I drove a manual TSX but not an auto. It was by far the least powerful of the Cadillac CTX, Mazda 6s, Audi A4 3.0, BMW 330i, Volvo S60R, Lexus IS300, and possibly even a Mini Cooper S. It was also the least fun to drive. And did I mention the uncomfortable seats? Have you driven the IS300? It's smaller, and was probably the next least powerful, though still much more powerful than the TSX, but it was a load of fun to drive. Its seats were also uncomfortable, but only in a butt/thigh way, not lumbar. They might flatten out, or maybe if you've got skinnier thighs than I do. It's also more likely to ``just work'' like the Acura would.

My local dealer actually told me up front that manual TSXs are hard to come by, though, so you might want to check on that. I think the S60Rs are already pretty much sold out, too, unless you can find one sitting at a dealership.