TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
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Published on Fri, Jul 16, 2004
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
By JOHN GRAFMAN
While other car companies forgo offering this basic element, Acura is going
so far as to offer a six-speed in a high-end model. Evidently, Acura knows that
shifting the car yourself not only is integral to moving the vehicle, but stirs
the soul of the driver as well.
The low-tone burble coming from the tail pipe means one thing; I’m going
to have some fun tonight. Far too many cars have the tone, but don’t have
the lungs. The TL has both. Try 270 horses turning the front tires into dust,
for instance. Good for the soul, bad for the tires. All that power has a reverse
fishtail action where the front wants to take off towards the weeds if you aren’t
paying proper attention to what you’re doing. Torque steer may not be refined
out of this car, but at least it’s the result of a healthy engine. Yes,
this car requires the driver to actually pay attention!
Around town, the TL hunts down BMWs and such looking for a meal. Anti-social
behavior is part of the deal. It’s in the genes I tell ya. In this respect,
the TL is just a rung or two up the evolutionary ladder from its lesser cousins
you might see your local tuner cruising around in. Thankfully, the powers that
be haven’t exorcised the spirit from this car. The TL is a life preserver
in the sea of mainstream autos.
The TL may not do everything perfectly. However, it does a very convincing job
of doing almost everything perfectly. This has to be taken in context
of the price. The TL falls smack dab in the sector between the get-in luxury
models and the too-pricey-for-my-blood models. Virtually everything inside and
out of the Acura is satisfying. Can some elements be improved upon in one-way
or another? Sure they can be. For this price, fat chance!
The suspension couples with the performance tires to give this car a ride quality
that is biased toward the firm side. While the handling seems firm, the overall
road-going behavior is well within the bounds of acceptability. I can shuttle
my elderly parents one moment, and then take off to my favorite barren hillside
twisties the next.
The Acura stops as well as it goes. This is always a comforting feeling. The
six-speed downshifts easy enough to keep the foot off the brakes. Almost nothing
attracts Jon Q. Law more than constant flashing of a hotshoes' taillights. I
suppose if I drive the TL more like a normal person and less like an enthusiast,
I wouldn’t have to concern myself with these trivial driving habits. But,
I’m not normal, and this car is not your normal four-door sedan. 
The top-notch planning and execution found in the performance department is
also evident in the interior execution too. Many cars of both lesser and higher
stature fail to measure up on user-friendliness. The TL is easy to use, despite
the abundance of features standard with the car. The navigation system is a
perfect example. Not only does it have the normal functions (including voice
command), the screen is also touch activated. No messing around with some funky
knob or buttons. Just reach out and touch someone… err, someplace. The
cruise control is another good example of a feature that some manage to make
far too complex. Acura has placed very logical buttons on the steering wheel
and are easy to operate without any owner’s manual assistance. Some of
this isn’t really brain surgery, but given the competition, you have to
wonder.
The one noticeable and rather problematic part of the interior execution has
to do with the instrument readouts. They have a blue glow to the dials, which
is just fine. However, it is rather difficult to see the redline. I’d like
to think there is no redline, as Honda racecars seem to rev endlessly. Alas,
I know this is probably not the case. 
The sedan can easily accommodate four on a decent jaunt. The trunk can swallow
all the gear they can bring. The trunk is lined nicely and has the same level
of fit and finish I find in the rest of the car. The trunk is almost nice enough
to sublet, but the lack of windows just might be a problem.
The sport sedan is Acura’s mainstay, and they hit the mark very near the
bull’s-eye. ‘Just a bit too much torque steer to keep it from hitting
the mark dead center.
