Faults:

The propeller shaft developed a whine due to a bad bearing. This is a common problem on AWD TLs, you can find more info by searching the internet. Unfortunately there is no way to fix this bearing without replacing the whole shaft, which costs over $1000 if you're out of warranty. The whine itself is harmless, at least in the early stages, but I am not sure what would happen if I were to continue to drive the vehicle with the bad bearing for years.

General Comments:

I bought a 2010 TL with SH-AWD and owned it for about 5 years, then finally replaced it as I wanted something sportier. The following are my experiences with it:

Reliability:

During the time I owned it the car did not give me any problems, except for a whine from the propeller shaft (which is just a minor annoyance). I would say this car is very reliable. Fit and finish is very good as well.

Maintenance:

The car only needed basic maintenance during the 5 years I owned it, e.g. fluid changes, new battery, new brakes. I did all my own maintenance including replacing the brake pads and rotors, and found the car fairly easy to work on compared to some others. The car also did not develop rust on the body despite the fact that I drove it daily every winter and rarely washed it.

Performance:

The engine is very powerful (305 HP), but the vehicle weighs 4000 lb so it does not feel very sporty. The AWD system is great, it improves handling over the FWD version, and I never got stuck in the snow. Turning radius is huge. The 5 speed auto blunts the engine's performance. There is a 6 speed manual available, but they are very hard to find, only something like 1 out of 100 4th gen TLs is a manual.

Features:

My TL was the base model which lacked navigation and push button start. A bit ridiculous that a luxury car in 2010 didn't come standard with navigation. Other than that, it came with all the features typically found on luxury cars, e.g. power everything, heated seats, memory seats, dual zone auto climate control, paddle shifters, etc.

Comfort:

The seats were comfortable and supportive, even on long drives. Plenty of space for 4 adults.

Practicality:

The rear seats do NOT fold down, making it impossible to carry larger items. There is a very small passthru for long narrow items such as skis. This is a confusing omission by Acura, considering that just about every other sedan has folding rear seats.

Running costs:

Fuel economy is OK on the highway (almost 30 MPG), but pretty bad in the city, even if you try to drive lightly, probably due to the vehicle's weight. The vehicle requires 91 octane or higher. It will run on 87 if you really want to, but with reduced performance. Parts are cheap, the vehicle shares many parts with the Honda Accord and Ridgeline.

Recommendation:

Overall I would recommend this car if you're looking for something that will feel just as luxurious as a BMW/MB/Audi, but will be far more reliable. However if you're looking for a driver's car that feels sporty, I think you're better off with something else.