Has anyone driven the two and felt a big difference in the 2012-14 model? I just had a 2013 sh-awd loaner and i loved how sporty it drove and handled. what is the difference performance wise? also is the steering different? im thinking about getting a '13 tl and i had zero complaints whatsoever about the drive of it after having a loaner for the weekend

 

casual daily driver you wont notice a big difference. if you like to push your car hard then yes huge difference.

 

Also are you in a snow belt region? If so the SH-AWD will have a very noticeable performance and handling advantage

 

i live in st louis but i have an '04 tl fwd and it does fine in snow. does the fwd still perform well? or does it feel really numb compared to the awd? not talking about driving in snow though

 

yeah i definitely like to push it sometimes!

 

I have a SH-AWD and have only tested the base models but when I push mine I can hit corners damn near hard as I am willing to try them and still hold the road. The suspension on the base model is set up for a more comfortable ride I believe because when turning into corners aggressively you can feel the car give some ground. Now i don't know from personal experience but people have told me at high speeds the car doesn't feel as in control as the SH-AWD. I love my car at high speeds, was doing 130 this weekend and felt in complete control. Now I don't know how hard you plan on pushing the vehicle but for me the extra few thousand was easy because I DRIVE MY ACURA.

 

Nice! Yeah i dont know what it was i just loved driving the sh-awd! and ive heard people say the suspension feels stiff but i thought it drove pretty comfortably. now i just have to make up my mind between this and a 2010 e350!

 

Well it depends the condition and actual cars your comparing but i would probably take the e350.

Edit: Actually for that price range i would just wait for a TLX

 

I owned a 2010 SH-AWD and now have a 2013 FWD. You will notice the handling advantage of the AWD if you push the car on corners, it is a little zippier off the line and when passing due to higher horsepower, and it is definitely better on snow. The FWD offers a more comfortable ride and better mileage (consistently 19.5 on my AWD and 24.9 on my FWD with mixed hiway and backroad driving). Power on FWD is more than adequate in my opinion.

 

For what it's worth... I just purchased the SH-AWD a few days ago and drove both extensively. I feel the AWD has a huge advantage over the FWD. If I'm correct, the FWD has 17" rims and a higher side profile in which you can feel the roll with the extra rubber around the rims. The AWD seems to be more fun when pushing it to the limits. Even it you're a conservative driver, you can still feel the difference IMO.

 

I would wait for the tlx. it looks really good but i dont like it enough to buy it sadly! maybe it will grow on me..

 

yeah the SH-AWD felt great! it turned corners really well and i liked the brakes. unfortunately i had to return it yesterday to get my MDX back. im sure it was a good tradeoff for you to get a 2013 tl though!

 

nice choice! yeah i think if i get a tl it will be an sh-awd just because of the rims, power, and steering. snow isnt that big of a deal. what color is your 2013?

 

Mine's a '14...Graphite Luster Metallic. For some reason, I thought I read one of your other posts stating you were from Stl. MO. If so, I highly recommend St. Louis Acura (Dave Mungenast). They have some dealer incentives going on now and were very accommodating. If you're from the area and don't have any sales connections, I could recommend someone.

 

Yeah I'm from st. louis. That's funny cause I just bought my mdx from them last year! It was a great experience. Who was your salesman?

 

I dealt with Ty Eaton and Rick Brennan (sales mngr). Both were great guys to deal with. If you wind up going there, feel free to drop my name...

Mark Catalana

 

I dealt with Andy Simmons. He did a good job and gave me a great deal! Yeah I definitely have to do so thinking about buying a tl!