Hi, I am looking to buy an Acura TL fourth generation. Would you do it again? What should I be looking for? I heard to stay away from 3.7 engine.(oil consumption)

thanks


Luc

Would defiantly do it again. IMO adding a little oil every once in a while is a small price to pay for SH-AWD and 305hp.

I just have the base (3.5L and whatnot) 2012 and I haven't regretted it for a second. I do respectfully disagree with dopeboy1, inasmuch as I appreciate having a commuter car that is largely trouble-free. Even the Base does an excellent job of getting out of its own way on the highway, even if it's not as fast off the line.

Although I suppose it depends a lot on what you're driving now, what you want out of a car, and what your budget is.

I have 13 TL SHAWD (3.7) never used a drop of oil. I wonder if the oil burning focused on earlier vs later? Would not excessively oil burning be covered under anti-lemon laws?

After reading through the thread about this, it seems like it's not, at least depending on whose definition of "excessive" they're using. They cover engine swaps until the warranty expires and then you're scr00d.

https://acurazine.com/forums/fourth-...mption-939258/

Yep. I had my reservations when I purchased mine but after nearly 100K miles, I'd do it again. I have a 2012 FWD Tech.

I think there's a few things to ask yourself before you buy this car though. First, the size. This is the largest car I've driven. I like it but there are times I yearn for the smaller size of my old TSX. It's technically a mid-size sedan but often feels big to me. If you've driven compact cars a lot this will seem big. But if you've driven anything larger than a Toyota Camry then this should feel fine.

Second, are you ok with taking a small risk if you purchase the SH-AWD? The SH-AWD is prone to oil consumption and the propeller shaft bearing wearing out. There isn't really a fix for the oil consumption issue - just adding oil when needed. The propeller shaft replacement runs around $1500 from what I've read here on Azine. Personally, I wouldn't be deterred because I feel the problems are relatively minor and don't affect every car. I went with FWD simply because I wasn't willing to pay the premium for the SH-AWD, despite it's awesomeness. But if it didn't command the $3000+ markup here in Utah (where everyone thinks they need AWD), then I would have gone with the SH-AWD. However, the FWD is very capable, especially with bolt-ons and a tune. I didn't buy the TL as a racecar but stock for stock, both models are about as fast as one another. While the SH-AWD has about 25hp more than the FWD, it also weighs a couple hundred pounds more which largely negates the extra power. If you buy the SH-AWD, but it for the SH-AWD (which is friggin awesome BTW). Not the larger engine. There's not much of a difference there when considering the weight factor.

Lastly, are you looking for raw speed? If so, this isn't the right car. It's plenty fast but it's not a racecar. If you're only looking for speed, either buy a Mustang/Camaro/Challenger or spend the bigger bucks to get a luxury sedan with a more powerful engine. The TL is a good balance of speed, handling, reliability, luxury and tech but it's not the best in class at any of those. I bought the TL because I wanted a well rounded vehicle but if I focused on only one or two of those aspects, I would have purchased a different car (e.g. Subaru STI for speed and handling, Toyota Corolla for reliability, BMW 7 series for luxury, etc.)

I've owned three 4G TLs. I owned two '12 models and one '13 model, all with the Advance package. Needless to say, I love the 4G TL. Like losiglow said in his post, the TL may not be the absolute best in any given measurable attribute, such as speed, handling, reliability, luxury or tech but it does well enough in each of those categories that it makes for one well rounded car. I know the 4G TL got ragged over its looks, especially the '09 - '11 models but looks are subjective and to me it looks fine. I love driving mine everyday on my 32 mile one way commute to work. I think you'd love owning and driving one. The only issues I've had were the gurgling noise from the transmission filter which I replaced on all three of mine and cured the problem. Also, all three of mine were prone to having warped rotors, another relatively easy and inexpensive fix. Been great otherwise.