2012 Acura TL Review

The 2012 Acura TL front view.

I am not a fan of plastic surgery. Too many botched jobs out there reminding us every day that the nose wasn't really that big or other bits weren't really that small. In the case of the 2012 Acura TL, however, I'm prepared to say that sometimes a nose job is really what the patient needed.

In case you don't remember the 2009, 2010 and 2011 TL, here's the "before" picture:

The 2009-2011 Acura TL front view.

If you think it's not so wonderful in pictures, trust me...that's a flattering angle. A change was needed...and now, we have one. The TL is, as it was before 2009, a conventionally handsome sport sedan.



The good news is that overall, the package as a whole has had a chance to jell, too. While not the canyon-carver that the TL with SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) is, the TL holds its own quite nicely. Up front is a 3.5 liter V6 that makes 280 horsepower and it's hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift. There's also four wheel disc brakes, front double-wishbone suspension, a rear multi-link suspension, electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering, and a high-flow sport-tuned exhaust system.

Our tester was the Advance model...a package that includes a blind spot information system, ventilated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels and all-season tires, as well as the Tech Package (navigation, backup camera, AcuraLink communication system with real-time traffic and weather, leather sport seats, push-button ignition, GPS-linked, dual-zone automatic climate control and keyless access with a security system...plus an AM/FM/CD/DVD-Audio/SiriusXM/Hard Disk Drive Dolby Pro Logic II ELS Surround Sound audio system, along with an auxilary jack and USB connection for your personal music player (as astonishing as the demo disc of the DVD Audio system sounds, it's a very nearly dead format, overtaken by the comparatively low-fi iPod).) in the base price of $41,535.

The 2012 Acura TL rear view.

Yes, I said GPS-linked climate control. No, I'm not kidding. Here's Acura's explanation:

The GPS-linked automatic climate control system further enhances occupants' comfort level by tracking the sun's position and intensity. The GPS positioning technology monitors the sun's location relative to the car's position while a sensor on the dash measures the sun's intensity. By knowing which part of the cabin is receiving the sun's rays, the system compensates to keep each side of the cabin at its designated temperature. The system is completely automatic and requires no manual adjustments, regardless of outside conditions.

Wow.

Base price is also bottom line in the case of our tester. Zero options, just the standard $885 destination and handling charge, which made the final tally $42,420. For that, in addition to what we've already mentioned, you get the full complement of airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution, active head restraints, tire pressure monitoring, a power moonroof, LED taillights and fog lamps.

The 2012 Acura TL interior.

Inside? Well, like most Honda products of the past few years, it's a gadget and button fest. But as other manufacturers have chased that particular rabbit, we've had a lot of opportunities to get used to it.

Other no-cost goodies: Driver recognition memory system, power seats (10-way for the driver, 8-way for the front passenger, both heated), HomeLink, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted controls for audio, phone, cruise and trip computer).

While 280 horsepower isn't epic power for a sport sedan in 2012, it is more than adequate to move the TL with some authority. And there's a bonus...better than typical gas mileage for its class. The EPA says 20 city/29 highway.

Overall, the TL is an attractive package. And more so than last year. Especially from the front.

2012 Acura TL

Base price: $41,535.

As tested: $42,420.

Likes: Balance, handling, a superb (if technically outmoded) audio system, new front styling.

Dislikes: If Honda can clean up the nose of the TL, they have to be able to get the button count in the cockpit down to three dozen or so.

EPA estimates: 20 city/29 highway.

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2011 Nissan Versa Hatchback Review

As the price tags of entry-level compacts go up, it's nice to see a car that remembers its basic mission...good, affordable, reliable, economical transportation.

The Nissan Versa isn't anybody's idea of a hot hatch. With only 122 horsepower and a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), it's not going to win any stoplight drag races. But it has more than adequate power for freeway merging and passing, it's very smooth and quiet for its class.

The base price is $16,900 and for that, you get 15 inch alloy wheels, airbags, anti-lock brakes, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Traction Control system, a security system, air conditioning, a 6-way adjustable driver's seat, a six-speaker 180 watt Audio system with auxilary jack and an iPod interface, intermittent wipers front and rear, cruise control, power door locks and windows and keyless entry.

Skip the satellite and nav, though, and you're in the 17s, with an Ultra Low Emissions rating and an EPA estimated 28 city/ 34 highway miles per gallon rating.

We like the Nissan Versa. We like it even more because it isn't pretending to be something it's not...it lets its core virtues shine and reminds us that simple things done right can be very easy to live with.

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2011 BMW Z4 Review

Welcome to the gotta-have-it car of 2011. Men, women, kids....doesn't matter. Pull up in this and get ready for the questions:

Is it as wonderful to drive as it is to look at?

How fast is it?

Can you toss me the keys for an afternoon?

Here are the answers:

Yes.

Plenty.

I promised the folks at Chapman BMW in Chandler, Arizona that I wouldn't do that. 

Longtime TireKicker followers know that I believe in BMW magic. TireKicker's first review (complete with the story of my first teenage encounter with a 2002tii) was of a BMW convertible (the 128i).

Well, the BMW magic has never been stronger than it is in the Z4. The styling re-defines the concept of animal magnetism (something like this can't possibly be just metal). The retractable hardtop gives you the best of both worlds...the practicality and security of a fixed-roof coupe and the wind in your hair and sun on your skin of a convertible.

And it's a magnificent melding of the contemporary and the relatively recent past, grabbing styling cues from the limited-production 2000-2003 Z8.

The Z4 comes in three levels, the sDrive30i, with 255 horsepower and a base price of $47,450; the sDrive35i at 300 horsepower and a base price of $51,900 and the sDrive35is...335 horsepower and a starting price of $62,500.  Our week was in the middle of the line sDrive35i.

If there is a more balanced driving machine, I can't remember driving it. The car is light and nimble, steering responses are rightnowquick and, despite a short wheelbase and overall length, the ride is smooth while still giving great feedback from the road.

And inside, where the driving gets done? Well, the Z4 is every good thing about BMW. Phenomenal ergonomics, top-quality materials, an unflinching devotion to quality workmanship. And an integrated group of electronics that actually help get distractions out of the driver's way rather than adding to them. It's all (even the more complex functions) simple, direct and intuitive.

Even optionless, the Z4 sDrive35i would be a fantastic car, but our tester had several key option boxes checked: Titanium Silver Metallic paint (which everyone we encountered remarked on as the most beautiful shade of silver they'd seen), $550; the Premium Package (universal garage door opener, power front seats, lumbar support and BMW Assist with Bluetooth), $2,500; the Premium Sound Package, which upgrades the audio system while adding an iPod and USB adapter and a 1-year satellite radio subscription; the Sport Package (an increased top-speed limiter, sport seats and adaptive M suspension) for $2,300 and a further bump-up to 19-inch alloy V-spoke wheels for $1,200.

But that's not all. The 7-speed double clutch transmission (which includes a sport steering wheel with paddles, Servotronic and a multi-function steering wheel) was also on the list for $1,575. Those extra gears pay off in improved fuel economy...EPA estimates 17 city/ 24 highway.

$400 for the anti-theft alarm system, $500 for Comfort Access keyless entry, $500 for heated front seats, $2,100 for an excellent navigation system and an $875 destination charge brought ours to a bottom line of $66,200.

And you know what? It's worth it. It's three things: A brilliant car for driving, a work of art to look at, and over the long haul, an investment. Mark my words...this is a classic in our time. A car that 30 years from now and beyond you'll look at and say "I wish I'd bought one".  Any one of those things would be enough to secure the Z4 a slot on TireKicker's Top 10 Cars (So Far). All three? It's a lock.

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