2009 Acura TL - Expert Reviews
Expert Reviews from Around the Web
We have scoured the web for expert reviews of this car and found the best ones for you to read. Found 12 reviews. This list is displayed in ranked order based the reviews we think are the best.| Ranking | Details |
|---|---|
| #1 |
2009 acura tl Professional Edmunds ReviewSource: Edmunds...Interior Design and Special Features: Along with the litany of standard and optional high-tech features, the 2009 Acura TL features a thoroughly high-tech design. The center stack juts out in a waterfall fashion toward the driver, which puts climate, audio and navigation controls right at hand. The steering wheel also features a number of buttons for audio, cruise control, the trip computer, Bluetooth and the Technology Package's large number of voice commands. With either trim (and its subsequent LCD display), a direct iPod interface is standard and one of the best available. Interior... |
| #2 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Simply loverly. This car definitely has some sporting moxie. The electric steering is twitchy and accurate, though synthetically heavy; the suspension (springs, dampers, stabilizer bars) is tensed and actually a bit scabrous over rough road. Does it boil the sporting blood? Maybe not, but it seems to have purpled my backside. My reservations have to do with the way the rest of this machine feels, the whole mikva, if you will. For starters, this is a much bigger car than it used to be, a full 6 inches longer over a wheelbase stretched 1.4 inches. The TL SH-AWD -- schwaddd? -- is nearly 2 tons... |
| #3 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...A Technology Package provides interior upgrades like keyless access, voice activation for the navigation system, an 8-inch full-color navigation display and a premium audio system. The TL's trunk has 12.5 cubic feet of storage space, which is less than the Infiniti G and Lexus ES. The TL seats five. Standard interior features include: Leather-trimmed interior 10-way power driver's seat, including power lumbar support Dual-zone automatic climate control Heated front seats Steering-wheel buttons that operate audio, cruise-control and voice-recognition functions Under the Hood There's a choice... |
| #4 |
Flash Drive: 2009 Acura TLSource: MSN Autos...The seats are super comfortable, and equipped to quickly heat and cool the passengers. The driver is unfortunately surrounded with a plethora of buttons on the steering wheel and along the center console that makes it feel as if he or she is piloting an airplane. Fortunately, one has access to real-time traffic information, Zagat restaurant details and a usable voice-recognition system. Driving the car is a pleasure due to the crisp handling, the smooth and powerful engine, the option of all-wheel drive and the security of many airbags and electronic safety features. I applaud Acura for... |
| #5 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...And what "they" did this time around was give the TL a definitive, sporting personality -- a persona that is a distinct TL persona in the way that the BMW 3-Series identity fits the BMW 3-Series and nothing else. For Acura, that is a design breakthrough. We no longer have a TL that is trying to figure out if it's little more than a Honda Accord with a slightly more sporting chassis or something less than a BMW-3 Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class with Acura badges. In its current iteration -- the fourth generation of the car -- the Acura TL finally makes its own statement. And it does so... |
| #6 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Acura's mouselike, multifunction control knob operates the navigation system, which is fairly straightforward and easy to learn. The navigation system can also be operated with voice controls, as can a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. LEDs are used throughout the interior to highlight areas at night, and they are most useful. The front seats are extremely comfortable and supportive. Rear-seat legroom is 1.3 inches greater than in last year's model. The surround-sound DVD-audio system is so good it will make your home stereo sound weak. Acura's unit uses six distinct channels to deliver sound... |
| #7 |
CarGurus' Review for 2009 acura tlSource: CarGurus
...With the reliability and high resale value associated with the Acura name, the 2009 TL continues to excel as a solid and safe high-end entry-level sedan. |
| #8 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The TL's $34,955 price brings the front-drive model equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 280 horsepower and 254 foot-pounds of torque. It's connected to a sequential SportShift five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel- mounted paddle shifters and Grade Logic Control, which helps keep it from constantly changing gears while going up or down hills. This engine replaces the 3.2-liter, 258-horsepower V-6 of the 2008 model. Even with the boost in power, the new engine has the same EPA ratings as the 3.2-liter -- 18 mpg city and 26 highway. For performance buffs, only the... |
| #9 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The leather seats are perforated, which helps keep occupants from slipping during aggressive driving. And they're heated but not cooled, as in the RL. If the RL can share AWD with TL, why not the cooled seats? The TL looks good and behaves well. One gripe, however, is that it sits low, a family trait of Acura and Honda. That's fine for handling, but when you pull to the stoplight and have to look up at the car in the next lane, you wonder why the sedan goes so low, especially an AWD one that's going to be called on in the snow. The base FWD TL has a 3.5-liter, 280-horsepower V-6; the SH-AWD... |
| #10 |
2009 Acura TL Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Safety features abound on the TL, including Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering front body structure, designed to match the bumpers of other vehicles on the road; electronic stability control with traction control; four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist; a tire-pressure monitoring system; active front head restraints; front seat-mounted side air bags; roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows; child-seat anchors and tethers; front fog lights; break-away rearview mirror; emergency trunk interior release; and... |
Acura TL Related News
2007-08 Acura TL Models Recalled For Leaky Power Steering Hose
Acura has issued a voluntarily recall on all 2007 and 2008 TL sedans due to a potential fluid leak caused by worn out power steering hoses. Acura says there are some 52,615... May 17, 2012 by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Acura Recalls TL and CL Models For Driver Airbag Issue
Honda is expanding an already-announced recall of select 2001 to 2003 Honda and Acura models. At issue is the driver’s airbag inflator, which may deploy with too much... December 2, 2011 by Kurt Ernst
2012 Acura TL: First Drive
When it was launched as a 2009 model, the Acura TL was the most extreme definition of Acura's new styling direction. It was a polarizing design, with a brash front end and... May 2, 2011 by John Voelcker 4
2012 Acura TL On Sale March 18, Starts From $35,605
If you're jonesing for some slightly de-beaked Acura TL, you don't have long to wait: the new 2012 version goes on sale on March 18. Unfortunately, apart from a very mild... March 9, 2011 by Nelson Ireson 5
Video: 2012 Acura TL Unveiling At 2011 Chicago Auto Show
We aren't huge fans of the facelifted 2012 Acura TL's design, as it looks quite a lot like the last one, though there's a lot to redeem the car once you get past the face... February 10, 2011 by Nelson Ireson
Why should I also consider these?
The Audi A4, also redesigned for 2009, is a front-wheel-drive-biased vehicle just like the TL, but Audi has taken great pains to move its mass rearward and make it a sportier, more engaging drive—and they succeeded.
BMW's 3-Series is the benchmark for its class due to its magical ride/handling combination, but it's a tighter fit inside and options are pricey.
The Cadillac CTS presents as strong a styling statement as the TL, yet does so in an appealing way; rear-wheel drive, a well-sorted chassis, great powertrains, and a sumptuous interior complete a compelling package.
Starting in the low thirties, yet with an interior that comes within inches of a Mercedes S550 for richness and room, the rear-wheel-drive Hyundai Genesis sedan is the value leader here, but soft handling means it won't win in the slalom.
Volkswagen's Passat also brings great value and a stunning interior to the table, but just like the TL, its front-wheel-drive setup won't thrill driving enthusiasts.
