Video: Driving Northwest: The new Acura is no wallflower

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Hard to believe that 22 years ago the fanciest car Honda sold was the Accord. Back in 1986, Acura was the first premium Japanese brand in the United States, making it quite a novelty. Toyota’s Lexus and Nissan’s Infiniti followed soon after. All have thrived because they offered a lot of car for the money, though at first people thought Infiniti’s ads were selling rocks and trees. 

One of Acura’s biggest sellers has been the TL and for good reason. The last generation offered up performance, value and styling. Gen 3 lives up to Acura’s enthusiast image with terrific acceleration, cornering and braking. The design? Uh, well …

Go your own way

On the positive, let’s give Acura credit for creating its own signature look. No doubt about it, the shield grille makes a statement. You will not confuse an Acura with any other brand these days. That said, the TL has quite a beak to go with its strong creased lines. To my eye this car looks best in silver and dark gray, colors that help the big hunk of grille blend in somewhat. Styling is subjective but no matter how you see the TL, subtle is not a world to describe it. Is it auditioning for a part in the movie Transformers 2? Sorry, GM has that sewn up.

Tech a look at this

Like a robot from outer space, this vehicle is dripping with technology. My test car has the Technology Package. With it, Acura is finally offering keyless ignition with a transponder that unlocks the doors as you touch the exterior door handle. Push the red "start" button to bring the TL's engine to life. Keyless is a great feature, especially for women who hate fishing stuff out of crowded purses. 

A large LCD screen displays a nav system that offers up traffic conditions, weather forecasts, messages and even Zagat rated restaurant reviews. Bluetooth hands-free? Check. Killer sound system with XM radio, DVD surround sound audio and hard disc drive storage?  Check, check and check.  Full iPod integration is along for the ride as well. A crisp backup camera helps keep the bumper ding free.

To control all this gadgetry, Honda products use what I call the “Big Knob” interface. It sits in the middle of a blizzard of buttons and gets turned, nudged and pushed to navigate menus (there’s also voice activation). Personally, I prefer touch screens but that isn’t going to work with the position of the screen here. It takes a while to get comfortable with this set up. It’s better than BMWs iDrive and to Acura’s credit the Bluetooth phone pairing is an easy process.

It runs on gasoline, not the Allspark

Since this is the SH-AWD car, there’s a 3.7-liter, 305 horsepower V6 framed all nicely by a large black shroud. Front-wheel drive TLs make 25 fewer horses for a total of 280. I’d like to test a front driver since the outgoing TL had a lot of torque steer, especially in the manual transmission cars. It does not occur with this AWD car. All TLs get a 5 -speed automatic transmission with steering wheel paddle shifters for manual control. Throw it into reverse and the side view mirrors dip down to help keep the 18-inch wheels scratch-free when parallel parking. By the way, there is no manual gear box this year. Acura promises one, a 6-speed in 2010 for AWD cars. 

TL lives up to Acura’s promise of performance. 0-60 takes 6.6 seconds according to my Dynolicious equipped iPhone. The engine is smooth, and transmission shifts quick and decisive. With the shift lever in the “S” position, the shift points adjust for performance. Soul-satisfying rev-matching blips happen when downshifting aggressively with the paddle shifters. TL is a true driver’s car, worthy of taking to your favorite road just for the sake of a romping good time.

All hail SH-AWD 

TL handles curves exceptionally well with its Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. Simply put, it rotates the outside rear wheels faster than the front axle speed when cornering. If you understand simple physics, this reduces understeer and helps to naturally turn the vehicle. It distributes cornering forces evenly between front and rear tires which increases the cornering grip. I like it. A lot.  Consider it highly recommended.

Comfort seekers will shop elsewhere; ride quality is very firm. Hey, there’s always Lexus if you want comfort. Road noise is managed well. TL is not overly quiet. Powerful anti-lock brakes haul the TL to a stop right quick. Fuel economy? Using specified premium I’m seeing the EPA average of 22 MPG. The official numbers are 18 city, 26 highway.

No runway needed

If you’ve ever wanted your own jet fighter, TL's cabin is for you. The dual cockpit instrument panel wraps around those in front with a swoopy style. Like a jet there are lots of buttons. In black it’s a very dark space dissected by an elegant flowing aluminum ribbon that wouldn’t look out of place on a Coke can. Bolstered leather seats are comfortable, heated and supportive.  

In the back seat, average sized adults in the outside positions will be fine but the middle passenger has to deal with a drive shaft tunnel and a raised center section. That means headroom is going to be a little scarce. My 4-foot 11-inch daughter’s hair brushes the headliner. Consider TL a four-seater for everyday use. 

Other gripes? While the leather wrapped steering wheel, brake lever and shift knob all feel expensive, door handles are defiantly plastic. The shift lever gets PNDR markings next to it but they don’t actually indicate what mode your in - that’s done between the speedo and tach. Those who are used to sliding that lever sideways for manual shift control will be disappointed - the paddles on the wheel are the only choice. None of these are deal breakers. I'm just pointing out minutia you may not notice on a test drive.  

Time for the trunk test. Keep in mind this is the all-wheel drive version so I have to believe that undulations in the cargo area are partly a result of the extra drivetrain bits. Intrusive hinge arms don’t help. The rear seats are fixed and only a ski pass through is offered. Even with its curvy shape, TL’s well-trimmed trunk manages to nail the average score of six packs.

The price is right

My tester’s Monroney reads $42,995 with destination for this rolling Sharper Image store. Prices start at around $35,715. At this writing Acura is offering special financing to sweeten the deal. TL is great fun to pilot especially with the sophisticated Super Handling All-Wheel Drive package. It adds $3,505. Enthusiasts who push their cars will find it priceless. As for the exterior design, hey, you have two eyes and can make the call yourself. If you’re Optimus Prime, you’ll love the look.