When my brother Bill was looking for a car to replace his BMW 328, Acura’s 3.2 TL Type-S never popped up on his radar screen. He looked at the Jaguar S-Type, another 3 Series, and many other cars, but never the Acura. Then one day, after much prodding from me, he stopped into his Acura dealer to convince himself that his decision to not consider this car was the right one. One test drive later, he bought the car.

 Did he do it because the car was perfect? Well, that depends upon your definition of the word. From the critic’s chair, it would be very easy to pick nits: the column stalks date back to late-‘80s Hondas, the navigation system eliminates the manual override for the HVAC unit and makes it just another touch-screen function, the power brakes aren’t as firm or direct as you would expect from a car with sporting overtones, and the steering wheel could be a bit thicker. That’s about it.

 Granted, the 2002 model TL is jarringly similar to it immediate predecessor, but Acura made sure it lost none of the earlier model’s intimacy. Four adults can ride in comfort, listening to the Bose audio system, and appreciating the quiet – not silence – of the cabin without having to surrender their claim on youth, or suffering the ride degradation normally found with a ‘sport tuned’ suspension. The TL won’t be the most memorable vehicle you’ll ever own, but it will be well-equipped.

 For $33,710 you get a 260-hp V6 that easily returns 30 mpg on the highway, Xenon high intensity discharge headlamps, memory seats and mirrors, side airbags, vehicle stability control, a five-speed automatic transmission, heated outside mirrors, an in-dash navigation system, and plenty more – including Honda quality and reliability. This compares very well with some of the TL’s more famous – and more expensive – European competitors. Need proof? Just ask my brother Bill.