The 5 Best Midsize Sport Sedans

The redesigned '09 TL is bigger, roomier, more powerful, safer and handles better than the 2008. It gives up two mpg. Some call its styling radical. It's the same size as the Jaguar but its wheelbase is five inches shorter, making for long overhangs.

SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) is Acura's sophisticated system to distribute torque to the wheels, individually and unequally under infinite circumstances. It uses a 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters. We got three laps on the track, and it does deliver the grip, with a turn-in that's way crisper than the former mere front-wheel drive model.

It's smooth when pushed. A Cadillac CTS-V got in our way in the corners. (Alright, a poorly-driven CTS-V, but still a CTS-V.) The instrument panel is racy, with nice silver-rimmed gauges, and the thick leather-wrapped steering wheel feels good.