I drove a friends new TL and was not impressed with the handling. The TL is a nice car and I like the styling vs. the G35 but I would never pick a fwd car over a rwd.
Acura needs to develop RWD platforms to be a serious contender in the entry level luxury market.
You and me both. For some reason the TSX is fine even in FWD but the TL feels very uninspiring. I have always said that around 200HP is about the limit for enjoyable FWD. Any more than that, and the limitations of FWD start becoming apparent. The TL felt so front heavy, and even though it is sport tuned, it felt soft wallowy in comparison. The TSX feels more button downed, and with a manual transmission, is just way more fun to throw into corners.
In the price range of the TL, the G35 is a way way better car, the G35 is not really a BMW killer, but at least it feels balanced, and seems glad when you toss it into a corner.
I can see people liking the TL because of its looks, and its content for the price, but to me, this car has no place among the Euro competition and the entry level Inf/Lexus clan. If you just want a comfortable cruising car, the TL would probably satisfy.