Went to the local dealership with a friend that's interested in the TSX and I got a chance to see the TL.

The TL is very nice, inside and outside. It definitely (to me) has more presence than the 2003s. The interior is also better (as you'd guessed) with better quality switchgears and ergonomics, especially now that the moonroof switch is at top. The aluminum trim is very nice. While I think it is still not exactly comparable to the Lexus ES330 interior (we also went to see that), it's certainly leaps and bounds better than that of the G35 (which I drove numerous times). But I think the combination of the interior and exterior gives the TL an edge over the other 2.

We drove the TSX. The ride was great and it was pretty quiet even though I don't necessarily think it's quieter than my CL. The car I think needs more power. It didn't really have any low end grunt. I mean I had to leave it at first gear for a while before it went anywhere. At least the enginer was quiet and smooth. It felt like an underpowered V6 - smooth but no power. I didn't drive it very hard or through any twisties so I really couldn't tell its handling. It certainly felt competent. But I think I like the V6 Accord better when it comes to power and power delivery. Straight line performance does matter to me.

Then we went to the Lexus dealership to check out the IS300. The first thing the sales lady asked us after we asked for a test drive was whether we were serious about the IS300. I thought that was really rude. I mean I was at a Porsche dealership this past Sat and wasn't treated that way. She never let us drove the car. After talking to her for 10 minutes, she realized we were serious and asked us to come back for a test drive.

Anyway, my friend, out of the TSX, G35 Audi liked the IS300 the most. He thinks the interior is more luxurious than the TSX which I totally disagreed with. He did say that it may be because he knew it's a Lexus (see how people fall into these traps!) I think the IS has no luxury whatsoever. I thought so when it came out and think so now. But they were asking mid 400s/mo for the lease which was out of the range my friend was looking at. The TSX lease is about 350/mo.

At the end of the day, he thinks the TSX will be the one he's going to get. He likes it and the deal is good.

 

good review

the is300 is nice, but i wish its interior was as nice as the es300..then it would be a close case...ya, the tsx could benefit from 25 extra hp