2010 Acura TL
- 2009 Acura TL
Based on analysis of 12 TL reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The federal government awarded the 2010 TL the highest possible score, five stars, in all of its crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety hasn’t released crash test scores for the 2010 TL, but gave the nearly-identical 2009 edition “Top Safety Pick” status because it earned the highest possible score, “Good,” in each of the institute’s tests.
Acura makes all of the safety technology on the 2010 TL standard equipment. The list includes front, front-side and side-head-curtain airbags. Active head restraints, designed to reduce the chances of a whiplash injury, are standard on the front seats. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are standard, and feature a brake assist system that helps the driver brake harder in panic stops.
While the Acura’s crash tests scores are equal to the best in its class, some competitors offer more safety features for a similar price -- both the Lexus ES and Mercedes-Benz C-Class include a driver’s knee airbag, for instance, and the ES offers rear-seat side-airbags as well. Both the ES and C-Class also offer seatbelt pretensioners at all seating positions, while the TL offers them only in the front seats. Those cars, along with the Cadillac CTS, also offer an in-car accident assistance service that can notify EMS of a crash -- something the Acura doesn’t have.