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Acura TL 2009

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Comments

  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    It does have automatic headlights. Steering wheel is manual.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I guess I've been spoiled in my RX350, as it has a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers. The rain-sensing wipers are one of my favorite features, you just set it and forget it.

    On a previous thought from a previous poster who said the current
    gen. TL has auto headlights, are you sure about that? Because when I looked at the stalk on the left side of the steering wheel, I didn't see the word "auto" on the stalk. I'm curious, as I have this feature on my current vehicle( Actually have had it on the last two vehicles) and I like having it.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I would have to disagree with you on the body style of the new TL.
    I've seen a few on the road either in front or in the back and I think it looks really nice. The front beak, when I've seen the car approach from behind gives the car a low slung, stealthy look.

    One of the few things that I'm not crazy about on the TL is the length of the car at 195 inches. Whoa! I don't believe I can fit this car in my garage.
  • dez409dez409 Member Posts: 1
    1st time Acura owner, bought TL Shawd Tech in May 2009. Personally it was sleek design that brought to my attention. I kinda overlook the rest and now disappointed. I was surfing to find if i can change tire to improve ride. Right now i hear the sound of the road under me and bumpy. Im a SUV owner a lexus gx470 and a limited 4runner, so this is our 1st sedan. I would go back to Lexus any day. My lexus gx470 has better ride then the 09TL. The only thing that discourage me from buying another lexus is that there isnt a lexus dealer in town to do maintenance and the toyota dealer locally has poor service. Everytime i do an oil change i have to drive 2 hrs and another 1 hr for the work...that sum up the whole day back and forth. Anyway, i love the tech package . The inside looks awesome. I added the spoiler for front and back . Dealer accidentally add the backup camera so it became complimentary. I also added the 3M plastic to cover the front instead of using bra, so it is clear and transparent. So going back to my issue , anyone change their tires to improve the ride???
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    We just came home from our first maintenance on our AWD, and it rides like a dream. I can see where an experienced Lexus owner would find the ride harsh, but coming from a BMW, I'm in 7th heaven. As for changing the tires, it's the profile that is the problem. There just isn't that much tire there. TireRack or Discount Tire website have 'alternative size' listings you might pursue.
    Maximafan(I think it was you). At 195" the TL is 16'3" long. Unless your garage was built for a conestoga, I know of no garages that are that small.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    Chas, I don't remember the dimensions on my garage, but it is
    a single-car garage. My RX350 is 186 inches long and will fit with no problem, although it's tight getting out of the car, as I have
    shelves built on the walls on both sides loaded with stuff. My previous vehicle, a 2002 Maxima was around 191 inches long and
    I used to have to pull in all the way up and tap the washing machine that is against the front wall to make sure I could safely close the garage door behind it. So I'm not sure if trying to
    put a car longer than 191 inches will work all that well.

    Of course, I could just keep the car outside in the driveway, but I've got two large oak trees in the front yard and I get a lot of tree
    sap on my car whenever I leave it outside.

    Ah, decisions, decisions!
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    Washing machines have a way of changing room dimensions! Garage size really varies with the age of the house. Mine had a garage, but since the house was built in 1923, I'm sure it would have been inadequate for most modern cars. :D
  • jspagna1jspagna1 Member Posts: 34
    Man these cars are getting so technologically advanced it's hard to figure everything out. Just picked up the car this past Friday. What an awesome machine. I still can't figure out how to see the Oil Life %. It says to puch the Set/Reset button repeatedly or hold it for 10 seconds. But no luck? What am I doing wrong?
    Thanks,
    Joe
  • traumeritraumeri Member Posts: 32
    depends which MID menu you are in, if you are in trip computer then you cannot see it usually. In every other screen you hit the set/reset button and it should cycle through the following: odometer, trip a, trip b, oil life %
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    Very few people keep nothing in their garage. So after factoring in the lawn mower, garden tools, 4 mountain bikes, snow tires, hockey net, paint cans, storage shelves, maybe a freezer, those extra inches on the new TL could mean not being able to walk around the car easily, without having to risk messing up your suit. Styling is subjective, and it may grow on you. Size is not.

    And nevermind parking in your own garage. Those added inches on the TL will be felt when you're maneuvring in a tight public parkade. IMO, the new TL is unnecesarily big.
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    The size of the TL gives people who would like a car with room to carry 4 full sized adults comfortably an opportunity to have a premium, high performance car at a reasonable price without having to apologize to their rear seat passengers.
    My garages stored all of the things mentioned plus much more, including a full workshop, and my cars were always parked inside. These included full size Blazer, Chevys and at one time my Father in law's 1978 Caddy. I always could get around the cars and stay clean.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    Could'nt agree with you more in regards to fitting a family of four.
    My daughter has claimed the center backseat has her own beacuse she hooks her IPOD and gets to see the information on the NAV screen.My sons interest is the back up camera voice commands.
    MAN this car is sweet.
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    Well, I guess you're blessed with a big garage. Most of us that live in the city are not.
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    Yeah, well, I still say they could've held the exterior dimensions in check without sacrificing too much interior space. Besides, I never heard too many owners of the previous generation TL apologizing to their rear seat passengers. If you have a family of 4 and 2 of them are kids, there are tons of smaller sedans that could accommodate you. And if you really wanted a rec room on wheels, then maybe a minivan is what you need. Acura made the TL big perhaps for visual presence, or maybe as part of their plan to American-sized their lineup, but they didn't do it for interior space.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    The car is just as big as the RL, E350, Lexus GS 350 and 535- why aren't you complaining about the size of those cars.Acura stated a few months back in a news release that they are moving the TL up to the RL size and the TSX to the previous generation TL size.The RL will be competing with larger sedan when the next generation hits the showroom.

    Furthermore, the previous generation TL is by no mean small and nimble, its a heavy car and also wide as well.

    Tell me what smaller sedans are out there to accomodate my family- a Passat (yeah right), I also have a 2004 Accord (my wife's) in the family as well. I cannot get her out of my car, she said its night and day when she sits in mine and hers.
  • jtlajtla Member Posts: 388
    First off, don't get me wrong. I like the TL. Its look has grown on me. In fact, it is currently sitting at top of my short list when my BMW 328i lease is up next March. However, I do have to agree with Boogeyman that Acura has made it unnecessary big in size, especially in length. Here are the dimensions of the cars mentioned:

    TL RL BMW 535 Lexus GS MB E350 Volvo XC90

    Length 195.3 195.7 191.1 190.0 191.7 189.3
    Width 74.0 72.7 72.7 71.7 73.0 74.7
    Wheelbase 109 110 114 112 110 113
    Frt Legroom 42.5 42.3 41.5 43.5 41.3 41.0
    Rr Legroom 36.2 36.3 36.0 36.4 35.8 34.6
    (Sorry if it is a bit hard to read. I did try to adjust the spacing but not working.)

    I included XC90 which I also owned. I used to think the XC90 is big, but the TL is even half foot longer than Volvo XC90, which has a 3rd row seats. With its larger overall size, the TL's wheelbase is the shortest among these vehicles, and its interior room is only marginally larger than some (actually smaller than Lexus GS).

    I like the TL, but I wish its dimensions were in line with those of BMW, MB, and Lexus.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    Those numbers somtimes dont mean anything.I extensively test drove the GS 350 AWD and the car feels cramped compared to the TL.I was actually leaning towards the GS but the price could not justify what I was getting compared to the TL.I would advise everyone to sit in the cars and ignore the dimensions on paper.I shopped almost one year before I purchased the TL.Here are the cars I test drove, E350, 535xi,GS350,G35 and the RL.
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    Great analysis! I was going to pull the same stats, because I knew some of those cars were significantly smaller.
  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    Hey everyone, I was curious to find out, the 2009 TL's have been out over a year now and the 2010 TLs are already here; the 3rd generation TL, especially from 2007-2008 was plagued with a lot of noise/rattle issues, things coming loose and making noise while driving etc

    I wanted to find out from 4th generation owner if any of you have had rattle/quality issues with your TL at all or problems with vibrations/buzzing noises in your cars when driving? I'm just curious to see if Acura has begun to address these issues which affected a decent majority of 3rd generation owners because Acura makes a great product and the TL is by no means a cheap vehicle and for a 34k-35k dollar car to get rattles and vibration noises was just unacceptable

    Thanks in advance for your posts and information!!!!
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    Let me try to explain this nicely, 'cause, as you know, we gotta play nice here in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Numbers do mean something. Your government spends a huge amount of your tax dollars compiling numbers. You can't just toss aside numbers if they don't fit your argument. If a car feels smaller on the inside than it's numbers would suggest, it's not that the numbers mean nothing. Probably that's more to do with the packaging...the size and shape of the seats, the curvature of the door panels, roofline, etc, etc, etc Acura could certainly have kept the interior "roominess" of the TL, but made the exterior smaller. No one is suggesting that they cut a foot off in length, but a couple of inches or so off the front and the back would make a world of difference. A lot of that exterior size is done for styling purposes. I think the length to wheelbase ratio is a real telling stat. The TL has a longer length but a shortish wheelbase. Aside from interior room, that gives it a somewhat awkward long overhang, which does nothing for it's aesthetics, practicality, or dynamics. What exactly is the TL? Full-size or mid-size? Is it sports sedan or cruiser? It's huge for a mid-size. It's exterior dimensions encroaches on full-size. But as a full-size, the interior and trunk capacity should be even roomier. It rides too harsh to be a cruiser, but it's not athletic enough to be considered a serious sports sedan. To me, it kind of symbolizes the confusion that's going on at Honda right now. They've gotten away from building the type of cars that made them what they were. They were good at building smaller, efficient, sensible, practical, but fun to drive cars. Now, they are trying to upsize their products, to be "edgy", to be "bold". They can almost pass for a division of General Motors. But the results show in their sales. They have now resorted to stuffing consumers' pocket with rebates to try to sell a lot of their models. There's a $5K rebate on the TL! Previously that's unfanthomable for a brand new first-year Honda/Acura model. You look at some of their new offerings....Crosstour, ZDX, Insight, the TL to a certain degree, and you go "what the heck is that about?"

    Have a nice day now. And a great big Hello to our friendly hosts!
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    no rattles, no buzzes, just pleasure
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    Play as nice as you want, the Government spend a lot of money on other things that does not benefit the taxpayer.I am seaking from my own experience, I complied all those numbers before I bought my TL beacause there were other cars out there that was giving the TL stiff competition for my purchase.I owned a 2003 TL type S so I wanted to try a different brand, when I went out and did the test drives (for a year) and factored in the financial aspect the TL won by a mile.
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    Billy, perhaps since you and I are both happy TL buddies, you can explain to me what this tempest in a teapot is all about. There is a bit of apples and oranges here, since the 535 is close in size, but far away in price. We loved our 325 that we sold for the TL, we were tired of the size. We tested the new 328 and the increase in room was insignificant, we didn't consider the 5 series because of price, we felt stretched as it was. That is also why we eliminated Infinity and Audi.
    I truly don't see what all the 'talk' is over a few inches.
  • jtlajtla Member Posts: 388
    There's a $5K rebate on the TL!

    Where did you see the $5k rebate info? I checked Edmunds' Incentive and Rebate, but could only fine a $1,500 dealer cash for 2009, but not for 2010. A $5k rebate would probably make the TL a screaming buy, despite its over-sized dimension.
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    I should have elaborated....that's in Canada, and only on the '09 TL.
  • boogeymanboogeyman Member Posts: 7
    You and I are not arguing about the same issue. No doubt you bought what you thought was best for you. Who wouldn't? That wasn't my point. What I'm saying is that Acura made the TL unnecessarily big, and that snipping a couple of inches here, and a couple there, would have made the car much more livable, without sacrifacing too much, if anything. But whatever, I'm not going to waste anymore of my time trying to explain my point to you. You've obviously got the blinders on.

    Oh, and just so you'd know, is not that I want to play nice per se, but as you know, Edmunds is sponsored by the Senior Ladies Bridge and Lawn Bowling Club of America (and I think employs a couple of their members too :P But strictly part-time though ;) ).
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    I'm really not sure who boogeyman is arguing with here. The only FACTS presented here are measurments. The rest is anecdotal opinion. I also don't understand the references to playing nice. There is no reason to play any other way. Opinion is just that, opinion, and if someone doesn't agree, it doesn't mean they have blinders on, it means they don't agree. period.
  • jspagna1jspagna1 Member Posts: 34
    My wife and I have owned 2 Maximas and drove the new one (2010) and we just did not like it. Also drove the 2010 Lexus ES350 and BMW 335XI. The Lexus felt like an old persons car and a glorified Camry. The BMW was just too small.
    So we drove the 2010 TL SH-AWD and we fell in love with it. Got the Pearl White with Black interior. So far very impressed. I think it depends on the color you get. The front grille is not attractive on dark colored cars. It does'nt look as bad on white or Silver colored cars. I do like the back of the car though.
    Also IMO you don't need anymore than 300 HP for the street. Where are you ever going to be able to take full advantage of that much HP.
    You can go out and buy a CTS V or the new Taurus SHO with 365 HP?
    I figure if I want raw HP, I have my 66' Mustang 5.0 I can take to the Drags in the Summer.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    "It does'nt look as bad on white or Silver colored cars."

    That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. It's like telling someone he's not as dumb as he looks. :P
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    I have the same color combo too, all you need to do now is add the Zaino polish-the pearl will stand out more.
  • jspagna1jspagna1 Member Posts: 34
    Car is brand new, so I'm not going to start messing with it yet. I mean I've already removed and painted the grille on the 03 Maxima like 3-4 times.
    I never leave well enough alone. But it's the wifes car so I need to be subtle with the upgrades and modifications.
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    Hello: Also a Zaino fan. I use Z-2/Z-5 w/ZFX on my Abyss Blue '05 TL (you know, the handsome version :P ) as well as Z-6 and Z-7 wash.

    Do you use any of the newer products: Z-CS or Z-AIO? If so, your thoughts? I'll need to order some new stuff this spring, Z-2 seems to be the best...

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    I used the clear seal but it was as disaster, car was smudgy and the sheen just did not happen.I still have almost a full bottle of that stuff in my garage.How do we post pictures here?
  • sweendogysweendogy Member Posts: 1,310
    cant believe they didnt fix this -- wow is this an ugly car--
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    dunno about the pix, but I have used Zaino for years, as does the local Corvette club. I ran out of the old formula and Sal Zaino said to switch to the A01, and it's great, including my Nighthawk Black Element.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    I took my AWD drive for a test yesterday before the roads got ploughed-roughly 11 inches plus.The car was a plough in the snow, I was immensely pleased with its performance in the snow and this further sealed my gratification for purchasing the AWD.
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    Billy, that sounds great. 11 inches is above the front airdam I think. You had no buildup underneath? How was stability? Did you notice any slipping?
    I have a long driveway so I spent the better part of yesterday cleaning up and had no chance to try it. We were out today but no slippery spots. I'm sure Mother Nature will try again!
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    Stability was great, no build ups and no slipping-I was only driving around 20mph in the neighborhood- basically around the block, I wanted a feel for the AWD.The only sad thing is, my Zaino sheen and tire shine are all gone :(. I will wait untill after Christmas to restore.
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    Billy, believe me, after using Zaino for about 10 years, that sheen is still there...under the road salt!
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    Yeah I know but you know what I mean, I like to keep my pearly white spit shine.
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    More than one. :mad:
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    As a former TL owner (previous generation, '05), I've grown to really like the new body style. It's much more expressive than the other competitors (G, 3 Series, Lexi, Benz 300).

    I've had the chance to drive the newest gen TL several times....first at its initial rollout. Plus, my Acura dealer keeps sending me coupons for free oil changes and discounted service, even though I don't have my TL any more.

    I have an Accord, now. So, I take it to my Acura dealer for service (since the TSX is a clone of the Accord). They always give me a "loaner" TL (or TSX) to drive while service is being done. Part of their generosity is because I'm sure they want to get me "hooked" on buying one.

    The drive, the looks, the quality are all superb. It will be my next car. Probably a year or two away, though.

    The last one I drove was a black one with the 18" wheel option, with tan interior. It was stunning in that particular iteration.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • jtlajtla Member Posts: 388
    My lease on a 2007 BMW 328i 6MT with Sport Package ends in March. The new TL is one of my considerations. (Other candidates are G37, CPO BMW 5-series, and, yes, another 3 series.) I plan to purchase my next ride and keep it for at least 5 years. Therefore, I do not want to get stuck with a car that I would regret buying.

    The exterior styling of this TL has grown on me. In fact, I can begin to say that I like the new design. What still bother me are FWD and its bloated size. Test drive around the blocks at the dealership was no help at all.

    Therefore, I would like to get inputs from current TL FWD owners who moved from a mid-size RWD sport sedan such as the 328 or G37. How is its handling compared to a RWD? How was your adjustment from RWD to this FWD car? Any regret? (I know the 6MT SH-AWD model is great, but at that price point the TL loses it appeal to me.)

    Thank you in advance for sharing your experience/thoughts.
  • ChasboyChasboy Member Posts: 186
    Hey JTLA, we had a 2002 325i. We loved that car, but our TL-SHAWD is much better. Ride is sortof similar, tho' I like the new car better. We don't have the tech, so we paid $38995 out the door (incl tax). The advantage of it's size is you get the interior room of the 5 series without the REALLY hefty price. It's more comfortable than the Bimmer, and the open feel of the larger interior helps from feeling too closed in. The seats are the most comfortable I've ever had.
  • sweendogysweendogy Member Posts: 1,310
    was it the TL or a buick?? sorry the new GRILL on new acura models is a distraction from the rest of the car. its expressive vs its comp- like lady gaga standing next to taylor swift who would you rather bring home to parents? I would be shocked if acura wasn't working on a fix for 2011-- they should take a clue for buick-- i agree that the service is terrific -- i had an 2000 acura integra gsr and loved the fact that I would go in for service and they would have a loner car waiting. The "Poker Face" was one reason i went with the G-along with more standard/optional HP-- rear bias AWD- and cheaper price.
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    sween.....I understand that styling is subjective. I happen to like the new TL's look, both in and out. So, that's not an issue for me. Don't know that Acura is going to change it all that dramatically, given that's their new corporate look throughout their entire line up.

    I've driven a TL AWD, a regular TL, and a G37x. Performance wise, the TL AWD and the G37x are pretty close. Never took a stop watch to them, but my perception was they're very close. The standard TL seems just as quick, but it is a softer ride than any of the others. Handling on the TL AWD is impressive, but so is the handling on the G. They just go about it differently.

    You're right about pricing. All I can find around me are '09 G37s. Seems as if all the '09 TLs are gone. So, the pricing differential (about $3K-$4K) between the G and TL may be a wash if I were to compare price of '10 MY Gs vs '10 MY TLs.

    Bottom line, I could be happy with either. TL is bigger (not necessarily a factor for me as I don't haul people around all that much). I like the TL interior a bit better vs the G.

    I'm fairly certain I could cut a deal at $34K for a '10 TL FWD Tech. And, a '10 AWD TL TECH should be in the vicinity of $38K.

    '09 G37x loaded up like for like seems to be in that $34K-$35K range. The '10 G37s? Who knows? They haven't hit the street yet.

    Buicks have never been on my radar. So, I'm not even shopping them.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    while I do take issue with some exterior styling choices on the 4th gen TL, the interior is absolutely wonderful; the TL interior, for that matter Acura interior's in general have always been a little nicer than Infiniti
  • sweendogysweendogy Member Posts: 1,310
    i agree infiniti interiors have lagged acura in the past -- newer models are closer but acura might still have the advantage-- they both offer a bunch of tech features that would cost thousands extra in a bmw. Exterior no question- acura is far uglier. The flagship RL needs to go away and be re-vigored..haha- lets see a RWD sedan with 400 hp plus hp v8 -- maybe have a V6 on the base level. - how about a coupe in the lineup?? pretty boring stable if you ask me--
  • jspagna1jspagna1 Member Posts: 34
    This is my wifes car and now has about 1,200 miles on it and I absolutely love the car. She feels it's a little big, coming from a 2003 Nissan Maxima.
    Ya the front grille has much to be desired, but not bad with the WDP color. I am sure I will have that grille modified & painted some how when the weather gets better here in the NE.
    Have driven my sisters 05 & 07 G35X and there is no comparison. Her car is way to stiff & uncomfortable. More sport than luxury IMO.
  • greg_wgreg_w Member Posts: 2
    99% of the time you will never know the difference. Hard acceleration will cause some unusual forces on the steering wheel. Honestly, it's just not much of an issue.
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