Photos: 2008 Acura TL Type-S

Acura's TL fits right in the middle of its sedan lineup, between the RL and TSX. In its Type-S trim, it gets a bigger engine, more horsepower, and a sport-tuned suspension.

Its body styling changes make the grille more discreet, with a smoother fascia over the bumper.

The standard TL engine is a 3.2-liter V-6, but the Type-S gets this bigger 3.5-liter V-6, which puts out 286 horsepower, enough to break traction on the front tires.

Although in form a basic sedan, the TL gets some sporty styling cues, such as black inserts around the windows, a prominent crease below the belt-line, and a high trunk-lid reminiscent of that found on older BMWs.

This car also includes high-performance tires. Its darkened rims give it some attitude.

The back of the TL is kind of busy, with a cliff-like drop-off down from the trunk, which ends in a curving embrace from the bumper. But the tail lights look good and add to that sporty attitude.

Navigation and a premium ELS audio system are standard on the TL Type-S. And so is that very retro cassette deck, which is a waste of space, in our opinion.

There is unmistakable understeer in this front-wheel-drive car, although the steering is tightened up more than other Acura models we've driven.

The greatest problem with Acuras is an excess of buttons. Here you can see the audio buttons on the left spoke, and a set of voice-command buttons for cell phone integration below. There is also a second set of voice-command buttons below the first set.

You can order the TL Type-S with a manual or automatic transmission for the same price, but the manual is much, much better than the automatic. The latter inhibits the performance of this car.

The red-ringed gauges have a sporty look, and the display in the middle of the speedometer shows all sorts of useful information.

The navigation system's maps are usable, but not very refined, considering the competition. You can see the green lines highlighting freeways here, which indicate traffic flow.

We like live traffic on navigation systems in general, but it is not well-integrated in the Acura TL. For example, the car won't proactively warn you if you are about to enter a traffic jam.

This onscreen keyboard works well for address entry, but you can also use the voice-command system.

The TL's six-disc changer plays DVD audio, Super Audio CDs, and MP3 CDs. But we are disappointed that it doesn't show track information, other than a file name, for MP3s.

Navigating MP3 CDs is easy, as this screen lets you see all tracks in a folder, and lets you drill down through folders.

XM radio is standard on the TL Type-S.

An auxiliary input, mounted in the center console, lets you hook up an iPod or MP3 player.

The ELS audio system produces excellent sound and lets you tweak the center fill and subwoofer levels, along with the usual bass and treble settings.

The Bluetooth system isn't well-integrated into the car. For example, you can see phone status and which numbers you are dialing on the speedometer display, but not on the main LCD.