2011 Acura TL Sedan Base
MSRP: $35,305
As Honda’s luxury arm, Acura knows what its customers are looking for. They want the typical Honda reliability and conservative design, with a little bit of luxury mixed in. The TL, though, appears to have forgotten its old customers in search of new ones. The result is a very nice car whose appearance turns off much of the Honda customer base.
The 2011 Acura TL is a midsize luxury sedan. It is available in the base or SH-AWD trims; we will be reviewing the base because the SH-AWD adds $3,500 to the base price. The Acura TL has a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 280 horsepower. It has 17-inch wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, and goes from zero to sixty in 6.37 seconds.
The Acura TL comes with heated 8-way power front seats with lumbar adjustment and memory functions for the driver, a tilt-telescope steering wheel, leather upholstery, foglamps, automatic xenon headlights, 2-zone climate control, a sunroof, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The audio system has 8 speakers, AM/FM/HD radio, satellite radio, a CD/MP3 player, an audio jack, a USB/iPod port,and Bluetooth. An upgrade to the Technology Package is available, and includes a navigation system and upgraded audio system.
The Acura TL also comes with stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, and anti-lock brakes with brake-assist. The Acura got perfect scores in all government tests under 2010 standards, and all tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
The cabin has an almost European luxury look, but it has aluminum trim which dampens the effect slightly. Otherwise, the materials are high-quality and soft-touch, and the design is understated and uncluttered. Even with all of the conveniences, the dash manages to not look cluttered.
There is plenty of cabin space here, with abundant headroom and legroom. This is combined with comfortable, adjustable seats to make the TL comfortable for short commutes and long trips. There iare only a mediocre 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk, though.
The TL both drives and rides like a conservative European luxury car. The engine is enough to get you out of trouble, but not enough to get you into trouble. It provides a smooth, quiet, conservative ride. The steering is responsive, but the suspension is tweaked toward passenger comfort. The result is a luxury ride that is among the best.
The verdict: if you can get past the exterior design, there is a great car underneath.
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