(first posted 4/7/2017) Produced for 20 years over four distinct generations, the midsize Acura TL luxury sedan is usually remembered for either its all-around appealing second generation, its timelessly good-looking and high-performing third generation, or its brazenly-styled and ultra-high tech fourth generation. The original TL, however, fails to rank high in the memory of most; not helped by the fact that finding one in good condition, like this Cayman White Pearl 3.2 TL I recently saw in California, is an anomaly.
Most first generation TLs these days tend to look like this, used and abused, with few examples in general, due to its relatively short lifespan. Produced from 1995-1998 and sold only for the 1996-1998 model years in North America, the first generation TL did prove more popular than its Vigor predecessor, though sales wouldn’t really amount to anything spectacular until the more conventional second generation in 1999.
The original TLs were in many ways an evolution of the Vigor, offering similar long, low, and athletic proportions, longitudinal-mounted engines, and pillared hardtop styling. Styling itself was nothing revolutionary, but nonetheless an attractive update of the angular “origami” motif. Incorporating softer corners and more flowing lines, the TL bucked the mid-1990s trend of “jellybean” styling, giving it a more aggressive appearance than many competitors.
While less graceful in execution, the 1996 3.5 RL (a.k.a. gen 3 Legend) echoed much of the TL’s design cues, and due to a lengthier production span, tends to overshadow the similarly-styled 1996-1998 TL.
Like its predecessor, the 2.5 TL’s standard engine was the same 2.5-liter inline-5, producing an identical 176 horsepower and 170 lb-ft torque. Ride, handling, and acceleration was deemed good by most with this engine, but the big news was the welcomed addition of a V6, found in the pricier 3.2 TL.
Producing 200 horsepower and 210 lb-ft torque, the 3.2-liter V6 not only provided the expected quicker acceleration, but smoother idling, with less vibration than 5-cylinder. The 3.2L TL’s suspension was also tuned to be slightly softer than the 2.5 TL, as Acura positioned the 2.5 as the sportier of the two (despite less power, narrower tires, and lack of its predecessor’s manual transmission).
Keeping with the Acura tradition, in either trim, the TL came generously equipped, leaving little to be desired or charged extra for. All TLs came with items such as 6-way power driver’s seat with manual lumbar support, automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, in-dash CD/cassette, 8-speaker sound system, one-touch down power windows, dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, double-wishbone front and rear suspension, and front and rear anti-roll bars.
In addition to its V6, the 3.2 TL added features such as standard leather upholstery, 4-way power passenger’s seat, power moonroof, remote keyless entry. Both trims offered an available Premium Package, which comprised of leather upholstery, leather door panels, and power moonroof in the 2.5, and of heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and traction control system in the 3.2.
Fit-and-finish were expectedly good, with pleasant looking and fitting plastics, lots of padded surfaces, quality leathers and cloths, chrome accents, and attractive looking faux woodgrain. The hardtop bodystyle and low beltlines contributed to an airy cabin, and foam-injected pillars and resin honeycomb between the steel sheets of the floorpan contributed to vault-like quietness.
(JDM Honda Inspire interior; identical to the TL with the exception of badging and RHD)
On a personal note, one thing that’s always bothered me is how the center console and center stack did not meet. This design choice could’ve been influenced by the TL’s large forward hump due to its drivetrain layout, but regardless, it just looks unfinished.
Looking back through many contemporary reviews, it’s refreshing to see a near universal opinion on all fronts when evaluating the TL. In summation, among the 1996-1998 TL’s many strengths were its superb handling characteristics, smooth acceleration, impeccable fit-and-finish, comfortable and quiet interior, spaciousness, ride quality, and numerous standard features. Its primary weaknesses lay in its conservative styling, light steering feel, and unmemorable alpha-numeric name — all owing to a general anonymity.
Although an appealing offering, the first generation TL simply failed to stand out in a crowded segment by offering any unique qualities that buyers would get excited about. Despite arguably better performance and styling than cars like the Infiniti I30 and Lexus ES 300, the TL was merely another Japanese midsize luxury car to most.
Cayman White Pearl 3.2 TL photographed: February 2017 – Yucaipa, California
Pacific Blue Pearl 2.5 TL photographed: July 2015 – Braintree, Massachusetts
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IMHO, Japanese car styling peaked in the ’90s.
I much prefer this sleek & graceful design over today’s evil & aggressive look.
Happy Motoring, Mark
+1 on the styling. For myself the angry cars thing recently along with the funeral color scheme doesn’t work. (The overly medicated “happy” Mazda thing could be worse.)
For what it is worth I do have a moderately angry Rav4 (2016) and deal with the face for the rest of what it does do so well. (in red though)
+2 and to me these look more aggressive, behind the “angry eyes” on today’s cars all you see are tall blubbery bodies. These have the stance of a cheetah, a modern TL has the stance of a hippo.
+3 as I really dig the clean, simple lines on cars like this from the ’90’s. The low beltline, thinner pillars, and no-nonsense dashboard that’s devoid of gimmicks also make for a practical, functional design that appeals to the engineer in me. Today’s cars just seem to be form over function, and the “form” isn’t even all that appealing to me.
Maybe someday we’ll be able to buy cars like this again.
I totally agree about the styling, and the idea of function over form (or vice versa…). I prefer the ‘simple elegance’ of the first gen TL’s. I really don’t get the whole ‘angry’ look that a lot of new cars have, including the new TL’s.
I think a l lot of today’s car designs are so overwrought, and strained/forced — it seems most car designs are desperately trying to be something they’re often not.
What are today’s cars trying to be?
Agreed. I really prefer clean elegance to having metal contorted into unnatural shapes just to stand out. But when they all do it, they all look ugly and nobody stands out.
Early nineties was peak styling. Bring back simplicity.
Agree with Mark. These are my favorite generation of the TLs, and one of my favorite 1990s cars. I’m a land yacht guy at heart, but I’d drive one of these in a second.
It’s very interesting how Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Toyota all switched – especially with their JDM models – to a very blocky, conservative design language in the mid-1990s. Mitsubishi forged a different path, at least with its export models, by going more shapely and aggressive.
I get it. The Japanese had to be more austere after they all had been throwing money at sports cars and exciting technology and niche products. But jeez, did they have to make their cars LOOK austere too?
Compare mid-1990s Japanese models with their predecessors. ’96 Sentra, ’96 TL, ’96 RL, Asia-Pacific/European 626, Civic, Accord, Camry…
I liked the Vigor but these are bland almost to the point of being dorky. The RL carries these lines better, looking like a junior Lexus LS. This is awkward.
Yes, these always were kind of anonymous. Maybe it took some time for our minds to make the transition from names like Integra Vigor and Legend to the alpha-numeric.
The powertrain intrigues me. I had forgotten that these had a longitudinal engine – were these (and the Vigor) the only Hondas to do so? And did the V6 models suffer from the transmission infirmities that they would later become so infamous for?
The 1994-1997 second generation Ascot and its twin the Rafaga also did a logitudinal-5 front wheel drive layout. These cars were odd ducks even by Japanese market standards. They came about because when the 1994 Accord debuted, it no longer was compact in size per Japan’s annual road tax. These stayed within the lower tax bracket and were intended as Honda’s offerings in that segment. Two things really worked against them, however. For one, Honda marketed these as premium products (above even the Integra) right as Japan’s economy was going to hell. The other downfall was the interior packaging was not good due to the strange power train layout. Honda corrected their error in 1998 by seperating the North American and Japanese market Accords into distinct vehicles, thus returning the Accord into the compact tax class in Japan.
The second generation Legend also had its V6 mounted longitudinal.
J P:
For some inexplicable reason, Honda switched to a longitudinally mounted V6 with the 2nd generation of Legend. I’m guessing they were somewhat sensitive to the criticism that Acuras, and the Legend in particular were just “gussied-up” Accords.
I think (not sure) that ALL RLs have longitudinally mounted V6s….up to the current model.
I also believe you got much less torque steer and noise; by equal axle lengths and by moving noisier engine components away from the passenger compartment. Made the nose longer but made the drive experience quieter.
…..or I could be wrong
It doesn’t look like it did push the components any further forward than they would have been in these Acuras. I know Audi (who continues to use longitude-FWD layouts in most of its wares) likes to sling the engine way out ahead of the front axle, with the longitude transmission directly in line with the front axle, so that the half-shafts actually come out of the sides of it to meet the front wheels. But it looks like Acura keeps the engine and transmission further back, with the engine sitting over the front axle and the transmission somewhat in the cabin, routing the power back to the front axle via an assembly…pretty much like any RWD-based car with AWD, only without the driveshaft going to the rear wheels.
There was also GM’s strange longitude-FWD arrangement in the earlier E-body cars. GM was the first to do this layout in any major quantity with the Oldsmobile Toronado, Cadillac Eldorado and later the Buick Riviera. In those cars, the longitude-mounted engine actually sat beside the transmission, and they were coupled via a chain.
Yes, the differential is against the right side of the sump and the left-hand driveshaft actually goes through the oil pan.
The main reason for doing that was weight distribution. Moving the transmission behind the engine shifts more of the static weight toward the rear, so the front weight bias is only about 59–60%, a lot less than most FWD cars. The downside is that it was pretty disastrous for packaging. Honda ended up extending the wheelbase ahead of the firewall so the transmission wouldn’t cut too badly into front foot room, which made for a bigger car with no more interior space.
The old GM Unitized Power Package was a lot more compact, and could have been more so if GM had run one halfshaft through the sump as Honda did. Oldsmobile did explore doing the same thing, but decided it was easier to just raise the engine a little bit, which was cheaper, but not ideal for center of gravity reasons.
As far as generations sold as “RL”, It was just the first RL (1996-2004) that had a longitude-mounted engine. The second-gen (2005-2012) used a transverse engine.
I never understood the rationality of switching from inspiring words (Legend, Vigor, and Integra) to alphanumeric labels, following the introduction of NSX. For a long time and to this day, I am hopeless in remembering which letters go with which vehicles and their pecking order.
Steve Jobs hit the nail right on with doing away with confusing computer model ranges and their complicated subcategories when he returned to Apple in 1995. He simplified them into just four categories with clear distinction between them. That is something Acura should have done long ago…
With a few exceptions, Audi and BMW use the alphanumerical and numerical sequences to show the placements of their models for decades. Audi makes it convenient to know the difference between A, S, and RS as well as Q, SQ, RSQ. Ditto for BMW. Mercedes-Benz reorganised its nomenclature system in 1994 and consolidated once again in 2015 to clearly and easily associate the vehicles and their positions in the model and price range.
Looking at Lexus model range, one can see that the second letter (S, X, and C) refers to saloons, CUV/SUV, and coupés and that the numbers refer to engine displacement.
Pontiac tried to do the alphanumeric names in the 1980s (6000, J2000, T1000, etc.)? It was a colossial fiasco and quickly abandoned a few years later. Then, Pontiac tried again in the early 2000s with G5, G6, and G8 before dearly departing to the pasture.
Cadillac showcased its gorgeous concept cars along with marvellous names (Escala, Elmiraj, Cien, Sixteen, etc.) in the fantasy world. However, Cadillac in reality produced the lacklustre-looking cars along with anonymous alphanumeric labels. If that didn’t work out, try again: Cadillac recently switched to CT# and XT#, adding more confusion for the consumers.
Amen!
It’s mostly consistent, on the Lexus front. The hybrids tend not to be consistent with their displacement badges. Of course the LS600hL does not have a 6.0-liter. The RX450h and GS450h don’t have a 4.5-liter. The CT200h does not have a 2.0-liter. And the ES300h and NX300h don’t have a 3.0-liter. But you could make the excuse that those are suggested numbers. The LS600hL makes about the same power as a 6.0-liter V8 or V12—or at least, it did when it was introduced several years ago.
They’re starting to fall prey to “number-creep”, too…a phenomenon in which even when the displacement of the engine has shrank–and even if that engine is more powerful and better in every way than its predecessors–customers don’t want to see “smaller” numbers than on the previous model, so the number part of the designation will either stay the same or increase. To wit: the upcoming redesigned LS and all-new LC get a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. But do you think they’ll call it the LS350t? No. It’s now the LS500. Interestingly, they were willing to lower the badge numbers when the GX470 became the GX460 upon its redesign and the replacement of the 4.7-liter V8 with the considerably-nicer 4.6-liter V8.
But even the LS500 thing would be okay if not for the fact that all of Lexus’ other turbocharged cars have the correct displacement, with a “t” modifier behind it. There’s the NX200t, IS200t and GS200t, although those cars are just referred to as “Turbo” in marketing (e.g. NX Turbo).
Not that Lexus is the only or even most-egregious offender, either. BMW threw caution to the wind a while ago when they started turbocharging everything around 2009. And Audi still calls its cars 3.0T, never mind that this engine is actually a supercharged V6. Don’t even ask me about Jaguar’s 25t and 35t powertrain badges…or the fact that Volvo still has T5 and T6 and now T8 monikers, despite the fact that everything they now make has some sort of forced-induction 4-cylinder, with optional electric boost. And the less said about Mercedes-Benz, the better.
But…hey, it’s whatever. If everybody’s doing it, why shouldn’t Lexus join in?
As for a footnote about Pontiac, they failed in the late-aughts because the cars pretty much all sucked; I don’t think the model nomenclature had much to do with it. The G8 was good, but it was not a time to launch a RWD sport sedan with low profit margins in a mainstream segment.
That’s why engine displacement should be on an emblem somewhere on the fender and not the name of the car. It’s like naming a child their height “hello, I’m MP59, nice to meet you.”
Pontiac may have sucked in the aughts, but so did every single GM division producing cars. Pontiac wasn’t the liability that sent them into bankruptcy, Pontiac(and Saturn and Hummer)was the sacrificial lamb to prove to the public that they were changing their ways in the most low effort way possible. It was particularly easy to digest loss because it’s not like anyone can object citing the loss of any magical names.
Infiniti did exactly that. When they did their whole Q / QX nomenclature changeover, the cars gained displacement badges on the fenders.
https://www.voguetyre.com/products/packages/QX60-Platinum/Infiniti-QX60-2014-Side-LSF_1920x1200.jpg
Due to downsizing, turbocharging and hybrids, it’s long overdue to totally drop displacement from the model name; it’s just mostly irrelevant now. Who cares? And with greater electrification, that’s going to be ever more the case. I wouldn’t be surprised to see traditional names make a come-back with the EV generations to come, even from companies that have used alpha-numeric names for decades. Maybe even Mercedes and Audi!
I think BMW moved away from displacement-based naming about 10 years ago. That three-digit number in chrome on the trunk lid is the monthly lease payment.
It does tie in with the Borgward article – if Borgward had been bailed out and BMW allowed to die instead of the other way around, and all those ’80s yuppies had been driving around in Alexanders, Arabellas and Isabellas, would all the other premium brands have dropped their naming traditions and rushed to “people” names?
Interesting to see you note period reviews to be fairly unanimous in their opinions of the TL. I only say that because I still have an old Car and Driver (Feb. 1997) laying around and they sure weren’t all that impressed with a 3.2TL in a nine car comparison. Tied for 6th place with two others. They really liked the interior materials, build, and highway ride. The rest, not so much. Coarse and somewhat noisy V6, low grip, poor rebound control. In summary they said “We prefer cars that show a bit more initiative.” I’m assuming the marks likely would not be so harsh if tested outside the scope of a comparison. This was the full score:
9th: Saab 900 SE (82 points)
6th: (tie) Acura 3.2TL, Ford Taurus SHO, Infiniti I30 (83 points)
5th: Mazda Millenia L (84 points)
4th: Cadillac Catera (86 points)
3rd: Mitsubishi Diamanté LS (88 points)
2nd: Volvo 850GLT (92 points)
1st: Lexus ES300 (95 points)
Looking at the order of finish, this test must have prioritized comfort over performance. Otherwise I couldn’t explain the ES winning and the Diamante finishing third.
In the case of the Diamanté that seems to be true. Not so with the Lexus; only the SHO and Volvo were quicker, across the board. What really seems to have pushed the Lexus so high was the option of Toyota’s TEMS electronic suspension. It blew away all the others in the emergency lane change (64 mph, four better than next best Volvo), so that seems to back up the editor’s opinion it was still fun to drive as well as being extremely comfortable. YMMV 😉
As I recall, it wasn’t that they prioritized comfort uber alles, but that, as the point totals indicate, they though the ES offered a better balance of attributes for the price. (Some of the entries ended up being price-handicapped; the Millennia, for instance, would probably have fared better with the Miller-cycle engine, but the Millennia S was over their price cap.)
This is a car that I, too, have overlooked, but I quite like the styling. Looks like there were both four-bolt and five-bolt hubs for this generation of Inspire / TL; I wonder why that was.
The 2.5 cars got 4-lug wheels while the 3.2 got 5 lugs. Also, the hood/bonnet and bumpers of both cars were different.
Correct, the 3.2TL had taller front valances and a waterfall grill compared to the 2.5TL’s horizontal grill.
“The 2.5 cars got 4-lug wheels while the 3.2 got 5 lugs. Also, the hood/bonnet and bumpers of both cars were different.”
Thanks for answering that question. I guess it makes sense that the cars had different front clips. From what I recall, this was normal differentiation for Honda. They even, by necessity, made the fenders and hood slightly different for the fifth-generation Accord V6, in order that the engine would fit.
3 years ago We had a shot at buying an RL with only 32K miles on it. I think it was a 2003. It was a steal at only $6200. But it was for my wife and she couldn’t get past that it had been heavily smoked in. When we called the owner said it wasn’t smoked in, but the smell said different. I had my mechanic look at it and he said it was perfect. The only thing it needed was the timing belt changed because of its age.
I checked with 2 detailers who said I would never really get the smoke smell out of the leather, carpet, and headliner.
To this day every time I have to repair something on the Subaru Outback we bought instead, I kick myself for not buying the Acura that could have easily went 2-300K miles.
I will concede that getting our Grandson in and out of a baby seat ? in the back of the 2 door would not have been fun. It was pretty tight back there.
WOW, do I ever disagree with the results of that Car&Driver comparison test. And I’ll bet the editors themselves would wonder what drugs they were on after re-reading that test.
I actually thought these were vastly better than the Second generations, the Second generation’s switch to transverse engines ruined the perfect proportions the first gen had, and just looked like another anononymous camcord. The Third gen was the best all rounder, and the best performing.
Biggest problem with these was that the styling seemed to be aping the Lexus LS, and it consequently never had much of it’s own identity(I have no doubt Lexus’ two letter acronym names influenced TL and RL as well). I think that’s what makes them easy to overlook or forget about
I remember the C/D review of this car when it first appeared, the 2.5 version. They bemoaned the price, noting that it lacked a lot of features that were standard, like keyless entry and CD player, on most other cars in that price range. They also questioned the point of the five cylinder engine, as it wasn’t really more powerful than the 4 and wasn’t smoother than the 6.
Honda managed to steal a page from the GM playbook and absolutely ruin Acura. If it weren’t for the MDX and whatever the smaller crossover is, I wonder if Acura would exist, but then again, Honda isn’t likely to concede defeat.
Acura broke the mold and destroyed any conceptions anyone had of Japanese cars as tintoys in the ’80’s. When Acura debuted in 1986, Honda didn’t even have an American size family sedan; the biggest vehicle was the Accord, which was a compact car. Japanese cars were tiny, fuel efficient, and reliable, but still cramped, tinny, and often stripper vinyl seated-no-radio-no-air-conditioning models like Tercels, Corollas, Sentras, and base Civics. Despite nibbling at the edges of the family/luxury car market with the Maxima and Cressida, Oldsmobile dealers were fat and happy and the big three and Germans were happy to cede the bottom end of the market to the Japanese.
Then Acura came along and blew everyone out of the water with what was basically an Accord with a V6 which cost nearly twice as much and a fancy, sporty Civic. The Legend and Integra paved the way for Lexus and Infiniti and made the Germans stand up and look smart.
Then Honda ruined Acura by taking away the names and dulling down the cars. There’s no more Integra, and whatever replaced the Legend isn’t Legendary. Of course, there’s a lot more competition today in the near-luxury sector, but Honda destroyed Acura.
I looked at the ?TL? a couple of years ago and . . . it’s exactly like an Accord inside, but about $5K more expensive comparably equipped. Also, in that showroom and at the recent auto show, the trim doesn’t line up – at all- on the exterior windows. Not even close. Makes you wonder.
The other mistake Honda made with Acura was that they got partway upmarket and then stopped. When Toyota and Nissan went up to a larger RWD V8 powered flagship model, Acura stayed put and tried to sell the RL at a Lexus LS V8 price. It was a very nice FWD transverse V6 sedan, but it was still a FWD transverse V6 sedan in a segment that looks down on them.
True indeed. I considered the prestige of a brand based on their flagship sedan; the bigger/better the flagship, the more prestige a company has. Acura doesn’t have a top flagship, and they need one. The quality V6 can’t do it alone.
I don’t think Acura does need a traditional flagship sedan. Audi, BMW, Lexus and Jaguar are luxury mainstays, and they still struggle in this segment, which Mercedes-Benz basically owns with the S-Class. I don’t think relative upstarts like Acura or Infiniti would do any better.
Acura does have a sort of sub-flagship in the TLX. What I mean by sub-flagship is a sedan that for all intents and purposes is a brand’s nicest sedan, but isn’t as prestigious as one of the premier flagships. Other sub-flagships are the Lincoln Continental, Cadillac CT6 and Volvo S90. I think Volvo and Lincoln are on the right track with these cars. The Continental offers impeccable styling for the price, while the S90 matches the craftsmanship and overall thoughtfulness of much pricier wares. The CT6, despite its RWD layout, is extremely boring and I think Cadillac will suffer accordingly.
So, yes, maybe Acura can succeed with the RLX by giving it drop-dead styling and as many features as are reasonable within its price band.
Other than that, given the growing trend toward high-bodied vehicles, I think Acura’s flagship should be a nicer-than-MDX crossover. Maybe they could dust off that longitude-engined layout, too.
Very interesting points. I like the idea of a nicer-than-MDX flagship crossover–and it would be really cool if Honda applied some of its technological prowess in that relatively high volume segment, rather than just for the NSX in the minuscule supercar segment.
I also think of Acura (and Lexus for that matter) as today’s Buick–very nice, but not super premium–but that is potentially a good place to be. Volvo is demonstrating that there is indeed a profitable place for such entrants, so long as they have a distinct personality (which Volvo does).
Thats how exJDM cars stole the market in NZ they came fully loaded buyers at auction in Japan only bought top of the range examples, if you really like sitting on plastic seats and leaning over to roll the passenger window down fine just keep your Ford Cortina, most people didnt.
It even made new car assemblers buck their ideas up too no more poverty spec Holdens and Falcons from OZ nobody wanted them so none came in power glass and AC became standard in everything central locking cloth seats if it didnt have you couldnt sell it.
The styling of these first TLs never worked for me. Though the general proportions were similar to the Vigor, they end up looking taller and somehow narrower, giving it some of the same awkwardness as the stretched K-cars Chrysler put out (though at least without the giant overhangs). The Vigor’s taut surfaces and wide headlamps gave it more of a feeling of width to match the length. Illusory maybe, but it was just a far more attractive car in my eyes.
Then they fixed the styling for the 2nd-gen and broke the transmission. I came fairly close to buying an ’03 TL Type-S in 2006, with rather high mileage (somewhere just north of 100K I think). Wonder how long it would have been until the glass transmission decided to give out, and probably north of the 109K cutoff Honda placed on the extended warranty…guess it was a blessing I didn’t pull the trigger on that one!
I’m pretty sure that the 109K mile warranty extension on the transmissions only applied to the four-speed units as used in the 1999-2001 Honda/Acura models.
Model year 2002+ cars had the 5-speed transmission, which had its own set of problems but Honda didn’t extend the warranty on those as far as I know (they did issue a hokey “oil-jet” band-aid fix on the 2002-2003 models where they rerouted pressurized transmission fluid through an external line going through the fill port on top to spray on some under-lubricated gearset).
This from somebody who still owns a 2001 Odyssey, on it’s third transmission. My sister has a 1999 Odyssey, also on its third transmission. My brother owns a 2004 Odyssey, still on it’s first.
I don’t recommend 1999-2004 Honda/Acura V6-powered vehicles of any type to people unless they have a fresh transmission in them, which is how I bought mine.
The gen2 TL was the only one that spoke to me. And if I had to guess, I wasn’t the only one, as I suspect it was the best seller of all of them.
I’m on my second. It speaks to me, too.
Actually, the most interesting article I read on the TL sums it up better and differently: it was by car and driver, and lambasted the vehicle as a poster child for Japanese decontenting that made the car almost uncompetitive. As for instance: the leather interior was in fact leather seating surfaces (which was not normal for luxury cars with leather interiors at that time, but would be shortly) and the “leather” door pad panels were in fact rauched vinyl- they were leather on the Vigor.
Acura was not alone on this. Infiniti did it with the Q45 a few years later, and the I30 suffered many of the same issues as well. There was nothing wrong with the engineering- Honda was at its pinnacle here- or the assembly quality. But this car, and the other Japanese luxury machines that came out in 1995-2000 highlighted that the first generation LS400 was in fact an anomaly: the Japanese didnt have what it takes to compete in the upper echelon of luxury.
They could build such a car if they wanted to. But they are not inclined to, or culturally capable of, really expending the resources on the low profit, low volume world of the halo car, which is needed to drive the rest of the brand.
In Japan cloth is the luxury seating surface not 2nd hand cow nobody including me wants slippery hot/cold greasy seat.
Hated those cheese grater nosed Acuras initially, but I saw one recently that looked like a 21st Century concept car. It changed my entire perspective on the brand.
My best friend has an 07 Acura TL tsi [???] that’s pretty impressive, but the sport suspension nearly killed me coming home from a recent hip replacement. Not only low to the ground, but the ride is and was jarring and jiggly as well. Beautiful car. Not something I’d buy for myself. He loves it. Perhaps a lesser TL [or whatever they call it now] would be more satisfying than an enthusiast one.
These TLs never charted for me when they came out. The early 90s Altima was far more memorable, but these days all that pre-wrecked sheet metal and the Sci Fi monster grilles make this look like an early 60s Continental. Understated and discreet.
“…these days all that pre-wrecked sheet metal and the Sci Fi monster grilles make this look like an early 60s Continental. Understated and discreet.’
Love it!
But Pete it hides minor damage well.
We had one of these for a short time, in fact should have kept it longer.
We bought it from its original owner at 110k miles, to replace my wife’s dead Volvo 760 Turbo (headgasket and failed turbo). It was a really good car, even 11 years later.
What I really loved about the car was the way the switchgear operated. It had a nice broad Hood for its size and was just the right size for our young family. The 6 felt strong and the transmission was not an issue. It did leak a little coolant and I got nervous about headgasket issues. Supposedly, that was an issue on Honda’s C-Series motor. I even wrote to Sajeev at TTAC about this concern.
I didn’t like the variable assist power steering (could have resolved with a ps fluid flush), started to get very minor rust spots inside rear wheel wells (pinpoint specs), and needed shocks. I could have spent a little money and probably still drive it today.
He told me to hold the car, I sold it. 22k miles and 3 years later for what I paid. We replaced it with a new Honda Accord, which has been awesome after 5 years.
We also had an Outback at the time (lemoned). For a short time, I had 2 good vehicles with longitudinal drive trains and frameless-window doors. The outback was a manual. Maybe if it had been a 3.0R, it’d be a different story in terms of reliability.
The Accord, a Cannondale road bike, and a company vehicle replaced both vehicles.
Pics of the car…
another
and the inside
and the Outback when it wasn’t at the shop! Notice the My wife’s Vulva to the right…
First time I’ve been asked to notice that.
Oops, I meant left…too many gin and tonics this evening!
She hated when I called the Volvo that. I told her it’s the safest place I could be. Women don’t get car guy humor.
Back in the 1970s we had a retired elderly female friend who decided she wanted to buy a new car. She drove a Valiant that was about 15 years old, with very low mileage, but that had a lot of door dings and things like that. She only drove to church and shopping once a week, although she did drive to work before retiring. She had recently visited her brother and he’d bought a nice new 4-door sedan that she liked and she thought she would get one like what he had bought. She thought that he’d said his new car was a “Vulva.”
We took her to the Volvo dealer and she looked at a 244 and thought it was nice and that it looked like her brother’s car, but she couldn’t figure out why it was so much more expensive than what her brother said he paid for his car. We finally called her brother and learned he’d bought a “Nova.” In the late ’70s a Chevy Nova was quite a bit cheaper than a Volvo 244.
140k miles till now..I am still driving this car.. 97 acura tl 20 years and still strong…but just need rear main seal
One interesting factoid about these cars is that the equivalent Honda Saber/Inspire sold quite well in the Japanese market — the first Honda luxury model that really had. The early Legend really under-performed in the home market and the five-cylinder Vigor hadn’t gone over that well either, since it was sold against mostly six-cylinder competitors.
I think these cars were blander than bland, but they managed to hit some kind of sweet spot for Japanese buyers. I believe the Saber and Inspire actually outsold the U.S. TL, whereas the Legend had been very much the opposite.
Since mid-2000s, the Inspire has been a US Accord V6 and not a 3.2TL.
I believe they had the first automatic, or collision avoidance, braking system, and radar based cruise control. Features that are becoming popular on US market vehicles now.
Legends appear from what Ive seen will clock up huge mileage if you can put up with the electronic toys not working.
Good informative read. I personally feel way more nostalgic about my 97 TL 3.2. Never driven another car so powerful and fun to drive after 300k miles on it.
I have no doubt we’d be pushin 350k right about now if it hadn’t been totaled by a teenager running a stop-sign.
My wife drives an 02 325 i – we really like that car, it’s perfect for our little fam. However if you gave me the choice, considering trunk size, capacity, performance, fuel economy etc- sh** I preferred the TL every time.
On the styling- I never got over the simple beauty of those things, inside and out those are good-looking rides.
I remember test driving a used one around 1999. It had an incredible Bose stereo in it. Am I remembering this wrong, or were there tweeters in the rear view mirror? I ended up buying a used 1994 4runner, which was a good machine, but the
Acura made a good impression on me.
Classic elegance. Uncluttered and unaggressive design. Inviting in it’s looks. Why can’t we still have clean simple lines like this?
My mom’s boss bought one for her Daughter new in 1997. Boss was well off, a big wig for University Hospital in Denver, and lived in a posh area off Speer blvd. It was beige on beige with the silver mutli-spoke wheels like the blue beater pictured. My mom house sat for them quite a few times and was left the Acura to use at her disposal when they were out of town. For a kid who was happy for his folks to upgrade from GM B-bodies to the Taurus in the 90’s, this car was a sumptuous experience for me. This TL and strangely enough, the Gen 3 Camry were the cars that got me hooked on Japanese cars at a young age.
This TL was quiet, composed and luxurious for an entry level model. Well appointed and laid out and just a pleasure to be in. I was about 11 or 12 so too young to drive it, but I remember we really liked it and my mom briefly wished it was hers, lol, but father would have never sanctioned an import purchase like a brand new Acura. Over the years, I have been able to impart a few virtues of import ownership here and there. He really liked my last Camry and my Avalon I have now. Back then though, wasn’t happening. But for the late 90’s our Taurus Wagon was a decent car for the times and I do miss that car too.
The first Gen TL just had something special about it. It’s understated looks were very attractive to me and it’s a shame that it’s so hard to find a nice one now. They were a good effort for the times and price point. I think my mom’s boss’ daughter had it for a long time too.
Delayed CC Effect; I saw an immaculate TL pull up at a stoplight just a few days ago. It had been so long since I’d seen one I had to think for a minute; not a Legend, but not a Vigor, which had once been a familiar sight as a former neighbor owned one.
I had one of these, a beige 1996 bought shortly before the Covid pandemic with about 108,000 miles. I’ve owned nearly ten Legends / RLs and this car approximated the experience but like expressed around here I couldnt shake off the hovering feeling of anonymity. It’s worth noting this was the only generation to have been Japanese made and imported to the US – which didnt help it’s value proposition but I thought was a part of it’s feeling of solidity and impeccable fit and finish. The 2.5 drivetrain was very willing and sprightly, although I hear age and mileage seems to dull the performance noticeably – but I only had the car for less than a year before I loaned it to someone who totaled it.
One random lament i have is I wish an upmarket audio system had been offered – they all came with a CD/tape/radio stereo which, while nice and also had the admittedly gimmicky tweeters overhead like the Vigor, was not as fancy as the optional “DSP’ radio in Vigors not to mention as powerful as either of the Bose systems offered in the Legend / RL.
Small details like the clear headlight lenses, frameless door windows and long length along with the very pleasantly proportioned dashboard definitely added to looking more timeless than the concurrent RL especially vis-a-vis the predecessor Legend – the Vigor had some awkward details that never endeared it to me but this was a clean, improved redo that I only think will look even better with time.
hi all,
I have a 97 2.5 TL that I still drive. I’ve done the usual maintenance – drive belts, radiator, timing belt, tires, brakes, wipers and fluids. But knock on wood, it still runs fine. The only persistent issue has been the AC. Which I have fixed at least 10 times and it still doesn’t cool. I got 227,000 miles on it so far and I think its good for another 200,000.
My question to you all, do you know if there is anyone who works on restoring these cars? Its not a classic yet, but pretty soon, it will be.
Please respond if you know of anyone around NY/NJ/PA.
Thanks,
Rama