Snapshot:
4-Door upscale sports sedan. Front-wheel-drive. V-6 engine. Choice of manual and automatic transmissions.
How Much?:
$32,650 to $34,850 will purchase a 2004 Acura TL.
The Inside Story:
Seats four in luxurious comfort, five in a pinch. Spacious trunk. Engines: 270 hp, sohc V-6 with drive-by-wire throttle. 238 lbs. ft. torque. Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic with Select-Shift. 2004 Acura TL fuel economy: 20/28 city/highway, automatic (EPA). 4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper.
Under the Hood:
There is just one engine offered in the 2004 Acura TL but it's all the engine you'll ever need. 3.2 liter DOHC V-6, 270 hp, 238 lb-ft of torque.
Transmissions:
Choose between a 5-speed Sequential SportShift automatic or a close-ratio 6-speed manual.
Warranty:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles powertrain.
Should You Buy a 2004 Acura TL?:
At last, the TL looks as good as it goes. With dynamic new styling, the 2004 Acura TL meets BMW head-on, lacking only rear-wheel-drive to incite die-hard enthusiasts. Does that matter? Not in our opinion. What does bother us is that the rakish lines make access and visibility a problem for rear-seat passengers. We like the one-engine-only concept plus the choice of manual or auto at no extra cost and we appreciate the long list of standard equipment.
