Acura 3.2TL sedan scores value in mid-size near-luxury class
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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LILLOOET, B.C. -- As the latest example detailing how to develop a superb sedan, designers at Acura, Honda's label for performance and luxury, have reworked the TL sedan by switching to a different platform, expanding track and length while enlarging the 5-place passenger compartment to true mid-size dimensions, then constructed a powerful new aluminum V6 engine and linked it to a 4-speed automatic transmission with clutchless manual shift-it-yourself stick.
Acura's product planners also equipped the TL with all sorts of active mechanical hardware, from independent wishbone suspension components for all wheels to precise rack and pinion steering with speed-sensitive power assistance, anti-lock brakes and a traction control system.
Standard comforts include plush leather seats and 5-speaker Bose sound system with in-dash CD player, even a power moonroof that tilts and slides.
Production of the new TL -- dubbed 3.2TL after the displacement of its V6 engine -- switches from the Japanese motherland to the American heartland in Ohio, where Honda operates assembly and engine plants to construct compact Civic and mid-size Accord models.
All of these new facets of TL's development do not seem unusual, either separately or collectively, until you also factor into this picture surprising new price points.
Previous edition of the 3.2TL -- with similar luxury content but prior generational versions for engine, transmission and mechanical components -- totaled to $33,000, pinning it slightly above average for a mid-size near-luxury sedan but clearly over the threshold of $30,000 which competitors target.
This new 3.2TL, by contrast, lops $5,200 off the former car's sticker, dropping the manufacturer's suggested list price to $27,950, plus a delivery fee of $435.
In effect, Acura found a way to build a far better car than the predecessor TL but market it for far fewer bucks.
As a result, the new 3.2TL immediately becomes the best value story this year among all 1999 cars.
How can you make a better car for less moola?
Acura condenses TL to a single model, borrows the existing platform of Honda Accord and moves production to North America in close proximity to intended customers. Savings extracted from the revised development and production process Acura then passes along to buyers.
It's a neat trick couched in production economies extracted from global manufacturing tentacles of Honda.
Don't get the impression from this tale of development that the resultant new TL amounts simply to a reworking of Honda's Accord with the Acura badge applied. While the two sedans remotely resemble each other in overall shape and size, the Acura carves out its own aggressive performance personality due to various structural and mechanical assets, then creates a refined interior environment in an enlarged passenger compartment laced with premium appointments skewed toward luxurious motoring.
How good is this new TL?
A series of subjective tests driving snaky Route 99 across the Lillooet Range of Coast Mountains in British Columbia with various 3.2TL prototypes clearly demonstrated that the newest Acura possesses superior traits in terms of engine performance, ride and drive quality, control of noise and vibration, and rider room and comfort.
The exterior form of 3.2TL looks slick in a wedge shape with crisp edges but curled corners and a windshield raked dramatically rearward in aggressive attitude.
At the nose a pentagonal grille ringed in chrome stands between high intensity discharge headlamps. Monochromatic elements like bumpers and cladding form an image of understated elegance, suggesting an expensive luxury import.
Behind the classy facade, a rigid unibody structure surrounds engine and passenger compartments. The form, lifted from Accord's global platform but lengthened to stretch wheelbase and also increase legroom for rear seats, builds upon a ladder-type frame with large box section rails and critical bracing to maximize rigidity.
Torsional rigidity of the frame improves by 70 percent over the previous TL, while bending strength grows by 80 percent -- producing a quieter car that's more controllable.
TL's chassis uses subframes to isolate front and rear suspension systems. As a result, the fully independent double wishbone arrangement takes the lumps out of road bumps, muting surface irregularities to deliver smooth ride sensations.
Suspension tuning produces a taut, lively tone. The car remains relatively flat in curve sets, which cultivates the impression you can push it hard in sporty manner through twisties, which the tester proved during a switchback run over Mount Chief Pascall en route to Seton Lake.
Designers specified a transversly-mounted engine for TL with front-wheel-drive format.
The new 60-degree V6, built at the Anna, O., Honda engine plant, displaces 3.2 liters with single overhead camshafts and VTEC controls. It soars to 225 hp and connects to a sophisticated electronic automatic 4-speed transmission outfitted with Honda's SportShift override for manual shifts when desired.
The transmission also has a 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 in the British Columbia tests, 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.
Safety elements on TL range from the strong structural system with fore and aft crumple zones and additional bracing for side doors to dual frontal airbags and 3-point safety belts, plus the 4-wheel disc brake system tied to computerized anti-lock action and traction controller.
The interior, arranged with twin front bucket seats and a rear bench for three, provides generous personal space and thoroughly luxurious appointments.
Soft leather covers all seats and front buckets add heat elements plus power controls. Standard equipment includes power windows, a tilting steering column, remote locking and micron air filtration for the climate system.
Acura's dash-mounted navigation system, a 6-disc CD changer and rear wing spoiler are the only notable options.
1999 ACURA 3.2TL SEDAN
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| 1999 ACURA 3-2 TL VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size near-luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size near-luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
108.1 inches |
| Overall Length: |
192.9 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.2-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 SportStick |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
19/27 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 27,950 |
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