Surprisingly Safe: The 2009-2014 Acura TL

Crash test standards evolve. In the past 14 years, NHTSA has overhauled its crash test program, now using stricter injury calculations for front and side tests as well as adding a side-pole test, while IIHS has added the small overlap test. 

Why 14 years? Because that’s when the 4th-generation Acura TL went on sale. Introduced in October 2008 for the 2009 model year, the TL aced every crash test that was thrown at it at the time, scoring the full 5 stars from NHTSA in front and side tests for all occupants and 5 stars for rollover resistance – a rare “clean sweep” of 5-star ratings – and earned IIHS’ Top Safety Pick rating. Any crash test that was out in ’09, the TL was doing well in. 

When NHTSA toughened up its crash tests in 2011, the freshened-for-2012 TL was tested, scoring a still-good 4 stars in the front and side tests and the full 5 stars in the new side-pole test. (The only major blemish was a 2-star rating for the front passenger in the frontal test, which occurred because the new protocol involves a dummy the size of an average 12-year-old with the seat all the way forward; this was quickly fixed on later-production 2012, and all 2013-2014 models). IIHS introduced its small overlap test in 2012. Out of 11 vehicles tested, only 2 scored the top Good rating; the TL and the Volvo S60. In fact, the TL is the oldest non-Volvo design ever to earn a Good rating in this test. 

In effect, this means that the 2009 Acura TL still provides crash protection that’s competitive with contemporary designs in the same class. Just don’t ride with the front passenger seat all the way forward.