One of the best parts of this job is the chance to recommend great cars to friends and fans with limited budgets. Especially when the car in question offers more for your money that expected. The ’04-’08 Acura TL is a great example.

For 2009, Acura has completely redesigned the TL, and it’s grown in every way except beauty. Acura’s new grill design looks like the Batmobile from 1950s comics, and that’s not a good thing. But it means great deals can be found on the more attractive third generation TL, the 2004-08 model. If you’re in the market for a nice four-door sedan and you’ve even looked at the Accord or Camry, you must keep reading.

The TL stands out like the head cheerleader among band girls. Park it in a line of four-door sameness and you’ll notice its wedge shape and crisp angles. It looks rear-wheel drive and ready to fight the Germans. Except it isn’t RWD.

The TL sends 258 horses to the front wheels. That’s a perfect recipe for torque steer, but the TL does a good job of hiding the problem. On tight mountain roads the overworked front wheels only complained when things got far into sports car territory. Most will probably never notice, especially if they’re used to less sporty front-drivers. The suspension tells the tale best, with better road sensation and a firmer ride than the Camry’s of the world. The Nissan Maxima may have coined the four-door-sports-car slogan, but since ‘04 the TL has carried the torch.

So it isn’t a BMW, but neither is the pricetag. Acura remains the oft-forgotten Japanese luxury brand with the bomb-proof performance of Hondas everywhere. Getting all these options from the Germans would add a whole Civic to the price of a TL. If you’ve never cared about how the power gets to the road, then forget the Rondel, the Star, or the Rings and buy the Acura.

One of the first and best of the current style navigation systems was introduced with the ’04 TL, and even in the ’08 it remains a marvel. In this world where car-salesman sound more like computer salesmen there’s plenty to show off here. Any voice-activated, auto-dialing, restaurant finding, traffic-avoiding, or route-guiding feature you’ve drooled over can be found in the TL. And some engineer tried to connect all of this to buttons on the steering wheel, resulting in more than a dozen across the huge center hub. While it’s cool to punch the voice button and tell the car to lower the fan speed, I can turn it down myself in half the time.

Which brings me to the few strange occurrences in this comfortable and well thought-out interior. There’s a tape deck in the center, which even in 2004 was so outdated that it sticks out like an 8-trak in a Gremlin. And this NASA quality navi-computer doesn’t have a USB port for your iPod. Sure, there’s a mini-plug auxiliary port, but the hands-free designing doesn’t work if you’ve still got your thumb in the center console scrolling through playlists.

In the end, we’re far more interested in the driving experience than Blue-tooth or Navigation help. And the TL bridges the gap between affordable front driver boredom and expensive European luxury. The engine has plenty of power after it gets past three-thousand revs, and it even makes a nice rumble which drifts into the otherwise quiet cabin. Only the abrupt downshifting spoils the smoothness, with the automatic lurching through a two-cog kick-down when you need to pass. Though the TL is available in a 6 speed manual, most will go for the 5 speed auto. And with it, I’d trade half the steering-wheel buttons for a good pair of shift paddles and quick-blipping transmission. But that’s me, and not this market segment.

Interior materials offer various textures, all of them pleasing to the touch and as precisely placed as a well-made watch. Comfortable seats and rear leg room for actual adults. Even decent gas mileage. A real car, with a bit of standout style.

If you’re looking for a roomy, affordable, four-door which still gives some sensation of fun, then the TL is calling you. Prices for a clean ’04 start under $20,000. And dealers who still have new ‘08s on their lots are looking to unload them for close to $30,000.

Whatever you’re eyeing… give the TL a glance.