Acura TL SH-AWD is technological masterpiece

• By STEVE WHEELER
• Advocate WHEELS editor
• Published: Jul 17, 2009

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“Hey, what are you driving this week?” is a question I get several times a day at the office.

My answer last week was, “I’m in an Acura TL.”

“Oh , is that the one that with the front end that looks like a beaver?”

I had to go out to the parking lot to see what my co-worker was talking about. After carefully surveying the front end of the TL, I decided I’d need at least a couple of shots of whiskey to be able to find anything beaver-like in the chiseled front end of the TL.

If you ask me, it looked more like a stealth bomber, or maybe the Starship Enterprise.

People can see different things in the abstract, sort of like looking at white clouds on a bluebird day: “No, that cloud doesn’t look like Lincoln. It looks more like Elvis.”

I think the stealth bomber description of the 2009 Acura TL is appropriate, especially after I planted my backside in the driver’s seat. I tested the Acura TL SH-AWD Tech, which stands for Super Handling All Wheel Drive with the technology package. Aptly named, this car has technology coming out its tailpipes.

Standard on the TL model are a five-speed sequential shift automatic transmission with paddle shifters, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, all-wheel drive, hard disk drive, XM Satellite Radio, MP3, USB, a driver memory recognition system, 10-way power heated seats, Homelink, Bluetooth, solar-sensing dual climate control, power everything and a safety system that earned five stars across the board.

The TL Technology Package adds navigation with voice recognition, a backup camera, AcuraLink real time traffic, an Acura/ELS Surround premium audio system and keyless access with pushbutton start.

The nav screen can even display Doppler-style weather radar that would make Pat Shingleton proud.

The dashboard is awash with buttons and controls, and it’s amazing that anything short of Riverbend’s reactor can power it all. The TL is a super sophisticated vehicle, yet the controls were not that complicated to learn and use.

The TL test vehicle was powered by a 3.7-liter V-6 that produces 305 horsepower. I might have preferred a 6-speed transmission, but the 5-speed automatic with sequential shift and paddles was standard. But because the transmission has a wide gear ratio, the TL delivers immediate and significant response, especially in the lower gears. Even with all the power, the TL SH-AWD gets a respectable 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway. 

While the TL was equipped with AWD, it felt a little like a front-wheel drive vehicle during normal acceleration and cornering. But dive into a hard turn and the system kicks extra power to the outside rear wheel, while at the same time regulating torque front to back as well as left to right. The result: flat turns and balanced performance in all kinds of weather.