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| 2005 Acura Tl Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Other Thoughts | |||
To make room for its new kid brother the Acura TSX, this TL starts a bit higher than the outgoing one. $33,670 buys a TL with either transmission; choose the manual and you also get a limited-slip differential, bigger stabilizer bars, Brembo front brakes, and somehow, a 93-pound weight reduction. The only option on all models is the $2,000 navigation system; $200 performance tires are also available on manual models. Everything else - heated leather power seats, driver memory, sunroof, dual-zone climate controls, stability control, six air bags, HID headlights, 3 months of XM radio, and that head-of-the-class stereo - is already in the box. And it probably doesn't hurt that the TL was named one of the Ten Vehicles That Will Best Hold Their [resale] Value by Kelley Blue Book.Competition is hard to pin down simply because very few automakers choose to throw a front-drive family sedan into battle with more dedicated machinery. Going by price and brand name, Acura's TL goes up against such stalwarts as the BMW 3-series, Lexus IS, and many others - cars that essentially trade useful back-seat space for greater driving pleasure and rear-wheel-drive. Judging by mechanical layout, the TL has exactly one competitor, the Toyota Camry-sourced Lexus ES330 (starting at $32,825, though with less standard fare). These two are more alike than different, but Acura went for performance while Lexus ran for the ultra-plush end of the spectrum, which should make this dichotomy a fairly easy decision after personal preferences come into play. To cite one example, TL fans would probably find 45 horsepower a lot to sacrifice. Up through last year, Infiniti had a TL equivalent of its own, the Nissan Maxima-based I35. But this ended up being a temporary holdover until Infiniti released the G35, a far more advanced car whose rear-wheel-drive, multilink-suspended chassis gave it a strong shot of legitimacy and potential that was utterly lacking in the I35, while giving up nothing. Once the G hit the streets, the I was mercilessly killed. Unfortunately, the G35 isn't such good news for the TL, either. A quick glance shows the G35 taking the trophy in space, price, 10 or 28 more horsepower, and that all-important rear-wheel-drive to put the power to better use. Acura might be able to use the "we may be stuck with front-drive, but we're roomier and faster and more reliable" against the Germans, but there's no hiding from the G35. With Infiniti's Acura-matching quality and Acura-matching luxury, it's hard to make an argument to pay more for the TL. Finally, any analysis of the TL can't end without a mention of that Honda Accord EX V6. Knowing how similarly they drive (from the seat of my pants), extra front-wheel power, bigger wheels, a manual shiftgate for the automatic transmission, and DVD Audio does not equate to a $6,305 premium in my book. Honda quality is also too high to make Acura's longer warranty anything but a moot point. And on it goes. |
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