2007 Acura TL Type S
08-06-2006, 01:23 PM
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2007 Acura TL Type S
http://www.boston.com/cars/news/arti...s_in_sinister/
Acura TL line is hot and frisky, yet still elegant
By Royal Ford | August 5, 2006
Acura describes its 2007 TL Type-S as ``sinister," a word I've never associated with Honda's upscale division.
But the hot Type-S is surprisingly frisky, something I discovered during a day of driving it out of the woods of Pennsylvania and through the twisting back roads of neighboring Maryland.
I also found the base TL version to have the kind of oomph that not long ago would have been labeled high performance. Maybe that's because the new TL has the same horsepower as the old Type-S. In fact, it was powerful enough to make me wonder if the extra few thousand for the Type-S is necessary, except for those who want crazy power instead of just superb performance.
The TL in base form has a 3.2-liter V-6 engine that produces a hefty 258 horsepower and 233 lb.-ft. of torque. Upgrade to the Type-S and you get a 3.5-liter V-6 with 286 horsepower and 256 lb.-ft. of torque.
Expect around 23 miles per gallon from the smaller engine and about 21 from the more powerful option.
The standard transmission in each model is a five-speed automatic with a manual option that can be shifted with paddles on the steering wheel. In the Type-S, the engine is revved on downshifts (called ``blipping" in a race car) for smoother transitions while maintaining speed.
It is a transmission that truly let's you be in charge when you opt to go manual -- something many automatics with manual option do not allow.
As you might guess, Acura's target TL customer -- particularly for the Type-S -- is a male in his 40s with an income of $100,000 or more. That's not to say that other people won't be able to afford the car when it goes on sale in the fall. Acura is pricing its TL models at between $34,000 and $39,000.
The company calls the TL an ``entry premium" vehicle, something of an oxymoronic phrase. But I guess it somehow makes sense, since in recent years Acura has been selling more than 70,000 of the cars annually in the United States, making it the financial backbone of the company.
And though Acura officials at the press launch for the TL repeatedly referred to the ``sinister styling" of the Type-S, it is also subtle and elegant, with its broad slits of headlights, fog lights dropped into the lower fascia, a mesh grille bisected by a chrome crossbar, and a pronounced hipline running front to rear.
Actually, Acura has always been subtle. For example, only the rear ward flip of a spoiler, hot-looking wheels, and awesome-sounding quad tailpipes give any outer hint of what lurks beneath and inside the Type-S.
Inside, stainless steel pedals in the Type-S differentiate it from the base model, as do firmly bolstered, multi seamed bucket seats and carbon fiber treatments.
But safety is what Honda/Acura has been about (and look for the Koreans to push them into making stability control systems standard in even lesser models). The TL comes with antilock brake system, brake assist, stability control, air bags for front and side, and front and rear curtain air bags, as well as a front-end crash system that sends the force of an impact below and over the cockpit .
You also get an array of standard comfort features that include a moonroof, 17-inch wheels, speed-sensitive wipers, heated power front seats , a pass-through rear center armrest, and an advanced audio system.
The Type-S comes with better wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, carbon-fiber interior trim, noise cancellation, and other goodies.
The TL, in both forms, is meant to compete with the BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G35 cars, Mercedes C-Class, and Lexus ES 330. In both performance and interior quality it achieves that goal.
Acura TL line is hot and frisky, yet still elegant
By Royal Ford | August 5, 2006
Acura describes its 2007 TL Type-S as ``sinister," a word I've never associated with Honda's upscale division.
But the hot Type-S is surprisingly frisky, something I discovered during a day of driving it out of the woods of Pennsylvania and through the twisting back roads of neighboring Maryland.
I also found the base TL version to have the kind of oomph that not long ago would have been labeled high performance. Maybe that's because the new TL has the same horsepower as the old Type-S. In fact, it was powerful enough to make me wonder if the extra few thousand for the Type-S is necessary, except for those who want crazy power instead of just superb performance.
The TL in base form has a 3.2-liter V-6 engine that produces a hefty 258 horsepower and 233 lb.-ft. of torque. Upgrade to the Type-S and you get a 3.5-liter V-6 with 286 horsepower and 256 lb.-ft. of torque.
Expect around 23 miles per gallon from the smaller engine and about 21 from the more powerful option.
The standard transmission in each model is a five-speed automatic with a manual option that can be shifted with paddles on the steering wheel. In the Type-S, the engine is revved on downshifts (called ``blipping" in a race car) for smoother transitions while maintaining speed.
It is a transmission that truly let's you be in charge when you opt to go manual -- something many automatics with manual option do not allow.
As you might guess, Acura's target TL customer -- particularly for the Type-S -- is a male in his 40s with an income of $100,000 or more. That's not to say that other people won't be able to afford the car when it goes on sale in the fall. Acura is pricing its TL models at between $34,000 and $39,000.
The company calls the TL an ``entry premium" vehicle, something of an oxymoronic phrase. But I guess it somehow makes sense, since in recent years Acura has been selling more than 70,000 of the cars annually in the United States, making it the financial backbone of the company.
And though Acura officials at the press launch for the TL repeatedly referred to the ``sinister styling" of the Type-S, it is also subtle and elegant, with its broad slits of headlights, fog lights dropped into the lower fascia, a mesh grille bisected by a chrome crossbar, and a pronounced hipline running front to rear.
Actually, Acura has always been subtle. For example, only the rear ward flip of a spoiler, hot-looking wheels, and awesome-sounding quad tailpipes give any outer hint of what lurks beneath and inside the Type-S.
Inside, stainless steel pedals in the Type-S differentiate it from the base model, as do firmly bolstered, multi seamed bucket seats and carbon fiber treatments.
But safety is what Honda/Acura has been about (and look for the Koreans to push them into making stability control systems standard in even lesser models). The TL comes with antilock brake system, brake assist, stability control, air bags for front and side, and front and rear curtain air bags, as well as a front-end crash system that sends the force of an impact below and over the cockpit .
You also get an array of standard comfort features that include a moonroof, 17-inch wheels, speed-sensitive wipers, heated power front seats , a pass-through rear center armrest, and an advanced audio system.
The Type-S comes with better wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, carbon-fiber interior trim, noise cancellation, and other goodies.
The TL, in both forms, is meant to compete with the BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G35 cars, Mercedes C-Class, and Lexus ES 330. In both performance and interior quality it achieves that goal.
08-06-2006, 05:27 PM
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:love: I LOVE this car!!! Thank you, Acura, for bringing the Type-S badge back to the TL line :yay:
Back in '03 I was very tempted to buy a 3.2 CL Type-S coupe. I drove one. God did I love that car. Couldn't swing the finances for an over $30k car then, but I can now.
I keep saying I don't need a new car (see sig.), but I've also said that someday Honda or Toyota may just bring out a new car so special it just may be the one to make me give up the Prelude.
Svelte, sharp, sexy exterior design, modern, classy interior, Honda's 3.5 liter V6, sinister sounding quad tail pipes, and all that matched to a phenominal 6 speed stick (I drove a TL last year) just may do the trick.
Damn. Honda knows what real car guys want, don't they?
Back in '03 I was very tempted to buy a 3.2 CL Type-S coupe. I drove one. God did I love that car. Couldn't swing the finances for an over $30k car then, but I can now.
I keep saying I don't need a new car (see sig.), but I've also said that someday Honda or Toyota may just bring out a new car so special it just may be the one to make me give up the Prelude.
Svelte, sharp, sexy exterior design, modern, classy interior, Honda's 3.5 liter V6, sinister sounding quad tail pipes, and all that matched to a phenominal 6 speed stick (I drove a TL last year) just may do the trick.
Damn. Honda knows what real car guys want, don't they?
Last edited by fastball; 08-06-2006 at 05:35 PM.
08-06-2006, 05:51 PM
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Sure nice to see that Acura is giving TL the much needed power boost, but I'm a bit disappointed that they are increasing displacement. I would rather see them improve on the current 3.2 to bring it to 280+ hp, instead of basically using same exact engine with increased displacement. Not to say this is a bad engine, but it just means that Acura doesn't have any new tech to surprise us. Well hopefully next TL will be SH-AWD turbo 3.5 with 360 or so HP.
08-06-2006, 06:20 PM
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Sure nice to see that Acura is giving TL the much needed power boost, but I'm a bit disappointed that they are increasing displacement. I would rather see them improve on the current 3.2 to bring it to 280+ hp, instead of basically using same exact engine with increased displacement. Not to say this is a bad engine, but it just means that Acura doesn't have any new tech to surprise us. Well hopefully next TL will be SH-AWD turbo 3.5 with 360 or so HP.
And the thing is that the TL really was never underpowered to begin with since it was redesigned in '04. A base TL (with revised SAE ratings) at 258 hp, price tag of about $33k. All the rest of their direct competitors are more expensive for similar horsepower or for the same price you get a dog (IS250 can barely get out of it's own shadow).
They're probably saving any new technology for the next generation design. It would be somewhat anti-climactic to release a new engine design and then release the next generation design of car with what would be the same engine.
Either way, it suits me fine. This Type-S could probably leave it's share of performance/muscle cars in the dust (3 Series, CTS, Mushtang GT, even Z28s) off the line. I could just see the look on some dude's face in his F-body with a 350 loosing to "a Honda with leather" as some people call Acuras.
Last edited by fastball; 08-06-2006 at 06:26 PM.
08-06-2006, 06:22 PM
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well if it is any indication that the last generation type-s was basically this generations base it might end up that the 3.5 becomes the base for the next generation with the new engine coming in at the refresh as a new type-s model.
08-06-2006, 06:29 PM
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Very true. The TL would become one nasty machine if the base engine had 290 hp. Talk about upping the ante for this class (entry level luxury $33-40k).
Maybe Honda has some plans for the future of Acura that could turn the automotive world upside down
