Acura TL Review
The Acura TL is a mid-sized luxury vehicle made by Honda for the Acura brand lineup. Introduced in 1996, the TL is Acura’s best-selling model, and has ranked as the second best-selling luxury sedan in the United States. A total of four generations of the Acura TL have been produced so far, and the model is still currently being sold in the U.S., although it is no longer sold in Japan.
First Generation
The TL (”Touring Luxury”) made its debut in 1995 as a 1996 model, first available with a 2.5L 176 hp SOHC 20-valve 5-cylinder engine from the Acura Vigor. The 3.2 TL version used a 3.2L 200 hp SOHC 24v V6 borrowed from the Acura Legend. The first generation Acura TL had standard features including antilock brakes, dual airbags, automatic climate control, CD player and power windows/locks. Leather interior came standard on the more luxurious 3.2 model, while the 2.5 featured a more firm suspension setup.
Second Generation
The second-generation TL, now known only as the 3.2 TL, was released in 1999 and was now built off of the Honda Accord platform. It featured a newly-designed 3.2L 225 hp SOHC VTEC V6 and a four-speed electronic automatic transmission with SportShift. This generation TL was built in Marysville, Ohio, along with the Honda Accord. The very first 1999 Acura TL was completed on August 4, 1998. The only option available was a hard-drive based navigation system.
Third Generation
The third generation Acura TL came off the assembly line on September 30, 2003. This third generation dropped the “3.2 TL” name and is now simply known as just the “TL”. The new TL was also built in Marysville, Ohio, and is based on the 7th generation Honda Accord chassis. It is powered by a 270 hp engine; later changed to 258 hp, because of new SAE measurement standard for horsepower. The engine was mated with either a 5-speed automatic w/ Sportshift or a 6-speed manual. Manual transmission models featured Brembo 4 Piston front brake calipers, a limited slip differential, and bigger anti-roll bars in the front and rear.
Since 2004, Honda has offered a “tuner” version of the TL, called the “TL A-SPEC”. This version features a suspension tuned by Makoto Tamamura. Additionaly, it is equipped with an underbody kit, spoiler, limited edition steering wheel, “A-SPEC” badge, and 18-inch wheels.
The third generation TL was the first vehicle in the U.S. market to include a 6-disc DVD-Audio system, complete with an 8-speaker 225-watt sound system, produced by Panasonic and tuned by Elliot Scheiner. Models were also equipped with a Bluetooth HandsFree Link (HFL) system, integrated with the audio system, allowing hands-free usage of a cell phone. The Alpine-based navigation system included can accept voice commands and features an 8-inch LCD touch-screen. In 2004 the TL became Acura’s best-selling sedan, selling more than 79,000 that year.
Fourth Generation
Introduced for the 2009 model year, the fourth generation TL featured more aggressive styling and increased size. The wheelbase has been increased by 1.4 inches to 109.3 inches. It is also 6.2 inches longer, 1.8 inches wider and 0.5 inches taller. Rear seating became more spacious giving more shoulder and leg room.
The base model TL is front-wheel drive and powered by a 3.5L V6 making 280 hp. The new TL SH-AWD (”Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive”) replaces is powered by a 3.7L V6 producing 305 hp. The SH-AWD is a multi-vectoring all wheel drive system designed moreso for performance than for just providiung greater traction. During normal driving, the system sends 90% of the power to the front wheels and 10% to the rear. During hard acceleration up to 70% of power can be sent to the rear wheels. The SH-AWD model also features some interior improvements over the base model and has a slightly firmer suspension and steering control. The SH-AWD model also has 18” (Optional performance 19”) wheels compared to the base models 17”. Both models have a new five-speed automatic transmission featuring shift paddles on the steering wheel. Acura has also announced plans to make an optional manual transmission in the 2010 SH-AWD model.