| Prestige
Automakers are seldom praised for offering cars at bargain-basement prices, but
one has to give it up for Acura, offering an extremely well equipped car for not
a lot of money, and this car is called the TL. Priced
within a few bucks of the magic $30K mark, the conservatively attractive TL is
fully equipped right out of the box. And we mean fully equipped: there are no
available options, with the exception of a $2,000 navigation system (a system
that still ranks as one of the world's best in terms of user-friendliness). Everything
from leather seats to xenon headlights to a premium sound system to a power moonroof
is standard. Not bad. Power
for the front-wheel-drive TL comes from a sinewy 3.2-liter V-6 that puts out 225
polite horsepower. Considerably more rowdy, however, is the TL Type S, which gets
a 260-horsepower version of the same engine, and adds certain other go-fast items
like 17-inch wheels too. No
matter how blurry the world becomes as you speed down the motorway, however, you'll
be sitting in a very spacious, comfortable space. After all, parent company Honda
wouldn't let any of its cars hit the road if it didn't have good outward visibility,
stellar ergonomics and high-quality materials. Delivering
seamless power, high quality, luxury amenities galore at an outstanding price,
the Acura TL has been a wake-up call to all luxury automakers when it comes to
value. Not to mention an excellent way for you to have your appetite for luxury
satiated while keeping a little change in your pocket as well.
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