Acura TL 2009

eblock2 · November 2008

Has anyone with an '09 TL noticed the transmission is sometimes hesitent to upshift on the highway? Ocasionally when my car downshifts, such as for passing, it doesn't shift back up when I let off the gas. Is this a problem or is it some crazy Honda shift logic? I'm thinking of bugging the dealer about this, but it seems to happen very rarely.

jaeger1 · November 2008

Wow - so it turns out that The. Most. Powerful. Acura. EVER! really aint all that fast. When a brand new model makes its grand entrance at the very BOTTOM of the performance rung relative to its competitors, that aint good - to put it mildly. Well, at least it's stunningly attractive. Oh, wait.... make that excruciatingly ugly. Well, at least it has lots of cool gadgets. There we go. For those shopping in the premium luxury sports sedan category that want a large, comparatively slow Transfromer robot with a huge schnoz, Acura has your number.

golfrski · November 2008

I contemplated the SHAWD for 2 months and test drove it with both the 19' and Base 18" wheels. Here are my observations:

SHAWD is great as far as handling- flat in corners, stable but for the avg and even aggressive driver unless you are hitting Laguna Seca every weekend, or live in an area where roads are poorly maintained and AWD is a must-its not worth it. The car is heavy and with the 19's a rough stiff ride. With the 18's I noticed a stiffer ride than the FWD w/ 17's and much more cabin road noise from the 245/45/R18's.

You lose trunk space in the SHAWD due to the rear differential buldging into the truck space.
Steering wheel in the AWD is sporty but a bit uncomfortable as its chunky and has several flat and ridge spots to hold your grip, again great if your driving at Mach 1 (rarely)
Power-I dont sense a big diff against the FWD at all.
SHAWD interior-the silver stitching on the seats ( especially in black) you will either love or hate-it can be a tad on the cheesy side- Masarati and Ferrari provide this level of leather craftsmanship but ..... they are Masarati's & Ferrari's you see my point?

The FWD is excellent,,, I tested this car a ton.
Torque steer is minimal
17"s are not the best looking, but the ride is super smooth, super quiet and road handling is excellent.
Trunk space is large
Interior TECH w/ Milano leather is beautiful and the steering wheel is a nicer feel.

Overall I waited to get the SH-AWD, but in the end the FWD TECH simply won the race.. it looks the same (except for the wheels) has all the same features, ride is superb and handling/power more than anyone would need and I am an aggressive drive and the dealers offered far more agressive pricing than the AWD model.

Bottomline- the SH-AWD IMO is not worth the $3-4,000 more at all.

Neither car is a 5 person.. thats a misleading description, noone can sit on the middle back seat but a small child,, they made it too high causing anyone over 4' 8" to cram their head into the roof,, that should be corrected.

Some will hate the new look others love it, Personally it will grow on you,,, its different, sleek and modern. We love it. The car is simply awesome ( so far)....

ezielanski · November 2008

I couldn't agree more. I too wanted the AWD TL. But decided to sacrifice the AWD for the TECH because of price. My budget was already stretched so I couldn't do both. But I've been curious as to what others think of the AWD and if it's worth the extra $. I'm sure it sticks to the road like the 06 RL I had but the FWD version does too. Just requires a little more work. I've had the car for three weeks and I couldn't be happier. Good luck with the car and enjoy playing with the various tech functions. Unbelievable. I've had a lot of cars, (40 yrs. driving) and this is the first one in a long time I didn't want to get out of.

billyperks2 · November 2008

I dont want the AWD, I need it here in Connecticut plus the little SH-AWD badging looks real nice on the back:)
I had a terrible experience with the 03 Type S, the car was outright undriveable in the snow.

bodble2 · November 2008

"I dont want the AWD, I need it here in Connecticut..."

:confuse:

laurasdada · November 2008

I'm not sure that I agree with needing AWD in CT (I grew up there...). I do, however for the '04-'08 gen TL, believe that you do need snow shoes. I survived two Boston winters with my '05, but when I swappd the OEM Bridgestones for some Toyos, the snow-ability got a bit worse (which I didn't think was possible!) and bought dedicated snows on some snazzy alloys from Tire Rack. All is well now. In fact, will probably mount 'em on the sled next week.

Lifelong New Englander and skier. Having AWD would have been beneficial a few times in my driving life, but certainly not a necessity. With FWD and all-season's, I've always gotten to my destination (until the TL). I am not, of course, billyperks2 so what is right for me, may not be right for him.

Since, for the first time in my life I've bought and mounted snows, this has emboldened me to consider a RWD car next...

Oh, and speaking of the '09 TL, stylewise: In profile it's not bad. My only objection is the pronounced and superfluous front wheel arch. The front end, though, definately needs an exorcism!!

billyperks2 · November 2008

To clarify- I need the AWD version, no more FWD with than many horses for me.

traumeri · November 2008

I completely agree with you, and would argue that the front reflectors on FWD looks better than the open ducts (on light colors) than the SHAWD...giving the front elements a more cohesive look. Both Edmunds and R&T reported virtually identical 0-60 and 1/4mi #'s for FWD vs AWD, confirming my personal test drive experience.

There are some AWD ownders in Acurazine that claim after breaking in they were able to get ~5.6s in the 0-60 but again per Acura the AWD is at best 0.3s faster in the 0-60 and probably due to the torque-limiter clearly stated for the FWD only.

To me the biggest detractor for the FWD is the undersized 17" wheels.
golfrski, did you think about changing out the 17" OEM wheels for the 18" or 19"? I'm hoping the dealer has some 18" OEM from ownders opting to upgrade the 19" but not sure how much it would impact the ride.

sweendogy · November 2008

http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/2008/11/sport-sedan-shootout-two-wannabes-on- e-winner.html?tid=edmunds.h..topfeatures.sportsedans.0.*

Looks do kill--

bodble2 · November 2008

I wonder if the handful of people on these boards who tried to say with a straight face that the TL looks good are still sticking to their gun? :P This is just one big, bloated sedan with very awkward looking front and back end. Whoever buys one is buying inspite of its looks. No one will buy it for its looks, which is a complete 180 from the previous generation.

habitat1 · November 2008

I'm not trying to convince anyone else what to buy. But a freind of mine who had an RL coming off lease ended up with a new 2009 328i in spite of the Acura dealer doing everything he could to keep him in the family.

And, sorry guys, the notion that one is an "aggressive driver" and finds the FWD, automatic transmission base TL a "sporty" car?? Are you fantasizing? Perhaps you are "aggressive" in attitude, but you certainly don't appear to appreciate the finer points of handling, braking, steering and controlling your own gearshifts. I own a 2004 TL 6-speed with the sport suspension and Brembo brakes and, in spite of those benefits, it is still more than a handful when you goose it too much trying to accelerate while turning. I don't consider myself an "aggessive" driver, but I appreciate "precision" and driving my friends 328i manual was INFINITELY more satisfying than any slushbox, FWD TL.

So shop around. It seems that some people are attributing qualities to the TL (at least the FWD, automatic model) that are way beyond reality, at least in the "sportiness" department. If you are buying it for other reasons, fine. But call a spade a spade. And if you really do value driving dynamics, do a "real" test drive of the 328i 6-speed sport. It may have 60 less horsepower on paper, but it will run circles around a base TL and remind you what "fun to drive" means.

jpdisarro · November 2008

Can you comment on the 328 xi?

I live in an area where RWD is not a good option, so I am forced to look for FWD or AWD. From what I have read, the 328xi is very underpowered when saddled with the weight of the AWD system and also loses much of its nimbleness. The 335xi has enough power, but I am not interested in spending $50k on 3 series.

golfrski · November 2008

I did look at the 18"s. In fact we put them on and I test drove the shawd base wheels. While they looked sharp 2 things I noticed on my 18 mile test drive:

road noise on the 245/45/R18's was measurably increased over the 17"s
ride was stiffer and more bumps felt with the lower sidewall profile

the thin spoke design shows a significant amount of rotor.. i dont like the fact that they dont have the RL embossed caliper so its looks a bit stark.. also as I looked around the lot at 2005, 2006's etc what I noticed were rusty rotors and bad looking calipers...

I loved the wheels however the ride and noise was much better on the 17"s I was not about to sacrifice quality and comfort in the ride... for looks.. I tend to find it a bit difficult to see my car's wheels while I am driving anyway ;-)

golfrski · November 2008

We love it....... looking at it now from my office window and in silver its cool looking...

golfrski · November 2008

No noticeable issues... tranny is smooth and powerful in all conditions including S-Shift.. this car is fast

laurasdada · November 2008

Gentleman: Agree to disagree, please...

There are many, many reasons to buy a car. Everyone has their own criteria which for them is no less correct than any other persons. It matters not what magazines or other folks consider/define as "sporty" or "luxurious" or "ugly" unless that entity is footing the bill for your ride. Or you truly care that much about what other folks think...

One man's styling is substantial while another's substance is not so defined...

And speaking of styling, as the proud owner of a handsome, sporty, economical '05 TL, I have finally seen my first live '09 TL. Let me just write this about that: ugh. The beak/shield must go IMMEDIATELY. And I agree that the car looks heavy, bulbous and overdone. I am quite superficial and a fool for a pretty face. Therefore, this iteration of the TL shall not be on my list when the time (and the stock market allows... :sick: ) comes to upgrade my current beauty. In the words of Nancy Kerrigan, "Acura: Why, why, why, why, why...?"

habitat1 · November 2008

Can you comment on the 328 xi?

No first hand experience with the 328xi. But if I was in the market, I'd test drive one for comparison. I've also heard that the added weight and drive train loss of the "x" system is more noticable in the 328 than the 335, but I doubt it would feel "very" underpowered. And, as a RWD based system, the 328xi is much closer to a 50/50 weight balance than the TL (62/38?) .

Also, your comment that "RWD is not a good option" may mean that a TL with FWD and 18" (or larger) high performance tires won't be much better. My 04 came with the "HPT" W rated summer tires and they were useless in the snow. I've since switched to all seasons. But it still isn't quite as good in the snow as my old Nissan Maxima with 15" 215/60 series tires. There remains a trade-off between all season versitility and dry weather performance.

golfrski · November 2008

Well when I saw the 1st gen of the TL I hated it, the back end looked like someone ran into it with a steam roller flat flat and more flat. The tail was butted up and the car look small in class.... you too will "most likely" learn to love the new design as you see more and more on the road like anything else... i view this like like my wife wearing bell bottom jeans again with the shoes so pointed I wondered how she fit in them.... now I see women wearing this combo every 60 seconds and its become appealing (not the women, the look)... I will stop those of you that are salivating at that comment... Not trying to compare that to a car, but the point I am making is Acura def went out on a limb to design a controversial car I would agree that in the darker colors (other than silver) the grill is a stand out.. but it is what it is... and people will learn to become accustom to this car..

personally we love it.. its diff looking, stands out and at the end of the day the drive out weighs the look in all aspects... the car is awesome.... and those that say you cant drive aggressively.. thats funny.. i took it out yesterday on very windy roads, punched it (the FWD) and it stuck.. I didnt exp any under steer issues, torque steer issues and it hauls a&^,,,,, great vehicle.

sweendogy · November 2008

i agree its not a bad fwd car.. but performance for the money is not there-(on the AWD)- acura needed a real bump in HP for the AWD model to make it stand out and they did not do that-- i mean a standard accord V6 makes the same straight line performance. The car comes with a 5 speed transmission --which I find, and I drive a 2007 G35x a little outdated for this segment--certainly at a 40K starting price for the awd model.. Its ugly-- overweight (for the HP) and as edmunds (and others) reported its not in the same class of car --they said the VW CC --yep a passat --less HP --less technology is better for the $$.. as past TL's have proven --acura will fix the problem fast 2010 is the year i would invest in another acura (i owned a Integra GS-R, best car i have owned). In the mean while I will enjoy the 07 G35x-- same HP.. better handling-- stronger to 60-- and rear wheel drive bias when I want to get frisky on an exit ramp. -- the 328 also a strong competitor but for the extra HP and current financial market step up to a G.

jpdisarro · November 2008

Yes, a FWD car with high-performance tires is also out of the question. I can only consider FWD or AWD with all-season tires unless I want to imitate a figure skater when driving down the highway all winter long.

ezielanski · November 2008

all the interest has is struck up. And I'm sure Acura will listen. However if anyone would like to know what maybe Acura is planning down the road, check out their web site under "concept cars". This current design of cars can be seen in them. They look cool. Look, this new body style is unique for sure. And I think there's a fair amount of knit picking when it comes to the other evaluations because of it. When you're talking about cars in the $40K and more range, they all have their +s/-s but they're great cars. So i don't care if I don't see many TLs on the road at all. I'm enjoying my new ride. And when I do see another TL on the road, if given the opportunity, I can just nod to the other driver and smile 'cause we get it.

golfrski · November 2008

yep, agree....

golfrski · November 2008

right on...

tlong · November 2008

I have finally seen my first live '09 TL. Let me just write this about that: ugh.

I'm also an '05 TL owner. They took one of the best looking sedans and made it ugly. It was already a bit too big and soft, and now it's even bigger. No thanks.

laurasdada · November 2008

I've not driven an '09, so my quick review was strictly an aesthetic comment. I was pleased when the '04 gen TL was somewhat smaller than the previous generation. But, bigger is not necessarily better in this case.

bodble2 · November 2008

Bigger is definitely not better in this case. The increased bulk does nothing in terms of aesthetics, weight, performance, gas mileage, or even in terms of any appreciable gains in passenger and cargo room. Actually I don't recall any significant complaints about the previous generation TL being too small. In any comparison test that I recall reading, the TL was actually rated quite high in terms of passenger space and comfort in its class. Maybe Acura thought bigger means more upscale, but there are better ways of creating an upscale look and feel. For my money, for a family/sporty sedan, the '04 - '08 TL is almost bang-on in terms of size.

bvdj84 · November 2008

Well, I feel like that if the TSX comes out with an available V6 engine or more powerful engine, then it will really push close to the TL. The TSX has already grown a bit, so if you could get a V6 in the TSX, I would rather have that, than a TL. The TL looks cool, but certainly different. I really prefer the looks of the TSX. I have not seen the TL in person, so going by just pictures alone is not too fair to place an opinion.

I think a few will look more at the TSX, sacrificing the engine power for better size, and looks. The TSX offers a bit more bang for the buck. The TL sets you back alot. Worth it? I am sure it is, but if you can get the same feel in the TSX, why go any higher. The issue is, that the previous TL was so classy, a design that aged very well. Acura really stepped outside the box on the new TL, other companys are doing this too in their designs. I applaud Acura for doing so. I wish they put more inspiration into the new Accord! Putting the Accord coupe looks into it.

I do plan on test driving both the TSX and the TL very soon. I do not plan leasing the TL, but to feel the comparison would be nice. However, the TSX is looking to be a better deal than the Accord. Dealer is 1 hour away, I need to plan on doing this soon!

bodble2 · November 2008

I think Acura's plan has always been to slide the TSX into the slot occupied by the previous TL, and move the TL upmarket. With a V6, the TSX is essentially an updated version of the previous TL. The only thing I like about the new TL is the SH-AWD. I don't care for the new style, and I hate the big bulky exterior. If they put the AWD in the TSX, I wouldn't even look at the TL.

bvdj84 · November 2008

Exactly, put AWD and the V6 in the TSX. That would be a winner! I think the design of the TSX is hot! In black it looks amazing! I saw one in my town, and I actually turned back around, and went to look at it. It is gorgeous. The interior is very sleek! Job well done! It was a senior citizen driving the car..lol, not that it matters, but, kudos to her, but just because I am older, does not mean I need to go get some honkin Buick that is the size of a street block...lol no offense. Drive what you want.
Thats cool for her. I bet the new TL looks better in certain colors. I would love to see the new TSX in red!

jpdisarro · December 2008

It seems that the TSX will be receiving the V6 by 2010. Hopefully, it will also receive AWD because I also prefer the styling and size of the TSX to those of the TL.

I finally saw the TL in person a few days ago. I don't think the styling is terrible, but it could be improved tremendously if Acura toned down the chrome part on the front to look more like the front of the TSX.

drmike29 · December 2008

Has anyone here who has purchased a 2009 TL gotten the cargo nets? I purchased a TL with Tech Package last month and was told that the cargo nets were not yet available. Seems strange to me.
Mike

toyoman8 · December 2008

How are the seats in 2009 TL, I drove the TSX and very unconfortable seats perticulary the lumbar support area.

ftam · December 2008

I am a long time lover of Acuras. Have owned the '89 Integra, '94 Legend and still own '06 TL. All were great cars both in terms of looks, performance and quality. I was waiting on the '09 TL for my next purchase. Then I saw it at the dealership and my plans immediately changed. Don't get me wrong, the cars interior is beautiful and it has lots of bells and whistles--SH-AWD should be interesting. That said, to my eye the exterior is just awful. I kept wanting to like it but realized it kept reminding my of a sedan version of the Pontiac Aztek. I still love the look of my wife's '06 TL. Acura blew it on this one and I believe it will cost them sales of their highest volume vehicle. I went out and bought the Infiniti G35X because I realized I would never come to like the look of the '09 TL.

toyoman8 · December 2008

lol, in my dealership they have TSX and TL and both cars have different body kits: maan both of those cars look hot. The body kit consists of rear bumper, ground effects, front bumper and nice rims and they painted the front shiny grille to black. I am telling you it looks hot.

bodble2 · December 2008

The true test of whether a car has good styling is if it looks good in base form, not after you're modded it with spoilers, spats, body kits, skirts, aprons, bra, etc, etc.
The TSX has decent, modern styling, but lets face it, the base TL is a bloated, fugly thing.
Doesn't it tell you something if your dealer is putting body kits on, and painting the front grill??!. Do you need any more clues to realize that the car is not looking so hot coming out of the factory? Well, you're a salesman, so......

aries1 · December 2008

I have managed to drive both (each with a tech. package).
TL is simply unbelievable. Very much more upscale in comparison with my old 07 TL. Totally different drive. I have several "Wow" comments from people. It drives very close to Lexus. It all depends of your taste of course. The screen of navigation system is LCD and is extremely bright no matter what. Very easy to download a phone book and very easy to dial. The main knob is easy to use after 10 minutes of learning. I have a Xzelion coating put on a car so I've received a 09 TSX with tech. package as a loaner. It is very close to the old TL, but you feel the engine noise once in a while. Navigation screen is a complete disaster. If sun is on, the screen is almost 100% unreadable due to a glare. If there is no sun, but just blue sky, you can see back frame and blue sky glare on a screen.
This is a big turn off of TSX. It has to corrected ASAP.
So far I love the TL. They have my old car and new car lined up and the difference was quite striking.
In my opinion, the new TL is simply in a different category (more upscale).

chucko3 · December 2008

They just kill the TL with its exterior design!!
If you want an amour car, this is it.

bvdj84 · December 2008

Wow! See that would look really good!! If they painted the grill like wing thing black, on a black car would look really hot. I think if they made the shield grill lower in the front, and shrunk its size, it would appeal better, I think they should have played around with the design of that before setting it there.

It is similar to the Toyota camry grill, if they lowered the toyota logo down in the grill, and perhaps shrunk the grill a bit, it would look less awkward.

You know, it is the small details that make a big difference. But, in the TL case, the grill is a big deal. It can really go good or bad when it comes its looks. Seriously, make the wing on the grill smaller, if you look at the pics you'll see what I mean, it would look really hot! With it painted dark, I am sure it looks awesome.

I really like the futuristic approach on the cars though, I will give them that, I would totally own one in Black with the chrome rims, tinted windows. Perhaps get the grill painted black. Of course professionally, tastefully done.... oh no, there is spray paint on sale at Wal-Mart. lol...hmmm..

I prefer the looks of the TSX! I think that car would look good in RED.

jeffxp · December 2008

Just wait awhile....It'll grab you...more and more as time goes by....You'll be back to the dealership...

The way it rides is beautiful, powerful, luxurious and the sound systems is a couple of steps above the last generation.

But then again, that's why we have choices, if you like Infinity this time around that's fine too....enjoy your ride. :shades: JXP

jeffxp · December 2008

Nice, I agree with your observations. Another aspect to point out is: As soon as you start to initiate a corner the suspension grabs the road feeling even more secure; I don't know how they accomplished this and I wish I had a picture to show you the linkage near the rear tires. There's days I like to slumber home and the new TL coddles you home. Put the gear shifter into sport mode using the paddle shifters and the suspension seems to tighten up ( I wonder if it has to do with the transmission either advancing the vehicle or slowing the car down when you let off the accelerator) when you want to race around, nice.

In my '04 TL the sport ride was nice at first, but after awhile I wished the suspension was a little more forgiving and the '09 TL took care of that, perfect blend of sport and luxury.

ipod, flash and hard drive integration are easy to use and once you get used to them you wonder how you lived without them.

The second day I was coming home from the gym and through my bag in the trunk and couldn't close the door, the trunk wouldn't lock and kept popping back open with an audible alert (I thought oh no is it broken), but finally I realized the key fob was in my gym bag, nice...won't let you lock your keys in the trunk.
Then I was able to program how the doors unlock when I touch the drivers door, nice.

I could go on and on with all the new features, okay.... just one more before I go. The computer system wants you to keep your eyes on the road and will tell you the selection you've just made so you don't have to constantly take your eyes off the road to view the NAV screen, nice. Push button start requires one tap, you don't hold down the button, the on board computer makes sure the vehicle starts. I placed a CD in and it automatically download to the hard drive, a function you can modify if you wish, nice.

HID lighting has been modified, now the HID lamp operates as low beam only. The beam operates farther, especially to the left and right lighting up corners, much brighter field of view, nice.

gvk · December 2008

Strange, many still keep comparing TL to BMW 3, IS, G35 & A4 e.t.c. Maybe it was ok to do so with the previous TL vs.those four mostly, even though it was not right at all if we wanted to be consistent and compare actually "oranges" to oranges and apples to apples"... and now the new TL is "way" out of such comparability, but they still do it !?

Even the previous TL was more comparable to BMW 5 ruther than BMW 3, and now the new TL is just exactly where it should be i.e. in the BMW 5 range.. and they still don't get it, hello !!!

Given the way Acura make cars, I think Acura is not actually striving to "exactly match" their cars to any of the competitors, they just have some diffrent philosophy..

habitat1 · December 2008

The TL comparable to the 5-series? I happen to have a 2004 6-speed TL, but I'd need to eat a lot of mushrooms before I could hallucinate that comparison.

The 5 series is the pinnacle of mid size, full luxury sport sedan. The TL is a FWD mear luxury sport sedan that, in spite of it's excess obesity for 2009, doesn't have much more interior space than the new 3 series. They are a lot closer now than when I bought in 2004.

I'm obviously not a TL hater or I wouldn't be driving one. But I know the difference between a FWD sporty sedan and a serious sports sedan. In pure driving dynamics, the automatic only, FWD TL for 2009 has more in common with Buick than BMW.

golfrski · January 2009

TL compared to BMW 3 series and 5 series (interior space). The specifications published speak for themselves. Apprears BMW has interestingly enough NOT published some key interior specs.... the rest put the TL in line with the 5 Series not the 3 overall in the front and rear leg, shoulder and hip areas.

Interior TL 3 Series 5 Series

Front Headroom 38.4 in. 38.5 in. 39.1 in.
Rear Headroom 36.7 in. 37.5 in. 38.1 in.
Front Shoulder Room 58.1 in. 55.4 in. 57.3 in.
Rear Shoulder Room 56.2 in. 55.1 in. 57.2 in.
Front Hip Room 55.7 in. Not Published Not Published
Rear Hip Room 54.8 in. Not Published Not Published
Front Leg Room 42.5 in. 41.5 in. 41.5 in.
Rear Leg Room 36.2 in. 34.6 in. 36 in.
Maximum Luggage Capacity 13.1 cu. ft. 12 cu. ft. 14 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating 5 5 5

habitat1 · January 2009

I was giving gvk more credit than assuming his comparison was only based upon size. If that's your only metric, I'm sure you can find many more direct comparsons from Kia , Ford and GM.

The 2004 TL, with a 6-speed manual, sport suspension and Brembo brake equiped model option, had at least some semblence of comparison to the TYPE of car the BMW 330i was at the time. But now, the bloated TL, with an automatic only transmission and even less sporty suspension and balance, is not in the same category as the BMW 335i. From a size standpoint, compare it to a Lexus ES350, Nissan Maxima or Toyota Avalon if you want, but comparing it to a 5 series for that reason isn't much better than comparing a Prius to a 911.

golfrski · January 2009

I wasn't replying to a post about Kia, Ford or GM but you are probably correct. All I can say is I took my "bloated" 09 TL SHAWD with 18" wheels, sport suspension, Brembo brakes- out the first weekend I had it along with my buddy in his 08 A6 and my cousin in his new 335i (stick)on a nice winding road w/ great 1/2 mile straights and not only smoked em off the line, but left them counting the digits on my license plate as my car stuck to the corners like a beetle on fly paper... Say what you want, its a valid and respected opinion but , I respectfully disagree IMHO.

bodble2 · January 2009

I had understood exactly where you were coming from. And I agree that Acura appears to be no longer chasing the 3-series (with the TL). The SH-AWD TL does seem to be targeted at the 5-series. Maybe not the 550, or certainly not the M5, but most certainly the 535ix. So, yeah, I think your comparison is valid. You gotta know, there are some members around here that are only interested in chest-thumping.

smithed · January 2009

This thing has too much "chin": just look at that overhang preceding the front wheels. Is that a cow catcher?

bodble2 · January 2009

Yeah, I agree. I thought they could have tried harder to shave a couple of inches off of the front and an inch or so off the back. It would have improved the side profile view, and also resulted in tidier exterior dimensions. At over 195", it is just too long for a mid-size sedan.

gvk · January 2009

Well, you cannot compare "Oscar De La Hoya" with "Mike Tyson".. both are incredible athletes, but in different weight/size categories.. and as you know, each gram counts when matching the boxers.. same here, TL and BMW 3 are in different weight/size range (each inch and pound counts), and the "weight/size" is one of the most critical properties to be based on when comparing cars.. Seemingly insignificant difference in size/weight does matter, I hope you agree with me. If it doesn't matter to you then what's the difference between BMW 3 and BMW 5 series? They seem to be pretty close in size/weight, do they? In this sense you're right, TL is more comparable to some Buick, but so is BMW 5.. Besides, FWD and RWD are two entirely diffrerent drivetrain principles.. each being good for different driving needs/habbits.. given this, TL (being FWD) is compared to BMW 3, but cannot be compared to BWM 5 (both being RWD).. doesn't make mcuh sense to me at all, there is no logic.. I guess that's just the BMW/Mercedes magic

By the way, don't get me wrong, my wife drives BMW 535 2008, so I have an idea what it is.. and I drive TL-S 2007.. to me they look more comparable (if at all) than when my car is parked next to my friend's BMW 335 2007.. anyway, just wanted to be objective and have no intention to argue simply because I cannot say what's better apple or orange.. cheers!

Acura TL 2009

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