nota4re

Just check'n in here after having picked up the car last Friday night. This forum was a big help in my pre-buying research phase - though I still let my emotions get me when we get into the showroom. LOL

I had checked out prices during the week and I headed in to my local dealer who has treated me well in the past to close a deal on a TL w/Tech. But.... they had 3 SH-AWD's on the lot so I started checking them out. Honestly, what got me at first was all of the cool stitching on the seats (front & rear), door panels, console, etc. It just looks soooo cool. Then there's the fat and comfortable steering wheel - also unique to the SH. So, I said, OK, let's take one for a drive and see how different it is. Wow! Don't get me wrong, the FWD TL is a darn fine vehicle and should make anyone happy. However, as many here have mentioned before, the ride and handling of the SH-AWD is just completely different. In a good way, I think it is very similar to the BMW. Maybe a little firm for some but with any kind of quick cornering, it is very flat and well-poised. Long story short - we drove away in the SH-AWD. Before anyone asks, I stopped by the dealer today (Valencia Acura) and they sold their other two AWD this weekend as well.

Anyway, just stopped in to say hello and to thank all of you for the help and education I got prior to my purchase. Maybe I can stick around and hopefully help someone else.

inyong1988

iTrader: (2)

welcome.

S2000 Driver

Welcome aboard!

CraigMacDTA

The FWD and AWD are two completely different rides. Congrats on the purchase...give us the deets! Color, extras, etc.

crxb

agree w/ all above - stitching, fat wheel, fwd 4G good driver - but for my tastes like you said SH-AWD punches it up a bit. - so composed in the turns

post at photo for us

bmode

You guys must be auto afficionado's or something, because I barely could tell the difference between the two, and I've been back twice to drive the SH-AWD. I have some very curvy roads around me, so I'm testing it all the time. In one area, there is a definite difference, the SH-AWD shifts it's weight around in a tight turn very nicely with less body roll than mine, FWD. I really felt that. The straight line take off, not much difference. The salesman and I both agreed on that, and he's been to the TL training. I heard the roar of both engines too, identical to the average joe (me). The interior not THAT much difference either.

However, if the SH-AWD was available at sign time, I'd probably be driving that.

nota4re

Well, I've got to get few additional posts under my belt so I can post some pictures. The car is parked on the lift right now so I have some interesting underside shots to share!

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

what is the difference between the steering wheels besides the stitching....they are both fatter then the previous gen....i cant imagine the sh being even fatter then the standard tl....

nota4re

bmode - where I really noticed the difference was in tight right hand corners on city streets. Initial turn-in of both cars was similar, but after that the AWD felt a lot different. You could easily add power mid turn and the car felt like it wanted to squat and grip. Mid-turn and especially the exit of the turn, the car felt much different. Some of this may be the larger rim/tires on the AWD (I do not have the HPTs - yet), but you could feel the AWD at work in this simple scenario.

But, to your point, the differences my be subtle to many people and even potentially undesireble to a few. The FWD TL is absolutely a tremendous car as well.

For example, if I had to choose between having the tech package or getting the AWD, I'd easily choose the tech package. If I lived in an area that gets a lot of snow, I'd reserve the right to change my mind! But, lucky for us, Acura makes it possible to have your cake and eat it too!

nota4re

Yep, the "standard" TL wheel is pretty fat but the AWD is fatter still!

The AWD differences that I am aware of;

1. 3.7L 305HP in place of 3.5L 280HP
2. Inferior gas mileage due to additional AWD weight and increased displacement
3. Quad-tip exhaust
4. Pronounced stitching on front & rear seats, door panels, & console (a nice touch)
5. Fatter steering wheel w/pronounced stitching
6. Increased (larger) seat bolstering - noticeable
7. 18" unique 5-spoke wheels & option of 19" wheels + summer tires (+$1,000 MSRP)

I think Acura did a nice job to provide some subtle differentiation between the models instead of simply relying on the obvious drivetrain differences.

PetesTL

...you forgot to add the AWD has Sports Suspension....firmer shocks and spring settings...which also contributes quite a bit to the firmer ride and sharper handling in the AWD model.

bmode

That's it! That's what I felt and a good description, it kind of sits down in the turn and powers through. I've never driven a AWD before so the sensation was weird for me, but that's a great description of the turn feeling. I just looked at some more interior pics of the AWD, and just noticed the double stitching, where mine is not, not missing that though. It's on the steering column too, but the FWD steering wheel is bigger than the 05 TL that I had so I feel upgraded regardless.