2001 messages,
Last post on Oct 22, 2012 at 10:07 AM
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Acura TL Forum.
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Acura TL, Sedan
#672 of 2001 Yup, it's really ugly . . .
by hap35
Aug 10, 2008 (3:09 pm)
Acura has made a giant mistake with the design of the front grill, a mistake of Edsel proportions. My prediction: this will be a watermark car for Acura, and not in a good way. I finally figured it out: the front end of the 2009 TL looks like a jack-o-lantern with the curving mouth under the fat lip "power plenum" grill. The spy photos I have seen of the rear are also a mess, the V shape wedge look does not translate well to the rear of a car. The 2004-20008 TL was a classy looking car. What were they thinking? I've seen this grill on the 2009 TSX and it looks awful there too.
The Subaru Tribeca had a really ugly grill when it was introduced a few years ago (resembled a toilet seat), and public reaction was so bad it was changed after a year to something more reasonable. Good for Subaru, bad for the people who bought the first-year car with the original ugly grill - their resale value tanked.
Look for Acura's sale on the TL to drop like a stone. And, as pointed out above, the designer's discussion of "key edge dynamic" just illustrates they picked a moron to design this car. Talk about pretentious and just plain nonsense - he should get a new job writing regulations for the federal government, his mindless style of discussion is alive and well there. I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but they ought to make an exception to that rule for the 2009 TL.
Hap
Aug 10, 2008 (4:33 pm)
The description is offensive, in a way, in that the speaker comes across as one who uses vague mumble jumble words to hype a design, which, quite frankly, looks mediocre. It seems to me that those same words could be applied to any number of cars, including, perhaps, Detroit iron from the '50s and '60s, making the description meaningless. You can't compensate for unattractive design with fancy, contrived wording.
#674 of 2001 Re: Another TL Video from AutoBlog [srvlonghorn]
by mikey38
Aug 10, 2008 (5:14 pm)
I get an emotional response when I look at the 09 alright, but I dont think getting sick to my stomach was the response Acura was looking for. I'll be keeping my 06 for a while.
#675 of 2001 Re: Another TL Video from AutoBlog [mikey38]
by fxguy
Aug 10, 2008 (7:06 pm)
Acura should send that idiot designer to a public speaking class or keep him locked up in the basement designing future ugly Acuras. He kept on repeating the same "dynamic" nonsense over and over again!
Aug 10, 2008 (8:31 pm)
Since when did dynamic become code for "butt ugly"?!! I think the value of my 07 TL type S just went up, thanks to the awful styling of this 09 TL....What is with that ugly nose, honestly, what were they thinking? Had Acura's for 11 years, now I'm going to have to leave the marque, it may perform well but anyone riding around in that styling job's going to be a laughing stock..."You paid how much to drive the ugliest car on the street?"
#678 of 2001 Re: Edmunds First Drive [slim83]
by bodble2
Aug 10, 2008 (9:32 pm)
Sounds like it's a competent performer, with some serious hardware, but boy, it ain't pretty! The interior's alright, but there is simply no cohesion to the exterior design. It is a collection of styling cliches. When the Maxima actually looks better, you know it's in trouble! That, plus the added bulk, would likely discourage me from considering it. I would have to either buck up for a BMW 3-series, or wait for the diesel or V6 TSX.
#679 of 2001 Not Ugly, But...
by hpmctorque
Aug 11, 2008 (3:25 am)
I wouldn't call the '09 TL ugly, but it lacks the "wow" and "gotta have it" factors of the '99-'03 and '04-'08 generations. The '09 doesn't look better than its Accord counterpart, as the two previous generations did. As a premium car, it should be more aesthetically appealing - sleeker and more elegant - than the Accord, but it doesn't seem to be. This TL doesn't move me to want to pay the premium required over the Accord. And, yes, the overall look lacks cohesiveness.
In conclusion, it's not ugly, but it's styling doesn't inspire or excite, either. The '09 Audi A4 looks more elegant and coordinated, for example. I'm not comparing reliability here, just exterior and interior styling.
#680 of 2001 Re: Another TL Video from AutoBlog [srvlonghorn]
by circlew
Aug 11, 2008 (5:06 am)
I'll wager he's a defected Arts and Science guy from Caddy! Gotta be!
Regards,
OW
Aug 11, 2008 (5:26 am)
Acura's used to be tastefully designed cars. It seems that now everything in their lineup is going to the "cow catcher" front end. Chris Bangle is no longer the worst automotive designer.