It’s hard for me to pick favorites when it comes to cars. The older a car gets, it becomes easier to form an opinion based on how well it stands the test of time. So after a decade, I can now confidently say that the 2004-2008 Acura TL is one of my favorite cars of all time.
The TL has been Acura’s best-selling sedan annually as far back as the late-’90s. For its entire life, the TL has offered a well-balanced trifecta of luxury, performance, and value in the typical-Acura understated fashion. I’ve liked all generations of the TL (yes, even the current one), but the 2004-2008 third generation is hands down the best-looking TL, and probably one of the most attractive Japanese cars of all time.
Not only does this car’s beautiful styling still look great a decade later, but its appeal of its design has not been recaptured by another Japanese car in years since. I often find this view shared by other Acura owners/enthusiasts in discussion.
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but that’s usually the first thing I do when I lay eyes upon a car for the first time. There are plenty of cars I didn’t like at first glance, but have warmed up to, and even have a love for. Thankfully this generation TL was a looker, and for me it was pure lust from the first brand new one I saw a decade ago.
The front starts from its shield-like grille and rising aggressive trapezoidal-shaped power dome. The grille is flanked by narrow, swept-back xenon headlights, which lead into flared wheel arches. From the side turn signals, a concave contour line runs along the entire side through the rear side-markers.
The dramatic roofline is sporty and formal at the same time. Then it all ends at a very upright, squared off rear. “Just right”-sized 17-inch 5-spoke wheels and side skirts complete the look. The look is Bold. Sharp. Elegant. Like the blade of a sword.
The TL was easily the best-looking car among similarly priced competitors. These included cars such as the Lexus ES and Cadillac CTS.
The taillights on many contemporary cars all look alike to me. Not here. While simple, these taillights are very distinct, and follow the contours of the sheet metal. 2007-08 TLs would get clear-lensed taillights with red LEDs; I like the original design here better.
Most TLs were powered by a 3.2L SOHC V6 with Honda’s VTEC valve variable timing. This iteration of the 3.2L was unique to the TL, as the CL coupe was discontinued when the previous generation TL ended production. Originally rated at 270 horsepower and 233 lb ft of torque, the new horsepower measurements decreased ratings to still-respectable 258. Performance was competitive, with the TL’s 0-60 time under 6 seconds. For 2007 and 2008 only, the performance-oriented TL Type-S was available, with the RL’s larger 3.5L V6. Making the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list in 2008, it boasted 286 horsepower and 256 lb ft of torque. 0-60 time was 5.5 seconds.
The interior is typical Acura “techy”, with neutral colors, lots of buttons, dark metal trim, and an arching center console as the focal point. The one I photographed sports my favorite “Parchment” colored leather with light wood-look trim for a warmer feel.
Although this car is approaching 10 years old, the driver’s seat leather still looks prematurely worn. The leather in my own 2010 TSX is actually showing signs of wear on the outboard side bolster.
Upon reading an Acura owner’s forum, I found out that this is a common problem in newer Acuras. Apparently Acura switched their supplier of standard-grade leather in the mid-’00s. The newer leather, while softer, tends to wear and scuff easier, especially in lighter colors.
Despite all the people I know who own or have owned one of these TLs, I am shocked to say that I’ve never driven or ridden in one. Maybe the mystique is part of my fascination with this car. I’m sure the driving experience would be similar to that of my own 2010 TSX (same powertrain, similar interior features and dimensions wrapped in different styling). Regardless, this was the car that made me think about Acura when it came time for me to get a new car last year. If I could’ve bought one of these I would have. But people hold onto these cars. My neighbor owns an ’07 royal blue TL, which I’m ashamed to admit he pampers even more than I do my car.
Acura’s history has been one of peaks and valleys; I’m sad to say that things aren’t the best of times right now. As a brand, Acura’s sales levels are in the middle of the luxury brand field. But the majority comes from its family-oriented RDX, and the MDX, which I believe is Acura’s true flagship, not the RLX.
Needless to say, I’ve always been an Acura fan. Yet I agree that current Acuras could use a serious injection of style and a dose more of luxury. Would it kill them to make their interiors a little more inviting with some warmer color schemes and real wood tones? Then there’s the elephant in the room: the fact that their entire lineup has always been front-wheel drive based. Many enthusiasts will never take Acura seriously until they (unlikely) build a rear-wheel drive car. Rear-wheel drive isn’t the one step solution that these critics would want you to believe though, just look at Infiniti.
I doubt I’ll ever get my hands on one of these TLs. Despite their high sales volume, finding a near-mint, low-mileage, and affordable example is harder than you’d think; trust me I’ve looked.
This model and the Legend series (all years) are the only ones I would own, if I could afford to do so.
I am fairly well acquainted with these. I worked with one fellow who bought a CPO 2004 or 2005 (silver) and currently work with a guy with a newer one (gunmetal gray), both with black leather.
The bodies are really tight and the cars are very nice. The only gripe would be the traditional Honda trait of road noise that is a notch above others in the class, but it is not bad. OK, the other was on the older silver car that required a tranny replacement (and then the replaement required a replacement due to a leak). But, he got an extended warranty and Acura took care of it with no complaints. The tranny issues have supposedly been resolved in the newer cars.
I agree with you – these may be the most attractive cars of the 2000s. There is a muscular yet elegant quality about them – the Sean Connery of modern cars? I would have no trouble owning one of these. Maybe someday when they are farther down the depreciation curve.
“The Sean Connery of modern cars”
I may have to start referring to this car by that title!
Very handsome car, even more than the TSX/Accord.The front ends of the Accord/TSX and TL look very very similar, do they share headlamps? It’s too bad this car is Acura (and its markets) only. Honda has been referred to as the Japanese BMW, starting with the 2002-2008 Accord and the TL, it now also competes with that brand on looks: sporty yet stylish.
Proof that taste is subjective. I don’t dislike the ’04-’08 TL, but I’m not crazy about it, either. I always thought it tried too hard to look butch, the rear wheels look smaller than the front ones thanks to somewhat awkward dead cat space, and the BMW-aping character line annoys me. Acura (rather, Honda) was building good cars back then, and didn’t need to slavishly imitate anyone.
I took test drives of a TL and TSX in 2006. I thought the TSX was the better – if slower – car and that’s what I wound up getting. It replaced a 2000 TL (a design which I always thought was underrated).
Don’t get me started on Acura’s styling since 2008.
I can’t find a styling aspect on these that I find attractive. Too many unfinished lines. The character line looks particularly bad being book ended by the lights and running under the handles. The flared front fenders do make the rears look awkward and of course we have the beginnings of the now infamous Acura beak.
All in all a mishmash of styling cues that give it a designed by committee look to me.
Good read, just can’t agree.
Torque steer galore. Fragile transmissions. Robotic industrial (yet forgettable) style. The middle child that was trying to be sporty but failed. Probably one of the reasons Acura isn’t doing so hot now. After they gave up real names for alphabet soup when it was trendy Acura became more and more meaningless except to its enthusiasts.
I have no figures to back it up (maybe you or someone else does) but this generation was a very good seller in my midwestern area. It is the newer one that I hardly ever see, due to the oddball front end styling that looks like an old-fashioned can opener.
No, you are right, this was a pretty good seller judging by how many I remember seeing around. I don’t think Honda releases production numbers (might be wrong on that too). Of course, like in other cases on here, once could use production numbers for or against the argument depending on perspective.
To me the TSX in production around the time of this car was more of an Acura than this was. This seemed like it was trying too hard to be something Acura isn’t. The style of this TL is worlds better than the ones that followed however!
From the old Honda/Acura official production reports I can find, the TL has always been Acura’s best-selling car line since at least 1998. It was the brand’s top selling model overall until MDX sales overtook it around ’07. Still the best-selling car in their lineup, but the MDX and RDX crossovers vastly outsell it.
I’ve just got TL sales numbers up to 2005, but they show a nice jump for 2004 and ’05:
2005- 78,218
2004- 77,895
2003- 56,770
2002- 60,764
2001- 69,484
2000- 67,033
1999- 56,566
1998- 31,883
The ’07-’08 transmission is supposedly a new unit and much less prone to failure. Even the ’06 TLs seem to have fewer failures than the ’04-’05 cars, though this is anecdotal.
It is my understanding that these are the same units as in the Odyssey minivans, and the failure mode was the same. At some point (and I am foggy on the year, but it certainly could be 07) Honda started using the unit that was in the Ridgeline, which was a heavier-duty unit than had been used previously in Odys and these.
I agree. My brother had one which he and I drove from Indiana to Cooperstown, NY non-stop. A comfortable but solid ride and fast. The later styling went off the cliff for me.
Mom and Dad bought a new ’05 with the dealer-installed A-Spec package, black on black with full window tint. They both love it, and still have it after all these years. I honestly don’t think very highly of it. Theirs ate it’s transmission not long after the standard warranty had run out. Surprisingly, Honda still went ahead and replaced the whole unit, free of charge. As it’s gotten older other issues have popped up. I am aware that the passenger window has been known to randomly open on it’s own, the navigation go blank and reset itself, and then there was that scary ESP/Traction control incident when the car panic-stopped itself from about 25 mph I was unfortunate enough to be a witness to as it happened. Granted, the car is approaching 10 years old, but I’d expect better when my own Accord I had was fault-free during my ownership. To each their own, I suppose.
I’m not a fan of Acura – to me, Honda’s answer to Pontiac – but I have to agree that this generation TL is the best-looking of all of them.
I especially like the downward-pointing grille, which is proportioned just right. The window line is great, too, but I strongly dislike the wide black window frames. I hate black window frames on any car, just paint them body color because flat black doesn’t say “sporty” to me, just a cheap way out, like a kid’s primered ride.
A friend’s wife recently got rid of hers, because it was pretty clapped-out at less than 150K miles. She bought a Hyundai Sonata hybrid…
I drive one of these, an ’08. I’ve had it since this past spring (though it has been in the family since new), and I’m very happy with it so far. Granted, it has just under 90K miles, but it has been problem-free so far (knock on wood). I get 22-24 MPG in mixed driving – not exceptional, but not bad for the size and power of the car. That said, the beige leather has not held up as well as it should – even after detailing, you can see light streaks and patches, some even bluish. The driver’s seat back is also flailing as in the picture. At the end of the day, however, these are only cosmetic problems and are only there if you look for them.
That’s pretty respectable mpg for a car like that.
Have you tried to re-dye the leather from one of those kits you see out there? Just curious.
90K isn’t horrible for that kind of seat wear. Although if this was a GM car some of the guys on here would be salivating at the chance to jump on the “see GM quality sucks” bandwagon 🙂
Yes, I should try one of those kits. Any recommendations for the brand?
I was actually hoping you’d be the guinea pig for this one. I’ve often thought of trying those kits but then I chicken out.
I’d like to try the miracle space age chip touchup system you see on TV all the time too, I’m just not convinced that it works to shell out the $$ yet.
But Cadillac, Buick or Olds leather wouldn’t look this bad after this few of miles or years.
The original Legend Coupe and this generation TL are probably my two favorite mass produced Japanese designs. Neither are original, but they have aged extraordinarily well.
It is disappointing to see how Acura (and Honda, to some degree) have lost the plot with regards to styling and design.
It does look better then the generation that followed it with its “Power Plenum”.(I swear I never knew what end was the back or front in those.
I think the 04-08 Gen still was plagued by the unreliable transmission(although to Honda’s credit, they have stepped up to the ball and replaced them with no hassle(Unlike GM or Ford with their POS 6spd auto trans) )
I recall these cars still had cassette players.
Yes, all of them did! I think only Lexus had cassette players longer.
I thought I was the only one who liked these cars. The nose reminds me of my favorite coupe – the Mark VIII. That it would smoke me in a stop-light drag race is disheartening, but the sound of the V8 is some solace. 5.5 seconds? That is serious quickness. I had no idea they were so fast. Soichiro would smile.
My boss had one of these, in fact he had two, he got rid of his 2004 and bought a 2008 so he could drive one longer.
So yes, he really loves these. Apparently because he’s very tall it’s one of the few sporty sedans that fit him well.
I’ve ridden in it a few times, aside from it being an Automatic (boo!) I didn’t like it as much as I expected. Noisy & harsh ride.
The cowl line is very low in these, which makes for great visibility but I recally the dash being oddly low too. Maybe because I’m used to minivans…
Don’t forget that there were manual transmission versions, which had excellent shift feel and a limited slip differential.
That said, I don’t really like the styling. It’s too “thick,” especially at the A-pillar and forward of the too-high cowl. It’s an improvement from the cheap and ugly 99-03 model and better looking than its successor (obviously), but to me, it’s very much faux luxury, like a Portobello burger at Wendy’s.
It’d be much more convincing to have these mechanical components and interior plastics in a less pretentious car (like the Accord?). But ever since their big cars went to a transverse FWD layout, they’re not in any way distinguished from their Honda bretheren.
Hardly one of the best looking Japanese cars ever. How about
Datsun 240Z
1978-1981 Toyota Celica
original Acura Legend, especially the coupe
even the 2nd generation Accord, 1982
Plus I think a BMW E46 looks better than this car
No kidding.
Interesting range of opinion. I much prefer the previous generation, in both TL and CL form. They seemed lithe in a way that this car doesn’t, though it’s much more in the mid-oughts mode.
I don’t care for the styling one bit. I find it awful. These things sat and sat for sale as used cars in this region. Just not very desirable here!
Let me guess, pickup trucks are very desirable in that region?
I’m more partial to the previous-generation TSX, which is a better size, although I wouldn’t want one without a manual gearbox.
I don’t mind the Mobile Suit Gundam detailing (it’s a definite improvement over the contemporary U.S. Accord on which this was based), but I’m put off by the visual bulk of these and a lot of recent cars in this class. I’ve seen a number of early-90s Lexus ES250s lately and was struck by how slim and tidy they look, even compared to a lot of C-segment cars that are roughly the same size.
Still, these look better than their immediate successors; I’m not fond of Honda and Acura’s current corporate “face.”
Excellent article, Brendan, you’re obviously a true TL fan. I’m a fan of the chrome caliper, too – currently running a ’95 Legend L sedan as my DD, which just had its 140K service performed at my local Acura dealer.
I’ve had the car for12 years and 70K now, and each time I get the “something different” itch, I realize the attraction and value of this car; legendary (sorry) reliability, more fun to drive than the comparable MB C-class, yards of legroom (the 114″ wheelbase helps), a great long-distance cruiser, and no torque steer. Plus, what styling others might consider ‘bland,’ I consider stealth, and thus a bonus. And you’ll notice that this second edition (’91-’95) is the only model Legend that doesn’t give its fwd roots away with an elongated (and to my eyes, ungainly) front overhang.
So if you’re calling future classics, I nominate the ’91-’95 Legend (which has already been featured in a CC article), and one more – the original, 2005-07 RL; lots of content in a restrained package, even if the front overhang is still a little long for my taste. A very well-proportioned car. The SH-AWD is a bonus, and it’s propelled by the same sweet 3.5L V6. Tasty.
And while we’re at it, I wouldn’t exactly kick a previous-generation CL Type S coupe (with a six-speed, of course) out of my garage.
Now about that NSX with the T-tops…
We don’t get Acura in NZ, but we get do the bulk of the “Acura” models under their Honda badging. I must admit, I just don’t ‘get’ Honda/Acura today, and it feels like the company has lost it’s way to a degree. But having said that, I do really like that TL – very handsome inside and out, and I especially love that contour line along the body and the shape of the rear door/D-pillar. But let’s hope that both Honda and Acura find some of the magic that distinguished them in the late 80s…
A good article and I liked these too but felt after driving one they were over-rated. One thing is for sure this car, being smaller than the first and third gens, hit the sweet spot for sport sedan size. Acura was trying to go after the 3-series and it worked, at least for looks.
Sales were best ever for a TL and it sold well until the very end, even though the similarly priced Infiniti G35 was a better car. The weak points of the TL were torque steer and steering feel. The car was also noisy and thirsty.
But yes it was a looker.
Clearly, you are not alone in your admiration of the Acura’s styling. I found the last Malibu’s profile to be very influenced by these TLs
One of the best ever?! I dunno about that one, but I agree that this is an extremely appealing car for a variety of reasons. Love the roof and the line that flows from the top of it down the decklid and up again through the little spoiler. I also think it’s cool that the shape of the door cut-outs along with that C-pillar kinda shows you what the monocoupe looks like underneath. I’m very into fast, understated, midsized sedans and in a world where I was a little richer and I could only keep one car around, a 6-speed Type-S is exactly the kind of thing I’d want to own (if an S60R wasn’t available, anyway). It’s too bad this generation of TL didn’t get the SH-AWD system that the current version has. That seems like it’s probably a much better car from behind the wheel, but it’s not as good looking as this and I hate the current Acura grille (does anyone like that grille? I don’t think so). I can’t say that I think this looks better than the 1st gen CTS. The details are better, I think, but the CTS has much better proportions thanks to it’s RWD architecture. Did this TL still use a longitudinal engine mounting? It doesn’t look like it. I do like it waaaay more than the Lexus ES you’ve got pictured, although not as much as the same-era IS (another one of my favorites), which I think it was probably more comparable to.
Personally, my favorite TL was the second generation (’99-’03) model. I thought it really stood out because of how restrained and low-key it was while most luxury cars were getting a whole lot bolder and flashier. Honda styling from the 80s-90s was all about lightness and efficiency, and the 2nd gen TL was one of the last of their cars to rigidly adhere to that aesthetic.
I have to confess that I actually never knew these were available with a manual transmission until a couple months back when I stumbled across one on the street. Peeking in the window and noticing a stick shift, I mistook it for a TSX at first glance. It’s kinda surprising that Acura made that option available after deleting it on the 2nd generation car (wish they hadn’t!). I’m guessing they’re not too common, but I love that you can (even now) order one that way. The car below (the same 6-speed Type-S mentioned above) was parked a few spaces away from an EP Civic Si and 1st generation Acura CL. No idea if they all belong to the same person/family or if this is just a really good block for uncommon late-model Hondas.
I forgot there were four generation of the TL, the pre-99 model slipped my mind. The 99-03 came off as an ES fighter to me, the 04-08 more of a FWD 3-series. I also liked the door cutouts.
OK let’s try this again…
I guess Ill never get the fascination with these. Looks like just another sedan to me. All these maxicammicords look the same to me…blah, conservative….boring. But then, I have a rabid hatred of sedans, since they just don’t have any real use. It seems like all acuras are beige or dark grey too and i HATE those colors as a color for a car. Seems like people pick sedans since they aren’t really that into cars, and they pick colors like that since they don’t really know what their favorite color is.
The only Acuras Ive ever liked were the Integra/RSX. At least the bodystyles were always clean and stylish, even if they never stepped up to the plate, performance-wise (no turbo, no awd). The CL coupes were always nice, particularly the last generation, but again just a V6 and fwd? Was there even a manual trans offered in these? As a nice looking daily driver though, you could do worse. There was a metallic orange one at my work that was pretty spiffy. But overall, Acura seems to me like its just the Japanese Buick/Oldsmobile. With no 2-doors they wont ever get me on the lot.
So much plastic under the hood 🙁
I’m pretty sure we don’t get them here but it looks familiar,could it be another Honda in the UK?Nice but I’ve always wanted a Lexus and would choose a Lexus out of Japanese cars
The newer TLs are fat and ugly. I like the old design. The new ones make me nauseous
Ahhh, one of my favorite cars.
I bought one of these at the end of 2005. It was a dark blue 2006 with beige leather. Prior to this my cars had all been the typical Chevy truck, Ford, Nissan. With the occasional Honda or Mazda in between.
The experience of buying the Acura was a real eye opener for me. Simple choices, navigation or not, auto or manual, and color. I my case no navigation and auto considering I spend most of my time in nasty rush hour traffic. I really liked the way Acura packaged the car and the fact that it came pretty much loaded up with just a few decisions to make. The sales guy was great. He asked intelligent questions and actually listened to my answers, wasn’t pushy at all. This was probably the easiest car purchase I had ever done. I even got a good deal on the car. And the dealer service was like nothing I had experienced before.
And the car itself? Well, I won’t argue that the outside was really attractive although I liked it. But the interior was just wonderful. Acura did a really good job on the interior in my opinion. The stereo was fantastic. This was the first car I had owned which had cell phone integration capabilities. The vp I worked for was blown away one day as we were driving to lunch and the car announced “You have an incoming call” and showed the caller-id information on the dash. He complained that neither his older BMW 7-series or Mercedes CLK did that.
The car was a lot of fun to drive although the road noise was pretty high and on some roads the suspension was surprisingly unforgiving. As long as I remembered it’s FWD roots it handled well. I played with a couple of other drivers in BMW 3-series cars and was impressed with the TL’s performance unless there were too many curves on the road. But all in all I thought the car was a perfect sports sedan for me. Less expensive than a BMW, much more reliable, good performance, and the perfect size.
It’s a shame that after this model Acura lost it’s collective mind and ruined the car. I would never consider the current TL. From my perspective Acura and Honda both have lost their mojo.
Looking back I wish I had kept it longer. But changing family circumstances forced me to go find something cheaper and more practical. The Chevy dealer thought I was nuts when I pulled in one day with my TL and announced I wanted an HHR. And while I know most people consider the HHR to be one of GM’s deadly sins I thought it was great. But that’s a story for another time.
I dunno. Maybe it’s a good car, but it just doesn’t speak to me. Another Acura does, though perhaps it is aimed at a much different demo, the Gen 1 Integra coupe, which was flingable and dependable, although the subject of too many Boy Racer mods.
Don’t understand the new look either. What’s up with grillwork lately? Acura is channeling the beak of a parrotfish, and I’ll have to reconsider what to get to replace my wife’s Forester, as the chrome bits are lost on me.
They’re both (the Acura and newer Subie, not the Subie and my wife) are like dating a really hot chick with a zit on her nose. You don’t want to stare at them for too long for fear that she’ll feel self-concious. Or that the blemish is permanent.
I can’t say these really do much for me styling-wise. Not offensive in any way but just sort of anonymous. That said, there is a black and chrome ’03 model that parks near me at work and it stops me every now and then. Nothing about it really jumps out at you, no sharp angles or sensuous curves, It just has a certain class about it. I find Honda designs tend to be like that. Clean, Low-key, not immediately stunning, but they age well.
I agree that these were interesting designs, looking very distinctive and clearly Japanese (a good thing given that is). I used to be a big Acura fan, especially liking the Integra and the original Legend Coupe. They lost me in later years, though this one was a bright spot. A very good friend of mine had one of these in dark grey with black leather, and it was a very nice car. It was also totally reliable, and he drove it long and hard. He would have bought another Acura, but he was so turned off by the current styling direction that he went back to a Honda Accord.
This has to be my favorite Acura design of all time. I hate the “beak” on the ’09 and newer TLs. So, I bought a CPO ’08 with 53k on the clock this past summer. After 3 months of driving it, I think I made a good choice.
The good:
-Engine/Fuel Economy: It has power to spare in almost any situation, is very comfortable on long trips and gets good gas mileage on the highway (30-32 mpg).
-Interior: Soft, supple leather and high quality materials are used throughout the cabin. Seats are very comfortable with plenty of support and side bolstering. Heated seats are sublime when the temperature dips below freezing. Plenty of backseat room for my 11-year-old daughter and her friends. Bluetooth and a standard AUX port are nice additions, too. Dual-zone climate control means a lot less complaining from my lovely bride. Mine has the two-tone interior (light gray and black), which I think looks awesome.
-Styling: I’m with Brendan – the styling is classic and has aged well so far. It’s aggressive enough to entice riceburner-driving teenagers to try to race me (and lose), but discreet enough not to draw the attention of Johnny Law. I love looking out at it sitting in my driveway.
The bad:
-Blind spots galore: I know now why they offered a backup camera as an option on the navigation-equipped models (unfortunately, I have the base). You have to be very aware or your surroundings when backing up and changing lanes.
-Torque-steer: Do not goose the throttle if the wheels aren’t facing dead-ahead – you will get a scare. I almost chose the Infiniti G37 over the TL because of this, but feared my wife would put it in a ditch when the back-end got loose.
-Turning radius: Prepare for some 7-point turns in tight parking situations. The only car I’ve ever driven that was worse is the ’99 Taurus SHO I owned previously.
-Trunk Space: Surprisingly lacking in a car this big. Also, the trunk is really oddly-shaped and you have to play Tetris to fit a lot of stuff in there.
Don’t know how I missed this post (well, I am traveling for the holiday…). Great write up Brendan! One of my top 3 Acuras – along with the Gen2 integra and the Gen2 CL coupe. This TLs lines are perfect, and the interior very- Honda simple with a premium feel. The TL-S is even more attractive.
I love Hondas… But oddly enough have never owned one directly. This last go around I would have been all over an RDX if it had been available in a 4 cylinder. I believe they are back on the path to notoriety from their dark days of just a few years ago. They don’t need RWD to achieve their mission of premium, techy Hondas as long as they don’t charge Lexus prices.
Very late to the party on this one, but just want to add that I agree that this is a great design. And that I know three guys around my age (late 20s/early 30s) who had these and loved them. None replaced them with another Acura, let alone a TL. Two bought Audis and one bought a G37. Acura, thy name is Oldsmobile?
I want an 07-08 Type-S 6-speed in Kinetic Blue Pearl. Makes my heart skip a beat every time I see one. Nice article, Brendan!
I know I’m late to this, sadly. Hopefully someone sees this.
Personally, it’s my favorite TL generation, and probably Acura of all-time in terms of looks.
Like the OP stated, I’ve listed after them, as well as a few other cars, since they first came out. However, of those cars, I’d say probably only one has held up as well in terms of its appearance (again gracefully), AP2 S2000, which I’ll also some day own.
I purchased my 06 TL 8 months ago as a Christmas gift to myself after I finally gave up on my 96 Grand Prix at 201,500 miles…. A surprisingly reliable car…. Somehow.
I’ve loved my TL thus far. 6MT, and brilliant. Difficult car to adjust to in terms of its MT, but once you get it mastered, it’s quite brilliant. The Clutch engagement is different from most other MT cars I’ve driven (it’s more abrupt and engages quite high), and paired with the short throws it’s a match made in heaven. The only real issue I’ve had so far was I noticed first and third gears would some times pop out…. Did some research and changed tranny fluid to GM Synchromesh Friction Modified and have had zero problems since. Purchased with 118,000 miles, now at 132,000 and loving it 🙂 I’ve also had a surprising (though really not surprising after thinking about how beautiful and timeless it’s look is becoming) amount of people comment on how good looking the car is and how well it’s aged 🙂
Late to the party as well, but I like to make an entrance.
Just bought one a month ago after much research and always liking the look and feel. Drove a few of these before when I was broke and couldn’t really afford it. Settled in on a 2008 base in WDP. Wished I could find a 6 speed, but I couldn’t pass up a 55k one owner auto for 14k. Glad I got it so far. She can move quick and getting about 26mpg average. Can’t wait to add some upgrades. J pipe. CAI. New exhaust from XLR8 or heel and toe. She gets tons of looks and compliments all the time. Wished Acura would have added Bluetooth audio. It’s got an AUX jack but A2DP would’ve been nice. heres a picture of how she sits currently. I’ll add another one in the coming months after some upgrades.
Have a great day.
I have owned an 06 TL for 10 years. Best car I have ever owned. It replaced a Mercedes E430 which I had nothing but trouble with. In 10 years I have had two brake jobs, and…nothing else. Very reliable, fast, great handling. I hope to keep it another 5-7 years.
I have a 2008 TL which I bought new.
I had a 2003 TL which I traded in.
The 2008 TL is the best car that I have ever owned.
Wish that still made a good looking fun to drive car…………
Look.!….back in 2005 I bought my TL off the showroom floor..I understand the above comments..the Good, Bad and the Ugly.
This machine is a Cruiser and the styling is Not dated whatsoever..Graceful looks, great
road handling with strong high end power.with Navigation and voice commands.
Has a bus load of super standard options ..comparable to almost anything today.
Don’t get me wrong..I’m not wearing Rose colored glasses but it still stands out as Gem
in time that will still turns heads after 14 years down the rocky road of this life.
I agree, these were nearly perfectly executed.
As it is / was the European Accord, I always thought the wagon/estate variants (“Tourer”) were super slick. As I recall they sold rather well in the UK at the time.