S2000 Driver

by Connie Keane, Motor Matters

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Elegant aggression. Sounds oxymoronic, but after driving the 2009 TL, I have to conclude there are new ways of thinking about driving.

Acura's new dramatic styling package on the 2009 TL is attracting a lot of manly attention - just what the automaker is hoping for - a strong male audience.

The all-new TL sedan features lots of sharp, angular points in the rear tail and in the front fascia. There are no soft edges, no gentle swooping lines and no graceful curves. The TL is pointed and piercing in its stance. It is built specifically for a hit-the-ground-running kind of guy who wants performance.

The most important element to an aggressive nature is the fire in the belly. Under the hood of my all-wheel-drive TL SH-AWD tester is the 3.7-liter V6. It is Acura's most powerful engine ever offered in the brand's sedan line. New to the all-new version of the TL is all-wheel drive. Previously, Acura's TL models had always been offered in a front-wheel drive configuration only.

This 2009 fourth-generation TL generates 305 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 273 pound-feet of torque at 5000 rpm. Coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission, the 3.7-liter V6 is rated to return fuel economy estimates of 17 miles per gallon city and 25 mpg highway. The EPA projects combined fuel economy of 20 mpg.

In late September, Acura announced it will offer a six-speed manual transmission in the TL for the 2010 model year. This will mark the first time Acura pairs a manual gearbox with its award-winning super handling AWD system.

The standard engine in the front-wheel drive TL model is the 3.5-liter V6, also mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The 3.5-liter produces 280 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 254 pound-feet of torque at 5000. This power train's fuel estimates are 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Both the 3.5-liter and 3.7-liter V6's require 91 octane premium unleaded gasoline.

Acura's Super-Handling AWD system distributes optimum handling not only between the front and rear of the TL, but also between the right and left wheels, providing the best possible all-weather traction as well as all-speed traction. One of the best notable driving characteristics I observed of the SH-AWD in the 2009 TL is that it doesn't interfere with spirited driving. It's just a silent partner that will step in if needed. It's not annoying with road noise or weight and aerodynamic drag.

The starting price of the 2009 TL is $34,995. In addition to the all-wheel drive, my tester featured the Tech Package and the total price came to $42,995, including destination and handling charges. The Technology Package includes the Keyless Access System with the push-button start.

The navigation screen is now an 8-inch high-resolution color display monitor that doubles as the rearview camera screen. Perforated Milano leather is one of the luxurious interior treatments.

I had the opportunity to drive both the TL and the TL SH-AWD. These are two very different vehicles. The engines make them different, the drive configurations makes them different from each other, and I noted a difference in interior design treatments (even the steering wheels felt dissimilar) that further distinguish the TL from the TL SH-AWD. They're not the same. They're not even cousins.

If you're considering the all-new Acura, you really should get in the TL and then get in the TL SH-AWD. This is not a model trim level difference. They are completely separate vehicles in performance and personality.

2009 Acura TL SH-AWD

Vehicle type: five-passenger AWD midsize sedan

Base price: $42,235 (as tested: $42,995)

Engine type: 24-valve SOHC V6 with MPFI

Displacement: 3.7 liter

Horsepower: 305 at 6200 rpm

Torque: 273 pound-feet at 5000 rpm

Transmission: five-speed automatic

Wheelbase: 109 inches

Track: (front/rear) 63/64 inches

Overall length: 195 inches

Overall width: 74 inches

Height: 57 inches

Turning circle: (curb-to-curb) 38 feet

Curb weight: 3,986 pounds

Fuel capacity: 19 gallons

EPA mileage rating: 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway

© Motor Matters, 2008

Source: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...MTLU13MG4B.DTL

This article appeared on page J - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle

© 2008 Hearst Communications Inc.

jginnane

We just updated our 3G/AT from Michelin Pilot MXM4s to Bridgestone RE960s, and felt like it was a completely different car. Then, a week later, we had a 4G TL loaner for a day, and were sorry we'd just shelled out $800 for new rubber on the 3G.

However ... I wonder how much of the difference people are talking about is simply because the "base" 4G comes with either Turanza EL400s or Michelin Pilots? I wonder if you upgrade the rubber -- and perhaps rims, too -- whether you're going to get 90% of the way to the ride of an SH-AWD for under a grand? (This assumes you're not trying to make this full-size Honda family car into an all-out racer. ;p

Disclosure: my other car's a 4WD GMC Yukon, and my wife went to the Acura from a Mercedes ML. We're comfortable with 4WD or AWD, and don't regard it as such a big luxury item. OTOH, we still haven't driven the SH-AWD (on any Acura model).

[Disclosure #2 ... "Bluetooth" is, in total, contained on a $5 computer chip. USB Bluetooth dongles cost a buck on Ebay. And TomTom GPS devices will be under $150 on Black Friday. You might not "need" a fancy tech package if this is all you're trying to do.]

KeithL

The tires don;t make up that much of a difference to make you think it will compendsate for a SH-AWD. I drove a 4G Navi for 2 days whic essentially has same rubber as my 3G Type-S and the 4G was not even close to my Type-S, the SH-AWD I'm sure the suspension and AWD makes upa huge part of it.

CL6

Ah the San Fransicko Comical... what a paper!

jginnane

I know the 4G tire's a higher profile (245/50-17) than on the 3G (235/45-17), and OEM options include 18" and 19" rims. When we put the latest rubber on our 3G stock rims, we oversized 10mm (245/45-17). You can really feel that extra half-inch width and 1/4" height difference .. at least at first. Going from Grand Touring A/S to Ultra High Perf A/S tires increased the gripping ability to the point we can drive exit loops off the local freeway about 15 mph faster.

This is quite a difference achievable, just by very slight variations in the rubber size and tire type. To put it another way ... the 1% cost increase of oversizing the Bridgestones increased the contact patch width 5%, which was easily above the sensory threshhold (at least for me).

When I try the TL SH-AWD, I'm going to try the same tire setup on a regular 4G. I mean -- if it's THAT much a handling difference, maybe I want to be looking at an RL instead.