“I took the TL up to northern California over the weekend, first to Sacramento to visit family and friends and then to Santa Cruz for camping/bachelor party on the beach,” says assistant Web producer Carlos Lago. “I didn’t realize the TL lacked a sixth gear until well into the six-hour drive north, after I exhausted iPod entertainment and started playing with the paddle shifters. At first, I was surprised at how smoothly the drivetrain coped without the extra cog. But then I began to wonder how much the longer ratios hamper the engine. Our TL doesn’t feel like it has 305 horsepower. Not to say acceleration is a problem, but the engine needs to be high in the powerband to provide real oomph. During normal driving, the TL feels sluggish. The weight of the all-wheel drive system can’t help either. And I also pondered its purpose; did Acura develop the system just to quell torque steer?”

Not surprising, Lago’s buddies couldn’t stay silent over the TL’s controversial styling. “The nose garnered quite a few hyperbolic slams from friends (I was proud of the Mach 3 Turbo nickname) who gathered around and studied the snout as if it were a monolith capable of some greater power. They seemed equally perplexed by the interior as well, which looks as if it could control intergalactic travel.”

Associate Web editor Rory Jurnecka also spent some time in the TL and observes, “Acura has really improved the steering in the new TL. Full of heft and strong on feel, it lacks the lifeless weightlessness of some Acuras and Hondas past. Dynamically, as a package, the TL seems well thought out and integrated — no major weak points, just a strong overall platform for a spirited sedan.”