I think the Acura TL is a VERY nice car; it certainly gives folks a moment of pause when looking at BMW 3-Series and the MB C-Class lineup, as well as other imports (Lexus and Infiniti)...
I haven't driven one as of yet, but just from looking around a few of them and "kicking the tires", it's probably one of the best thought-out and most technically-advanced vehicles in the $30K+ price range, bar none.
It's got it all; looks, power (from what I hear), sophistication, more gizmoes than you can shake a stick at (which makes me a little concerned about repair costs when the warranty is up), but it's missing one single thing that is keeping me from considering one:
RWD.
I just can't get over it anymore. It's a childish stumbling-block of mine, but dammit, I'm sticking by it!
I've been considering a bevy of sedans for purchase; the TL hits absolutely the top of my list EVERY time, but it gets shot straight to the bottom because it's FWD. For all it offers in comparison to a MB C32 AMG, Cadillac CTS-V, Infiniti G35 and a BMW 5-series (rock-bottom of the list due to looks
), it's the price-performing, best "bang for the buck" car out there and one of the best looking of the bunch, too.
If Acura simply would put it in a RWD flavor, I'd jump on it in an instant over any other car out there today. I can afford a lot more than it, but value and price-performance means a HELL of a lot more in my book than the "prestige" factor, as I don't like sinking any more money than I have to in an asset that depreciates like a ROCK over it's useful lifespan...
If Acura had only put the drive-wheels on the back of that puppy.
[sigh]
