Just about to buy my first 4G TL. Its a company purchase so I have a cap limit and cant have both the SH-AWD and Tech Pkg. I can have Tech Pkg with 18" wheels or the AWD version. Any thoughts which I should go for - I cant decide!! I do 40k miles / yr. If I go for the Tech Pkg I cant get the 2 tone seating so can go for ebony.

I searched to see if this has been asked before but could not find - sorry if it has. Thanks!!

 

do you get a lot of snow where you live?

 

SH-AWD isn't just for snow. It improves handling in all road conditions. SH-AWD also gives you some nice extras like 18" wheels/tires, a fatter steering wheel, quad exhausts, sports suspension, and sports seats with contrast stitching. It rides much sportier than the FWD car. That being said, the Tech package is a must for the TL because of all the features that make driving enjoyable and convenient.....Navigation, surround-sound stereo, keyless start, Bluetooth, etc. You need to test-drive both models to see what features are the priority to you.....do you like toys over sporty driving?

 

I dont get a lot of snow although I live in the WNC mountains. PetesTL sums it up I have driven both and still cant decide!!! I am moving from a 2006 330i so I will have to give up some sportiness.

 

I have the SH-AWD non tech. The only thing I miss by not having the tech package is the keyless start. That would have been a nice feature. The other features, I didn't need when it came down to it. They were more of a nice to have for me. I could have done the FWD Tech but the feel of the SH-AWD is what sold me.

 

For business and turning it over in a couple years? I'd probably go with "comfort" over "sport" and get the FWD w/Tech. Should be an awesome cruiser for you for a couple of years.

I'd rather have both (AWD & Tech) and guess you would too.

 

I'd have to go with the SH-AWD since I can't stand the undersized 17" on the FWD models.

 

SH-AWD without a doubt.

 

The only thing I find kind of good about the car is the tech. If you want sportiness, you can go for a bone stock 335i, bone stock G37 or maybe even a Evo.

 

Is coming out of pocket for the difference an option? Can't be much for you to make a deal and maybe pay to get ALL you're wanting!

Also, what is your cap? You may be able to get a deal to fit your budget with things the way they are right now.

 

If you have a company cap, why don't you approach your company and say that you will pick up the difference over the cap. The SH-AWD and the tech pkg are sooo sweet together (and very much worth it)!

Alternatively, use the company cap to negotiate aggressively with the dealer to get both under the cap...

 

shawd for sure ... nav and the other little things can be added, but adding awd is hard

 

WOW what a decision, having driven both I can tell you based on that criteria I woudl actually consider something else, for me the FWD was too soft and steering was too loose, but the AWD without the awesome ELS and rest of the tech goodies would not be enough to satisfy me. If I honeslty had your decision I would likely have been in something else, maybe a G37 (and I don;t want to start a bash G37 vs. TL debate), just my thoughts. Or even dare I say it... a Genesis...

 

easy...SH-AWD

 

To be honest, if I couldn't have had both, I would have bought a different car. Maybe a Subaru Legacy.

The SH-AWD system is great for spirited driving. You just accelerate through the turn, and it does the rest. Wet ground? No problem, pedal to the floor and it just goes. I don't think I'll ever go back to a FWD or RWD car, and it hasn't even snowed here yet.

The stereo is definitely best in class, and better than what some pricier cars come equipped with. The backup camera is very useful.

The navigation system is very personal preference. I was originally considering a 2006 RL, and liked the nav in it a lot. I'm not a fan of touch screen nav at all. So, I was very happy to see the 09 had a system like the RL's. I really like the lane specific information pop-ups on the right as well.

Also, as previously mentioned, are you at your cap limit before negotiating? A lot of us have gotten SH-AWD Tech for under $40k.

 

I was in a similar situation in January. They were both the same price (tech package/SH-AWD package); but, when it came down to it, the SH-AWD sold me. Of course, to help make my decision, the one I got had the umber interior that I had wanted too.

 

Tech package for sure !

 

tech for me.

 

No brainer. The AWD car rides like a mack truck. If you like being pounded, that's the car for you. If you're looking for comfort and sportiness, the FWD's your car. But the tech package has to be viewed as simply a given. To buy either one of these vehicles without it would be insane.

 

 

Are the seats in the SH-AWD without Tech Pkg the same as with or our they like the base car? I see seat with the Tech Pkg are perforated and all the dealerships I have went to only have SH-AWDs w/Tech Pkg already so I dont know if they are different w/o it.

 

Mack Truck?! The AWD car will run rings around the FWD car in the wet or dry. The ride is firm but NEVER punishing. If you want to have a boring driving experience like in an ES350, then the FWD TL is the car for you.

 

The driver's side and front passenger seats are bolstered on the SH-AWD. You also get a thicker steering wheel and interior-matched stitching on the steering wheel and shifter.

 

The questions is whether to take SH-AWD or Tech package. I think if you do your research on this forum you will see that many say go the tech package route. You said this is a company car so the navigation should help you. The keyless entry and the bluetooth. Again you said this is a company car which means you travel a lot and having bluetooth in the car would be huge. This is not AWD vs FWD or Tech vs non-tech. And since you don't get snow then the SH-AWD will be good in the rain and in the turns. But with a tech package you get all the technology goodies. And if your stuck in trafic no matter if you have AWD I would rather be stuck with in a TL with tech package then a TL without. I would say in my opinion since you don't get a lot of snow and its a company car go with the FWD Tech and call it a day. In my opinion to have a TL and not have tech is like having a fully loaded accord with Navi.

 

Non-tech models have bluetooth. You're paying $3500 for keyless entry, upgraded stereo, backup camera and nav--don't get me wrong, if both were in my budget, I would have got them both; but, my $200 Garmin works just fine when I need it.

Edit: And $3500 for the SH-AWD gives you better handling, more HP, bigger wheels and more comfortable seating. Performance > gadgets

 

HP isn't everything when you factor in the extra weight. He said he would get the FWD and he would have money to get 18's. A garmin lets face it can't compare to a built-in navi when it comes to convenience. And to tell you the truth when I sat in both the seats weren't a deal breaker for me.

You do feel more secure in the SH-AWD like on take off and taking turns, but I guess it also depends how you drive. If you plan to take off-ramps at 50 mph definetly go for the AWD. We all have to remember before all of the SH-AWD TL take acura owners had FWD TL for all those years and it did what it had to. Acura didn't like the TL-regular AWD, they labeled SH-AWD since it is still FWD biased. At the end of the day we can bicker and fight all day long you make the final call. Someone on the forums I read borrowed the cars for a couple of days before he made his purchase. Maybe you shold do the same, ask the dealer to borrow the loaner for 2 days and see how the SH-AWD compares to the FWD.

 

Take off ramps?? FWD biased???

I waited 4 months to test drive the SH-AWD after being very unimpressed with the FWD. I signed the lease on the SH-AWD the same day I test drove it. No one is bickering, it's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to it just as you are; however, you need to do a little bit of fact checking before posting.

 

and stitching on the seats too

 

The TL is a FWD based car so it's going to be biased towards the front, not to turn this into a SH-AWD vs FWD thread look at this video of honda explaining SH-AWD back in 2004 http://www.world.honda.com/HDTV/news/2004-4040401a/ I'm not making this up, you wanted facts here it is. Under normal driving with the SH-AWD 70% of the torque goes to the front wheels. From honda's mouth not mine just stating the facts which I did before I posted. As stated and like i'm saying the SH-AWD is a superior car it cost more and has better handling. But if someone gave me a choice between tech and AWD I wold choose tech. And there is no way and acura is going to compete with a BMW when it comes to handling.

 

Not only will the AWD car jolt you hard enough to rattle your teeth, it's actually slower than the FWD car because of the enormous drivetrain losses and extra weight. All this more than offsets the extra 25 HP.

 

SInce you came from the Bimmer world you know the handling, my brother has a 335 now and that car is a beast. At least the with tech package you can have something that the 335 doesn't over in the nav with detailed traffic and weather. Let me tell you Acura's nav blows BMW's out of the water. Now if you didn't have nav in the bmw that is mute point. On another note when I went to the dealer her in NY, every dealer did have the an SH-AWD, but none had the SH-AWD with tech, they were all waiting for the 2010's to come out so like everyone is saying if you can squeeze and get both and come out of pocket a little bit it will be worth it.

 

BS! You're making the AWD car sound like it rides like a Camaro. I've owned 4 BMW's in the past 7 years and the AWD's ride is similarly firm but no worse. I would MUCH rather have a car that handles like it's on rails and inspires confidance on less-than-perfect roads than one that pampers your butt. As far as performance, straight-line acceleration might be similar between the 2 models (although Car & Driver's last test on the SH-AWD came out to 5.9 sec 0-60), however, once the road starts to turn and twist, it's no contest.......add some water to that, forget about it!

BTW, throw a Takeda Intake in there and the SH-AWD becomes a little "Beast!"

 

Sources please.

As been discussed to DEATH. Early 0-60 times on the SH-AWD were done with brake torque launches (which causes the SH-AWD to start in 2nd gear). At least 2 magazines have noticed 'remarkable' 0.5 second drops in 1/4 mile and 0-60 times upon retesting the SH-AWD. Like PetesTL said, on a track in ideal conditions, a drag race may be close, on the street the SH-AWD owns the FWD.

This is my 1st AWD car and I can tell you that the confidence it inspires around turns and on take off is unreal. No slipping, no wheel spin, just point and shoot (It's even better in the rain)

To the original poster. If you like the ride of the FWD, then get that with tech. I LOVE the tech package. However if you are planning on throwing money into upgraded wheels, I concur with a few other people...see if your company will allow you to pay for the difference.

 

You need to test drive both. I was set on a fwd tech until I drove the awd tech. They are just very different from a driving perspective. That being said, I could not see doing without the tech package. It makes the experience of being in the car very special.

 

I had the same choice to make, because my goal in getting this car was to pay less monthly than I was before. If I did both, I'd have been paying the same, so I had to give one up. I chose the tech over the SH-AWD. Either way, I was giving up performance coming from my G35x, so why give up performance and technology? The tech in the car is so nice, it wasn't even an option to me not to have it.

But again, as somebody else said, you need to prioritize. What's more important to you: Tech or Performance? And mind you, the SH-AWD is better, but the FWD is no slouch. Take my lead-footed, 10 point having word for it.

Another thing. You never answered as to whether you making up the difference was an option, if you were to get the SH-AWD and the tech. My brother's company allowed him to do that, so it might be worth asking. Honestly, company cars are usually Prius, Saturn, etc. If your company is easy-going enough to lease a car like this for you, it probably won't be a biggie for you to make up the difference.

 

The bias varies from car to car. The RL is 70/30 and the RDX is 90/10. There is a lot of misinformation about what the TL's actual bias is, and I cannot find a concrete source. If you have one, please post it.

The wikipedia entry for SH-AWD has been incorrectly modified so it is not a viable source for any information.

Personally, I liked the way the TL SH-AWD handled more than a 328xi or 528xi. FWD and RWD were not even a consideration for me in this purchase. I have owned FWD, RWD, and 4WD vehicles and wanted to try an AWD.

Was the 535xi more exciting overall? No question. However, the price was not. Was the 335i the best handling RWD coupe I've driven? Absolutely.

This is personal preference. The SH-AWD is the smoothest car I've ever owned, and may be a bit too smooth. I came from a 350Z. This car is more than smooth enough to fall into the sport-lux category compared to a real sports car.

Yep, Acura's navigation system was my #1 choice after testing all the other lux brands. I had a serious case of sticker shock when I saw how much the option cost on other brands as well, compared to everything you got with the Acura's tech package.

Absolutely, great post.

 

If you look at mos tof the post in this thread you will see one common denominator, many love the SH-AWD and many love the tech. IF many had to pick one, that is the question and if you could have changed the thread I would have said to add a poll and my vote wold be for the tech pacakge.

 

Thanks for all the help. There were too many split opinions and in the end I could not decide which to get but........ it did not matter as my company ordered me the SH-AWD w/Tech and some wheel deal called HPT anyway.....perfect. I pick it up tomorrow....Thanks all.

 

All of that you put us through and you made out like a bandit, well good luck and you will enjoy.

 

The High Performance Tire package...