't drive it but I'm not interested in one either..... the interior is great IMO. I only saw the car from the outside, and I don't mind all the buttons. honestly, you're going to be using them either way, whether they're part of the navi display (which takes up more screen real estate) or part of the center stack.

juruki

iTrader: (2)

I gotta admit, the new TL is really growing on me. I saw one at the dealership while i was getting an oilchange and liked it.

Legend2TL

I didn't take a test drive but spent ~20 minutes looking at the interior and exterior of a 4G TL FWD w/Tech at the local Acura dealer recently. There were some new 3G's out front to compare with. Some notes

1.) I have a 2005 6MT 3G and love that cars exterior styling which I was slightly let down by the 4G so I'm slightly biased. The rear and side views are really nice but the flow of the front I did not like (but everyone has their own opinion). Is it as bad as some folks in other forums say? No. It's bold and besides the grill the lights look busy. I liked the simple light approach of the 3G. If the grill top matched the light top it would make an improvement, but I imagine the MMC might change the current Acura's (MDX occurs first) bold front end.

2) The new dash/center stackup is really impressive. It's a really nice improvement to the 3G (which was good IMO). The new instruments are very functional as well as great style. The new MID is also better centered top in the instrument cluster. Overall the switches has great feel and layout, although I kinda wish all of the HVAC were in one group instead on the sides for ease of use (common Acura HVAC controls issue).

3) The seats to me felt better and the materials overall in the interior were a nice improvement over the 3G.

4) Although the car is better inside, it did not feel that much bigger in the front. The rear was a little larger but after all the hype I was expecting some more legroom (I'm 6'3") in the rear.

5) The plastic covers in the engine bay cover up even more of the gear than the 3G.

6) Not sure I liked the trunk opening, the V angle shape is stylist looking but not as functional as the 3G squarer opening.

7) Overall the quality of the fit/finish/materials appear better than the 3G.

8) I looked underneigh at some of the drivetrain and suspension pieces but without it lifted up could not see much.