Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
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)....
I had a terrible experience with the 03 Type S, the car was outright undriveable in the snow.
:confuse:
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!!
'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...)
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.
Looks do kill--
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.
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.
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 ;-)
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...?"
'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...)
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.
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.
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.
'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...)
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!
Thats cool for her. I bet the new TL looks better in certain colors. I would love to see the new TSX in red!
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.
Mike
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......
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).
If you want an amour car, this is it.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.