As a regular driver, one that its master occasionally uses to squirt through traffic or in which she bombs down the highway at high speeds, the 2007 Acura TL Type-S performs admirably. The six-speed manual transmission, with its super-precise gates and short throws, is a joy to row, and the 286 horses under the hood are eager to please. However, tapping into that power requires a measured approach, as a dump of the throttle elicits little response unless the revs are high. More than the 256 lb.-ft. of torque on hand would help negate that problem. The result is more required downshifting than one might expect of a V6-powered sport sedan, and that’s when the stiff clutch becomes noticeable. We recorded 19 mpg overall.