2009 Acura TL SH-AWD Review by Car and Driver

01.31.2009

2009 Acura TL SH-AWD – Road Test

The 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD is possibly what the 2012 Cadillac CTS might have been; could easily be what Bruce Wayne’s off-duty ride would have been; and is definitely a misunderstood car by the masses that will successfully take Acura in the direction it needs to go in. A true breakthrough design.

At last, an Acura aggressively sculpted from headlight to taillight with a single theme in mind; rakish, ominous and just knocking on the door of menacing.

The test TL SH-AWD was equipped with the tech package and the summer-rated 245/40ZR-19 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s. Maximum handling, but the 40ZR-19s aren’t ideal for daily driving as they transform the perfectly balanced sport/luxury feeling of the SH-AWD into a car that will jolt your spine on your daily drive.

The TL’s cockpit is akin to a helicopter; “a mosaic of black buttons—dozens of them—marked precisely in white and grouped around two central knobs, a big one below for twisting, turning, and toggling around the screen, a small one above it for entertainment on/off/volume. You’ll need training before lifting off, preferably a few hours of familiarization when you needn’t keep your eyes on the road.”

Patrick Bedard wrote what we thought was a very compelling, honest and adjective heavy review of the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD…one that made us feel proud that somebody else finally sees this marvel the same way AcuraBoard.com sees it…but perhaps, the entire tone of the review was wrapped in sarcasm…you be the judge.  Patrick – if you;re reading this, please drop us a line and let us know.

[Source: Car and Driver]

The Acura RL, which is positioned as the flagship sedan in the Acura line-up, but has been out-muscled by its TL sibling, will be the recipient of a long overdue heart transplant.  When the next generation RL debuts in 2011, Acura will stuff the company’s first-ever production V8 into the front of what’s rumored to be a BMW 7 series fighter. Specs about the V8 are not yet available, but we’ll keep looking.

[Source Car and Driver]