2013 Acura TL

The TL's seemingly robot-inspired look, including its unmistakable metallic beak, has been controversial--or refreshing, depending on how you see it. Last year, Acura toned down that styling, just a little bit, with a few changes that were relatively subtle on their own--a new chrome grille surround and a few other new details--but brought more beauty, less gawkiness. In back, last year's retouch brought a higher rear license plate, a new rear diffuser, and wide dual exhaust exits. Overall, the TL looks attractive--and without knowing anything about this model we might say that its proportions make it look like a rear-wheel-drive sedan.

The 2013 TL has a less controversial interior that's actually quite beautiful, with gentle arcs and circles, and a setup that's artful yet mostly logical. The interior is a bit cluttered--essentially what we think of many Acura interiors today--but we like everything else about it. The twin-cockpit design is smooth but doesn't rob too much space, and the details do stand out as neither overwrought nor overly Euro-influenced.

Go with the TL SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive), and you'll get a car that is overtly sporty. With it comes a 305-hp, 3.7-liter V-6, juicing all four wheels through Acura's capable performance-oriented system that effectively quells torque steer or any scrambling for traction, distributing its power smartly without the loss of traction, but in a way that helps this sedan feel surprisingly balanced and nimble--and almost like a rear-wheel-drive sedan at times in tight corners. You can see how the system is working through an instrument-cluster display as well.

On the SH-AWD, there's one other true sign of a sport-sedan: the availability of a six-speed manual. Overall, the AWD system feels almost impossible to fluster, allocating torque not only front-to-back but left-to-right, to help with slick surfaces or quick emergency maneuvers.

There's a lot to like in the TL's electric power steering, too--especially how it is in the SH-AWD. It does transmit a bit of feel from the road surface, and returns to center promptly out of corners, with a nice weighting.

Overall, the driving position and cockpit-like feel of the instrument panel amount to an interior feel that's very different than that of the Accord. The deep, round gauges and hooded central screen--the first details you notice when you step into the deeply bolstered driver's seat--are complemented by a selection dial for screen functions that's not too low from the line of vision. We just wish Acura would have simplified the techno-cluttered instrument panel, which tends to feel a little cluttered and overwhelming until you're familiar with it, as we've noted in some other Acura models.

Generously sized, supportive front seats make the TL a joy on long highway trips--although they could use a bit more lateral support if you intent to take to the mountains. And in general, the back seat is adult-sized, with space for three across. It might appear from the outside that rear headroom might be very limited by the arch and downslope of the roofline, but with seat contouring, it works.

The only major disappointment in the 2013 Acura TL remains the trunk's meager 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space. It's less space than in many compact sedans.

The 'normal' front-wheel-drive Acura TL models are very quiet inside, and last year Acura brought more weatherstripping and additional foam insulation to these sedans. But if you get the SH-AWD, with the available 19-inch wheels, beware that a lot of road coarseness still finds its way into the cabin.

Last year--or at least, the earlier part of last year--the crash-test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the federal government (NCAP) weren't in accordance. Those from the federal government were quite poor, in fact; but late in the 2012 model year the TL was retested and it now earns better ratings of four stars overall, and four stars both for frontal and side impact.

In tests from the IIHS, on the other hand, the TL has achieved top 'good' results across the board, and it's been a Top Safety Pick.

All TL models include six airbags (front side airbags and full-length side-curtain bags), four-wheel disc brakes with ABF, Brake Assist, and electronic stability control. Rear headrests can flip neatly out of the way when nobody's back there, which helps visibility, and a rearview camera system is available. The Advance model also includes a Blind Spot Information System.

In its base form, the TL features a standard USB iPod/MP3 interface, an eight-speaker audio system, and a crisp, high-resolution center-mounted display for controlling the infotainment system.

The Tech Package adds a navigation system with live traffic, weather, and rerouting, plus a rearview camera; solar-sensing temperature control, keyless access, and an upgraded 440-watt Acura/ELS surround sound system--a system that we love for its thunderous power yet clarity. However, we're not fans of the navigation interface itself, or of the cobbled-together way its menu system feels.

At the top of the lineup, the Advance Package adds to that ventilated seats, a blind-spot system, and 19-inch wheels.

As we see it, the SH-AWD model with the Advance Package makes quite the well-rounded, high-tech sport sedan. But at the same time, with a bottom-line price of about $46k, it's worth keeping in mind that's nearly the cost of a base-level Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5-Series.

We should note that we've as well or better than the EPA ratings in the SH-AWD models; in one with the manual gearbox we averaged nearly 23 mpg in about 400 miles of cold-weather driving--about two-thirds of it on the highway.