Used 2014 Acura TL Consumer Reviews
Used TL for sale
1...
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2014 TL, so we've included reviews for other years of the TL since its last redesign.
Practical Sports Sedan
JackSafro, 07/21/2015
updated 07/21/2016
2014 Acura TL SH-AWD 4dr Sedan AWD w/Technology Package (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
48 of 48 people found this review helpful
As a lifelong car enthusiast with a baby and a frugal spouse, the TL fit the bill. The car is an underrated sleeper. It gives four-door, mid-sized, practicality, sporty driving dynamics, comfort, and tasteful style to my otherwise "nose-to-the-grindstone" life. My wife insisted I buy a Honda Accord. So I did! Only, I got the one with the big engine, super-handling all-wheel drive, and great stereo/technology. It was a good compromise between the mundane Honda sibling and a used BMW. My friend bought a very nice BMW 335 sedan when I bought my car. He is already talking about selling it because of the cost, poor BMW customer service, impractically small dimensions, and the many eat [dirt] looks he gets from other drivers. The TL's "anonymity" is a plus in my book. It is a nice looking car (I particularly like the interior) but not flashy. What most people do not expect is that the car is FAST. It handles great too. Having strong pulling power on the highway is a huge plus, particularly when merging in metro-Atlanta traffic. However, my favorite thing about the car is the SH-AWD. When pulling out into traffic from a stop or speeding into a left turn to beat traffic, the AWD system provides supreme confidence. Wheel spin is (at most) a brief chirp. The car hooks up and pounces like a hungry cat. No drama, just direct, immediate, acceleration. This is immensely helpful in day-to-day driving (again... metro-Atlanta traffic...). The ride is smooth and relaxed in normal driving, but comes alive when pushed. The SH-AWD is like having a magic carpet under you. It begs for you to stay on the power to "push" the car through turns. It is addicting, and I find myself goosing the throttle all the time--much to the dismay of all the dead dinosaurs out there (more on that later). One thing to consider though is that, when taking turns off throttle, SH-AWD is not active and the car (front heavy as it is) under-steers. This means you need to plan a bit ahead to take advantage of the torque vectoring, especially if your car has a manual transmission like mine. The car is smooth on the highway and appropriately taught around town. It is quiet (much quieter than my father's 2010 model) and an overall joy to drive. I find it to be very secure and reassuring in inclement weather. The clutch is typical Honda (consistent and relatively light) and the shifting is quite good. The only knock is that I think it has a clutch delay valve. This means lightning quick 1-2 shifts will result in grinding synchros (and a jarring blow to your sporting mood). Gas mileage is ok. I average about 18 mpg (premium recommended) in mixed driving. But a heavy right foot will drop my mileage as low as 15. This has happened a couple of times, but is rare. On the highway, I will get 25 or more mpg's. Easy driving will yield decent mpg and the car feels very relaxed and smooth if driven that way. It is just so difficult to refrain from experiencing the horsepower and SH-AWD. The interior is a very nice place to be. I find the seats pretty comfortable, though with maybe too much lumbar support. I personally prefer buttons and really like the layout of the center stack. The gauges are clear and sporty. The lights on the car are excellent, casting illumination bright and far. With the fog lights on, you can see pretty well into turns too--a nice plus in poorly lit neighborhood driving. The bluetooth, navigation, stereo, etc. are excellent. I would love better Pandora integration (thumbs up/down, etc), but it works fine. Did I mention the stereo is great!? I have had two minor intermittent rattles. The dealer poured over the car and found a couple of un-seated retaining clips. What I found remarkable was the high level of quality service and attention from my local dealer's service department (and I didn't even buy the car from them). They provided a (super nice) loaner and made sure to address my concerns. No BMW dealer offers such a high level of service. My buddy who bought the BMW went to pick it up after purchase. They were supposed to fix a paint chip and address several other issues. They had not completed most of the work. The BMW dealer handed my friend some touch-up paint and told him to do it himself (unbelievable! It was a $50,000 car). Don't get me wrong. BMW makes incredible cars. But I'll stick with good service and value. Overall, I LOVE my TL. It is nice without being too flashy, sporty yet comfortable, and very practical (though the trunk could be a smidge bigger). As anyone who's ever driven a Honda product knows, it is all about quality and value. The TL is not the fanciest or the sportiest. But it is arguably the most practical mix of traits that a practical car-enthusiast could want. And with Honda/Acura reliability and high re-sale values, I am confident about my purchasing decision. So go ahead, pick up a used one and enjoy! No one will look at you like you drive a BMW--even if you drive it like one.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
My second TL
bpatters69, 04/05/2014
updated 04/09/2018
2014 Acura TL 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful
***Update for April of 2018*** Stop reading my reviews... go buy one. You will not regret it. ***Update for April of 2017**** I have had my TL for just over 3 years and I have had 0 problems with it. What are you waiting for? Get a new or used TL. I have seen some of the reviews that only gives the car 3 stars out of 5. Either the reviewers don't know what they are talking about or their magazines did not get enough advertising $$$s. So I guess you want to hear some complaints? Here are two minor complaints. The trunk door is narrow which makes it more difficult to fit larger items into the trunk. The leather on the driver's side seat is creased in some places. Other than that, buy, drive and enjoy ! ****Original Review**** This is my second TL. My first TL was a 2003 Base model which I traded in for a 2014 Silver Moon TL base model. I have to say, I love Acura and I love my new TL. Even though I have a base model, it comes with all the features and options that I need. Granted, there is no camera or web interface but with all the changes to that technology, anything you buy today is soon outdated tomorrow. I would prefer to just buy the latest cell or table for web and navigation. The ride is superb and the quality and construction is what I have come to expect from Acura. Best of all, the TL is the absolute best value out there! I picked up mine for under $32k! Acura is moving these so grab one!
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
Great value with Honda/Acura dependability
mqc99, 06/30/2014
2014 Acura TL Technology Package 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
I bought the 2014 TL to replace my 2008 BMW 535i. I love my new TL. It has good power, reasonable gas mileage, and good handling. The BMW may be slightly better in handling, but the TL is way better than the BMW in reliability (I was stranded 3 times and almost stranded twice during the 6 years I owned it, but thatÂs a different story for the BMW forum). We have had many Honda cars before and it has always been very reliable for us. I am hoping my new TL will be just reliable and fun to drive for many years to come. As someone said here, Acura is trying to clear out their 2014 TL inventories making room for the new 2015 TLX model. So, there are some excellent deals on the 2014 TL now.
Relative Bargain
koryme, 01/01/2013
2013 Acura TL SH-AWD 4dr Sedan AWD w/Technology Package (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
Regardless if you like the exterior appearance or not, you can't deny that this is a luxury bargain. Match the features this car has to the equivalent BMW or Audi and you're looking at 10 grand higher. And that may not be including AWD. Performance, comfort, features, quality, transmission, and overall satisfaction couldn't be better. Not that it's a bad thing, but if you're looking for an AWD sedan with a manual transmission, this is your only option. Note: I've only owned my TL for a short time. If I experience anything like the other reviewer on here did then I will update my review. As for now, I couldn't be happier.
After searching many I chose TL
damonpod, 04/19/2013
2013 Acura TL Technology Package 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
23 of 24 people found this review helpful
I test drove BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Acura, volvo, Audi, Cadillac, Hyundai and a few others before making my final decision. I honestly didn't consider Acura a luxury brand until I drove one! I narrowed it down to Lexus ES and Acura as both offered the best deal for the money. I am tall so BMW, mercedes and audi were cramped. After test driving the Acura TL several times I was hooked. The acceleration, interior styling and cabin room were second to none. The sound system is tremendous, and the Technology package works with ease. My dealership experience at Mungenast was the best dealership experience I have ever had when buying a car. Had the car for 3 months and no problems to report so far.
1...