Sport Sedan Comparison: 2004 Saab 9-3 Aero, Acura TL, Cadillac

It's been said that you can never be too rich or too good looking. Here in Southern California, the pursuit of those elusive goals often takes place behind the wheel of a BMW 3 Series. For several decades now, the trimmest Bimmer has served its core constituents well. Driving the car with the twin- kidney grille signals you've arrived, while routinely assuring that your actual arrival occurs somewhat ahead of the rest of the tanned, caffeinated, 401K'd, and nicely pressed pack.

Who can blame Southern Californians for simultaneously seeking sporty driving fun and status? As a driving environment, the Golden State has it all. Break free of urban gridlock, and you can enjoy thousands of miles of great driving roads through soaring mountains, into relentless desert, and alongside balmy beaches--all rarely more than five minutes from a pricey cappuccino.

Sharp pencils at other car companies couldn't help but notice that the least-expensive ultimate-driving sedan netted more than half of BMW sales. So the Bavarians no longer have the field to themselves.

We noticed it, too, and assembled a quartet of sport-lux 3 Series competitors, all priced thousands of dollars less than equivalently equipped fare from the German brand. Significantly, each of the competitors represents major volume for its maker or sets the direction for the future. The G35 has led a revival at Infiniti and grabs some 75 percent of car sales there. Acura's TL has been the best-selling sedan at Honda's upscale division for the better part of 10 years. Saab's 93 outsells the larger 95 more than two to one. And Cadillac's CTS is the template for future rear-drive sedans from GM's premium division and now outsells Lincoln's LS.

In search of the ultimate entry-level sport-sedan mojo, we drove Starbucks to Starbucks, exploring some of SoCal's best mountains, deserts, and beaches in four of the top-selling 3 Series competitors. Each of the sport sedans in our test was decked out with popular equipment such as a killer sound system, multimode automatic transmission, and a sport package where available. How would they stack up on the Golden State's scale of performance with panache? Blazing a trail oozing with sport-sedan pheromones, we report.