Acura TSX

Remember the old advertising shill, "It's longer, lower, and wider"? Well, in the case of the new Acura TSX, make that longer and a whopping 3 in. wider. Based upon the redesigned European-spec Honda Accord, the TSX has gained loads of interior elbow room, somehow lost a cubic foot of trunk space, gained 160 lb in weight, and has improved its already modest rear legroom by -- drumroll -- 0.1 in. Acura's finger-threatening "power plenum" grille further delivers to the brand a distinctive face, but we're not convinced Veg-O-Matic dicer is the way to go here. But fire its sweet 2.4L four, notch the super-slick six-speed shifter into first (the alternative is a new paddle-shift five-speed automatic), and Acura's entry model can melt reservations faster than an 18-year-old on a Tijuana weekend. The car is a smile-maker. The TSX's steering effort seems light, and on uphill ascents, you need to keep the revs howling to maintain the excitement level. But this is an unusually sensitive driver, a credible poor man's BMW 3 Series (or maybe 1 Series). Under more leisurely circumstances, the TSX offers a taut but acceptable ride, but even its taut-ride moments reveal a deliciously rigid chassis. It's unexpectedly quiet, too (given its sport-minded mission), a noticeable advance in hushing tire noise and aerodynamics compared with Honda's and Acura's recent fare. Does the 2009 Acura TSX have the goods to score the 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Calipers? Find out on November 18.