2009 Acura TL

by Chuck Giametta

2009 Acura TL Table of Contents
2009 Acura TL Test Drive
2009 Acura TL Competition
2009 Acura TL Car Quote

2009 Acura TL: Pro and Con
Pros:

• Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive empowers you to unleash 305 horsepower and waste not a pony to wheel spin or torque steer
• Swooping shapes and multi-dimensional gauges and controls give the cabin a truly special feel
• All the latest in navigation and communications gear made easy to understand and inviting to use

Cons:

• New body looks like a collection of design knick-knacks
• SH-AWD model rides too stiffly and has a hitch in its giddy-up; the front-wheel-drive base model suffers more than a trace of torque steer

2009 Acura TL Buying Advice

• The 2009 Acura TL is the best car for you if you have confidence in your sense of style but like to play it safe with front-wheel drive and proven Japanese reliability.
• Acura is Honda’s premium brand and the TL, a midsize sedan in the entry-luxury class, is fully redesigned for 2009. This fourth-generation TL is larger and more powerful than the 2004-2008 generation. The 2009 Acura TL is available in two models, both with V-6 engines. The base 2009 Acura TL has 280 horsepower and front-wheel-drive; it starts around $34,000. The 2009 Acura SH-AWD model has 305 horsepower and all-wheel-drive; it tops out around $42,000.
• Per Acura practice, the 2009 TL is equipped with standard luxury features that cost extra on most competitors. But the TL is not the clear value leader it once was in this class.
• The 2009 Acura TL disguises well the fact that its basic underskin design is shared with the Honda Accord, but truth be told, the base TL doesn’t drive much differently than a top-of-the-line V-6 Accord, and it’s hardly roomier. You’re shelling out the extra $5,000 or so over the Accord for the TL design and for the added status and fine dealer service associated with the Acura brand.
• About twenty-five percent of 2009 Acura TL buyers are expected to go for the SH-AWD model, a randy rascal that most decidedly does not feel like any Accord. If the SH-AWD is a sport sedan to be reckoned with, it’s because its all-wheel-drive system allows ordinary drivers to feel like Formula 1 stars. But that alone isn’t reason enough to choose it over established all-wheel-drive rivals such as the BMW 335xi and Infiniti G37x sedans.

2009 Acura TL Changes

• Styling: In step with today’s best practice, Acura lengthens the 2009 TL’s wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles), stretching it 1.4 inches to provide a like increase in rear-seat leg room. But while most rivals concurrently reduce body length to give their cars a tauter stance, Acura increases the TL’s overall length by a significant six inches for 2009. The result is an overhanging prow that comes to a drooping point capped with a grille that’s apparently the new face of Acura. It’ll strike some as fresh, brave, and bold, others as an overwrought metallic snaggletooth. The theme is repeated at the tail. In between, the 2009 TL draws from a catalog of contemporary design conventions: blisters over the front wheel openings, a reverse kink in the rear roof pillar, and a bustle-back elevation to the trunk line. The 2009 Acura TL is an eye-catching car, but not a handsome one. Thankfully, there are no front fender vents.
• Mechanical: Big news is the TL’s first use of all-wheel drive, and it’s an exemplary system. Exclusive to the SH-AWD model, it normally sends 90 percent of the engine’s power to the front wheels. At the first hint of front tire slip, it begins to feed up to 70 percent of the power rearward. That’s a great traction-enhancement in the snow. But the system is also an immense aid to dry-road handling because it senses cornering demands and automatically redistributes torque to either rear wheel, mimicking the action of an expert driver who’s adept at powering through corners.
• The base 2009 TL has a 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 similar to that in last year’s sporty TL Type-S model. The 2009 TL SH-AWD model has a 305-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6. Six-speed automatic transmissions are today’s norm in this class – the 2009 Infiniti G37 even has a seven-speed automatic -- but both 2009 Acura TL models use a five-speed automatic transmission. It has steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for driver-selected gear control. (Acura says the SH-AWD may be offered with a six-speed manual transmission for the 2010 model year.) Compared to the previous model, the structure of the 2009 Acura TL is more rigid and the suspension is more sophisticated -- and is fortified on the SH-AWD for performance driving. The 2009 Acura TL base model reprises the 17-inch alloy wheel size of the 2008 TL, but the SH-AWD comes with 18s and offers optional handling-oriented 19-inch summer tires.
• Features: The 2009 Acura TL has xenon headlamps and LED tail lamps and includes at no extra charge leather upholstery, aluminum-finish cabin trim, a power moonroof, dual-zone climate control, a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, and an eight-way power adjustable front passenger seat. Also standard is an eight-speaker, 276-watt audio system that includes a six-disc CD changer, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth audio, USB port and AUX jack iPod connectivity, and HandsFreeLink wireless telephone interface. Acura expects 70 percent of 2009 TL buyers to order the Technology Package option. Available on both the base TL and TL SH-AWD, this adds keyless access with pushbutton ignition and a navigation system that can display real-time traffic and radar weather maps. The package also includes Acura’s ELS 10-speaker, 440-watt premium sound system with DVD-Audio and a 2,500-song hard disk drive. The navigation and ELS audio systems respond to voice commands. Premium Milano leather seating surfaces are also included in the Technology Package.

2009 Acura TL Prices

• The 3.5-liter V-6 equipped 2009 Acura TL base model is priced at $35,715. The TL base model with Technology Package is priced at $39,445. (All prices listed here are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and include Acura’s mandated $760 destination fee.)
• The 3.7-liter V-6 powered 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD model is priced at $39,265, while the TL SH-AWD with Technology Package is $42,995. The TL SH-AWD model with Technology Package is also available with an exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels and high-performance summer tire package for $43,995

2009 Acura TL Fuel Economy

• EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2009 Acura TL put in among the higher-mileage cars in its competitive set, but differences are slight and none of these sport-oriented sedans is a gas miser. They all require premium-grade fuel, too. The 2009 Acura TL base model is rated at 18 mpg city/26 highway. The 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD is rated at 17/25.

2009 Acura TL Release Date

• Release date for the 2009 Acura TL base model is late September 2008. Release date for the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD is November 2008. Both models are assembled at Honda’s plant in Marysville, Ohio, where the Accord also is built.
• 2009 Acura TL Test Drive
• 2009 Acura TL Competition
2009 Acura TL Test Drive ›