Among car fans, there are usually two types of cars: sports cars ala BMWs, Corvettes, and Infiniti, and cruisers ala Lexus. Acura tries to straddle both world and (largely) succeeded.
The TL’s SH-AWD hugged the road as I goosed the 3.7 liter V-6 on Southern California’s busy streets and highways. Power delivery of the 280 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque was progressive and smooth: the nearly two ton sedan thrummed to desirable (and legal) speeds easily. I heard no creaking or other structural noises as the sedan thunked over road imperfections. At the same time, you could feel the road on the 19 inch tires — folks looking for a more floating Lexus or old-style Buick ride should look elsewhere. Same with folks used to flinging their Jettas or 3-Series at curves: again, the TL is bigger and heavier than the previous model.
The cabin was premium/luxury quiet. Engine noise, for example, was non-existent unless revving the vV6, and sound-proofing dampened outside wind and road noise. Music from the excellent ELS premium stereo system, SIRIUS, the navigation/GPS voice system, and, heck, even the radio, came in clear. And I had no problem being heard from passengers while driving.
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I guess, minus the price, Chrysler offers more than what Acura could present. I’m hoping that Chrysler would come up with a crossover model that could compete with Acura’s selling price. Acura might be a Japanese brand but they are in a way produced here in America, which would qualify it to be an American-born car. In fact, it has yet to be introduced fully in the Asian market.
This car is really good, but not that exceptional. My cousin bought this model months ago and she fell in love with the car. I don’t blame her. It was really easy to take home this vehicle given the value you would get for such a reasonably low “price tag”.