Acura TL

Acura TL - It would make sense because only so much power can be delivered through the tires that are also called on to steer. The competition is well aware of this. Certainly, Honda knows this. When it set out to build a high-end sports car and a pure roadster, it didn't choose front drive. Why would it? Rear-drive cars are the best-balanced, best-handling vehicles. Both the Acura NSX and the Honda S2000 are great examples of Honda's knowing when rear drive is the right, and logical, choice.

Acura has done what it can with the limitations set forth by front drive, evidenced by the equipment on our test vehicle, which came with an available six-speed manual transmission (the first time one's been offered on the TL), a limited-slip differential, Brembo four-piston front calipers, 8.0-by-17-inch wheels wearing 235/45 tires, and a revised 3.2-liter SOHC 24-valve aluminum V-6—now the only engine available—that makes 270 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 238 pound-feet of torque at 5000. Those numbers are nominally more than the previous Type-S's 260 horsepower and 232 pound-feet and substantially more than the preceding standard model's 225 and 216—and lest you forget, only 20 horsepower shy of the NSX's big motor!

All that power and torque gets channeled through the front-drive dam like a school of spawning salmon, bogging the drivetrain as it tries to put the power down. Gobs of wheelspin ensues until the all-season Bridgestone Turanza EL42s are finally able to hook up, launching the TL upstream with serious authority. Zero to 60 mph comes in just 5.7 seconds, with the quarter-mile following 8.7 seconds later at 99 mph. The 3.2 revs easily and willingly, emitting a mechanical soundtrack that perfectly complements its 6800-rpm threshold. Typical of Honda manual transmissions, the TL's enters and exits its six gates with short, velvety throws, making rowing the gears more a joy than a chore.

Base your performance views on curves instead of straight lines, and the Acura's shortcomings quickly become evident. Hustled through the 300-foot skidpad, the TL managed to pull 0.81 g, which is less grip than that achieved by the G35 (0.87) and the 330i (0.83). A call to the Potenza bullpen is in order. On our 10Best handling loop, where twisty roads abound, the TL couldn't attack curves with the same speed and vigor as the Infiniti and BMW, inspiring less confidence because of its heavier front-loaded nature.

The limited slip does its job distributing power to the front tire with more grip, but with 238 pound-feet of torque on tap, there's no masking that the torque plays an unwanted role in the steering, especially now, with the direct connection via the six-speed gearbox. If anything, the limited slip exacerbates the existing torque steer, pulling on the wheel as if each pound-foot were a G.I. Joe action figure in a tug of war. On the plus side, as long as you're conscious of this trait, accelerating out of turns is surprisingly fast, although a bit nerve-racking.

The brakes, with vicelike Brembos up front, are strong-like-bull, although the 189-foot stopping distance from 70 mph doesn't exactly back up that result. The two-bill tire upgrade would have shortened the distance, but probably not enough to reach the seatbelt-locking halts of the BMW (168 feet) and Infiniti (153).

The TL rides on unequal-length control arms up front and a multilink setup in the rear, a system that soaked up our bumpy Michigan asphalt smoothly and quietly. Whether on silky highways or rippled byways, the TL was the epitome of sporty comfort, taking the edge off big impacts while still transmitting enough of the road to get a sense of the surface.

The TL comes standard with soft, perforated-leather seating; tasteful metallic or wood trim; Panasonic's hot new DVD-audio system with surround sound, developed with Elliot Scheiner, the Grammy Award-winning engineer who's worked with the Eagles, Beck, Sting, and others; Bluetooth wireless capability for cell phones, enabling hands-free operation through the TL's voice-recognition and audio systems; and curtain airbags. All of which is integrated into a cockpit that is bigger than its predecessor's (97.7 cubic feet versus 96.5) and richer in appearance and build quality.

The TL is a beautifully crafted and attractive sports sedan with loads of smart features, and its front-drive layout does have advantages, such as better traction on slippery and snow-covered roads. But until it sends power out back, it'll be hard pressed to get our nod over the rear-drive competition.