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The Acura TSX shares sheetmetal panels with the European Honda Accord sedan, although the grille and bumper fascias are changed. The nose is clean and sharp, although the grille is wider than the Accord's. The headlights are more narrow and horizontal than the Accord's, streaking aggressively back along each fender. Invisible to the eye are aerodynamic undertrays, strategic bellypans that help bring the coefficient of drag down to an impressive 0.27. The backlight (rear window) slopes to meet a short trunk lid, which helps air separate cleanly off the back of the car at speed.

The seven-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels complement the car's clean lines, and the P215/50 tires are low-profile but not radical. There are discreet business-like chrome exhaust tips tucked under the rear fascia at each edge. They give the car attitude. Dual exhausts on a four-cylinder are cool.

To get a picture of the scale, the Acura TSX is 183 inches long with a wheelbase of 105 inches; the Acura RSX, with the same basic engine, is 172 inches long with a wheelbase of 101 inches; and the U.S. Honda Accord is 187.6 inches long with a wheelbase of 105 inches.

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The Acura TSX interior feels graceful in its beige perforated leather, with a sculpted driftwood gull, or maybe it's a B-1 bomber, flying toward you on the dash panel. Its eyes and mouth are the sound system, and its wooden wings arc out on the dash. The voice-activated navigation system gives it elegance and a feel of being in command, as long as the system listens to you. After that it will make you look silly and you may want to punch it. But eventually you will learn how to speak as it insists, and it will reward you.

The Acura TSX is a five-seater, but pity the fifth person. The driver gets all the luck. There's plenty of bolstering in the eight-way power seat, the rubber-coated pedals feel good, and there's a solid dead pedal. The 8,000-rpm tach is as big as the 160-mph speedo, because the TSX is all about using the tach. The bright red needles give it just the right neon touch.

Still for the driver, there's a tidy three-spoke steering wheel, wrapped skin-tight in perforated leather, just small enough. The shift knob is right, blending function and style with leather and polished aluminum, without compromising the function. The seat fits great and there's good legroom. You got the E-brake lever at your side, a nice deep console bin, your cupholders and changeholder right there. A fingertip away is a 360-watt sound system with a six-CD player. You've got a moon roof, you even have heated seats. The Acura TSX calls out: "Road trip!"