2004 Acura TL Long-Term Test - MotorTrend Magazine
Acura's TL is now into its third generation, but it wasn't until the latest rendition that its German competitors (and many U. S. consumers) began to notice. For 2004, Acura treated its always capable but blandly styled volume-selling sedan to a redesign that had most of our staff wondering if an Italian design house had penned the sheetmetal. The crisp lines, short rear deck, and tightly drawn shoulders (plus a new 270-horsepower V-6) put the TL on many shopper's sport-sedan short lists--and prompted us to add a 2004 TL to our long-term fleet. Every Acura comes packed with standard goodies that are usually pricey options on competitors' vehicles. The $35,195 sticker got us a five-speed automatic, electronic stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, navigation, voice recognition, Bluetooth phone capability, XM Satellite Radio, and an eight-speaker surround-sound system with... The TL's six received plenty of logbook praise for its refinement and eagerness to rev all the way to redline. While 270 horsepower from a six-cylinder seems reason enough to purchase a TL over less-potent competitors-- BMW 330i and the Lexus IS 300--torque steer (the TL is a front-driver) remains an. Source: www.motortrend.com
