Unlike its German competitors the doors don't close with weighty vault-like precision, but are improved over previous Acuras and at least on par with the majority of Japanese premium products. Once inside headroom, front and rear, was ample enough to comfortably accommodate my 6.4" equivalent co-driver. Front headroom was slightly more constricting, probably due to the sunroof, but no complaints were voiced for hip, shoulder and legroom. The 374 L (13.2 cu ft) trunk, while not the largest in the field, easily fits ample luggage for weekend outings, especially if either side of the 60/40 split rear seatback can be folded flat.

The dual-zone climate control system is seamlessly integrated into the center stack interface, plus more importantly works almost silently and with ease due to large, precise buttons and an intuitive layout. Other standard features include a power glass sunroof, power heated mirrors, power windows and power locks with remote keyless entry. Virtually nothing, except the no-extra-cost auto transmission, is optional.

The 8-speaker 360-watt premium audio system with its 6-disc, dash-mounted CD player was beyond awesome. Acura and Bose have done an exceptional job developing a stereo that causes no desire to go aftermarket. One big disappointment is Acura will not be offering the DVD-based navigation system with voice recognition, initially thought to be available in Canada. Why? Amazingly, its parent company Honda hasn't developed a functional map system for the Canadian market. This is inexcusable, especially considering almost every other manufacturer, even niche automakers, have done so.