After creating a clean, elemental shape with its previous TL, Acura’s creative team muddied the design waters with the new iteration, introduced for the 2009 model year. The refresh of that model – in 2012 – attempted to simplify a shape most viewed as overtly busy, and with a redesigned front and rear fascia (along with cleaner detailing) Acura’s team mostly succeeded. With a proven V6 drivetrain and choice of front-wheel or Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, the midsize sedan absolutely rocked.
Five years later, the 2012 updates have aged gracefully. And while today’s Acura showroom remains somewhat confused as it attempts – for the umpteenth time – to figure what its sedan lineup should constitute, the earlier TL strongly states its conservative attributes.
The featured 4-door, located in Corpus Christi, Texas, has traveled a still-quite-reasonable 89,000 miles, which puts it just shy of what is typically an expensive 90K-mile service. With front-wheel drive it boasts 280 horsepower from its 3.5 liter V6, all of which is hooked to a 6-speed sequential automatic. At an asking figure of $16,599 it is at the top of what most guides would regard as a fair price for a car in good condition, but if it passes a pre-purchase inspection – and boasts a clean CarFax – that figure is well under what the least expensive new Civic will cost you. And what a great time to be in Corpus Christi!