I’ll admit to being a “genetic freak,” as one former colleague put it. Six feet tall, my inseam is only 30 in., making my upper torso unusually long. Which means I have to open the sunroof shade and stick my head in the recess to keep from rubbing my head on the CL’s ceiling. The awkwardness isn’t helped by the feeling that the steering wheel is down around my knees, and angled in such a way that its top surface is slightly out of comfortable reach. As if this isn’t enough, the pedals sit at an awkward angle as well. No matter how low I moved the power driver’s seat, the problems remained, no doubt because the seat itself felt too high in the air. About one to two inches too high.

Other sore points were the gearshift and the location of the handbrake. The shift effort in our low-mileage example began to fall as our week with it came to a close, but that did little to reduce the numbness that otherwise bedeviled this gearbox. True, it would slot neatly into each gear, and never once were sixth and reverse gears mistaken. However, the light over-center springing meant time was wasted while the lever meandered toward the 3-4 shift plane. Rushing the proceedings only caused the lever to shoot either side of the intended target. Plus, the gearshift knob itself – covered in a combination of perforated and non-perforated leather – had a shape more likely to be found in the novelty aisle of an adults-only shop. Perhaps Acura was trying to not-so-subtly reinforce the more manly image of the six-speed CL.

The handbrake looked normal enough, and functioned well. Unfortunately, it is obvious, given the arc it travels that the six-speed manual is an afterthought. Unlike most handbrakes, the CL’s unit is curved to clear the gate area of the manual’s lever, angles toward the driver when deployed, and is situated on the passenger’s side of the console. This is not conventional practice, and feels odd every time the handbrake is used.

On the plus side, the 260-hp. V6 is smooth, powerful, and refined. The engine note under either acceleration or deceleration is sporty but unobtrusive. Ear plugs will never be needed in the CL, yet the driver and passengers nonetheless are able to enjoy the sound this engine makes. Mileage is rated at 19 city/28 highway, numbers that are easily matched in everyday use. The Bose stereo has an in-dash CD unit that can handle six CDs at a time, six speakers, and steering wheel mounted audio controls. As if this wasn’t enough, items like Xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps, heated seats and outside mirrors, speed-sensing intermittent windshield wipers, automatic climate control, a power tilt/slide sunroof, leather seating surfaces, and one year of On Star are all standard. On the Navi model tested – which comes with a standard DVD-based navigation system – the MSRP, including the $480 destination charge, is a reasonable $33,180. That’s several thousand dollars less than many competitors when similarly equipped, and one good reason Acura is coming off its best sales year to date.

Like their Honda kin, Acuras appeal to buyers looking for unassailable durability, quality, and reliability packaged in an inoffensively sporting wrapper, and endowed with standard equipment levels that make the competition blush. To them the compromises mentioned are minor annoyances in what is otherwise a nearly painless ownership experience. Yet, with just a bit more forethought and effort, the CL could do all this, and stir the soul.