I like the Acura interiors, even with the buttons for pretty much everything with the big "ENTER" knob right there in the center. The navigation system remains one of the best, most intuitive units from any OEM. If I were shopping for a new daily driver, this would be high on my list.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I never got the chance to try Acura's torque-vectoring SH-AWD in the dry, as I never actually experienced any dry weather. But in a nasty deluge this car was a nice commuting partner. The black/silver/orange interior styling was a pleasant diversion from the more-typical shades of grey, and the fat steering wheel and deeply bolstered (for a sedan) seats immediately gave the impression of a sports sedan even if the specs weren't exactly BMW M3 territory.

On that same note, the suspension was firmer than I expected from an Acura--not sure why, considering I haven't been in an Acura for 15 years. But I guess I expected a softer, less focused driving experience. It wasn't; the car responded crisply and felt 500 pounds lighter than it is.
Likewise, the engine and the powertrain offered a nearly seamless delivery of power, though I found the trans upshifted a little too rapidly, sending the revs down to a point just north of lugging.

Acura has fallen off a lot of radar screens over the past decade with its questionable styling and invisible marketing. That's unfortunate, because the TL is a fine car at a competitive price point.

ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: I had this 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD for the weekend, and it seemed like every time I turned on the TV, I saw an ad announcing the redesign of this car. The update gives this car a fresh, modern look. In a profile view, it looks sleek and is menacing from the front.
On the inside, it has a sporty, luxury feel with the quality materials. There are heated and cooled seats and enough technology features to please gadget freaks. While some might disagree, I like the fact that Acura interiors use lots of hard buttons for climate and entertainment controls. That way, learning how to operate things is much easier.

The ride is really smooth, and this car would be an ideal commuter. It's great on the expressway and handles itself rather well on twisty bits of road. As Hart said, this car isn't going to snap your neck, but it's quick and feels light, which makes it an overall fun car to drive.

INTERACTIVE ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: I racked up almost 300 miles on my stint in the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD, and almost every one of them was enjoyable.
The weather was perfect at the start of the weekend for a windows-down, sunroof-open cruise before Saturday's heat kicked in. The girlfriend and I headed downtown for some live jazz at a local club. The shiny TL held it's own against some of the more upscale rides on an unusually busy night in the city.

The radio held its own, too. Lots of money is spent on wild, powerful stereos, but the TL has no need. It gets a 10-speaker system with a subwoofer and separate equalizer controls for each. I didn't get a chance to use the DVD capability, but the system worked with three different kinds of iPods.

The entertainment system only took a few minutes to get comfortable with. Before long, I was shuffling through albums like a pro. The best part, or at least one of my favorite parts, was when you set it to shuffle and it reorders the song list and displays it. That means you can preview what's coming up in your shuffle order, skipping or going back as necessary. It may not seem like much, but when you only listen to MP3 players, it's a nice feature.

The rest of the interior is extremely well done. The baseball-mitt brown leather had me thinking of old Porsche interiors or something wrapped in British Racing Green. It has a unique smell, too. A friend commented that "nothing smells like brown leather," and I realized he's right. Adding dyes and treatments to the hide takes out the natural scent. And it looks good, matching well with the Mayan bronze metallic paint.

It looks like Acura toned down the exterior a bit for 2012. The widely panned beak has shrunk in the front, which gets a more restrained look. The rear is still a bit wild, but the overall shape is strong. It has a muscular profile next to the curb.