Acura TL mid-size luxury touring sedan replaces Vigor label
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Providing cushy perks of an ultimate imported luxury sedan but for sticker figures that approach the realm of affordability becomes the apparent concept behind a new sedan by Acura, Honda's upscale brand.
This 1996 model, bearing an alphanumeric designation as harbinger for a switch in name styles for all Acura labels, goes by the initials of TL, which stands for Touring Luxury. A base edition, dubbed 2.5TL, draws from a 2.5-liter in-line 5-cylinder engine, while the more powerful 3.2TL stocks a 3.2-liter V6.
Both versions ride on a wheelbase measuring to mid-size dimensions and appear sleekly tony in a subdued sheetmetal statement which emphasizes quietly rounded, although slightly retro, lines.
Both stock the type of mechanical hardware needed to perform aggressive road tricks of a sporty touring car, as well as vital safety systems such as dual airbags, structural crash zones and computerized anti-lock brakes.
These Acuras also carry a significant content in comfort features, the power-operated conveniences and leather-lined perks found on premium luxury imports whose prices usually soar above $50,000.
Yet Acura's newest nameplate arrives with tags that land softly in the neighborhood of $30,000.
Buy this sedan and you'll get a classy ride quality, akin to the smoothness of those pricy full-size imports, and lots of leather to trim the cabin, plus fancy features like 8-way power driver's seat and automatic everything else.
You'll also get to rub elbows, figuratively, with other drivers in the ranks of Acura, a select line which in recent years has earned a reputation for the quality of its cars and the satisfaction of its customers.
One more thing: You might get confused by the overt similarities between TL and Acura's flagship, Legend.
But that's the idea -- dress up TL so it looks a lot like Legend. Park the pair side by side and you probably can't tell which is which without looking at labels. Both display a dominant front chrome grille, aero-styled wrapped headlamp clusters, an elegant hoodline, raked windshield and tall wrap of window glass.
Overall concepts for the TL stem from Acura's former mid-size Vigor. It never caught on like Acura's sporty little Integra, which accounted for the majority of all Acuras sold last year, or the flagship Legend, scheduled for revamping -- and renaming -- next year.
My tests of the 2.5TL and more powerful 3.2TL began with pre-production models steered for 130 miles across California's low southern deserts and high mountain slopes. A month later, I spent a week at home in a 2.5TL outfitted with the premium package.
Initial impressions culminated with rather bland feelings about this car. Sure, it looks nice, but so do a lot of new cars these days, and it feels comfortable, even luxurious, but competitors do too.
It wasn't until I lived with the base model for a week that this TL caught fire with me.
Its appeal seems subtle, and its features appear so quietly stated that in only a cursory examination you may overlook their benefits. Take them away, however, and you too may find something missing from your motoring life.
The TL rides on a wheelbase stretched to 111.8 inches, which is far longer than most mid-size models. This expansion, spawning a more stable ride quality that compares to premium luxury sedans, also scoops out more leg space for rear seat riders.
Like Legend, new TL uses a longitudinally-mounted engine, which is unusual for a car oriented to front-wheel-drive power format, and 3.2TL's V6 requires a special front-end frame extension to accommodate its length.
The TL's fully independent double wishbone suspension, direct from Honda, takes the lumps out of road bumps, isolating surface irregularities to deliver living-room-smooth ride sensations.
Suspension tuning for the 2.5TL produces a taut, lively tone, while 3.2TL feels more elegant. Both cars remain relatively flat in curve sets, which cultivates the impression you could push TL hard through the twisties.
The 2.5TL, bearing a refined variation of Vigor's 5-in-line engine, generates 176 horsepower.
The 3.2TL stocks a reworked version of Legend's base V6. It pumps up to 200 hp.
In those California mountains, I quickly picked the 3.2 over the 2.5 due to the additional punch of its V6. After living with the 2.5 for a week, though, I suspect this must be the best buy because pricing, even in premium edition, remains below the mark of $30,000, while figures for a 3.2, beginning at $32,950, approach those of Legend.
Both cars use Acura's 4-speed electronic automatic shifter with 16-bit microprocessor, lockup torque converter and unique "grade logic" shift point governor which selects third and fourth gear settings after measuring variables like throttle position, road speed and rates of acceleration and deceleration.
On long mountain grades at altitude, the transmission figured out that with a hard throttle TL was at least gaining minimum speed due to the hill's steepness. Thus, it held the fourth gear rather than trip back and forth in an annoying hunt for the ideal.
Also, TL's gated shifter, like those on European touring sedans, permits a hands-on driver to manually shift up and down by feel without having to look at the lever.
External differences are slight between 2.5 and 3.2 TLs: The former has a shorter front grille with horizontal bars, the latter uses vertical bars and a different 5-spoke wheel design.
Internally, the 2.5 pitches toward sportier suspension tuning but has lesser appointments such as cloth fabric upholstery covering seats instead of leather. Front bucket seats, with firm side bolsters, still feel fantastic even, as I discovered, after a 200-mile interstate highway trek.
A base version offers a surprisingly long list of standard comfort features which extend to automatic climate system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8-way power driver's seat and compact disc deck.
From various evaluations, I concluded that Acura's 2.5TL, priced at $27,900, comes out on top in a cost-per-perk evaluation, but the 3.2TL feels like a $50,000 ultra luxury sedan you won't have to hock the house to pay for.
1996 ACURA TL
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| 1996 ACURA TL VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
111.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
2.5: 191.5 inches
3.2: 191.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 2.5-L I-5 20v
SOHC 3.2-L V6 24v
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
2.5: 20/25 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 27,900 to $ 35,500 |
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