2011 Acura TL Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Acura TL review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 TL, and includes Acura TL safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Acura isn’t making any changes to the 2011 TL because it is readying a massaged 2012 version to be introduced just as soon as the company can get it rolling down an assembly line.

When buying a 2011 Acura TL, you’ve got to decide if you want to save some money and stick with the more sedate base model or if you want to spend extra to get more power and performance. Then, once you’ve chosen between the standard TL and the TL SH-AWD, you must determine if the Technology Package is worth the extra cost to obtain a whole bunch of desirable options such as navigation with real-time traffic and weather reporting, a premium surround sound system with a hard drive for song file storage, upgraded leather upholstery, keyless entry and push-button ignition, a reversing camera, and a GPS-linked solar-sensing climate control system.

Regardless of the decisions you make, your starting point is the base TL model, which comes with leather, power front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity with streaming audio capability. The standard audio package includes satellite radio, a USB port, a CD changer and an auxiliary audio input jack, and the standard TL is equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels and high-intensity discharge headlights. If you’re wondering of all that silver trim on the outside is plastic, it’s not. It’s genuine stainless steel. To improve the TL’s appearance, try the 18-inch wheel option.

Performance-minded buyers, or those who frequently battle inclement weather, will want to investigate the TL SH-AWD. In addition to a more powerful V6 engine, the SH-AWD has Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system, a performance suspension, more robust brakes, sportier steering, and stickier tires mounted on larger 18-inch wheels. If you’re not planning to tackle any snowstorms, Acura offers Michelin Pilot Sport 2 summer-tread tires and good-looking 19-inch wheels. The TL SH-AWD is also available with a six-speed manual transmission option that includes Hill Start Assist and several hardware upgrades designed for enthusiastic driving.

A 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 is standard on the 2011 Acura TL, connected to a five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic that drives the front wheels. If you’re so inclined, this transmission offers shift paddles on the steering wheel to facilitate manual gear changes. Fuel economy ratings are 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, and the engine requires premium fuel.

For more power and performance, try the 305-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6 installed under the TL SH-AWD model’s hood. Enthusiasts will want the optional close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox, but most buyers will select the five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic on this model. Either way, Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is standard. Fuel economy is 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway no matter which transmission you choose.

If you’re wondering what’s so super about Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, you’re not alone. Basically, this all-wheel-drive system can deliver a majority of engine power to one or the other of the rear wheels to generate what the company refers to as a “yaw moment.” The result is that the TL SH-AWD drives more like a rear-wheel-drive model, capable of sharper turn-in when entering a corner turn-in and greater rotation and grip when exiting a corner. Thus, the TL SH-AWD offers the driving dynamics of a traditional rear-wheel-drive sport sedan while providing the four-season traction of an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

The practical side of your personality will adore the Acura TL because it delivers outstanding crashworthiness combined with excellent predicted reliability. It is also loaded with standard safety features, including six airbags, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction control, stability control, Bluetooth, and an available all-wheel-drive system. Plus, the TL’s underlying structure is constructed using Acura’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE), which aims to minimize the effect of a crash on the TL’s occupants and on any pedestrians the car might strike.

Getting into specifics, Consumer Reports gives the TL its highest possible rating for predicted reliability. J.D. Power and Associates is not quite as optimistic, but still predicts that the car will return better than average dependability over time.

As for crashworthiness, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revised its testing procedures for 2011 and did not subject the TL to its new, more robust and difficult testing regimen. Only the TL’s 5-Star rollover resistance rating carries over from 2010. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is only a roof strength test away from crowning the TL as a Top Safety Pick thanks to its top-notch performance in every other testing parameter.

When asked, most people claim to want a car that is safe, dependable, and a good value. Many also refuse to buy anything that’s not American. Guess what? The 2011 Acura TL is all of these things, even American as defined by the federal government because it contains 75 percent domestically sourced parts and is built in Ohio. However, given the nosedive in sales since the current TL arrived in 2009, it is also clear that people want a good-looking car. Given that the TL is an outstanding luxury sport sedan behind its controversial styling, we can only hope Acura performs a cosmetic surgery miracle when the restyled 2012 model arrives.

By Christian Wardlaw