2005 Acura TL Review
Fuel Economy
21 mpg
Summary
What Edmunds.com says
Luxurious, extremely well equipped and enjoyable to drive, the stylish TL should be on your test-drive list if you're shopping for a sedan under $40K.
Pros
Luxurious interior, long list of standard equipment, powerful V6 engine, slick-shifting six-speed manual, pleasant blend of ride comfort and fun, superb sound system.
Cons
Can't match the athleticism of some German rivals, V6 could use more low-end torque.
What's New for 2005
The front seatbelt buckles are now mounted to the seat frame, and sensors in the front-passenger seat alert the driver when an occupant is out of a safe position for the side airbag.
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
Perfect Acura mixture
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 6 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
Review
Have basic model in automatic. Driven for 4 yrs now. Excellent car - good performance and build quality. Highs - quality feel, good acceleration (in manual mode in auto), good mpg on highway (about 30), sticks to road akin to European car. Lows - initial tires were Michelins and awful - rapid wear and no grip in rain or snow (bloody dangerous after 20k on slick/poor quality roads in frosty Winnipeg), mpg in city not great (about 15-18).
Favorite Features
Build quality, safety (with replacement tires), sporty suspension and easily delivered acceleration for over-taking. Added cold air intake ($200) - did improve mpg on highway and changed exhaust note under high demand from sounding like a strangled cat to that of a roaring lion!
Suggested Improvements
AWD and decent ultra high performance all season radials would have been great additions.
First Time
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 8 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 8 |
| Fuel Economy: | 7 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
Review
Just bought a 2005 TL, it only had 16k miles on it, which is the main reason I bought it. I have driven nothing but SUVs and jeeps, so I was nervous about a car, but this thing rocks. It handles well, it is comfortable and looks great. I love it.
Favorite Features
XM radio ready, sport wheels, sleek design.
Suggested Improvements
Read defrost takes longer than I would like, city gas MPG could be improved.
Used TL
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
Review
I purchased my white TL with 60k earlier this year. I was hesitant since it had so many miles but the car runs like a champ. I have put on about 15k mile on it in 10 months and it runs perfect! I came from owning 3 V8 Mustangs, 1 of which had 400rwhp... the TL is just as much fun to drive as those and it's probably faster than my old 5.0. What really attracted me to the Acura was the interior. I test drove many cars from MB, BMW, Lexus and the Acura's was easily the best. My vehicle has 75k on the odometer now the interior still looks new, GPS/Bluetooth are still top notch compared to new 2009 vehicles... to top it off the pricing on these vehicles is great as well.
Favorite Features
Everything in the car can be controlled by the steering wheel. Intelligent design interior, still has sport to it with a good amount of torque. Blue LED interior at night is easy on the eyes. Best designed best fit and finish of any car in it price range period and that includes new models.
Suggested Improvements
Nicer wheels, bigger breaks, RWD, sport suspension option, real time GPS w/weather and traffic updates. Cheaper prices on regularly scheduled maintenance. Also provide easy access to the maintenance coding.
Excellent Value
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 8 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
Review
Acura TL has been an excellent value in terms of reliability, solidity of chassis, fit and finish, modern design, quiet operation, power and mileage, can accelerate at any speed and has good brakes that haven't require change yet in 55K+, and everyday commuting enjoyment.
Favorite Features
Solitude of interior, power bandwidth of engine, select shift mode that retains automatic shift between first and second gear because I am not fast enough, can do what I want it to do.
Suggested Improvements
All wheel drive.
Problems
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 5 | Fun-to-Drive: | 5 | Build Quality: | 2 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 1 |
| Fuel Economy: | 2 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
Review
Simply put: The worst car experience I ever had. Brakes went @ 14,000 miles, tires @ 17,500, trouble shifting from 2nd to 3rd (transmission), wiper motor replaced, 3rd set of tires, 3rd set of brakes, recalls, numerous other headaches. to many to write about. I spent more time at the dealer than work. 17 mph city/ 20 mph highway
Favorite Features
Bluetooth
Suggested Improvements
Stop making the manual models
View Pricing for Other Years
- 2009 Acura TL
- 2008 Acura TL
- 2007 Acura TL
- 2006 Acura TL
- 2005 Acura TL
- 2004 Acura TL
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