Acura TL is a strong entry with all-wheel drive: A short stint review

A picture of The Acura TL is a strong luxury midsize sedan--with the exception of the grille.

The Acura TL is a strong luxury midsize sedan--with the exception of the grille.

As-tested price: $42,995
Drivetrain: 3.7-liter V6; AWD, five-speed automatic
Output: 305 hp @ 6,200 rpm, 273 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm
Curb weight: 3,986 lb
Fuel economy (EPA/AW): 20/20.1 mpg
Options: None

OUR TAKE: If you overlook the hideous face Acura plastered onto the front of the new TL, you are left with a really strong luxury midsize sedan.

There is solidity everywhere you look in the TL, from the impeccable engine and transmission combination and the well-built interior. The engine is quiet with a strong linear power delivery that gets things up to speed quickly, and the five-speed automatic is a slick unit with fast and almost unnoticeable shifts. We do wonder, though, why Acura didn't opt for a six-speed that probably could have squeezed another mpg or two on the EPA ratings.

As we learned from our dearly departed long-term MDX, SH-AWD is just the ticket to have in snowstorms. Significant accumulations just didn't faze the all-wheel-drive TL. When the road crews finally plowed and salted the roads, it was a comfortable cruiser that stays firmly planted when dancing around corners, while the brakes offer a firm pedal and good bite. We would like slightly quicker steering response, though.

Complain about the explosion of buttons in the interior, but some think it's the lesser of two evils when compared with a touch screen or iDrive-like system. The interior is like a shrunken version of the dash from the MDX, and that's a good thing because it looks great. The comfortable seats are shaped like the MDX's that we raved about.

With a base price of $43,000, the Acura also offers a decent value. BMW's 528i xDrive comes with a $5,000 premium over the TL SH-AWD with a less-powerful engine. For a BMW with a comparable engine, you're looking at a $10,000 price difference. You give up the German pedigree and will lose some in the handling department, but we're sure many would be willing to forego such things for $10K.

We're eagerly waiting for the announced six-speed manual to come this fall--and hopefully a Type S version.

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