I wonder whether anyone from Acura reads here.... if so, I wonder what they are thinking..

 

I have a strong feeling that they do read here. They probably read and and think we are too picky...

 

I do not know if you guys follow motorcycles as well. Motorcycling is one of my passions. But when Ducati's ex chief designer Pierre Terblanche designed the revolutionary Ducati 999, he caught a lot of hate.

But his design had grounds for it in functionality and distinction.

One critic claimed they should fire him and kill his dog... well I did not agree with that comment at all. This guy was as different as he was a genius. Yes the styling did not bode well with many of the ducatista. But it had TONS of functionality.

....
They should kill the dog of the designers of the TL abomination. Especially the ones responsible for the grill.

 

We're talking about a mass market car here not a niche bike. Screwing up the TL is like BMW screwing up the 3 series. Note how after the controversial E60 5 series came out BMW toned down the styling changes when the E90 came out. Acura just didn't have enough time with the new grill theme to tone it down. I foresee a big change come MMC in 3 years. But hey, by then we'll all be talking about the new Acura RWD platform lineup.

 

yeah acura absolutely reads here. all the $$ they invest in marketing, how could they not google the forums for free.

i doubt there is some schmucko that is printing out yumchah's posts and presenting them in executive conferences.

everything on this forum may be interesting to them, but does not carry any weight.

 

very observant, and VERY true.

car designers are itching to push the envelope in intuitive design. the most important part of sales is to sample the first mule that carries the branded design. a la 5 series, a la TSX. notice these cars tend to cater to a large demographic and will continually sell well, regardless of any mistakes in controversial design.

 

i just saw a carbon grey colored TSX on the road, and the first thing that stood out was the grill and then how ugly it and the car is.

 

I think I just shat and threw up at the same time...on the carpet

 

Well everyone complained that they where too bland looking and now we complain they are too ugly so they probably are pissed.

 

hehe. I guess you didn't read my post all they way through to the end on how I was trying to be sarcastic.

Actually, if I take your analogy, the 999 physical design's failure for acceptance was even greater than this TL mess up.

The .../888/916/996/998/999/1098, etc series and the 999 physical design debacle absolutely applies. The 999 bike itself is not a niche bike. The whole Ducati's line up is rarer than a Honda Motorcycle line up. But the 999 series represented the flagship and the face of the brand if you are doing a BMW:: 3 Series and Acura:: TL analogy.

Ask any ducatista to name one bike from the Ducati line up. You know what model name you will get. ..Or maybe you won't if you are not a bike aficionado.

Terblanche never recovered from the debacle and had to leave the company. I didn't agree with that.

However, like I said on my original post, this TL abomination merits that the ppl responsible for it be held accountable.

 

The new TL will sell because not with the styling, it's due to the fact that you get a lot of tech and features standard for the money.

Who knows, maybe the consumers will be turned off by the controversial redesign, that they would be either willing to give up HP and get better mpg and save money and buy the normal looking TSX or shell out a few more $$ and buy a Lexus GS350 AWD or Infiniti G37x sedan or Infiniti M35x/M45x instead.

 

if people are buying the ugly TSX then they will buy the ugly TL.

 

As ugly as the TL is, it will sell. Unfortunately.

 

Lemme spell it out once more......







The interior is great, I think Honda has great interiors in general actually...but, seriously...talk about a Jekyll/Hyde between in and out for this TL. And the new TSX...it's alright to me. Not so much of a hater of that as I am of the new TL...

But, if you want, I could go back to spewing my hate about the Bangled 5er.

 

Really? Even with a much better-looking alternative in the new Infiniti G...? Eh...I think Acura just shot themselves in the foot.

 

[sarcasm ahead]

Hi my name is the new TL,

I was designed to look Saturn-like even though I look great inside. My wheel arch clearance is awful, looking like I have 16s with a very cautious stance. I have so many angled corners on my ass that I feel incomplete and uptight. I think no one will notice or recognize me from my bretheren or siblings because my DNA and soul are screwed up quite a bit. Heck even my fuel economy is down a few points for whatever reason, am I still a honda anymore?

I am bleeding/diluting market share to Nissan and I liiiiike that!! I wonder how the new Maxima is doing...I think awfully well for 12-14k less. The great thing about me is that I fit in with the new and old RL just as well, we're ambiguously distinct.

[/end sarcasm]

 

 

Don't discount the value of this forum.

I could say with a great deal of certainty that the execs do catch wind of what is going on here. The internet is a very powerful tool, no matter how much one's marketing budget may be.

 

Lol

 

I drove this morning and I saw a car thinking it was the new 09 TSX due to the grille. Turns out it was the new 09 RL! Anyways, the 09 RL I'm not really feeling at all either. The rear is a BMW/Mercedes copy. I was disappointed.

Whoever I first see driving the new 09 TL in the next fews month on the road, I will try to get next to them and give them a nice thumbs down when they look at me.

 

 

thumbs down in like wtf were you thinking buying or leasing this new 09 TL?

 

I saw one too the other day! Who the hell would buy/lease that pile of fail.

 

Don't be an asshole like that.

 

Well if that's the case....

@ Acura execs and designers.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! The new TSX, TL and RL designs suck! And have you guys even driven the RDX and seen how much of an epic fail that turbo lag is? /rant

 

Are you 11 years old?

 

That old?

 

...and now the dogs chime in on the new TL

http://www.leftlanenews.com/wp-conte...27&idg=1&idi=1

 

I can fry an egg on that massive shield/visor/greatwallofjapan...

Heck, that grill must be even bigger than Optimus Prime's face visor.

 

Well, the Leftlane test drive fire really HIGH in favour of the new TL:


Acura is going after the luxury sport sedan customer with the SH-AWD, compelling the engineers to benchmark it against the BMW 5-Series, Cadillac CTS, Mercedes E-class, Audi A6, Lexus GS 350, and Infiniti M35. That’s a tough crowd to match in a sedan that’s expected to sell for under $42,000.
.....Nevertheless, the product planners believe they’ve achieved their goal. Their qualitative evaluation scales of luxury and performance/emotional appeal show the new TL positioned beyond everything in the performance/luxury sedan category except the Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series. It’s worth noting that the TL SH-AWD is positioned to compete with larger cars than its identically-sized, less-powerful sibling, the standard TL.

good God...

 

the dog pissed on the best part of the car, the wheels. :shakehead

 

Nice chop!

 

Good eye!

 

No, i'm 29 yrs old. i don't give a crap. i'm just stating my opinion to the driver of the 09 TL. i'll tell him don't you agree that the design especially the rear end is ugly as hell? it's a free country to say whatever you want. Besides giving a isn't like i'm going to give him an obscene gesture like giving me the middle finger.

 

It's a childish thing to do. Don't be a douche.

 

Even though its a chop, its highly appropriate. If it were a person kneeling next to the TL, I'd chop them taking a big ole shit on that snout.

 

^

 

maybe we should change the thread title to "the official i hate acuras thread-Chops on page 14"

 

That was a good one...


.

 

I was thinking about this car today. 45K for a SH-AWD TL is a bit too much especially when this car used to top out at 38K + with the TL-S model. However, at $40-42K OTD, this car (SH-AWD + all features) would become a compelling "must buy" for me, inspite of the questionable exterior design details.

But 45K however, I might have to consider a slightly used 08-09 RL for my next purchase or maybe even an 09 IS250 AWD, which would then top out at only +- 40K MSRP.