Topic: Acura TL-Three Years, 58,000 km

[Vanstar]

Seeing three year reviews here, I thought I would post my observations of my present driver, a 2008 Acura TL, with no navi. I bought the car very lightly used (5000 km) and at nice discount and as the heading states, I don't drive a lot. So here goes:

The good:

-The car has a great motor, smooth but not too smooth. Makes more than enough power for me and has good low end torque.Great sounds.

-It is quite good on fuel given the performance of the car.

-The curb weight and size are perfect for me. I don't like heavy cars.

-The interior is exceptionally well assembled with good materials.

-The seat is comfortable.

-Great audio.

-Excellent HVAC system.

-All controls are easy to understand and reach.

-Front room is good.

-The car handles mountain roads very well. Its limits are beyond me.

-I have had zero warranty issues with it, nada, zilch.

-I love the styling, which never seems to age.

The Bad.

-The ride is barely tolerable for city driving. If I lived where roads were rough, I would not have bought it.

-Rear seat room is tight. Not a family car.

-The trunk is not that large, again, more of a two person car.

-Acura dealers are slimebuckets, but that goes for most dealers I suppose.

-The transmission is hardly a scion of smooth operation but it didn't fail like my 2000 TL did! At least not yet...

-The dash is a bit busy, I preferred my 2000's dash.

The Ugly....

-The only real ugly I have with the car is I have nowhere to go with it. I love Acura cars and my first TL was a really nice ride, even with the transmission need replacement, which was handled quickly and with no hassle. I liked the next generation even more since it was a better car and not any larger or heavier. The current TL is too large and heavy for me and that has put me off of it.

-It will be at least another five years before I buy a new car so I hope there is a good choice for a near luxury car of similar size, power, weight and handling.

[Ice]

Got any pictures of your TL?

I always liked the TL. Nice looking car in the generation that you have it in. In five years time, if you want to stick with Acura, the rumors are that the sub TSX Acura will be IS250/IS350 like which strikes me as similar to the original TL... rumors of course so we'll see what happens when it actually arrives on the scene. There is always the V6 TSX or even the regular TSX which is a nice ride.

[Vanstar]

Got any pictures of your TL?

I always liked the TL. Nice looking car in the generation that you have it in. In five years time, if you want to stick with Acura, the rumors are that the sub TSX Acura will be IS250/IS350 like which strikes me as similar to the original TL... rumors of course so we'll see what happens when it actually arrives on the scene. There is always the V6 TSX or even the regular TSX which is a nice ride.

Good points. The TSX is made in Japan and exchange rates are making the car more expensive that I think it is worth. It is a great car but a little on the small side for me. I hope Acura will stop listening to buff-books and their owners instead. The buff mags panned the TL for being too much like a Honda, conservatively styled, etc and not having a V-8 and evidently  Honda listened and the 2009 TL was the result. Killed sales, too.

[mmret]

Killed sales, too.

That was the beak, not the mechanicals (which were quite well praised if I recall correctly).

[Julie]

Vanstar, great to hear that your TL has been serving you well.  I too feel that generation of TL has a style that will not age. 

Killed sales, too.

That was the beak, not the mechanicals (which were quite well praised if I recall correctly).

It's not just the peak IMO, it's also the 3/4 rear, the larger size without more space, the just-as-awkward-looking interior with too many buttons, etc.  In this market, they've got to stand out for something.  Right now, they stand out for polarizing esthetics. 

[CanuckG35]

LOVE that generation of TL!  Great looking car for sure, and not something I can say for the current generation.  In for pictures as well.   

An Infiniti G Sedan might be a great choice for you come shopping time. 

[CataMtl]

I owned a 2007 TL and it was a great car (0 problems) ....... up to I test drive the 2009 TL SH-AWD  .
Here in Quebec , I felt that an AWD will be more adequate  for our winter than a FWD and after 2 winters spent with  both of them,
I’m happy that I choose to go with 2009 AWD. 
Nerveless, the third generation is a very good value.

[Vanstar]

LOVE that generation of TL!  Great looking car for sure, and not something I can say for the current generation.  In for pictures as well.   

An Infiniti G Sedan might be a great choice for you come shopping time. 

Yes, I was considering the Infiniti but you cannot get one without AWD, which I feel is unnecessary,adds weight, increases fuel consumption and cost. That leaves me with the Audi A4, which is down on power compared to what I am accustomed.

[CanuckG35]

You can still get a RWD G Sedan, but only in 6MT format.  When I got my RWD G35S you were able to get it in the 5AT, and I'm not sure why Infiniti cut that model out of their lineup a year later.  Also, the base model back then was a RWD with 5AT as well.