2006 Acura TL Test Drive

Touch me, touch me!

I'm a very tactile guy. I love to touch. The 2006 Acura TL rewards you with tactile sensory inputs. For a list price of $35,525 ($36,140 as tested), the 2006 Acura TL comes with a 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty and a 6 year/70,000 mile powertrain warranty, along with a host of standard features that will tantalize your senses, tactile and otherwise. With a 3.2 liter V6 under the hood pumping 258 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels, sensory inputs can rush at you in a hurry.

First Glance

The Acura TL is a real tribute to American craftsmanship. Yes, Acura is Japanese, but the TL is builtin Marysville, Ohio. The paint is so smooth and perfect that the TL looks like it's coated in oil. Every panel fits perfectly, and gaps and seams are uniform and tight. The TL bears a great family resemblance to the other Acura sedans, the TSX and the RL. It has the big, open-mouthed grille with a chrome Acura "A," a sloping hoodline with rounded nose, and a gently rising beltline culminating in a squared-off trunk. The TL has an eye-catching groove that goes from mid-front fender to mid-rear fender, and houses marker lights at front and rear and door handles on both doors. It's a simple, elegant detail that involves more metal and paint work than meets the eye, and it's beautifully executed.

Squinty xenon HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlights decorate the TL's front fascia corners. The TL's 17" x 8" alloy wheels look great in the round, slightly bulging wheel wells – a hint of hot rod without boasting too much. Cool-looking dual rectangular exhaust tips are recessed into the bottom of the rear bumper. It's the details that make the TL look elegant and sporty, a step above the Honda Accord on which it is based.

In The Driver's Seat

This is where Acura's command of the tactile really pays off. First of all, the leather on the generous, supportive driver's seat is gorgeous and supple. It feels great, but not delicate, just right for seating surfaces that are going to get some use. A highly adjustable 8-way power driver's seat colludes with a tilt/telescope steering wheel to make finding the right driving position easy. I loved the leather upholstery on the door panels and armrests. When my forearms touched the leather, I felt enveloped in luxury – there goes my tactile side again. Dash and trim materials are similarly high end – from the high quality plastic on the dashboard to the real aluminum trim on the center console, the TL is a delight for the fingertips.

My TL test car came with Acura's excellent Navigation system (included in the base price). It also has a great standard audio system that can play back specially encoded CDs and DVD-Audio discs in full surround-sound, turning your car into a virtual concert hall. Surround-sound CDs and DVD-Audio discs are few and far between, but the TL's system makes a convincing argument for seeking them out for critical listening in your car. Better for Gershwin than G-Unit, but still capable of amazing sound.

On The Road

I wish I loved the TL's performance as much as its amenities. The engine has plenty of power and torque, it's just that they come so late. Peak torque isn't available until 5000 rpm, which means that you've got to really rev and push the TL's engine to access maximum performance. Do that from a stop or during heavy acceleration and you discover the limits of front-wheel drive: the TL gets a squirrelly and tries to pull to the right. My test car had the 6-speed manual transmission, and I quickly learned to shift quickly so I could get both hands back on the wheel before things got scary. The limited-slip differential makes launches from a stoplight a little more challenging than I'd like – I actually stalled the TL a couple of times, and I blame the car, not my (admittedly limited) driving skills. The automatic might be easier to drive, but automatics are so much less fun, aren't they?

Drive the TL like it's a luxury car and not a sports car, and you'll get a firm, smooth quiet ride. Road feel is good, and handling is nimble. The four-wheel double-wishbone suspension soaks up the bumps and keeps the car secure and stable through the tightest of curves. Great four-wheel disc brakes haul the 3499 lb car down from speed in a hurry.

Journey's End

As a luxury car, the Acura TL is a great value for its price. The TL's level of standard equipment, refinement and execution are of the highest order. As a sports sedan, however, there's some serious competition out there to consider.

BMW's 3-series is considered to be the benchmark mid-size sports-luxury sedan, and has been for a decade. Rear-wheel-drive makes the BMW more predictable under power, and it delivers a fine array of luxury features – but for a few dollars more than a comparably-equipped TL. If you like to flog your car on occasion, though, the extra bucks might be worth investing.

You should also consider the Audi A4, Lexus ES 330 and Volvo S60, three other front-wheel drive mid-sizers with sports-luxury aspirations. Cadillac's CTS is a worthy rear-wheel drive candidate, and you might even consider the Subaru Legacy GT for an all-wheel drive romp. Personally, I am devoted to the rear-wheel drive Infiniti G35 as my mid-sized sports-luxury sedan of choice.

If you choose the Acura TL, you'll get a delight for the senses. It is beautiful to look at, delightful to listen to, and it even smells good. I haven't tasted it, though. If you're a tactile person like me, you'll love your TL. Now give me a hug.