by Steve Schutz, MD
In 1986 — can it be 20 years already? — Acura, Japan’s first luxury automotive brand, was born. The Legend, a mid-size premium sedan that hit the U.S. market like a meteorite, was their first car. And what a car it was.
A BMW 5-series/Mercedes E-class wannabe, the Legend provided a luxurious, refined, and reasonably sporty driving experience for far less than the German competition.
Enter the new TL, the spiritual successor to the Legend sedan. Imbued with 20 years of progress and injected with extra athleticism, the TL once again takes aim at the 5-series and E-class. While it’s relatively close to the aforementioned benchmark luxury sedans in size, features, and drivability —I’d add the Lexus GS to the list of benchmarks, by the way —the TL lacks rear wheel drive and V8 availability, two major drawbacks in this market segment. Still, its price, around $35,000 nicely equipped, is a major attraction.
Since its redesign in 2004, the TL is no longer boring to look at. While the previous TL’s exterior seemed designed to offend no one, the new one incorporates a sleek profile, sharp creases, bulging fenders, and larger 17-inch alloy wheels for a much more extroverted (and attractive) look.
The TL’s cockpit has also been upgraded. The interior in the last version was more Honda Accord-ish than I’d like, but the new TL’s is significantly better thanks to materials that are richer in texture and appearance. I especially like the brushed aluminum accents, which highlight the TL’s sporty nature and distinguish it from the wood-and-leather-everywhere Lexus ES 350.
Front passengers will appreciate a couple of inches of extra elbow room, as will the two outboard occupants of the rear bench. But as is usually the case, the middle seat in back is best reserved for small children.
On the road, the TL provides a noticeably more engaging driving experience than before, due primarily to a bulked-up single-overhead-cam 3.2-liter V-6 engine that boosts horsepower from 225 to 258. Transmission choices on the TL include a six-speed manual gearbox and a five-speed automatic with manual shift capability. I haven’t driven the manual equipped TL, but the automatic shifts crisply in all modes and doesn’t slow the car down much; published zero-to-sixty times are in the mid six second range, excellent for a near luxury family sedan. And my real-time experiences with the TL confirm what the numbers indicate — it’s fast.
The exhaust note could be better, though. While undoubtedly smooth, the TL’s motor just can’t match the muscular sound of a V8 or the refined whoosh of a BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus six.
In addition to being quick, the TL is surprisingly nimble and fun to drive enthusiastically. With the previous edition, you had to order the Type S version to get all the go-fast add-ons, but the new model includes them, plus it has a nicer ride. Credit double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, front and rear stabilizer bars, and a well-sorted rack-and-pinion steering system for that. For the record, an even hotter Type S TL with 286 HP is now available, but I haven’t driven it yet, so I can’t comment further.
As regular readers know, I am forever skeptical that a front-wheel drive car can be engineered to handle with the same precision as a rear-driver, but I have to say the TL comes pretty close. It’s only when you’re really pushing it that understeer becomes an issue, and that point you’re probably going too fast. Nevertheless, for the price true enthusiasts may prefer the smaller but sportier 3-series BMW or Lexus IS, both of which have RWD and are more focused.
The 2007 Acura TL is outfitted so comprehensively that the only major options are a $2,000 navigation system with real-time traffic information and Bridgestone Potenza performance tires. For your $35,000 or so, Acura includes a power moonroof, six-disc CD changer, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and DVD-Audio surround sound.
Put me down as a Bluetooth fan. I have it on my everyday car and love making calls while keeping both hands on the wheel. I know studies suggest a hands-free system is no safer than holding your phone up to your ear, but I have my doubts. My personal opinion is that Bluetooth makes me a safer driver.
For the record, all the other safety gear San Antonio Medicine readers are likely to insist on comes standard in the TL. That includes front and side air bags, side-curtain air bags for front and rear passengers, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, as well as electronic stability control.
The 07 Acura TL is better in nearly every respect than its predecessor and near the top of the near-luxury class. If you’re looking for something sportier than a Lexus ES 350 and aren’t willing to pay Mercedes/BMW prices, give the TL a look. You’ll see that Acura has learned a lot during their twenty years of existence.
