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The Acura TSX is a four-door sedan that shares most of its sheet metal with the European-market Honda Accord (which is different from the Accord sold in the U.S.) The TSX features a different grille, bumper fascia and headlights. The nose is clean and sharp. The headlights are more narrow and horizontal than the European 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 for the Acura TSX. 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 clean lines, and the P215/50R17 tires are low-profile but not radical. Discreet business-like chrome exhaust tips are tucked under the rear fascia at each edge and 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 coupe 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. Satin-finish or simulated wood trim wraps from door to door, across the center console and steering wheel.

The driver's eight-way power seat offers good bolstering for comfort and hard driving. The seat fits great and there's good legroom. 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 Acura TSX is all about using the tach. The bright red needles give it just the right neon touch. 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. You've 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 and heated outside mirrors. The TSX calls out: "Road trip!"

Your companion will be comfortable. A four-way power front passenger seat is standard on 2005 models. The TSX is a technically a five-seat sedan, but it's better suited for four.

Navigation systems are getting better every year and Acura's may be the best. It's easy to program, and gives clear, accurate instructions visibly and audibly. The display is big and crisp. The system uses a combination of hard buttons and context-sensitive on-screen menus. Unfortunately, you have to call up a menu just to switch radio stations, but fortunately, controls on the steering wheel let you bypass this task. The system also takes voice commands. Cool blue ambient lighting illuminates the console controls at night.