2010 Acura TL 6-Speed
2010 TL Gets 6-Speed Manual
I don’t know if the styling of the Acura TL has grown on me in the last year, or whether my test car, which was painted white, made the design look more subtle. From some angles the TL is quite attractive, but that massive nose is a polarizing styling cue. Folks either like its in-your-face quality, or are repelled by it.
On the inside, there’s not much to dispute. Acura designed a sporty, yet refined, cabin. It features twin-cockpits up front. Driver and front passenger get well-bolstered sport seats covered in perforated leather. The ones in my test car were finished in a subtle dove gray color. Muted silver trim on the dash and doors provided a nice complement. The steering wheel was leather-covered and meaty. Large gauges, in front of the driver, were easy to read. The center control panel for the audio and climate controls was compact, but logically arranged.
The current TL is a larger car than the model it replaced. Acura made it six-inches longer and three-inches wider. With its greater overall size, it has more space in the cabin and in the trunk. Rear-seat passengers benefit the most. They get an inch more of hip room and 1.4-inches of additional legroom. It’s not a limo-like backseat, but it’s quite comfortable now. The trunk at 13.1 cu.-ft. is also a tad larger than before, however the narrow opening restricts what you can load.
The base TL comes with front-wheel drive and a 3.5-liter V-6 that cranks out 280 hp. It’s hooked up to a 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Acura suggests that it will get to 60 in under six seconds. Fuel economy is estimated at 18-mpg in the city and 26-mpg on the highway, which is not bad for this class of car.
The Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) model, like the one I drove, is the hot rod of the lineup. It gets a 3.7-liter V-6 that delivers 305 hp, and 0-60 in about five seconds. This is the most powerful engine that Acura has ever offered. It can be had with the 5-speed automatic, or new for 2010, a 6-speed manual transmission. My test car had the latter, and it featured a smooth shifting gearbox, with a light and progressive clutch. Acura hopes that some hard-core enthusiasts might choose the TL, rather than a comparable BMW or Audi.
The SH-AWD delivers 90-percent of the engine’s torque to the front wheels in normal cruising. However, under acceleration and in hard cornering, 70-percent can be switched to the rear. And up to 100-percent of that torque can be directed to the outside wheel in cornering situations. The upshot of this is that the SH-AWD model almost eliminates understeer, and corners more flatly than the FWD version. The SH-AWD also gets bigger brakes and faster steering.
When you first drive a SH-AWD down a challenging road, it becomes immediately evident that you are driving a serious sport sedan. The steering impresses with its sharpness. The handling feels confident, thanks to a well-tuned suspension and all-wheel drive. The V-6 delivers power and a purposeful growl when you hit the gas, and the easy-shifting manual gearbox is a delight to use.
Last year, the ride quality of the SH-AWD that I drove was rock hard. Not so, this time around. My test car wasn’t exactly smooth, in fact, it could get jittery on uneven surfaces, but it was reasonably compliant on all but the roughest roads. And, the cabin was really quiet when cruising on the freeways.
The Acura TLs are competitively priced. The front-wheel drive model starts at $35,915. The SH-AWD (automatic or manual) begins at $39,475. My test car with the “Tech” package (navigation system, 10-speaker audio, push-button entry/start) and 19-inch wheels, with high-performance tires, had a bottom line of $44,195.
Snapshot Review:
Controversial Styling
Strong Power Train
Sport Sedan Handling
