xrays

Let me first say that I am a car enthusiast, but by no means am I an expert. I enjoy Acura but I am not a “gear head” so please don’t flame me. These are the observations of a guy who likes nice cars and techno gadgets that enhance, but do not overtake, life.

That said, I test drove the new 2009 Acura TL base model today and thought I would share some of my observations.

I think the new TL is a VERY NICE CAR!!!

Let's start on the outside. Much has been made of the exterior styling and I love it. Seeing it in person the front end has a stylish, aggressive, modern look. The sides are simple with a smooth, curved, slope to the back of the top. Sideview mirrors have reflectors on the lower edge rather than the middle. The tail end of the car is a bit conical and juts out and may take some getting used to. The technology package gives you a rear decklid spoiler with built in rearview camera. The AWD front end will have smaller reflectors and bigger air vents to provide air flow to the front disc brakes. The AWD rear end will have a quad exhuast. The GPS antenna on the roof has a nice shark fin look.

On the inside, the cockpit feels comfortable. The dash instrument panel has 4 circles, two larger in the middle with two smaller ones on the outside. Inside the larger circle are smaller raised circles containing the warning lights. The Navi screen is positioned higher and further back in the dash and is no longer a touch screen. Not having a touch screen and using the joystick to control it will certainly take some getting used to. The screen is bright, sharp, and looks much crisper than before.

The technology package give you an internal hard disk drive. The Acura salesman showed how quick and easy it was to rip commercial CD's to the HDD. I asked if you could rip CD's made from albums purchased legally via iTunes and he wasn't sure, but didn't think you could do that (which would be a bit of a bummer). However, the iPod integration is excellent. We connected his iPod Touch as well as my iPhone to the car's USB port via Apple's USB-30pin cable and were able to easily navigate through music. Keyless access system is a nice addition matching other luxury car makers.

As for the ride it was smooth and comfortable. The car felt heavy and sturdy. At low speed the steering wheel was loose and at high speed the wheel was more firm. The rear windshield looked a bit smaller. The AWD wasn't in the showroom yet, and will post more once I test drive it.

timmahh

I think you'll have to wait until November to drive the SH-AWD

I went to the dealer today and I saw one, but like a dorkus I went to service/parts first and when I came back it was gone on a test drive.. they only had one

jayunsplanet

iTrader: (1)

Good observations, although I don't agree with them, haha.
The dealer I went to said AWD is coming in November.

6SpdTerror

I have no interest in driving the base tl. Ill wait on the AWD to be in showrooms before i test drive and ill wait till the type-s returns before i trade out of my 3g.

xrays

And one more thing which is a nice touch.

On the technology package, the rearview camera now has grid lines on it which denote 3ft, 6ft, 9ft, and 12ft distances.

Shalooby

I drove the base last night. Had my kids in the back so I couldn't get too nuts with it. The saleswoman was making use of the grab bars though. She didn't know what rev-matching was so I helped her understand by demonstrating it a few times.
The paddles for manually shifting are nice and they turn with the wheel. I fumbled for them once or twice but that's just a result of not being familiar with the car. In D the paddles will allow you to downshift but the car will shift back on it's own. In S it will stay in whatever gear you select.
The rev matching btw worked well. Not a lot of lurching at all. And you can go all the way down to first gear, something I can't do in my 06 unless I go to L.
The steering is quite nice. Effortless going through the parking lot and stiffer at speed. Very nice.
The display for the nav has great resolution. It was incredibly clear. Seats are comfortable and according to my kids there's more room in the back. I'm not fond of the way the center armrest has that cutout in the front. I can see the two sides that protrude wearing out and going out of shape. It'll be interesting to see how well they hold up.
The rear camera display with the grid overlay is nice. The layout of the rest of the buttons is okay but looks a little more cluttered than the 3rd gen. I'm sure it's just because I'm not use to it.
The exterior is nice and the back end doesn't come to quite as an abrupt point as it looks in the photos. The trim along the bottom of the trunk lid blends in well. The front end? I just can't get over the size of that damn grill. Maybe if it didn't fold into the hood and was more like the TSX or RL. The openings on either side below the headlights had something that I hadn't seen in the photos either. Above the vents were thin reflectors that run along the length of each opening.
Overall it's a nice car. Would I buy one? Not sure yet. But I'm not in the market and until I am there's really no need for me to even consider it at this point.

The ride is quite nice. Very smooth. The acceleration wasn't as crisp as I thought it would be, the car felt heavy.

08TypeS

Exactly. I will wait before I see the 4G Type-S before I even considered buying another TL. If not, then I may move up to the RL.

PG2G

There shouldn't be any difference between CDs from iTunes and anywhere else. In fact, some people get around iTunes DRM by burning the songs and ripping them.

stevesTL

Just back from the Dealer, drove the Tech Model. They had a Black base and Blue Tech, with black interior. The exterior is better in person, without a doubt. It looks sleek sitting on the dealer lot. We took the car out on the highway and a little local driving. It is a smooth running engine, very quiet and when you step on the gas it really responds quickly. The interior has a familar feel, but since I wasn't familiar will all the controls for the radio and Nav., it was a little confusing to adjust and use in the 30 minutes or so I spent in it, mostly driving. I love the back-up camera. I had to back into a space on the return and it guides you right in. The shifter has an S mode below the D, and when you select that you can use the paddle shifters. I, don't know that I would use it. The trunk is deeper and longer, and they say the back seat is larger, but it seemed a bit more difficult to get in since the roof line is lower. The Nav screen is much larger and has higher resolution. It is an improvement. I could buy this car, even with the nose. However since my current TL only has 38k miles on it, I can wait. They aren't dealing on these yet, you pay sticker.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Steve,

Thanks for your assessment of the new car. You're a better man than I am though. I couldn't buy that car BECAUSE of the nose. If I'm spending that much money on a new car, it damn well better be a good looking one!

nhousepro

I test drove the new TL yesterday. I must say I was not all that impressed. There was no, "wow" factor to it. From the looks to the horse power it was so so. That grill is nothing that will ever grow on me...it is huge and belongs on a truck. The technology is the plus side of the TL; Nice NAVI display, 40GB HD, Multi Aux Connections, Keyless Start and etc. Also there seems to be way to much going on as far as buttons on the steering wheel and console that clutters the cabin a little bit, IMO, The ride is smooth and more quiet than the previous model. Other than that I would not trade my 06 in for the 09.

For $40 grand I need to really appreciate the car from exterior to interior. There are some other options to look at before considering a TL. But all in all TL is a solid car. The TSX Looks better than than TL, IMO!

TLType-s12

iTrader: (2)

I couldnt have said it better myself. If i EVER do decide to trade in my 3G TL then the future TL Type S better be a hell of improvment.

CL6

I saw one. The grille is horrible. The rest of the car not so bad. Interior very nice, Navi screen very nice. Screensaver function very cool. Sound system is world class. Not hot on the bumper edge and the plastic on either side of the back window. 17" wheels look way small. Already $800 off MSRP.

blackuraTLS

What is rev matching?

CL6

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=rev%20matching