2012 Acura TL SH-AWD

The 2012 Acura TL is like the more accomplished second son: it does just about everything better than its older brother, but it still can't shake the RL's seniority. Looking at the Acura lineup, there is no good reason to choose the RL over the TL. The cars are approximately the same size and get similar performance gear, and the TL offers newer cabin tech.

The 2012 TL's refined new look includes a redesigned front bumper with improved aerodynamics, a revised grille, updated headlights and turn signals, a new fog light design and a shorter front overhang. At the rear, a new rear bumper incorporates a significantly repositioned license plate opening and smaller rear reflectors, while updated taillights and a thinner rear trunk edge trim add to a sophisticated new look. For 2012, all TL models now receive body colored door handles and rear window trim.

Buyers also get their choice between the standard TL or the more powerful TL SH-AWD, the latter sporting a bigger engine and a sport-oriented all-wheel-drive system.

 

 There was only one problem with the 2009-'11 Acura TL. Its designers unknowingly beat it with an ugly stick on their way to giving the sedan "progressive" styling.

The result was a car praised for its class-topping dynamic abilities but panned for its weird lines, most notably that in-your-face grille. Lackluster sales followed (for the TL, that meant 34,000 cars in 2010), and dealers complained.

Acura blames the car's lackluster reception less on a flawed design and more on the fact that the fourth-gen TL was simply "too bold for the new, more conservative market" brought on by the weak economy. Regardless, the design team was sent back to their CAD screens and charged with coming up with a midcycle refresh for the 2012 Acura TL a good nine months sooner than originally planned.

Less Plenum = More Sophistication

When launching the 2009 TL, Acura used the term "linear fluidity" to describe its styling. This time around, the tagline for the 2012 Acura TL is "sophisticated emotion." In English, that means Acura reworked the car's more awkward lines. The grille is noticeably smaller, while the chrome strip just above the grille is now body color, having the effect of making Other updates include a smaller front bumper, darker-tint headlights and redesigned foglights and turn signals. Together, their main objective is to make the TL appear wider.

The rear got a makeover as well. Again, the goal was to break up the previous car's massive amounts of flat surfacing and shrink its tail end. Acura accomplished this via a smaller rear bumper with a horizontal cutline, a higher license plate mount, smaller rear reflectors, a 6-inch-higher rear diffuser and a thinner bright strip at the base of the trunk lid. All the new styling changes resulted in an inch less overhang up front and a half inch less at the rear for a new overall length of 194 inches.

Gears Are Good

Although the most grandiose updates to the 2012 Acura TL occur at its bow and stern, there is one bit of mechanical news to be had: a new six-speed automatic transmission from the 2011 RL sedan, replacing the previous five-speed in both the front-wheel-drive TL and the SH-AWD (super-handling all-wheel-drive) model.

With lower gear ratios for 1st through 5th versus the five-speed, Acura estimates the TL SH-AWD will accelerate about 0.4 second quicker to 60 mph (figure 6.3 seconds) versus the outgoing version. A taller 6th gear (versus the five-speed) aids fuel economy, as does the new torque converter's multiple lock-up discs, which offer better lubrication and improved cooling. These changes, along with reduced piston friction and a new cold-air intake in the 3.5-liter V6-equipped front-drive TL help fuel economy jump from 18 city/26 highway mpg for the 2011 model to 20/29 for the 2012 edition. The 3.7-liter V6 SH-AWD's mpg is less noteworthy, rising only 1 mpg across the board to 18/26, while the SH-AWD six-speed manual (which has just a 3 percent take rate) remains at 17/25.

the hood look longer even the Above and beyond the notable mpg increases and slightly quicker acceleration, you probably won't notice anything too dramatic in your daily driving with the six-speed versus the old five-speed. As with the five-speed, the new transmission shifts smoothly at all times in Automatic mode, but can also be shifted manually via standard-issue steering-wheel paddles. The software blips the throttle to smooth downshifts, making aggressive driving easier and more fun. It holds gears at redline unless you're in 1st. About the only downside is the six-speed's desire to get to high gear as quickly as possible, even if it means lugging the engine a bit. It's all for the sake of the improved fuel economy, of course. Running it in Manual mode gets rid of that problem, so it's an easy fix if you're so inclined.

Oh, Those Engines

Part of the reason the new automatic doesn't massively improve the 2012 Acura TL driving experience is that it was already a damn good driving machine. Credit goes to the TL's powerful, high-revving V6s, the outputs of which remain unchanged for 2012. The TL front-driver continues with 280 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 254 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm, while the SH-AWD continues to hold its claim as the most powerful Acura ever, rated at 305 hp at 6,300 and 273 lb-ft at 5,000. The V6s in both the TL and SH-AWD are quiet and buttery-smooth at low engine speeds. They're equally impressive when you wind them out, too. Both engines seem to thrive on being pushed to the redline, an easy thing to do when using the manual shift paddles.

Crazy for Curves

Another area Acura chose to leave untouched was the TL's double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension — damping, spring rates and antiroll bars remain identical to the specs of the 2011 model. Acura also ditched the summer tire option for the SH-AWD model due to the fact that almost no one (1 percent, we're told) opted for the grippier rubber.

Without the summer tires, the TL SH-AWD has lost some of its phenomenal, almost unfair handling abilities. But the TL in general (especially the SH-AWD, with its stiffer setup) still has the same spot-on suspension tuning. TLs with all-wheel drive put the power down with the utmost precision thanks to a torque-vectoring rear differential. The lighter front-drive model (3,726 pounds vs. 3,968), on the other hand, has a penchant for spinning its front tires when you exit tight turns with the throttle to the floor.

Although the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD runs out of grip sooner without its stickier summer tires, it still has the same wonderfully competent and stable chassis that makes it a sport-sedan stalwart. Yes, the ride of the non-adjustable suspension is firm and can be jiggly on bumpy back roads, but the car's precision makes it worth any minor amount of harshness. About the only gripe is the TL's electric power steering. It delivers more assist than we would like, but some of that can be forgiven since it's transmitted through a thick-rimmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel that feels great in your hands.

Only Fix What's Broken

Since the main focus of the 2012 Acura TL's redesign was the car's exterior, Acura pretty much left the already excellent interior intact. The minor updates include new platinum plating on the center stack and inner door handles, along with optional ventilation for the TL's wide, yet laterally supportive front seats. Other changes include a dedicated phone button on the center stack and active phone pairing to automatically locate Bluetooth devices. The 2012 Acura TL, which was designed at the company's California studio and is built in Marysville, Ohio, goes on sale March 18. The TL front-driver starts at $36,465, with the SH-AWD beginning at $40,015 (prices include $860 destination), $300 increases for both models. The SH-AWD with a six-speed manual costs $43,745, the higher sticker due to the fact that it's offered only with the Technology package.

Even with the price increases, the TL is still quite a value compared to most German sport sedans. Dynamically, the 2012 Acura TL is the same stirring-to-drive performance sedan as before, only now with an extra gear and improved fuel economy. Not bad for a car with so much horsepower and a sizable interior. And although Acura won't come right out and say it screwed up the styling the first time around, the significant exterior reworking of this version is about as much of an admission of guilt as you're ever going to get.

It was a smart move. The TL is too good of a sedan to get overlooked because of some overzealous styling. The changes effectively addressed the issue, so now Acura no longer has any excuses. We doubt it will need any.

Now That We Have That Out of the Way

First, the styling. That you should defend your products to the death is PR 101, but even Acura folks admit that, if there was one deal breaker that potential customers cited when choosing other cars over Acuras, it was the TL’s, um, controversial styling. The 2012 update should help. The stylistic changes might not have much effect in pictures, but seeing the 2011 and 2012 models side by side proves that the numerous small alterations did help.

Changes for 2012 start, of course, with toning down the TL’s divisive grille. Yes, the badge blade and the intake aperture remain roughly the same as before, but the clunky silver surround is gone, replaced by a thin chrome frame and a new body-color trim piece between the grille and hood. The headlight innards are now painted black instead of silver, and the bevels in the front and rear bumpers have been raised. The supplemental air intakes in the front fascia feature new detailing. In back, the taillight lenses have been revised, and the license-plate mount has been raised. In the process of making all these tiny tweaks, Acura trimmed an inch from the front overhang and half an inch from the rear. 

Six-Speeds across the Board

Whereas the slightly downplayed styling is a subjective fix—and it might help keep Lexus intenders in the Acura showroom for more than a cursory glance—the fitment of a six-speed automatic in place of the old five-speed yields considerable fuel-economy benefits. The TL’s two engines—a 3.5-liter V-6 with 280 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque for front-wheel-drive models and a 3.7-liter V-6 with 305 hp and 273 lb-ft for all-wheel-drivers—carry over unchanged save for some friction-reducing measures in the smaller mill. But the extra cog makes it that much easier to access the sweet part of either engine’s powerband, which is from 4000 to 6000 rpm. Shifts are quick and crisp, and we love the way the transmission holds paddle-selected gears in sport mode, refusing to upshift at redline. Shifts in drive, however, seem somewhat harsh for commuting. Acura boasts that it has programmed the throttle to blip on downshifts, but it’s pretty disappointing in actual use. 

Naturally, we still prefer Acura’s wonderfully organic-feeling six-speed manual to the automatic. But it’s only available with all-wheel drive, a fun configuration but one that takes its toll on fuel economy. A manual TL SH-AWD is rated at 17 mpg city/25 highway versus 18/26 for automatic all-wheel-drivers; front-drive models get an impressive 20/29. The best the 2011 TL could muster was 18/26.

Other Refinements

The interior changes very little. Like every Acura, the 2012 TL’s dashboard still suffers from severe overbuttonitis, but some new brightwork around the knobs and between the radio buttons helps things aesthetically if not ergonomically. Ventilated front seats are a part of the new Advance package at the top of the TL range, which also comes with upsized wheels (18 inches on front-drive TLs, 19s on all-wheel-drive models) and a blind-spot warning system. The 440-watt ELS surround-sound audio system is spectacular even with MP3s, let alone higher-quality CD and DVD audio tracks.

Sales begin in the middle of this month, and prices for the 2012 TL start at $36,465 for a base front-drive model and $40,015 for the TL SH-AWD. Add $3730 for the Tech package, which includes navigation and surround-sound audio. The Advance package adds the aforementioned equipment to the Tech package goodies and costs another $2200. (It is not, however, available on cars equipped with a manual transmission.) Those prices still represent strong value, and now that Acura has mostly fixed its most glaring shortcomings, the TL is a stronger entry than ever.

"The 2012 Acura TL is refined, yet aggressive," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "Already known for its great performance, the enhanced TL has a sophisticated new look and an all-new 6-speed automatic transmission that will take performance to the next level."

The 2012 TL's refined new look includes a redesigned front bumper with improved aerodynamics, a revised grille, updated headlights and turn signals, a new fog light design and a shorter front overhang. At the rear, a new rear bumper incorporates a significantly repositioned license plate opening and smaller rear reflectors, while updated taillights and a thinner rear trunk edge trim add to a sophisticated new look.

New Sequential SportShift 6-Speed Automatic Transmission

To increase performance, a new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission is applied on all TL models with automatic transmission. In addition to incorporating engineering enhancements aimed at improving efficiency, a sport-minded double-kick-down feature lets the driver command a double downshift - such as from Fifth to Third gear. The Drive-by-Wire throttle system also creates a "blip" of the throttle to help match gear speeds while downshifting.

In addition, the transmission teams with a new multi-clutch torque converter that not only reduces heat build-up during operation, but also allows for lock-up activation during a much wider range of driving conditions - which helps generate improved fuel economy. As a result, city/highway fuel economy is now 20/29 mpg - an increase of 3 mpg in highway driving over the 2011 TL. To further improve operating efficiency, the TL's standard 3.5L V-6 engine receives a host of friction-reduction technologies while a revised air inlet system provides cooler air for both the 3.5L and 3.7L engines.

V6 Engines Remain Unchanged for 2012

For 2012, two distinct versions of Acura's performance luxury sedan remain: a 280 horsepower, front-wheel-drive TL along with a powerful 305 hp TL paired with Acura's exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). The performance-minded 6MT model will continue to be offered in the 2012 TL SH-AWD lineup, helping broaden the TL's appeal among luxury performance sedan buyers.