The dashboard is logically littered with countless controls, knobs and switches; perfect for a tech-savvy 40- or 50-something-year-old. The multiple plastic layers of the command centre come together with class; nice plastics and leathers all around. Although the navigation interface commands are user-friendly, the screen's resolution has seriously aged; the pixelization is visible.
Another redeeming point
When you select Acura's very competent SH-AWD system, your TL drops its 280-hp 3.5L V6 in favour of the brand’s most powerful ever mass-production engine, the 305-hp 3.7L V6. If you carry on further and opt for the Tech package (navigation, spoiler, 440-watt Acura/ELS audio system), only then will you be granted the possibility of selecting a 6-speed manual gearbox, thus replacing the 5-speed automatic.
The combination of the 6M and the SH make this TL the one. The one that I have been waiting for. As far as the way the two mechanical components work together, it's literally as though they were made for each other. The 3.7L's plentiful torque and lightweight clutch actuation make this car nearly impossible to stall, that is if you know what you are doing.
The engine's 305 hp are all accounted for, however we must not lose sight of the fact that they have 1,800 kg (just under 4,000 lbs) to contend with in order to get things moving. To say that the TL SH-AWD is less than quick is not entirely a lie. Let's just say that an Infiniti G37x does laps around this car... Where fuel consumption is concerned, the 12L per 100 km is on par with many of its AWD competitors.
Half and half
The Acura TL is a car destined for those looking for spirited driving abilities without the discomfort typically inherent with a car that handles as though it were on rails. The TL can certainly entertain when twisties are served up as the larger, grippier tires coupled to thicker sway bars and Acura's SH-AWD system all maintain high levels of tarmac adherence. Thing is, the car feels heavy, which it is.
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| Your TL drops its 280-hp 3.5L V6 in favour of the brand’s most powerful ever mass-production engine, the 305-hp 3.7L V6. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Another redeeming point
When you select Acura's very competent SH-AWD system, your TL drops its 280-hp 3.5L V6 in favour of the brand’s most powerful ever mass-production engine, the 305-hp 3.7L V6. If you carry on further and opt for the Tech package (navigation, spoiler, 440-watt Acura/ELS audio system), only then will you be granted the possibility of selecting a 6-speed manual gearbox, thus replacing the 5-speed automatic.
The combination of the 6M and the SH make this TL the one. The one that I have been waiting for. As far as the way the two mechanical components work together, it's literally as though they were made for each other. The 3.7L's plentiful torque and lightweight clutch actuation make this car nearly impossible to stall, that is if you know what you are doing.
The engine's 305 hp are all accounted for, however we must not lose sight of the fact that they have 1,800 kg (just under 4,000 lbs) to contend with in order to get things moving. To say that the TL SH-AWD is less than quick is not entirely a lie. Let's just say that an Infiniti G37x does laps around this car... Where fuel consumption is concerned, the 12L per 100 km is on par with many of its AWD competitors.
Half and half
The Acura TL is a car destined for those looking for spirited driving abilities without the discomfort typically inherent with a car that handles as though it were on rails. The TL can certainly entertain when twisties are served up as the larger, grippier tires coupled to thicker sway bars and Acura's SH-AWD system all maintain high levels of tarmac adherence. Thing is, the car feels heavy, which it is.
 |
| The TL can certainly entertain when twisties are served up as the larger, grippier tires coupled to thicker sway bars and Acura's SH-AWD system all maintain high levels of tarmac adherence. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |