RWalker2

Well done. I think this car looks great in black and reducing the huge silver beak makes it flow much better.

jiggaman

NOW THATS WHAT I"M TALKING ABOUT!!!!

Code3forJC

SWEET!!!

Is that a muted chrome or gray in the upper rendition? It looks good too, maybe a little better than the all black, but WAY better than the chrome.

I like how it makes the front end look so much more aggressive and sporty. The all black version resembles a Camry or Mazda6, but the rest of the car takes care of any more of those comparisons.

ACURA, do this! If you do it, we will come...

ESHBG

Are painted grilles something that Acura is doing, or is this just certain dealerships? Last night I quickly stopped by a local Acura dealership to see the new TL in person and a few had painted grilles that exactly matched the exterior's paint color.

I am thinking that possibly Acura is getting too much crap for the grille and decided that this was a good solution. I would agree with that, and think that it may be a better route for them to go.

JAB00

[QUOTE=nickceci51;10100017]



This car looks really good. Once the AWD version comes out, it will be compelling reason to trade in earlier than I anticipated.

MayanBronzeTL

Looks just like the one in our showroom. LOL. IT's all about mayan color!

Cecilt

For those that have seen the chrome painted on the front does the color match the bumper and hood exactly or can you tell something is off with the color. I really like the pics with all the chrome on the grill painted. I don't mind the chrome strip on the rear though.

MayanBronzeTL

depends on the shop you are using. The body shop we sent it out to did a great job. I think we are charging too little for the painted grill.

rondog

iTrader: (1)

looks so good, but the all black is starting to resemble the camry.

1075

With all due respect, I disagree. The customer should not have to pay extra to correct a design mistake which was made by Acura.

Code3forJC

1075,

I vote with you. I am not paying extra. What ever happened to the customer always right sometimes every now and then? We know what we want, and I don't think we want the big chrome beak/shield/grille.

That Mayan Bronze is calling my name..and the whisper is beginning to grow into a SH-AWD roar...

JeffNY

Most ridiculous "body style" for a luxury sports car I have ever seen. Those front wheel fenders just look idiotic and out of place as they bulge out in perfect half circles. The guys at Pininfarina (not to mention BMW, Mercedes and every other luxury maker...even Cadillac) must be laughing their asses off.

nkeller099

beak = front end?

The TL is getting ready for flight? Just needs a couple of wings

PetesTL

....Right, like BMW and Mercedes never made any design "mistakes".......Chris Bangle ring a bell?

sabotfiveo

i'm loving the painted grills!

JeffNY

Pete, I am not trying knock your car. I am sure you are proud of it and the paint job does look great. I'd also love to have all the "toys" you have in the interior.

And car companies can and do make 'mistakes'....I am just saying this one is a doozy! Everything, in my mind (you can feel different), is "over the top" and exaggerated....the front grill, the front fender "flares" that don't seem to match the rear fender flares and the "V trunk".....how does the car company that gave us the 2nd and 3rd gen TL's arrive at this design? I really have been trying to understand this "design" and how these guys arrived at this....but am left scratching my head.

Again, I am not trying to knock your car, I am sure you love it. Enjoy it. I just wish I could get the designers in a room and ask them to explain why they did what they did....maybe in 6 months it will hit me and I'll say "Oh I get it now! Yea...this IS a cool looking car!"

But right now I ain't feeling it.

bmaczo6

iTrader: (1)

BMW sales went up with Bangle's design so in the category that truly measures success (sales) his cars are winners. The BMW faithful were not happy with the design but that did not stop them from buying the cars and BMW did attract some new buyers. Ultimately car makers are in the business of selling cars.

The Acura faithful has voted on the new look for the TL. It is almost universally disliked compared to the previous version. Ultimate success will be determined by sales. If sales go up it is a success. If sales go down it is a failure. Current Acura owners that do not like the design should not buy it.

FiftyFive

It looks pretty bad ass painted all black.

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

this is far from a mistake. in fact, i now see it as a step in the right direction for the acura brand. this is coming from someone who initially hated the design. the reason so many here dislike the design is because they are so used to the very bland style acura has achieved over the years. this became standard stereotype, including the 3G TL and 2G RL. i for one became very disenchanted with the acura brand and found myself drifting to the lexus side. i basically took a 'break' from acura for about 2 years. initially the design was shocking, but after taking step back and seeing the big picture, i actually think the styling is very nice. it's not going to feel 'dated' in 2 years like all of the other models. the more i look at the car, the more i like it.

JeffNY

Oh.....and I actually likes Chris Bangles work, despite what some hard care bimmers thought at first. Acura should have called him to see what he could come up with for a 4G design...it would have been interesting to see what he came up with (if even in a concept car for Acura).

I think some of us saw this front grill coming from what Acura was doing with other vehicles in the line up.....but it's even bigger than some of us imagined...

MayanBronzeTL

I stare at 09 TL everyday at work. I didn't like it at first, but it's growing on me. Plus I HAVE to like to to get clients excited about the car. It will take less than 6 months. Hopefully.

wildchild_8635

LOL Pete, LOL. Welcome to the new comer and its a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please post pics of your new ride soon!! PETE, where are the pics of the 19s?

wildchild_8635

Man, that Bronze looks really sweet. How much is it running to get the grille painted? I wouldnt mind looking into that myself.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

[QUOTE by ESHBG]Are painted grilles something that Acura is doing, or is this just certain dealerships?QUOTE]

I think it's certain dealerships. If you decide to get one, be sure to get the dealership to throw in painting the nose for you.

1075

[QUOTE by ESHBG] If you decide to get one, be sure to get the dealership to throw in painting the nose for you.[/QUOTE]

^^^X2! NO WAY I would let a design flaw cause me to pay extra $$$$$. If the dealer wants to sell the car, let them cover the cost and take up the issue with Acura.

MRG061

New Member To The Forums...
Always Monitored Posts, but never joined, finally took the time to join, and post... but anyways...
So, ive been watching peoples comments on the front facia, of the 09 tl, and i love the paint matched front grill, but i was more worried about the back, ive photoshoped the rear...as follows...

original


photoshopped


and a quick photoshop of the ronjon vehicle, of which im madly in love with


tell me what you think....

PGSberg

Hopefully I'll have my 4G back tomorrow evening. I'll try to get some pictures as soon as I can. I'll be out of town next week. I dropped it off Friday to have the body kit and 18" Chrome-look wheels put on. The night before I dropped it off, I saw the red painted grill in this forum. No one I talked to at the dealership had heard of painting the grill. I asked for a quote. They came back with $275. I said, "Do it". One reason I went with White was two-fold. I thought the satin (not chrome) trim blended well with the light colors. The second reason was rock chips on the front end. My daughter's red Civic Si 4-door has a similar bulky-looking bumper that shows pits. I've seen the clear bras that look pretty bad too. The Northern VA beltway traffic is murder on the front of cars. My 100k 03 black 4Runner's hood looks like crap.

ill45

all black TL with all black grill FTW!

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

Does anyone else think that Acura might be suggesting the dealers paint the grilles? It seems like dealerships all over the US have started doing this...coincidence?

Looks great, regardless. I'd like to see painted grilles on more colors.

StAcura

Nope. I work for an Acura dealer in Austin, TX as a technician, and we did ours just out of the idea, as i know MANY other dealers did.
I'll try and get pics tomorrow, been meaning to, but we did the painted grille (not entire, just the big nose) on a graphite/carbon colored Tech TL with those same 19's and it was HOT. SO much better than the normal looking rims and grille.

In fact, when we did this, we found this forum and saw that many others had done the same thing. One of my service consultants and I had a mild discussion on how the Acura designers were taking this, being as it's a popular mod not even 2 weeks after the car hits the showroom.

PetesTL

None of the Acura dealers in and around Chicago I know of have TL's with painted grilles. I think this is more of a "West Coast" thing.

shubysingh

hahaha i was just going to say that, then i read your post.

thats not really a bad thing for me, but i wouldnt want my $40k sports sedan to be confused with one of the most popular cars on the market so i see where you are coming from.

StAcura

I've been saying the back of the TL looks like an Aura

AZN.M3NACE

I think all dealerships should have the grille's painted anyway the customer would like it as a standard option.

Logan5

I am one of the many who are still waiting for Acura to say "just kidding" and reveal the real '09 TL. Being different just for the sake of being different is a poor excuse for a design philosophy.

Not that Acura is the only make to blame these days. Whatever happened to the word "sleek" when it comes to auto design? I left Dodge years ago when they turned every car except the Viper into a brick with wheels. My '05 TL is my first Acura, and I could not be more thrilled with it, but I don't see any way that I will be adopting the 4G. I think it's telling that the best color I've seen on it is black - it hides the disjointed lines of the body.

Some of the painted grills are a step in the right direction, but there are just too many other exterior design issues, from the overall bulk, to the abundance of chrome, to the incoherent design direction.

And as far as this design not becoming outdated any time soon, I would disagree. I think it will become outdated faster than either the 2G or 3G because it is an extremely gimmicky design. Think about truly classic car brands such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, etc. They have established a strong brand identity in precisely the opposite way that Acura seems to believe necessary.

Brands such as these gradually and subtly evolve their designs over time. In the rare instances where some of them have tried to make radical departures from their past designs, they have generally been failures. They also seem to properly understand the power of SUBTLETY in design. Finely crafting a coherent design that is much more than the sum of its parts is the mark of a great designer.

Acura, on the other hand, seems to have just thrown together a mismatched bunch of parts, pieces, angles, and curves and then crowned it with a giant silver beak. Acura now apparently subscribes to the bling school of design. And dealers having to apply cosmetic band-aids to get people to even consider buying it is unprecedented, and quite pathetic.

Can you tell I really don't like it?

07HONDATL

wow that ron jon kit looks amazing on the tl and i think the color matched grill was a great idea i mean even if u paint the grill u can even take it to a shop and paint the whole thing even the mesh insert the color of the car i think that would look good everything nice and sleek in front. for some reason i like the back i think it looks real good..ttyl be safe

DaddysOnehotAck

I think it's HOtt!........like alot of cars,some have to grow on you.I wasn't too crazy with the 3rd gen. when it first came out either,but then I luv'd it??

wildchild_8635

I miss the side markers. If you blew through an intersection, people would know it was a tl from a mile away with those funky side markers. The 4G took care of soem rants that 3G owners had like :

• Ipod Interface
• LED Courtesy Lights
• Lit Footwells
• Keyless Start
• Better Navigation (Non DVD Based)
• Better Sound System
• Smoother Ride
• Paddle Shifters
• Bigger Trunk
• More Horsepower
• Fog Lights At The Bottom (I Had an 04')

So while all these people are raggin on the car, this is a whole different animal than the 3G. The car is better, its almost as if they were listen to the complaints on here. Except for the grille, I dont think anyone imagined that but the car still rocks and yall know it, so trade-up or shut-up. LOL Just Kidding, you know I love yall but seriously. This car is a beast and it looks tougher and meaner now. I like it.

Crazy Bimmer

Your thread made it to Autoblog
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/20/a...r-rhinoplasty/

redman042

If I were in the market for a new sport/lux I would consider the 4G with the body color painted grille. I would NOT consider the stock model.

With that said, I'm a happy 3G owner (as are most of us here) and the 4G design as it is does nothing to make me jealous. If Acura did a good job on the design, it should make us all very jealous. But it doesn't.

So I'll continue to happily drive my 3G, and hope that one day Acura finds a cleaner way to "create brand recognition".

Acura picked the right year to experiment. No one is selling lux cars in this economy anyway.