Acura

Acura 2012 Acura TL


For years, Acura approached the evolution of its vehicles with the deliberate patience of a carpenter wielding a sanding block. Rough mechanical or aesthetic edges were banished not with axe swings, but with small motions that seemed barely perceptible compared to the ranging whims of the competition.

Then the 2009 TL came along.

While the automaker had already begun to dabble with its then-new corporate shield grille, the TL took the piece and ran with it in a direction no one else was heading. Ask Acura about the thinking behind the design, and the company will say that the look was a product of the times. When the vehicle was penned, the world was preoccupied with ever larger displays of affluence, and Acura wanted a sedan that was unmistakable in every way. Unfortunately, the fourth-generation TL landed right as the housing bubble popped and the rest of the economy began circling the drain.

In order to right the TL’s wrongs for 2012, Acura has put down the chainsaw in favor of the carving knife to build an altogether more attractive vehicle that brings additional fuel economy to the table as well. Are the small changes enough for the luxury sedan to put its dreaded beak behind it?


2012 Acura TL softens skin, sharpens claws in Chicago

Let’s be honest – the Acura TL isn’t exactly a pretty car. And while the vast majority of the automotive media and enthusiast forums immediately lashed out at the TL’s angular design, we were nothing short of pleased with its luxurious, high-tech interior and solid driving dynamics – especially the six-speed manual-equipped SH-AWD. For the 2012 model year, Acura has softened some of the car’s harsh lines, and while the automaker tells us that both the front and rear fascias are “all-new,” there’s no mistaking this sedan for anything but a TL.

Because this is merely a modest mid-cycle refresh, the TL’s powertrain hasn’t been completely overhauled. Both the 3.5- and 3.7-liter V6s are still on hand, though a new six-speed automatic transmission helps improve performance and fuel economy. A new set of 19-inch all-season tires are available on SH-AWD models in an effort to improve performance on snow and ice, fitted to an updated set of alloy wheels.

Inside, Acura has made substantial improvements to reduce wind and road noise, and the HDD navigation system has been upgraded to 60 gigabytes for improved music storage. What’s more, a new Advance Package nets customers things like a blind spot information system and cooled front seats. Look for the 2012 TL to hit dealerships later this year. Follow the jump for the official press release.


2012 Acura TL is the face of change… at least a little bit


Acura has yanked the sheets off of the latest take on its bread-and-butter TL at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. In the face of much criticism, the Japanese automaker’s stylists have set about taking some of the edge off of the sedan’s styling with a fresh front fascia that goes some way toward making the vehicle look more like a car and less like Picaso’s interpretation of one. The 2012 TL now wears shorter overhangs both front and rear, and the new look includes shedding the chrome trim from around the rear taillamps for a look that’s altogether more appetizing than the previous iteration.

A few changes have cropped up under the hood as well. Acura engineers managed to cut engine friction to increase fuel economy, and a new six-speed automatic transmission helps bump the final figures to 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. That’s an increase of three mpg highway over the five-speed automatic-equipped 2010 model. Fans of the third pedal need not fret, though. Acura says that buyers will still be able to snag their 2012 TL SH-AWD with the same six-speed manual setup that’s currently available.

2012 Acura TL to debut at Chicago Auto Show



Acura has announced that it will debut the newly refreshed 2012 TL at the Chicago Auto Show next month. Details are slim as of this writing, but the automaker says that the 2012 model “further enhances its position in the segment with aggressive, yet refined styling and performance.”

In its current form, the TL has been praised for its high-quality and tech-friendly interior, not to mention the relatively impressive driving dynamics of the SH-AWD 6MT model. However, the biggest deal-breaker for the current TL has been its styling, which has garnered a whole slew of negative praise – especially the angular front fascia. We’ll have the full details on the 2012 TL closer to its official debut on February 9, so stay tuned.

Styling biggest reason people reject Acura



It’s no secret that the corporate schnoz adopted in recent years by Acura is, shall we say… controversial. But whether or not it’s helping or hurting sales is up for debate. On one hand, the brand’s 24-percent increase in sales in 2010 over the previous year has Honda’s luxury division outpacing the gains of its rivals. On the other hand, nearly everyone’s 2009 sales figures went down the economic toilet, and J.D. Power reports that exterior styling is the number one reason new car shoppers are rejecting the marque, followed closely by Acura’s interior styling.

Perhaps tellingly, Acura’s two most successful models in sales gains are the MDX and RDX utility vehicles, models competing in burgeoning segments (and the former of which features a somewhat muted faces compared to the rest of the company’s lineup). But hope may be on the way, and soon. According to Automotive News, Dave Conant, who owns an Acura store in Mission Viejo, California and has gotten an early look at the next-gen TL, Acura’s middle child is getting a major nose job.

And more new models are reportedly on the horizon as well, including hybrids and a likely return to the entry-level compact luxury class. What’s more, the automaker has promised dealers that future models will be better differentiated from one another, both styling-wise and in size. All that sounds good, just so long as no giant polished cow-catcher grilles get in the way.


2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon





Brush your long, grungy mop from your eyes, turn down the Nirvana and take a look around. It’s the early ’90s and an army of sport utility vehicles are flooding the streets. The newest four-wheeled object of America’s affection has quickly become the default mode of transportation for everyone from inner city professionals to suburban soccer moms.

Fast forward a couple of decades and although sport utes are still around, they’ve largely been displaced by the crossover – the SUV’s easier-to-maneuver, more fuel efficient and more comfortable unibody progeny. But even after years of refinement, the CUV is still a basketcase of compromises. Which begs the question: Did we have it right back in the day? Is a wagon still the best compromise of size, functionality and driving dynamics? We snagged the keys to a 2011 Acura TSX Sports Wagon to find out.