Alex Taylor III

October 29, 2009

For as long as I have been writing about cars, Acura, the move-up division of Honda, has been struggling to create an identity for itself.

Part of the problem is its positioning. Unlike Lexus and Infiniti, Acura was never conceived as a full-bore attack on the German luxury carmakers, but rather a step up for Honda buyers. So while Acura markets cars in small, medium, and large sizes, just like the Germans, they are several notches lower in price and prestige.

Another part of the problem is perceived exclusivity. Two-thirds of Acura’s current passenger car lineup is based on the Honda Accord sold in Europe, a heritage that isn’t going to appeal to status seekers. Over the years, Acura’s styling has been appropriately conservative without being distinctive. And its nomenclature is forgettable, with the model range designations going mysteriously from TSX to TL to RL.

So while Acura is three years older than Lexus or Infiniti, it hasn’t been able to use those extra years to establish a higher profile. Even difficult economic conditions haven’t helped, despite Acura’s generally lower price points and superior gas mileage. Its sales have fallen 34% this year, more than its luxury competitors.

A car that could raise Acura’s recognition factor is the TL, the mid-size in the lineup. Powered by a 305-horsepower V-6 and available with a six-speed manual transmission, it has been praised by enthusiasts for its smooth shifting and zesty performance.

I was less impressed. When navigating through a six-speed gearbox, it is helpful to have an indicator of the instrument panel to tell you what gear you are in; Audis do but this Acura did not. The TL also seemed to reward higher-rev shift points than I am accustomed to using. Down in the lower revs, I found myself downshifting frequently on hills despite the reputedly torquey characteristics of the engine

What I did like was the TL’s design: aggressive but not so much as to scare small children. The paint job, in a deep radiant black, sets a standard for this class of car. The interior was as handsome as Honda products ever get, and the instruments were characteristically clear in function and easy to use.

Honda likes to position the TL as a rival for the BMW five-series. With an as-tested price of $44,195, that would make the Acura a bargain. I’d rather think of it as a range-topping Accord with a special appearance package. And I would very much like to test one with an automatic transmission that does the shifting for you to fully appreciate this impressive machine.