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Acura TL 2009 -

1500 messages,  Last post on Nov 05, 2009 at 9:24 AM

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What is this discussion about? Acura TL, Sedan


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#1234 of 1500
by jaeger1
Nov 22, 2008 (5:06 am)
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Wow - so it turns out that The. Most. Powerful. Acura. EVER! really aint all that fast. When a brand new model makes its grand entrance at the very BOTTOM of the performance rung relative to its competitors, that aint good - to put it mildly. Well, at least it's stunningly attractive. Oh, wait.... make that excruciatingly ugly. Well, at least it has lots of cool gadgets. There we go. For those shopping in the premium luxury sports sedan category that want a large, comparatively slow Transfromer robot with a huge schnoz, Acura has your number.
#1235 of 1500
2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... by golfrski
Nov 23, 2008 (5:29 am)
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I contemplated the SHAWD for 2 months and test drove it with both the 19' and Base 18" wheels. Here are my observations:
 
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)....
  • #1236 of 1500
    Re: 2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... [golfrski] by ezielanski
    Nov 23, 2008 (6:38 pm)
    Reply

    Replying to: golfrski (Nov 23, 2008 5:29 am)

    I couldn't agree more. I too wanted the AWD TL. But decided to sacrifice the AWD for the TECH because of price. My budget was already stretched so I couldn't do both. But I've been curious as to what others think of the AWD and if it's worth the extra $. I'm sure it sticks to the road like the 06 RL I had but the FWD version does too. Just requires a little more work. I've had the car for three weeks and I couldn't be happier. Good luck with the car and enjoy playing with the various tech functions. Unbelievable. I've had a lot of cars, (40 yrs. driving) and this is the first one in a long time I didn't want to get out of.
    #1237 of 1500
    Re: 2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... [ezielanski] by billyperks2
    Nov 24, 2008 (10:38 am)
    Reply

    Replying to: ezielanski (Nov 23, 2008 6:38 pm)

    I dont want the AWD, I need it here in Connecticut plus the little SH-AWD badging looks real nice on the back:)
    I had a terrible experience with the 03 Type S, the car was outright undriveable in the snow.
    #1238 of 1500
    Re: 2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... [billyperks2] by bodble2
    Nov 24, 2008 (11:12 am)
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    Replying to: billyperks2 (Nov 24, 2008 10:38 am)

    "I dont want the AWD, I need it here in Connecticut..."
     
     
    #1239 of 1500
    Re: 2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... [bodble2] by laurasdada
    Nov 24, 2008 (12:33 pm)
    Reply

    Replying to: bodble2 (Nov 24, 2008 11:12 am)

    I'm not sure that I agree with needing AWD in CT (I grew up there...). I do, however for the '04-'08 gen TL, believe that you do need snow shoes. I survived two Boston winters with my '05, but when I swappd the OEM Bridgestones for some Toyos, the snow-ability got a bit worse (which I didn't think was possible!) and bought dedicated snows on some snazzy alloys from Tire Rack. All is well now. In fact, will probably mount 'em on the sled next week.
     
    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!!
    #1240 of 1500
    Re: 2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... [bodble2] by billyperks2
    Nov 24, 2008 (1:59 pm)
    Reply

    Replying to: bodble2 (Nov 24, 2008 11:12 am)

    To clarify- I need the AWD version, no more FWD with than many horses for me.
    #1241 of 1500
    Re: 2009 ACURA TL FWD or SHAWD? VERDICT......... [golfrski] by traumeri
    Nov 24, 2008 (5:25 pm)
    Reply

    Replying to: golfrski (Nov 23, 2008 5:29 am)

    I completely agree with you, and would argue that the front reflectors on FWD looks better than the open ducts (on light colors) than the SHAWD...giving the front elements a more cohesive look. Both Edmunds and R&T reported virtually identical 0-60 and 1/4mi #'s for FWD vs AWD, confirming my personal test drive experience.
     
    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.
    #1242 of 1500
    TL vs. CC vs. G37 by sweendogy
    Nov 24, 2008 (6:14 pm)
    Reply
    http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/2008/11/sport-sedan-shootout-two-wannabes-on- e-winner.html?tid=edmunds.h..topfeatures.sportsedans.0.*
     
    Looks do kill--
    #1243 of 1500
    Re: TL vs. CC vs. G37 [sweendogy] by bodble2
    Nov 24, 2008 (10:14 pm)
    Reply

    Replying to: sweendogy (Nov 24, 2008 6:14 pm)

    I wonder if the handful of people on these boards who tried to say with a straight face that the TL looks good are still sticking to their gun? This is just one big, bloated sedan with very awkward looking front and back end. Whoever buys one is buying inspite of its looks. No one will buy it for its looks, which is a complete 180 from the previous generation.

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