benny04tl

For those of you who like the new TL here is a pretty good review from beantown.

http://www.boston.com/cars/car_revie...rs_More_Review

benny04tl

add this to your list neuronbob?

Black TL

"Get past the looks and what you find is a TL that's improved in every way."

First impressions for any car are usually the look. It's sad that Acura couldn't get this right for the 4G...

Costco

and pretty much all the cars in this segment are improved in every way from one generation to the next. Plus its hard to get past the looks, when you have to live with them every day.

Xpditor

Like the "Ugly Betty" girl in High School.

When your friends who were trying to hook you up with a blind date kept talking about her wonderful personality..... you knew she was going to be a two-bagger.

"When you get past the looks...." etc. sounds a lot like "She doesn't sweat much for a fat broad." Back-handed compliments.

johndt

When so much is at stake with a new car introduction, it's sad that Honda/Acura has chosen several horrible styling cues. In my mind, the most ridiculous choice is the front fender flare ("bump" would be more accurate) that doesn't relate to the rest of the car in any way.

Honda has been in the same situation before. Remember the transformation of the awkward and ugly rear-end of the 2006 Accord for the 2007 model year?

I wonder if Honda did any form of product testing on the TL design?

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Exactly Xpditor...when you look at a car (or another person), your first impression them is looks. I'm sorry, Acura's are too expensive to drive just because it's a nice car inside. I want my car to look good-I want my car to be sexy. I want my car to visually appeal to me. The 4G TL's do not....

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Guys, let me tell you a story. I've been a disc jockey on the radio in Kansas City for 31 year-i'm still on the air. Early in my career, I'd get girls calling me saying, "Steven, your voice sounds so sexy. What do you look like?" So I would tell them what I look like...then I'd say, "well then, what do YOU look like?" Many times, their reply would be, "well, isn't it what's on the inside that counts???" At that point, you hang up the phone.

Read my thread above-when you first see a car or a person, it's the visual stimulation (or lack thereof) that takes you to the next level. If it's a female, you then decide "hey, she's cute. I wouldn't mind going out with her". Otherwise, you might get to know that person, but just as a friend, not as a potential date.

It's the same thing with the 2009 Acura TL. From reading the 4G community posts, the majority of posters do not link the first impression the new TL makes on them.

Think about it....

krio

geekybiker

First impression mean alot on a car this expensive. Its not like we're buying solely for value here. I want something that every time I park the car I look back as I walk away and say "damn, that's a nice car" Loved the 3rd gen the first time I saw it at the autoshow. 4th gen I wouldn't ever experience the improved tech as it will never be something I lust over.

Costco

I get what you're saying.... its exactly how I feel too. Usually you wouldn't be interested in a girl at all if she doesn't look good to begin with. Doesn't really matter how cool she is, or what shes into, how good she is in bed.... if you can't even stand to look at her for more than 5 seconds at a time, then forget it.

shooter

LMAO ... sure brings back memories ..... but I will pass on the not-so-good-looking ones tyvm ....

Colin

I do puzzle over this a lot. Fortunately, A-zine is but a drop in the TL "buyer bucket" and not a large sample of owners.

However, we went through this turmoil in the TSX forum 6 months ago, and people are coming around. Even some of the most ardent haters are starting to like the new TSX.

Another observation: I cannot correlate the disdain for the styling online with equal disdain in the showroom. Is it easier to 'hate' behind a keyboard? Are showroom visits 'self qualifying?' in that you wouldn't come in if you hated it that much. I don't know, but it's probably a little of everything.

ostrich

Colin, in response to your question as to why more people "hate" the styling of the new models online than in the showroom, I think that someone else already mentioned this before and it was the answer - either the new Acura models somehow are not very photogenic, or the official photographers/designers did not capture the best features of the vehicles. The new TSX actually looks pretty good in person, but in the photos that we saw before it came out, it really did not look so great. I bet you it's the same with the TL.

So, is it that the vehicles are not that photogenic, or is it the photographers/designers' issues? I don't know, but surely the 09 TSX looks so much better in person than in the official photos.