jokerstars

-More nimble and "accurate"
-Tighter/more responsive steering.
- Less "floaty", more "grip" with the road




I really enjoyed it. It almost made up for the anemic 280 hp engine. Almost. With the S-Type i felt more "planted" to the road. Whether that's validated by the numbers, I have no idea. The Stang was more comfortable when cruising down the horrible streets here, but the Acura was way more fun to steer.

It still can't compare to the power of the Stang, but the way the car handles really impressed me.


Just my thoughts. What are yours? Am I nuts? Do the real numbers show I'm wrong?

Jott

Whats the weight difference? likely the main factor here. Do you have the brembo pkg? I havent driven a non-brembo but i have read that the brembos suspension is tighter.

Also enable sport mode so the steering is more responsive.

MARZ

I own a 2010 BMW 3-Series with the "Sport" suspension package; this car is pretty much universally praised for its handling and steering. In my opinion, my non-Brembo 2011 Mustang rides as well as and handles *almost* as well as the Bavarian automobile. Of course, if you were to drop the 'Stang to about an inch-and-a-half off the ground like the Beemer, it would handle every bit as well, again, IMO.

kona stang10

No disrespect but who really cares about overdressed honda's...? This is a mustang forum, not a sushi bar....

Ethanjbeau

maybe its because i'm over tired but that last part had me laughing pretty hard

on the other hand, ive only ever heard good things about acura. A few of my family members have them and they love em

Double-EDad

The TL-S, especially that generation (Before they became butt-ugly), is a very capable car. THe primary problem is that it's front wheel drive, so you have to put up with terminal understeer and overloaded front tires. However, it's about as good a front-driver as is out there. And unlike many of its competitors, it offers a nice 6-speed manual trans.

I think it's probably the last attractively designed car Acura has produced.

Does it have a satisfying 5.0 v8 rumble? Nope. And it requires premium fuel 100% of the time.

mustangGT90210

@ sushi bar

coffeejolts

My take...

1. You are used to front drive cars.
2. You are used to Honda steering feel.
3. The Mustang wins the objective numbers game. See #s 1 & 2

Flagstang

should of bought a fiesta. its nimble

BlueSkyVert

In fairness to the OP, he is asking a question that is relevant to the Mustang since it does involve a comparison to the Mustang.

BlueSkyVert

It's wise not to associate the appearance of the new TL with its inherent ugliness. Despite the beak (or power plenum, as Acura likes to call it - give me a break, lol), the latest generation TL is extremely capable. Some folks don't like the diapers on our cars, so I suppose vehicular beauty is somewhat subjective?

BTW, it now comes with AWD, so all of the ridiculous torque steer is moot if you buy that model. The car just hunkers down, squats, and goes. The six speed makes it even more fun to drive. The ride over sloppy pavement is punishing, however. It's bad enough that I will not buy another TL because of it. OP, be careful what you wish for when it comes to steering and responsiveness - take it from me!

I've owned many V8s, and will always have one. Still, there's many beautiful sounds in this world, and the engine scream of a higher revving, properly tuned V6 is one of them. Not as guttural and satisfying as a V8 to me, but a nice sound regardless I haven't driven a 2011 V6 Mustang, but I imagine having the same displacement as the 3.7L in the AWD TL, they probably sound very similar.

Anyways, this has not been a commercial for Acura, lol. I'm actually the car's biggest critic, so I wouldn't make a good spokesperson anyways. Just happy that I could share some knowledge from another part of the car world.

RedWings

I feel the same way about my GF's Lexus IS350. I drove it this weekend and it reminded me of why I really like that car. Very responsive and fun to drive.

But you have to understand it is a different breed of car. A Mustang is a sports/muscle car that just so happens to have a lot of comforts that you could only find on higher end cars years back. But in the end, it is big American muscle.

When looking at the Mustang I was also looking at the G37 because of how much I liked my GF's IS350. So I had to decide did I want to stick with an American car that looks sexy as hell, has 412HP, sounds mean, has all the options I want, is a coupe, etc......OR....do I want a foreign car, that is also good looking (but doesn't stand out unless you have the coupe), have an options of coupe or sedan, is more expensive (per horse), tons of creature comforts, rides nice, can be an auto, classy, blah blah

I decided that I have had a void all of my life that needs to be filled. The sporty luxury sedan will come next. Hopefully an American car company will have something for me at that point.

But for now, I'm going to enjoy my American muscle car that was built in my home state of Michigan and that has a lot of heads turning.

nemosgt

Great post.

There are lots of good cars out there. Many just as good or better than the Mustang. As gear-heads, we should certainly take an interest in other machines. People do chose their rides for different reasons. Many people believe their choice is the be-all or end-all and it is just not so. Let's widen our horizons and admit we might like other cars too.

Cheers.

Vermillion06

While yes, there are many cars that are as good or better than the Mustang, is what people have experienced in other cars actually "better" or is it just "different"? Like the original poster, who feels his previous car handled better, but in objective measured tests, the Mustang handles better according to the numbers.

Driving a FWD car just feels strange to me;the feeling of the front wheels pulling the car around a turn feels wrong, but that's just because I have driven RWD cars and trucks all my life.

Double-EDad

You bring up a good point - yes the current-gen TL offers AWD, which wasn't available in the 2007 TL, and is more capable than the 2007, but OMG is it ever freakin' UGH-LEEE!!

cdynaco

What's funny is how many think that way towards RWD because they 'grew up' in FWD's.

BlueSkyVert

Yes it's a face only a mother could love to most...but man, do I love the way 300hp in an AWD car with 6 speed pulls! It's enough to make the car a worthwhile "bagger" Plus in a way, I admire their move to go with unconventional styling. It works better on the MDX and RDX, but like Ford, Acura is not shying away from edgy lines

Plus there is hope for it...just like the aftermarket has improved upon our rear diaper, the same is being done for the TL!

BlueSkyVert

I've driven many FWD cars, and started with one at 16, but RWD still feels more natural. Not to mention sooooooooo much more fun! AWD is a close second, though.

xkornkidx01

please dont "rice" out that pony car!

xkornkidx01

My thought is... You dont belong in Mustang! ff topic: