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My pals at the enthusiast car mags dismiss the Acura 3.0 CL for lack of character.

Nice, they say, but not really a serious sport coupe.

My pals from another newspaper dismiss it for its price tag, and for not having enough doors. In other words, for not being a sedan.

Frankly, I don’t get it. What’s not to like here?

True, the V6-powered version of Acura’s midsize coupe lacks a manual transmission, optional or otherwise, and its on-road persona is serenely quiet, composed and competent.

But for all its posh good manners, it can handle a slalom course or series of S-bends in a considerably faster than average hurry, and its all-round dynamics are on a par with BMW’s superb 3-Series coupes.

The comments about two doors versus four are even more mystifying.

Sure, sedans are more versatile than coupes, particularly when there are regularly more than two people in the travel equation.

But even though they’ve lost ground in the marketplace, coupes still have an appeal — sporty, intimate, personal — that sedans don’t.

Even in an age of trucks, I don’t think a coupe has to apologize for being a coupe.

As for the price issue — well, let’s look at that.

With a base price of $25,545, including destination and delivery, the 3.0 CL is $3,000 higher than the four-cylinder 2.2 CL, and, at $27,105, the Premium version, our test subject, is in near-luxury territory.

At a glance, that may seem a trifle dear.

But check the standard equipment list. Lots of goodies, power everything, excellent sound with an in-dash CD player, a power moonroof and real burled walnut trim.

For the extra $1,500, the Premium edition adds leather, heated seats, and even more muscle to the sound system.

Our test car also included a set of high-grade carpeted floor mats, a $100 option that’s drawn some flak in certain quarters.

While a C-note does sound a little heavy for mats, I’d rather leave all the wintertime salt and slush on the mats than on the carpeting.

So what you really have here is a superb luxury coupe executed on a relatively small scale for what looks to me like a terrific price.

If you check around in this price-performance sector, you won’t find many other players.

It’s been suggested that the Chrysler Cirrus LXi offers a comparable car for considerably less, but I don’t see it. Pretty though it is, the Cirrus is no match for the 3.0’s performance or refinement.

And the only other coupes in this realm wear BMW emblems — like the 318is and the 328is.

Although they’re nearing the end of their design cycle, the 3-Series Beemers are still style and performance pacesetters.

But they’re also pricey. The 138-horsepower four-cylinder 318is starts at over $28,000, the 190-horsepower 328is, with its sweet in-line six, opens the bidding a bit north of $33,000.

So Acura’s 3.0 CL is swimming around out there pretty much by itself, which can be an uncomfortable situation for a new car.

There’s not much to compare it to, not directly anyway, and that means it has to achieve recognition on the basis of brand and styling.

The second part of that mission shouldn’t be difficult.

A head-turner

Although it’s not as radical as the CLX concept car Acura displayed at the North American International Automobile Show in 1995, the CL is a striking blend of angles and curves, with a rear-end treatment that adds a spicy dash of sci-fi to a part of the car that’s usually as anonymous as milk.

If this design had come from Dearborn, it would be called New Edge, and it’s pretty daring by recent Acura standards.

The Acura part of the equation may be a prime source of confusion about this car’s search for recognition.

We’re talking identity crisis.

When Honda’s premium division first materialized, it positioned itself as a rival for Germanic luxo-sport manufac rers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and, in particular, Audi.

More recently, after wistfully watching Toyota’s Lexus soar to the top of the charts, Honda’s tribal elders decided that Acura should be a pure luxury make.

This was followed in short order by another about-face, emphasizing performance and sporty character, a character commitment that’s reflected in the updated NSX sports car and the 195-horsepower limited edition Integra R.

Finalized during the waning days of the pure-lux era, the CLs wound up with a personality that’s a tad out of sync with the new direction, leaning more toward the luxury side of the ledger.

That’s why Acura left a manual transmission out of the mix for the 3.0 edition.

But this doesn’t mean the 3.0 CL can’t haul the old mail.

A potent performer

It’s powered by an all-new 3.0-liter aluminum V6 that generates 200 horsepower and plenty of go, even though this top-of-the-line model weighs in at a rather hefty 3,219 pounds.

With four valves per cylinder and Honda’s versatile VTEC camshaft system, the new V6 — manufactured, like the rest of the car at Honda’s sprawling facilities in Ohio — is wonderfully smooth and quiet across its entire operating range.

How does it stack up versus competing engines?

Toyota’s Camry/Lexus six has been the perennial target in the small V6 realm, but the new Acura entry is at least as smooth and potent, if not more so.

Mated to a smooth four-speed automatic with computer controls to limit up-and-down hunting on hills, the 3.0 delivers luxury motoring with more than enough punch to keep boredom at bay.

Like the powertrain, the CL’s excellent chassis and suspension are tuned for long-haul comfort.

There’s enough starch in the springs and shocks to keep body roll within the realm of sporty acceptability, and the crisp rack-and-pinion power steering lends gratifying accuracy to quick changes in direction.

A little more rubber on the handsome 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels would probably knock a few tenths off the CL’s slalom time — Honda has always been conservative with its tire specs — but in general this coupe has a surprisingly high fun-to-drive index for a car conceived to appeal to luxury buyers.

The inside story

Luxury is a word that definitely applies within.

I’m not a big wood-grain fan, but the CL’s burled walnut is subdued and tasteful, enhancing a dashboard that is typical of all Honda products — straightforward and handsomely functional.

Nifty touches: The driver’s seat automatically eases forward to make it easier for the occasional extra passenger to climb into the back, and a small trapdoor next to the digital quartz clock that shelters easy-to-use reset controls.

Small demerits: undersize audio controls, horn buttons and a relatively tight rear-seat area. Unlike smaller sport coupes such as the Ford Probe and Mitsubishi Eclipse, the C L’s back seat is usable, but this is one area where the Chrysler Sebring takes the prize.

Consistent with its luxury theme, the front CL seats are a little roomier and offer a little less lateral support than the boy-racer buckets in a BMW.

But they’re long on comfort, with a wide range of power adjustability and plenty of legroom. The seat heaters in our test car were welcome, too, during the January doldrums.

Fit and finish were flawless, inside and out, and interior noise levels were consistent with the corporate philosophy prevailing when the CL was conceived, which is to say hushed.

So what’s the problem here? This is an outstanding luxury coupe, and an excellent value.

As a matter of personal preference, I’d like to shift for myself, but even at BMW the sales mix is skewed heavily toward automatic transmissions.

And when it comes to doors, America generally prefers four to two.

On the other hand, assessing a coupe by sedan standad is like judging a race horse by how much baggage it can carry. If that’s the purpose, you’re in the wrong bazaar — what you really need is a camel.

Some of us still like coupes. And this one is a jewel.

RATING: 4 wheels

VEHICLE TYPE: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive midsize coupe

KEY COMPETITORS: BMW 318is, 328is, Chrysler Sebring JXi

BASE PRICE: $25,545

PRICE AS TESTED: $27,105

STANDARD EQUIPMENT: Antilock brakes, dual air bags, 5 m.p.h. bumpers, automatic climate control, AM/FM/CD audio, power moonroof, power windows, power mirrors, keyless remote entry, power driver’s seat, cruise control, tilt steering, walnut trim, trunk light, rear window defogger, aluminum alloy wheels

SPECIFICATIONS:
(manufacturer’s data)

Engine 200-hp 3.0-liter V6

EPA fuel econ. 20 city/28 hwy.

Curb weight 3,219 pounds

Wheelbase 106.9 inches

Length 190.0 inches

Width 70.1 inches

Height 54.7 inches

Where assembled: East Liberty, Ohio