The 2004 TL "Ride and Drive"

Our previous Ride and Drive events that I have attended were held at an old Navy Airbase in Alameda (RSX), a parking lot for a horse racing track (CL), and California Motor Speedway (TSX). The 2004 TL was going to be held at a beautiful hotel in downtown San Francisco, Hotel Nikko! What was Acura trying to tell us about the new TL?
 
It turns out that they were planning a new experience for us. They wanted to underscore the fact that we need to move ourselves and our stores in a more professional direction for the new clientele our ’04 TL was designed to cater to. Our new car is designed to appeal to exiting TL owners, and more importantly, “steal” a few buyers from other brands.

Opening Session
Our opening session was in one of the conference rooms decorated with frames artwork displaying the TL and some of its new technologies. The facilitator introduced himself and outlined our planned schedule for the days events. For many of us, it was going to be the first chance we’d have to see the car in person after seeing so my “spy photos” on the internet.

The TL showcases Acura’s commitment to efficiency. It all starts with aerodynamic efficiency. The TL has one of the best drag coefficients of any Acura vehicle, slicing through the wind with a 0.29 rating. This means increased fuel economy at highway speeds and also a quieter cabin. The addition of a front windshield with an acoustic inner layer and side glass that is 5mm thick (compared to 3.5 mm), reduce wind noise at highway speeds by a staggering 10db compared to the 2003 model.
 
Under the car, you’ll find extra care has been given to “air management.” There are covers under the engine and strategically placed panels to help smooth the air flow under the car. There’s even a genuine rear diffuser between the mufflers to aid high speed stability and enhance fuel economy. Inside the rear wheel wells you’ll find a unique material lining the insides of the fenders. It is an acoustic “carpet” material that dampens road noise better than the previous plastic liner.

The “Blinking 12”
What the heck is the “blinking 12” we wondered when we saw the index tab in our participant guides? We got the answer about 2 minutes into our session on High Technology. Remember the last time the power went out in your house? How long was it before you corrected the clock on your VCR to reset the time and get rid of the ‘blinking 12:00”? Did it take you so long because you’d forgotten how to do it? This was the point of our technology session.

It would be important that we assist clients with their new TLs and insure they are comfortable with the systems in the car, or they might get frustrated. The two systems that would need the most explaining are the Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and the Multifunction Display.
The Bluetooth HandsFreeLink allows users to link a compatible cellular phone and use the car as a “microphone and speaker”. This is how it works. A pairing process is used to “introduce” the car and phone. From this point on, the car will recognize the owner’s cellular phone whenever they get into the car, and link together. The owner can then dial and receive calls using Voice Commands and not have to take their hands (or eyes) off the road. You can even talk directly to the car by pressing the “talk” button and saying, “call 2 5 5 – 1 2 5 5” and the car will recognize the numbers and place the call!
 
The Multifunction Display allows users to customize the operation of the convenience features to their liking. For example, one driver can set the car to have the interior lights stay on for 15 seconds and have the doors automatically lock when they shift from park. A second driver could select a 30 delay on the interior lights, and have the doors lock when they reach 10 mph. The car recognizes each driver by which key fob was used to disarm the security system.
 
The display also shows the owner when they should plan scheduled maintenance. It takes data from the cars computer to calculate when it’s time to change the oil, rotate the tires, replace the coolant and even a timing belt. The system is smart enough to schedule maintenance items together to minimize trips to the service department.

The Driving
After our two classroom sessions were finished, we headed to a dozen cars to drive “caravan fashion” to Candlestick Point and the test track. As we piled into the 12 cars, I was fortunate to get to drive one of the TLs. It was a 12 mile (I think?) drive but traffic extended the driving time to around a ½ hour.
 
When we arrived at the Point, there were two sides set up for driving; one side had the comparison cars and the other the gymkhana course. Ah yes the gymkhana, my favorite part. A little back story is needed here. If you are a regular reader of my page, you may recall that I had the best time in our class (actually the whole weekend) at the RSX Ride & Drive. I also set the best time at the TSX Ride & Drive. Our manufacturers’ rep told me that a few of the sales consultants at his other dealerships were asking about me. I guess someone coming all the way from Hawaii for a half day class is easy to remember, especially if they do well. Anyway, we weren’t sure who would be going up for this trip, so up until a week before, I wasn’t certain I would attend, but it was always a possibility.

The comparison part of the track had Acura’s primary competitors: the Lexus ES300, BMW 330i, and the Infiniti G35. It’s now time to give you my performance assessment and personal preferences. Remember this based on MY VALUE system, and I value performance.
The TL won. There I said it! You can now crucify me for being biased, but before you do, let me explain.
 
4th Place: Lexus ES300
Let’s face facts, all Lexus product is well made. Fit and finish are excellent and better than the higher ranked G35 by leaps and bounds. Why is this car last? Frankly, someone had to be last, and since I bias my opinion towards performance, the ES 300 was at the back of the pack. It had the least horsepower, and was the second heaviest car and this resulted in poor acceleration. I was the slowest and it felt like it. In the handling department, the softly sprung McPherson struts provided a nice ride, but were much too soft for the kind of driving we were doing and probably too soft for any enthusiast

3rd Place: Infiniti G35
Like all the reviews say, this car has some pick up. It wasn’t as dominating as I was expecting but it did do a good job of getting the car away from a stand still. I hate to keep complaining about the same thing, but Nissan/Infiniti interiors are still substandard in materials and workmanship. Rattles, creaks and all kinds of extra noises abound. What a huge contrast compared to the ES300 and the TL. The legroom on the G35 was pretty good, probably due to the long wheel base of this car compared to the others. However, the cabin did feel very narrow, and this is probably due to the fact it shares its chassis with the Nissan 350Z sports car. Overall a good car, but with the same complaints we always have with Nissan product.

2nd Place: BMW 330i
This was a close one, since I love small cars and the nimble feel of the BMW. I love the feel of the steering in this car. It’s pure and direct but I wish the car had more power. Sorry, I meant to say I WISH THIS CAR HAD MORE POWER! If we were driving manual transmissions, the lower power might have been offset, making the BMW a better choice for the enthusiast driver. Personally, I still find the Dynamic Stability Control too intrusive, cutting in and spoiling all that rear wheel drive fun just as it’s getting started. Some people may find the interior a bit cramped, this is partly due to the smaller over all car, and the fact that the RWD drivetrain takes up more space. Personally I have two major objections to this car, one is the lack of horsepower, and the second is the significant price difference when equipped equally. Now if this were an M3 the order would be very different

1st Place: Acura TL
I agonized over this for quite some time; however, I feel the car speaks for itself. The TL manages to meld features not normally found in this price range into one smooth refined package. It even manages to add a few new tricks that are not available anywhere else (for now). Dynamically, the car handles with precision, with lots of feedback in the steering wheel, and only a slight hint of torque steer in the automatic transmission model

The new 6-speed shifts quickly and easily through very short throws and the clutch effort is phenomenally light. Granted, with full throttle applied, you will feel the standard limited slip differential tugging a bit on the wheel, but it’s not too distracting for the driver who is prepared for it.

Once inside, you are greeted to one of the finest interiors I’ve seen recently. The fit and finish is superb, the quality of the materials is excellent. The design and ergonomics is up to Acura’s typical high standards. The car is quiet inside, and offers excellent space for all occupants.

If you are an experienced rear wheel drive pilot and are willing to really push a car, you could generate better lap times (on a race track) with the BMW 330i with the performance package. In everyday driving the TL offers a better blend of features, performance and price.