2005 Acura Tl Review
If you're well to do: "The Status Quo" says you should drive a Euro-sedan, etc.... Of course if you drive a Lexus, you're still inside, and if you're successful and 30ish; you can get away driving/owning an Infiniti; but never has the Acura quite made it into this crowd: even though Acura makes great automobiles; they have always fallen short in the luxury-sports segment.
First of all let me begin by saying: the only reason these sedans exist was to "fill in the gap," sort of speak. This is because when Acura, Infiniti, and even Lexus came into the scene, the gap was very wide to say the least. You had the Infiniti Q45 costing in the vicinity of $60,000, and then you had the G20 which was considerably less costing only around $20-25,000. This was the same problem Acura had with its automobiles. The gap in Acura was between the Legend and the Integra. Again, you had the Legend costing upwards of $40,000, and the Integra was around $20,000; of course I'm talking back in the days: since I visited a Lexus dealership, and saw an LS600H which fully loaded costs $137,000!
The Acura TL, Lexus ES, and Infiniti I30 came into the picture precisely for this purpose. They were the "middle child" for lack of a better metaphor, and they have done quite well...and both the TL and the ES have stood the test of time; although the I30 didn't. This is because people looking at these type of vehicles want excitement/sport which the Infiniti I30/35 never had/possessed.
The 2005 Acura is a wonderful car in every sense of the word. Much more sporty-like than both the Lexus ES, and of course the Infiniti I30. Like all of the above aforementioned. The Acura TL is a redoing of its sister car: the Honda Accord (the Lexus ES is really a Camry, and the I30 was really a Maxima), and like its less expensive sibling, it's very performance oriented. The interior of the TL has always looked more sporty than the ES or the I30; when the TL first came into the picture back in 1996, it was a great looking vehicle, and today more than 12 years later: still is.
2004 was a remodeled year, so little changed between the 2004 & 2005 model TL. They are pretty much the same vehicles. Compared with the first TL, the 2005 is almost a different car. Aggressive stance sets this car apart from the competition, and you can tell Honda/Acura has always had its eye on Audi/BMW when redesigning their vehicles. 3.2 V6 with 270 horses powers this nicely trimmed car. The cabin is spacious, and again sport cues abound everywhere. As to be expected in a car of this segment: leather is standard, lumbar support adjustment; dual-zone automatic climate control, heated seats, in-dash six-CD changer. Unlike Lexus and Infiniti; Acura's pride themselves in loading their vehicles so little is left on the options list. Excellent anti-lock braking system with brake-force distribution/brake assist all help this vehicle keep control of the road. Sensor control airbags are also available; together with an electronic stability system is standard. This vehicle is a pleasure to drive, it surpasses its predecessors (which was already an exceptional vehicle as it was) in handling and refinement; making this vehicle almost flawless, and when you take into consideration the price; well there is very little if anything else to say about this vehicle: Blue Book Value is: $22,000-22,700.
