CTC Review: 2009 Acura TL

[CD_Editor]

Day 1:

Click Image to Enlarge

The alphabet soup continues this week with YALC (Yet Another Luxury Car) as I continue on the string of high rollers I've been riding for the past two months or so.  This week, the car is the 2009 Acura TL, affectionately referred to as "The Grille," referring to none other than the gigantic chrome schnoz on the redesigned-for-2009 TL.  More ...

[wpeats]

I like the grill, it's nice.  So in an effort to preserve it, I strongly recommend you put a bra on it...until the end of the test...or forever

[inco]

"But let's put that aside, forget about the styling and instead focus on the car's substance, shall we?"

That's soooo hard to do when the first thing you see is "Jaws - The Return".

[Guy]

My 08 suspension was perfect brand new but after 6 months on Quebec roads it has softened quite a bit. I find it a little soft now. As for the styling, the light colours 09 are not as bad as the dark ones, probably because the tooth, euh.. shield, do not stand out as much on silver or white.

[gord_boyd]

My '06 TL recently dropped quite a bit on trade-in values caused by
Honda/Acura $3K discounts to sell this new TL.  The reliability had attracted
me but I'm finding same quality in other market segment vehicles
and more authenticity/integrity plus the better handling in the likes of Infiniti G37.
The change from understated luxury to overstated as Acura's support for differentiation
suggests lack of regard for building loyalty.  The reduced feel or feedback at the wheel
is an engineering failure of compromise.  Your Day 2 & 3 comments don't have importance
they might have had otherwise, being an existing owner.  I will not be replacing my TL with another
at this point.


 
 

[Jaeger]

I bet Acura wishes more buyers could "put aside the styling".    I can hardly think of a fuglier contemporary offering.

But putting styling aside as requested - anybody see the C/D comparison test between the new TL, G37, 328i and A4 2.0T?  Where it finished DEAD LAST?  Where The. Most. Powerful. Acura. Ever. Built. got positively smoke by the V6 competition and barely stayed ahead of the blown 4?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison_test/sedans/2009_infiniti_g37_vs_bmw_328i_audi_a4_2_0t_acura_tl_sh_awd_comparison_test

There's plenty to talk about past styling - like how limo-like size, massive weight and circa 1990 Pontiac-style overhangs have arguably moved this beast out of the sports sedan class alltogether.

Loved the old TL.  Can't stand this one.

Jaeger

[renaldo]

2010 Acura will be relaeasing the 6MT model looks very promising in the motor trend review it out handles G35, BMW 335, and Audi S4  so it seems from a performance stand point acura got it right.

forums.motortrend.com/70/7083092/the-general-forum/2010-acura-tl-sh-awd-6mt-beats-s4-g35s-335-on-the/index.html

[Jaeger]

2010 Acura will be relaeasing the 6MT model looks very promising in the motor trend review it out handles G35, BMW 335, and Audi S4  so it seems from a performance stand point acura got it right.

forums.motortrend.com/70/7083092/the-general-forum/2010-acura-tl-sh-awd-6mt-beats-s4-g35s-335-on-the/index.html

Hmmmm:

"We are compelled to admit that this was an Acura event that took place at a facility owned by Honda (overseen by the Transportation Research Center) with all the test cars supplied and prepped by Acura R&D."

So Acura put up a "specially prepped" Infiniti - a G35, not a G37??  And ran all cars on a track selected to play to the TL's strengths?

Ooookay.

But taking a look at comparison tests conducted by independent sources, comparing contemporary offerings (not a future offering by Acura and an outdated offering by Infiniti), so far the TL has only been able to beat.... the Passat CC.

Jaeger

[sharpC]

Acura ought to just close shop. Honda already covers most of their segments in a fully loaded model equivalent. This car doesn't provide much value over a fully loaded accord. If you want ultra luxury and reliability buy a Lexus. If you want performance, buy a BMW. Somewhere in between there's Benz / Audi / Infiniti. It's been hit and miss with Acura since they arrived on our shores. I love hondas, but at the Acura price point. it doesn't cut it. The TL doesn't particularly excel in any area over its competition. I'm not saying that it's a bad car. There's just much better out there for the money.

[nsmyhte]

I bet Acura wishes more buyers could "put aside the styling".    I can hardly think of a fuglier contemporary offering.

But putting styling aside as requested - anybody see the C/D comparison test between the new TL, G37, 328i and A4 2.0T?  Where it finished DEAD LAST?  Where The. Most. Powerful. Acura. Ever. Built. got positively smoke by the V6 competition and barely stayed ahead of the blown 4?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison_test/sedans/2009_infiniti_g37_vs_bmw_328i_audi_a4_2_0t_acura_tl_sh_awd_comparison_test

There's plenty to talk about past styling - like how limo-like size, massive weight and circa 1990 Pontiac-style overhangs have arguably moved this beast out of the sports sedan class alltogether.

Loved the old TL.  Can't stand this one.

Jaeger

Yeah, I've read that article and was a little surprised. Especially with the fact that is is slower than both the A4 2.0 and 328i which both have quite a bit less power.  The TL is a good car with a nice interior and decent performance but it just can't match rear wheel drive dynamics no matter how hard Honda tries with their SH-AWD. Also, the engines are great and produce enough power but the car has grown too large and heavy for those engines to pay any dividends.

[Blueprint]

Much to my amazement, her fugliness is selling (leasing ?) quite well around greater Montreal.  When crossing paths with one, I keep expecting it to morph up into an evil transformer robot that will laser-blast my Sentra to pieces.

I daily park next to a previous-gen, TL type S, black.  That, I like !

[jmatheson]

I agree with the comments on the new corporate grille style being used by Acura now.  I have owned a number of TL's since 1999 and enjoyed all of them, but my favorite for styling was the 04 thru 08 models. I just bought a new white 09 and I like the side and rear view of the car but the front...well, the "shield" is just too big. Hence I have ordered a replacement aftermarket piece from Woodview.com to that will take care of that issue. As for the rest of the car - great power and reasonable fuel economy,the interior is very well laid out and comfortable, but the ride is a little harsh compared to the TSX it replaced. In my opinion Acura offers great value when comparing similiarly equipped upscale sedans like the Lexus ES350, BMW 3 series, and Infiniti G37. When you start adding options to those cars to match the TL' s list of standard features like Bluetooth, etc., the price difference can be significant.  That being said, it is great to have so many excellent choices available in the marketplace today!

[Alex_S]

That front overhang is pretty darn long and those gaping metal braces are not what I would exactly call attractive.. Surprised it is selling as well as it is. I'm sure it has great driving dynamics but not a thing of beauty..

[toolatecrew]

Its not just the front that is ugly. The back is no thing of beauty. Overall it looks like it needs a diet. JUst like the last generation the wheels look lost in the wheelwells and finally the alloy design just looks cheap. I really like the last generation (except for the mentioned wheelwell issue) this one leaves me cold not only fropm a visual standpoint but its just too darn big. Acura has moved its models up one level in terms of size (which all manufacturers seem to do these days). The TSX is now softer and bigger soon to get a v6 and will be equivilant to last years TL. TL is now bigger and softer more like an RL. Boo Acura from my standpoint but what do I know someone is buying them but it won't be me.

[Guy]

That woodview grill is really nice! Acura should order a bunch of these.

[Factger]

First time I thought a car company should have a factory recall on a front grille.

[Allen]

First time I thought a car company should have a factory recall on a front grille.

  That front end is the sole reason I did not replace my 05 TL with the new one

[davidgm]

The older TL model was simply better. I own a 2006 TL. I tried the new one twice: AWD and FWD. The feeling of the steering had lost feedback.  The dash looks cheaper than before: same thing for the leather of the base version. The access to the rear seats and to the luggage is smaller. The rear visibility is a lot worse. Consumer reports was right: the older TL version was better. But, the old : the old styling was blend: the new one isn't, but isn't nice. The Passat cc is a demonstration that a car could be nice and bold.

David

[Factger]

The TL should of been an evolutionary design and not a total redesign. The previous gen had a recipe that worked. (performance style and price). "If ain't broke don't fix it."

This is acura's money car profit wise. They may get some new buyers but like Allen above they will lose allot of return customers.  You have to satisfy your loyal customers first they are the basis of your sales and acura is failing to do that with this car so far.

Again there is so much competition out there in this segment that a minor annoyance can lose a sale and for me that exterior is one for sure.

[arkitek]

I just leased an '09 TL-Tech after driving a BMW 5-series for 3 years.  The TL is $25,000 less than the beemer and just as good, if not better.  It has virtually all of the features of the 5-series, if not more.  I am extremely happy with the TL.  I agree with j, there are a tremendous number of fine cars available in this price range.

That being said, does anyone know where I can purchase DVD-Audio disks.  The sound system is incredible when you insert one of these and play it over the TL's Dolby 5.1 sound system.  But there does not seem to be too many recordings on the market.  Thanks.