The Acura TL

A Long Line Of Mostly Hits

Though it generally flies under the sports sedan radar, the Acura TL has been in continuous-ish production for almost 30 years. The original 1996 TL replaced the lovely Vigor with inoffensive square lines and a long, flat hood.

Then there was Gen 2 in 1999 and its available Type S variant with silky V6 power and chunky 5-spoke wheels. For Gen 3, in 2004, Acura killed it on the styling, bumped Type S output to 270 horsepower, and offered a stick for the first time. I can tell you that this particular 6-speed was an all-time smoothie and that car is an all-time great.

The 4th-gen TL, from 2009, with its chromed beak was still objectively an excellent sedan that continued the three pedal option, but Acura lost the thread on clean design. In 2015, the TL became the TLX as a sort of combination between the old TL and TSX. It dropped the stick and was a just-fine sports sedan, but that all changed with the current TLX.

Arriving in 2021, it had the look of a RWD sedan, though it remained FWD or AWD. Channeling the sharp look of the 3rd-gen TL, this latest in Acura’s long line of TLs is a knockout. Opt for the 355-horse Type S screamer finished in Tiger Eye Pearl for a truly excellent Japanese sports sedan. But don’t wait too long as this sweet ride is currently riding into the sunset of retirement.

Photo Credits: Acura