For 1996, Acura joined Infiniti and Lexus by relabeling their model lines from having names to a more Euro-sounding alphanumeric soup, and the Accord-derived Acura Vigor became the TL.
1999 saw the second generation of the TL make its debut. Gone was the 2.5 TL, which had been powered by an inline-five, leaving only the V-6 powered 3.2 TL on the U.S. market.
The chassis was entirely new, replacing the earlier longitudinal FWD setup with a more conventional transverse one. In that engine bay was a J32A1 3.2L SOHC 24V V-6 with a 9.8:1 compression ratio and VTEC variable valve timing that delivered 225 SAE net horsepower, a 25 pony bump over the C32A in the previous version. The only transmission available was a 5-speed automatic.
Car and Driver tested a '99 3.2 TL and got a zero-to-sixty time of 7.4 seconds, and generally gave the car high marks in everything but its styling, which was dinged for being too close to its plebeian Accord sister. It placed first in a nine-car field of $30k-ish entry level luxo sedans that included such notables as the Volvo S70GLT and Lexus ES300.
The Satin Silver Metallic one in the picture was snapped in February of 2025 using a Nikon D300S and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.
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