Used 2012 Acura TL for sale 

The 2012 Acura TL is available in two trim levels, with a wide variety of optional equipment packages that you can add to it. The trim levels are called TL and TL SH-AWD which comes with the super-handling all-wheel-drive system that has been hearing a lot of praise. Optional packages include the Technology Package, Advance Package. These options add a lot of desirable features that can be personalized according to the buyers’ needs.

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The base trim with the Technology package is a great buy at its price point of $39,435. It comes with very useful features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, heated eight-way power front seats, leather upholstery, auxiliary audio jack, and so on. Buyers cannot however pick the 3.5 and 3.7 L V6 engines as the higher-powered engine comes only in the all-wheel-drive trim levels. Hence if you need more power, you need to pick the SH-AWD.

The Acura TL is offered for 2012 with a choice of two powertrains. The base trim - the TL - comes with a 3.5 L V6 engine that is paired to a six-speed automatic. The combined output is 280 hp and 254 pound-feet of torque. This is then connected to a front-wheel-drive system only. It has a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.7 seconds making it adequately fast.

The other engine offered is a 3.7L V6, which comes with the SH-AWD trim and as the name states are available with all-wheel-drive. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard while a six-speed manual transmission is available as an option. This engine produces 305 hp and 273 pound-feet of torque and hence is very superior in terms of performance.

The Dodge Charger is the most powerful full-size sedan when you look at the acceleration figures. However, even with its base engine and front-wheel drive, the Acura TL is competitive. The Buick has much less performance in terms of 0 to 60 mph and quarter-mile times despite having almost similar power outputs.

Since there are two engines on offer, fuel efficiency is a factor that depends purely on what kind of engine and drivetrain layout you are choosing. The 3.5 L V6 returns 23 mpg combined and translates to 20 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway. These figures are quite impressive for the compromise of the car in terms of power and fuel efficiency. 

The 3.7 L V-6 engine is a bit more of a thirsty drinker and returns 21 mpg combined, 18 MPG in the city, and 26 MPG on the highway. Opting for the all-wheel-drive platform sees a further drop of one MPG. A rather large fuel tank capacity of 18.5 gallons makes sure that it returns a good range - 370 miles inside the city and 536 miles on the highway.

This category is an odd one because it has very fuel-efficient cars, that also deliver excellent performance. The Acura TL is almost the most fuel-efficient of the lot. It also has a large fuel tank capacity of 18.5 gallons, which puts it at a safe spot in terms of range. The LaCrosse turns out to be the least efficient with a combined mileage of just 21 mpg which is a shame because it is even below the Charger.

The interiors of Acura TL are very modern in terms of design. It has a lot of aluminum trim that gives it a certain appeal that is hard to beat. Material quality is excellent throughout the cabin. The available two-tone interior scheme is also quite nice. The space offered is also quite generous in the interiors, and the seats are supportive and comfortable. One of the only defects is that the trunk space is a bit low at just 13.1 ft.³.

All sedans offer seating for five passengers and one can observe that all cars are pretty evenly matched in terms of interior space as well as trunk volume. The Acura, as we mentioned, is a bit down on cargo space. Both front and rear row seats offer excellent head, shoulder, and legroom despite which car you pick but the Acura feels the most cramped out of the three.

Some of its interior features include:

• Keyless ignition and entry
• 8-way adjustable power front seats
• Leather upholstery
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Sunroof

2012 Acura TL Infotainment unit

The infotainment unit you can find in the Acura is pretty nice. There is an excellent audio system with 10 speakers, one subwoofer combining to produce 440 W of stereo output. There are also decent connectivity features that can be used to sync all your devices. Acura has also offered various standard tech features for ease during long journeys. Few standout infotainment features available are-

• AM / FM stereo
• USB connection
• iPod and auxiliary audio jack interface
• Mast antenna
• Eight speakers
• Satellite radio service for three months
• Speed sensitive volume control

With the Acura TL, the company has tried to make it more modern than it should be and that sticks out like a sore thumb. The design is pretty contemporary but it looks like it’s trying too hard. The proportions are nice and measure up dimensionally to that of a full-size sedan. It measures 194 inches in length, 74 inches in width, and 57.2 inches in height. It has a wheelbase of 109.3 inches.

One can see that the Acura is clearly the lightest sedan, but one can say that any car is slight when compared to the Dodge Charger. However, this is a pointless metric because all cars feel decently quick and offer good fuel efficiency. The Dodge is the heaviest and is closely followed by the Buick. Some exterior highlights of the LaCrosse are-

• 17-inch wheels
• Fog lamps
• Automatic xenon headlights
• Heated mirrors
• Sunroof
• Front and rear license plate brackets

The IIHS has awarded it an overall rating of ‘Good’ whereas the NHTSA has given it four out of five stars, both nearly the highest ratings possible and this comes as a relief since early batches of the Acura TL had bad crash safety ratings. Standard features include anti-lock brakes, front brake assist, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, active front restraints, and so on. Some standout safety features include:

• Passenger head restraint whiplash protection system
• Dual front side-mounted airbags
• Traction and stability control
• Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Four-wheel ABS
• Front and rear head airbags

The 2012 Acura TL is a midsize luxury that gets to very healthy powertrains, some of the best features available in the market today, and innovative design at a very reasonable price. It performs really well despite being in a category with immense competition. It is a good car that is definitely worth your attention if you’re planning to buy one soon.