acura3204

Hello - I live in north jersey and need to buy a 2009 Acura TL for my wife.

I need your expertise and guidance.

Should i go for a FWD with Tech Package or an SH-AWD without Tech package.

Will the FWD be ok and safe in the north jersey winter snow??? We have a new born and are looking for a safe and reliable car.

KeithL

You need to read through these forums, to really understand the differecnes. Also she shoudl drive both, they ride different. I'll take a quick stab of the differences IMO:

- AWD rides stiffer than FWD, but still a very compliant ride
- AWD steering wheel is fatter
- AWD steering has better feedback, FWD to me feels numb and ove rboosted
- AWD will suck more gas, probably 2+ MPG difference
- AWD has sportier seats with more side bolstering and over color stitching
- AWD has 18 inch wheels (unless you get the 19 inch HPT) vs. 17 for FWD

I used to live in NY/NJ and found FWD was always good in the bad weather, BUT I had never driven AWD before and can tell you if you look at the folks on this forum that drive the AWD in bad weather they will tell you it is like driving in normal weather. For safety I would opt for AWD over FWD, but you/your wife are only part of the accident equation, it is all the other idiots on the road that will kill you

Also how important is the TECH, the NAVI and awesome, the ELS is far superior to the base sound system?

And don;t get me wrong I love my AWD, but have you looked at a G37x, their AWD is not as sophisticated, but I think you can at least compare the 2, they shdoul be priced similar.

evocative

^

The brakes are lot better than the FWD TL too, stops 2 feet more than a 07 Porsche 911 GT3 RS from 60-0. Not bad for a 3900 lb. sedan.

KeithL

I thought the brakes were the same? Or at least the rotors are? Right from acura.com:



The TL brake system features a firm pedal feel that enables the precise deceleration and modulation demanded of high-performance driving.

12.6-inch ventilated discs in the front and 13.2-inch solid discs in the rear comply readily upon demand.
The system comes with the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.
TL SH-AWD models have additional brake cooling from ducts in the front air dam.

GearDriven

Get snow tires for the winter. Get AWD for the sweet handling. Get a Garmin NUVI and patch it into the stock stereo for all your tech needs

evocative

"According to Acura, the all-wheel-drive model has 32 percent stiffer springs, 20 percent more damping force and 28 percent greater roll stiffness. The new-for-2009 electric power steering system for the TL also has been tuned for increased effort at higher speeds for the SH-AWD, while the front brakes get additional cooling ducts in the front fascia along with revised settings for the power assist."

Tigmd99

I think that the TL SH-AWD braking performance is better due to the optional high-performance summer tires that comes with the test vehicles that are sent to the magazines. The cooling ducts are only there to prevent brake fade because these ducts cool the brakes after repetitive stops...they don't actually shorten the braking distance, they just prevent it from getting longer after repeated stops.

In other words, given the same tires, TL and TL SH-AWD will probably have the same braking distance after the first stop. In fact, since the SH-AWD model is heavier, the initial stop may be longer than the regular TL.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Go with the Tech Package, no matter what.

KeithL

Thats what I thought as well. I suspect the 2012 Type-S will sport Brembros again or some bigger better brakes.

chrisp0410

Acura3204, if your debate over SH-AWD vs Tech packages are strictly financial ones, then you should know that prices have been significantly reduced in this economy. I have heard through this forum of folks buying 09 TL SH-AWD w/Tech for several thousand less than the $2K and change MSRP.

On another point, I live in Connecticut and will tell you that FWD will suffice for 90% of the bad weather your wife will encounter but that AWD system is great in the snow. The driveway entrance to my condo complex is a steep hill that has an s-curve half-way up at it's highest incline angle. During two snowstorms this year, my next door neighbor had to park his FWD lexus at the bottom of the hill. I had zro problems driving up in either of the AWD vehicles I've owned while living there and the TL's AWD is the better of them.

If, after reading all of this you are still uncertain which to get, I would advise you to err on the side of caution and get the SH-AWD. Safety before toys. Best of luck.

evocative

There we go. AWD comes in either wheel/tire packages that's better than the FWD TL.

From acura.com

rjheiss

You didn't say if your wife works outside the home and must get to work regardless of the weather. as was previously mentioned, FWD will be adequate for 90% of the weather, but nothing beats AWD if you MUST get to work and the conditions are bad. AWD is also excellent in heavy rain and standing water. And of course snow tires are a great investment. Despite an initial investment which is substantial, you will recover much of it in the longer timeframe of tire replacement.

evocative

Here's more on AWD's brake upgrades...

source: http://www.hondanews.com/categories/735/releases/4677

Bearcat94

Definetly.

Otherwise, you'll end up like the 5-years worth of 3rd Gen buyers who didn't "need" navigation, then spent the whole time they owned the car kicking themselves in the ass for not getting it.

cornelius

If weather is going to be an issue, then there is really no choice but to go with the
AWD. Im going to be honest and say the FWDs steering is crap. On the freeway,
the car swerves into other lanes if you phase out for a second. With my 2005 TL, I can pretty much fall asleep and the car would be going straight. With the new FWD TL, you have to be 100% alert, especially if you drive in harsh weather.

Also, there is no reason to get this car if you dont get the tech package. If I didnt care about tech, I would go with a BMW 528xi without extra options. They have a $2500 incentive and extremely low apr.

blackbr

Guys, what's the typical driving range of the FWD vs AWD? (How many miles per tankful, primarily freeway miles)?

Tigmd99

I would just use the EPA highway mileage x fuel tank size. That is your best way to compare between vehicles. I have found that the new EPA rating is fairly accurate for the average (non-lead foot) driver...in fact, for me, the EPA rating has been dead accurate in the vehicles i have, but then again, i am an average driver.

yngdiego

As a less than 24 hour owner of a AWD TL, I can tell you it kicks butt. Coming from a 99TL, performance and handling of the 09 is far superior. It has a lot of zip, handles extremely well, seems solid as a rock.

Unless you can't spend the extra $3K on AWD, I can't recommend it enough. This will be a FUN car to drive for the next 10 years.

crxb

enjoy the new car!

KeithL

One advantage I find witht he 4G at least phycologically is I go 30-50 miles more per tank than my Type-S, and not becasue of the MPG, becasue they seem to have dialed in the low feul light much better, in my 3G it woudl almost always come on when I had 3.5+ gallons in the tank, on my 4G I am filling up with 3 or less gallanons left and the warning light has not come on, the one time it did I had about 2-2.5 gallons left in the tank. So on my Type-S even though I got 2MPG better I was filling up around 300-305 miles per tank, on my 4G I am going 325-340 miles per tank so while I'm using more gas at least I'm filling up less often.

Bearcat94

I noticed the same thing with the fuel guage/light on the loaner I had last week; plus the larger tank size. I think on the highway, you're looking at 500+ miles range in the FWD.

JayRL