NEW ACURA TL 2010, Base versions of the TL feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 280 horsepower. SH-AWD editions carry a larger, 3.7-liter V6 making 305 horsepower. Reviewers, however, say the two provide nearly identical acceleration. The extra 25 hp of the SH-AWD serves to offset that car’s heavier weight, but not to make it any faster. Both versions are well-liked, offering a nice balance of power and quiet refinement.
A five-speed automatic transmission is standard. Reviewers have little to say about it. A six-speed manual transmission is new for the 2010 model year. Only a few reviewers have spent any time in manual-equipped TLs, but they seem to have walked away impressed.
The EPA says that front-wheel drive TLs should get 18 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway, while AWD versions should get 17/25 mpg -- meaning that there is little mileage penalty for the well-liked AWD system.
