Generation gap? Not with this TL

Lithe, lean and athletic - those were the specs for the wedge-shaped last-generation Acura TL, certainly the company's most popular sports sedan.

Now comes the new fourth-generation TL, and lithe and athletic are still on its menu. But so is a more aggressive look to its wedge, plus a face only Acuraphiles could love.

The TL is Acura's midsize entry, based on the Honda Accord but imbued with sportier looks and action. And this time, the TL gets two VTEC engines, all-wheel drive and an optional Technology Package that lets you live the wired life from a heated bucket seat.

- TL Look: Six inches longer, 1.4 inches of that added to the wheelbase, plus 1.1 inches wider in front and 1.8 inches in the rear. Atop that, a brand new shape done in California that begins with the company's signature Transformers face-like grille done in buff stainless steel that wraps over the aluminum hood's front tip, flanked by slit headlights over a longer nose with lower side grilles and fog lights.

The body sides are defined by pronounced wheel arches in front that turn into a sharp shoulder design line that melds into slit taillights. The fastback C-pillars frame an indented fastback window with metal accents, while the coupe-like tail has a definite boattail look with a V-shaped steel accent and quad exhausts.

Our White Diamond Pearl TL with all-wheel-drive and the bigger V-6 had optional 19-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The look carries on Acura's move to make its lineup more dramatic, and I like it all except the grille. Yet, lots of others liked the new look, including a 30-something guy in a Toyota truck downtown who told me, "It looks cool."

- TL Living: The sculpted cockpit of this sports sedan bristles with technology as well as comfort. Umber Ebony leather seats with matching door inserts/armrests make a nice contrast to the padded low-gloss dash top and wrap-around slashes of alloy-accented plastic. The 10-way power driver's seat (eight-way for the passenger) was comfortable and supportive; the cowled dash hosts big 160-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach with gas, temperature and trip computer readout. The real tech is the 8-inch high-def digital screen and what's part of it.

A 276-watt audio system with Bluetooth telephone and audio and a USB port and auxiliary audio jack in the center console is standard. Our Tech package-enabled TL had more - voice command of navigation, climate control and the superb surround-sound 10-speaker, 440-watt sound system that adds DVD-Audio and a 17-gig (2,500-song) hard disk drive storage for music or photos to AM-FM-CD-XM-Sirius Satellite Radio. The system displays AcuraLink real-time traffic jams and live weather with Doppler-style radar. It even sends you e-mails on vehicle systems and problems. That big center dash twist/tap/jog knob with 31 function buttons around it works OK, although it and voice command have to run through a few menus to reach your target. Other nice touches - a 12-volt power outlet in the center console storage area; big dual-level glove box; velvet-padded storage nooks; contrasting stitching on the gearshift; wheel and brake lever; and blue LED spotlights for the center console.

The wheelbase stretch means 1.3 inches more rear legroom and .5-inch of added rear shoulder room compared to the previous generation TL. But the rear seats don't fold to open up the big trunk; you get a ski pass-through behind the center armrest.

- TL Driving: The base 280-horsepower V-6 comes with front-wheel-drive TLs, while our 500-mile-old all-wheel-drive model had the 305-hp (273 pound-feet of torque) VTEC V-6 with a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the tilt/telescope steering wheel. It hit 60 mph in 6 seconds with smooth shifts, returning about 19 mpg on premium. The last-generation TL Type S we tested in 2007, with 286 horsepower, got to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, averaged 18 mpg and cost $38,125.

The new TL has double-wishbone independent front suspension and a multi-link independent system in back. The result is a supple but athletic suspension that shrugs off bad bumps thanks to suspension dampers with blow-off valving.

The tires thwap/thwap over highway expansion joints. The Super Handling-All Wheel Drive allocates more torque to the outside rear wheel in a turn to neutralize understeer, making it a rear-wheel-drive car with some tail-out action that the driver, traction control and all-wheel-drive can play with. It sends torque front to rear also, a trip computer showing the transfer in real time.

The electric power steering is very direct, and the four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Brake Assist had a direct feel and good stopping power with no fade or nose dive. The car was nimble, with minimal lean and great pointability.

- TL Price: Built in Marysville, Ohio, the base TL is $34,995; our TL SH-AWD w/Technology Package was $43,235 with everything we had standard, including moonroof and dual-zone climate control. Competitors include the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C300, BMW 3-Series and Cadillac CTS.

- Bottom line: The hits are a mostly interesting redesign, superb chassis, very usable all-wheel-drive system, fairly intuitive technology system, comfortable room inside and real performance under the hood. But that grille ...

Florida Times-Union staff writer Dan Scanlan test-drives new vehicles on Northeast Florida roads, averaging 200 miles of combined highway and city traffic during a weeklong test. The vehicles are provided by the manufacturer according to their schedule and represent a broad spectrum of sizes and prices. The prices listed are manufacturer's suggested retail prices. Scanlan can be reached at (904) 359-4549 or at dan.scanlan@jacksonville.com.

Vehicle type 4-door sports coupe

Base price $43,235 (as tested - same)

Engine type SOHC, 24-valve VTEC V-6

Displacement 3.6 liter

Horsepower (net) 305 @ 6,200 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) 273 @ 5,000 rpm

Transmission 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters and sport shift

Wheelbase 109.3 inches

Overall length 195.3 inches

Overall width 74 inches

Height 57.2 inches

Front headroom 38.4 inches

Front legroom 36.2 inches

Rear headroom 36.7 inches

Rear legroom 36.2 inches

Cargo capacity 13.1 cu.ft.

Curb weight 3,986 lbs.

Fuel capacity 18.5 gallons

Mileage rating 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway

Last word High-tech handling sports sedan with a new shape