2004 Acura TL Review, Price, Specs & Road Test

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. This TL is no exception. 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 DTS signal processing and DVD/Audio (first ever in a production vehicle) that'll impress even the snobbiest of your audiophile friends. In fact, positive comments about the audio system accounted for the majority of the logbook's entries. One editor wrote, "The audio system is so good, if it played DVD movies I'd watch them in here rather than on a bigger screen." Said another: "The DVD/Audio is so sharp and clear, I'd swear I can hear every word to 'Wooly Bully.'"

The 3.2-liter V-6 is another in a line of ultra-refined Honda engines that deliver high horsepower while also meeting strict ULEV emission standards. The TL's six received plenty of logbook praise for its refinement and eagerness to rev all the way to redline. The five-speed manumatic matched to the V-6 is quick and smooth, though several editors found the notchy shift gate difficult to maneuver.

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 always-present problem whenever the engine is delivering max juice. Suggested one editor: "If Acura wants to sell a front-drive car with this much horsepower, the engineers should figure how to tune out the wheel wiggle."

Acura upped its interior game with this TL, adding finer materials and more stylish design than in previous versions. The leather seats feature pinhole perforations, and faux wood has been replaced by real metal trim on the center console (so real, unfortunately, that it became vulnerable to tiny dings and dents). At a glance, the center stack appears to have an overabundance of buttons, but spend time in the driver's seat and the ergonomics seem quite logical. The driver's seat is a nice place to be--especially at night, when the instrument panel lights up in vibrant blue, red, and white colors. Acura clearly paid considerable attention to interior aesthetics--the better to compete with the premium interiors of Lexus and the German brands--and the effort has paid off.