LexFather

The TL beat the CC by less than 2 points. Less than 2 points. Thats pretty much a tie and speaks VOLUMES about the CC and says not so much about the TL. The TL has gotten whooped in pretty much every comparison. They didn't advance anything with this model. The "most powerful Acura ever" doesn't mean squat if its slower than an Accord and the new V-6 TSX. As a matter of fact the 2 editors CHOSE THE CC over the TL in their write-ups in the same article.

I8ABMR

They really screwed themselves with the design of this car. Its as ugly as a war injury. It may perform well, but not well enough to get consumers to forget that. Only cars like the GTR, EVO9, and last gen and current gen STI's can be forgiven for their funky lines , grossly exagerated wings, and hood scoops. The Acura TL should be competitive. They need to produce a RWD 335 hp V6, that handles like a bimmer. ohhh I guess they would just buy the G37 sedan.

IS-SV

TL is ugly for sure but it outsells the CC easily enough. Not to mention the sales of the 3-series, ES, IS, C-class which have similar MSRP's. IMO, the CC is a nice car, but sales aren't impressive.

LexFather

Again the TL is Acura's highest volume car. Expectations were 70k a year before the economy dumped. The car is selling around the same units as the older and IS/ES, which isn't great considering its the newest vehicle out. Something to think about. The TL and ES usually have around the same sales goals and are now priced very similar.

CC sales are solid considering its an expensive VW which traditionally sells like crap. I am not sure of sales goals though.

IS-SV

Yes, TL sales might be off the mark (sales goals are suspect anyway), but so are a lot of desirable cars.

I'm not convinced anybody is happy with the CC sales traction, given the sales of C-class, 3-series, IS/ES, A4 in similar price ranges during the recession.

Och

iTrader: (3)

You know, for some reason the previous gen Acura TL type S has been growing and growing on me. What an amazing looking car, how could Acura turn this new one into such turd?

LexBob2

I agree that the looks of the new TL are definitely polarizing (I can't warm up to the looks), and they seem to have found a market for the new model as evidenced by the sales in the tough economy.

I was wondering if they might make a quick cosmetic fix of the front end, but if it keeps selling OK there's no hurry on their part.

leedogg

The 3rd gen was amazing when done up right.

IS-SV

I've seen one of those TL's with staggered wheels before, kind of weird.

FKL

VWoA knew the CC wasn't going to smash the ongoing sales volume that the current Passat sedan was then pulling. Since the CC has been introduced, it has at least kept the Passat above water, as regular sedan sales have dropped off a cliff for 2009 (~70%) due to not only the poor economy, but the axing of the wagon model, AND all models but the "LUX", giving it a $28,500 entry price, not exactly cheap. The CC (and Passat) sells in much larger volumes in Europe where consumers are willing to pay a premium for the VW badge. And I agree with 1SICK, VWoA needs to do some serious soul searching in regards to their dealer network to finally conform with the premium cars they are trying to sell. Just going into the VW dealership is like pulling hairs. My advice would be to find a good independent VW shop. Just for comparisons sake, every Honda dealer I have always been to has been exponentially superior. I imagine Acura would be even better.

FKL

You're basically giving Acura credit for leveraging their less sophisticated engine/transmission to levels that compete with the CC. The facts are - The Passat has one more cog in the gearbox, has a DSG in Europe. The CC uses a narrow angle DOHC VR6 engine. The Acura has a SOHC engine. The CC uses direct fuel injection; the Acura doesn't. And guess what? The VW is a four year old car. Nobody is saying the 3.7VTEC unit found in the Acura isn't a totally refined engine (it is), but the power delivery leaves a lot to be desired before 5,000RPMs and the engine could stand some more features for a $43,000 vehicle. The very fact that a car which is essentially a Volkswagen Passat 3.6, released in 2006, supposed to compete in a class below of Camrys/Accords, is able to compete so closely with Acura's latest 3-Series fighter, four years later, shows you how great a car the Passat really is.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

ok enough with the passat cc already. it's a nice car, we get it. it sells like leprosy though. start your own thread on it.

IS350jet

LexFather

Staggered wheels on FWD= rice/wannabe. Way to ruin a beautiful car.

It looks great stock.

The G Man

The new TL is a good example of why Lexus design cars like they do.Lexus do not make big changes, they keep designs simple and traditional. It may be boring to some, but its never offensive like the new TL. In the case of the new TL, Acura need a quick fix, color keying the grill is a good start.