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2006 Acura TL Road Test

TL On My Mind

I have long held great affection for the Acura TLs styling, but lately I had developed a great fear that it might disappoint me with confused dynamics or dated ergonomics. Turns out I had nothing to fear, on either count. Its interior design, like the exterior, is both stylish and functional, plus I was treated to a delightful comfort zone I havent been privy to since the Audi A6 I drove last winter. Everything was comfortable, from the pedals to the seats to the spacious headroom and sunroof overhead.

More than simply being comfortable, it was unassumingly beautiful; without drawing attention to itself, horizontal strips of metal lead the eye toward the center stack, housing one of the industrys most sophisticated sound systems: a DVD-based 6-channel audio system routed through 8 speakers for crystal clear sound quality matched only by top-tier home audio systems and live performances. As Justin commented: "I felt like I was being serenaded... by

Its been around for a while, but the TL is a reminder of Acuras engineering. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

the Doobie Brothers." Um, okay Justin. I had the same reaction, but for me it was Diana Kralls "Lets Fall in Love" that did it, bringing to mind visions of a leggy blonde playing the piano in a corner of a dingy, smoke-filled gin joint in a seedy part of town (okay, Ill give up on my Raymond Chandler rip-off right about... now).

Though this particular TL was lacking a navigation system, I never got lost or had need of its direction for any long trips; however, navigation is available for those wishing to spring for computer-guided mapping--available in the States with real time traffic updates, and with shutdowns to the highway

Technology, comfort and style are all included in this package. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

system for the weekend it was in my possession, I could have used some safety valves to get me away from the massive traffic overflow that was invading even the normally calmest parts of town. As it was, I managed to massage my way through tense traffic with a relaxing grin on my face. After struggling mightily to switch the HandsFreeLinks operating language from a language I dont read or speak back to English (I spent about half an hour in a mall parking lot, with manual in hand, trying to figure that one out), I had my BlueTooth phone connected and could answer any call simply by tapping the button on the steering wheel or dialing a number by using the voice command functions. Very cool. The only annoyance was having to reconnect

Myriad of textures and materials make the console truly interesting. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

every time I turned the car off, even if I didnt leave the car.

The rest of its amenities were similarly cosseting, like the climate control, heated leather seats, which were power adjustable with two memory settings and properly comfortable and supportive for all but the most aggressive driving, and plenty of door pockets and storage space for buckles, Crazy Glue and loose pieces of string (Im a MacGyver fan, what can I say). Oh yeah, and the center armrest perfectly fits CDs, a surprising deficiency in many vehicles with central storage and a CD player. One other thing that I absolutely adored was the gritty, almost sandpapery texture of the center stacks grey facing, making buttons easy to grip, but more so, its just so different from the typical carbon fiber, glossy piano black,

Front and rear comfort is excellent. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

wood trim and matte plastics were used to seeing, that it stood out as a highlight. The effect was sandblasted-metal look and sublime functionality. Its very appealing and separates the cabin from wannabe entry-level brands, providing a unique Acura flair to distance it from rivals that do equal it in terms of tactility and assembly quality (Im talking Audi here). Acura used a variety of materials throughout the cabin, mixing brushed, matte aluminum and stippled aluminum brightwork, as well as some token carbon-fiber look plastics, to break up the black of all the leather, upper dash and door liners.
Comfort wasnt restricted to front seat passengers, as a quick trip with my girlfriends niece and parents showed that the back seat had plenty of room, even with a bulky child seat taking up plenty of central real estate. I was also happy knowing that the TL is a safe car, with front,

With strong brakes and sticky tires, TL stays firmly planted in wet or dry conditions. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

side and curtain airbags to do a fair job of protecting all passengers in the event of an accident. Furthering my confidence is that the IIHS rates the TL as Good in both Frontal Offset and Side Impact crash tests, though it has a ways to go in regards to head restraint protection, achieving only a Marginal rating in Rear Crash Protection tests. However, its the TLs terrific confidence on the road, as well as its near undetectable VSA traction control assuring safe emergency maneuvers that will win you over, because there is no such thing as a good accident, unless you count the one that you avoid.

In order to avoid said accidents, Acura outfits the TL with 17x8 inch alloys wrapped in Bridgestone all-season rubber (235/45R17) that do a fantastic job in the dry and wet, pulling the vehicle down from speed with complete authority, although there was no snow available to test their mettle in the really tricky stuff. In support of the

3.2-liter V6 produces a very hearty 258 horsepower, without direct injection or forced aspiration. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

grippy rubber were 4-channel, 4-wheel disc brakes (11.4-inch ventilated up front, 11.1-inch solid rears) aided by Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, ensuring that each wheel gets the appropriate amount of friction to bring the car to its most efficient halt, and also ensuring better control coming into turns. TL models with the 6-speed manual get upgraded 12.4-inch front discs squeezed by 4-piston Brembo calipers.

Why would such a sedate car need such superb brakes? Sedate? Ha. I got so comfortable cruising around town in luxury that I often forgot that there was 258 horsepower on tap. So, whenever I felt the need to escape a sticky traffic situation, I was treated to a burst of shocking acceleration--always surprising me with more than enough power, except when held against something like a Merc S500 screaming by at 200+ km/h... scared the HID headlights right off of me. As for my TL, its revised SAE numbers leave it at the aforementioned 258 and 233 lb-ft of torque, plenty enough for the 3,585 pound sedan,

6-speed manual gearbox is available with Dynamic package. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

but down from previous Honda "estimates" of 270 hp and 238 lb-ft. No matter, this 3.2L V6 is a new-tech 4-valve per cylinder all-aluminum affair using Hondas VTEC variable valve timing for plenty of pull everywhere in the powerband. Most impressive was how well the automatic managed that powerband, never fluttering, sputtering or hiccoughing even through a twisty, hilly combination we like to call our test track. The 5-speed Sequential SportShift automatic transmission with Grade Logic had an answer to every question, demand or tantrum my right foot could throw at it, and the manual shift allowed a bit of pre-corner prepping, although it pretty much shunts you out of first gear at 3,500 rpm and wont let you back in, helping to save Honda engineers and technicians a lot of transmission repairs, Im sure.

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