I have a soft spot for the Acura TL sedan. Well, the previous, front-wheel-drive generation from 2004–08. The latest version that launched for 2009 with available SH-AWD all-wheel drive has failed to capture my interest, mostly due to its oddly chiseled appearance and robotic driving experience. That the car was introduced with only a five-speed automatic doesn’t help.
So it was a welcome sight to see a new 2010 version fitted with proper six-speed manual sitting in our 10Best paddock this week. I finally got around to driving it today, and while it doesn’t transform the car into, say, something as dynamic as the 2010 Audi S4, the manual gearbox lends the Acura a degree of driver involvement that it was sorely lacking before. Paired with a 307-hp, 3.7-liter V-6, the extra cog makes the car a bit more lively in the twisties, where you can feel the torque-vectoring rear axle working to pivot the car around corners. The analog feel of the leather-wrapped shifter feels almost out of place in the TL’s tech-heavy cabin, but it’s a breeze to use and has the same precise engagement found in most manual-equipped Acuras and Hondas.
No, it’s not a profound change and the current car still doesn’t win me over like the previous model still does. But it’s a welcoming gesture in our age of super-fast automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes to see a conservative, mainstream automaker rolling out a real three-pedal, shift-your-own transmission in a luxury sedan overflowing with modern technology—and looks it, no less. I fear that this will be an increasingly rare experience in the not-too-distant future, so maybe I’ll give the TL another chance. Now if Acura would only do something about that damn grille.
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