2009 Acura TL SH-AWD Series with wallpapers and pictures , image

  Acura TL SH AWD - Front Side

2009 Acura TL SH-AWD Series Review
Ask anyone who has some wheel time in the current TL Type-S, and they’ll likely tell you that Acura understands the formula for making a sports sedan: Usable power, attractive styling, an inviting cockpit, and a slick manual transmission. Unfortunately, an inordinate amount of torque steer slipped into the mix and soured what would otherwise have been a nearly perfect concoction. That problem has been remedied by the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD, thanks to Super Handling All-Wheel Drive adopted from the RL and MDX. Torque steer is gone, replaced by tremendous cornering ability, thanks in part to a wider track and stiff suspension. A 305-horsepower V-6 keeps things moving swiftly, and standard paddle shifters give you control over the TL’s automatic gearbox. Acura has created a recipe for fun, if not in the most visually appealing package, but this sport sedan that ultimately leaves us wanting for a manual transmission and the intangible driver-engagement factor offered by the TL’s primary competitors from Germany and Japan.

2009 Acura TL SH AWD - Cockpit

As we got rolling down the freeway, the navigation system suddenly started showing that our destination was 199 miles away. This change was odd, but we had all day. During the drive time, we tested out the audio quality by plugging in a USB drive full of MP3s to a port in the console that can also be used for iPods. This stereo was the upgraded ELS premium system with 10 speakers, including a subwoofer, centerfill, and two rear surround speakers on the rear deck, and a 440-watt amp. This system is designed for surround sound, and delivers a really immersive experience in the car. As we’ve found with ELS systems in other Acuras, it seemed to work best with acoustic music, as bass is underemphasized. Fortunately, you can turn up the sub, eking a little more thump out of it. The system is also pretty good on clarity, making it possible to hear individual instruments pretty well.

2009 Acura TL SH AWD - Front Interior

Though Honda is relatively new to AWD offerings in mass numbers, the system used in the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD is one of the most advanced on the market. Torque can be split not only front and rear and left to right, but to the rear outside wheel specifically during hard cornering. This produces a stabilizing motion that lessens body roll and aids the TL SH-AWD’s handling prowess.

Like Acura’s entire newly-redesigned lineup, the interior is a stunner. Traditionally known at the lower end of the luxury car spectrum in price and appointments despite stellar performance and reliability ratings, Acura looks to move a bit upmarket. The brown-on-black two tone interior in official press photos looks like something that should be found in a Porsche or a Maserati.

2009 Acura TL SH AWD - Front View

You could spend much less. The good-dog TL, the base front-driver, starts at $35,715. Wisely, we think, it’s available with only the 3.5-liter V-6 of 280 horsepower, thereby limiting the TL’s well-known torque-steer recidivism. The top-dog SH-AWD version comes amped up with a 3.7-liter variant of the same all-aluminum powerplant, whirring out 305 horsepower at 6200 rpm. Either way, a five-speed automatic is the only choice, and both dogs get sequential-shift paddles behind the fat-rimmed wheel. A manual will be available in SH-AWD models for 2010.

2009 Acura TL SH AWD - Rear Side

As everyone who knows about Hondas is aware, VTEC means “variable valve timing and lift electronic control” (Shouldn’t that be the wordy VVTALEC?) which in previous Honda and Acura engines has meant that the timing and lift on the intake valves could be altered electronically by changing the positions of the intake lobes on the camshaft. The consequence was a precise metering of the air-fuel mixture relative to the cylinder position across the range.

Now the Acura engineers have re-engineered the camshaft on the SH-AWD engine so that the exhaust valve timing can be altered as well. The result is a near-optimal intake and exhaust cycle at all RPM, which means improved fuel efficiency as well as engine performance. Bottom line? City mpg of 17 and highway mpg of 25, one mile per gallon less than the standard TL, while the engine still meets the more stringent California LEV II standards for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV).

2009 Acura TL SH AWD - Rear View

Let’s be honest people, nobody is going to consider a front-drive sedan (or even a heavily front-wheel biased all-wheel-drive sedan) a serious 3 Series competitor. They’re just not. Acura has been fighting this battle since the first TL hit our shores in 1995 (with some success if you judge solely by sales numbers). But as good as the TL got in its previous form (and it got quite good), it was never going to pull core Bimmer-philes away from their beloved roundel.

Once you acknowledge this reality the idea of bulking up the TL’s exterior, increasing the cabin size and injecting it with all (well, almost all) of the latest technology makes sense. If you’re thinking you’ve heard this story before, you’re right (can you say CTS?).