2004 Acura TSX vs. 2003 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor vs. 2003

What happens when you cross a sport sedan with an entry-level luxury car? This sounds like the setup for a joke, but there's little humor in the answer. The "entry level" and "sport-sedan" combo usually means six-cylinder BMWs, Infinitis, Audis, Mercedes-Benz, and Jags that tease with $29,999 base prices.

But, in many cases, that come-hither sticker can easily swell to $35,000, $40,000, or even $45,000 after you add in the options and roll out the dealer's door. By then the laugh could be on you.

Three prestige carmakers offer entry-level sport sedans that come nicely equipped for $28,000-$33,000, sip premium unleaded with four-cylinder engines, and entertain with six-speed manual gearboxes. One player is naturally aspirated. One is supercharged. The third is turbocharged. Are these four-cylinder sedans worth the half-step between a V-6 Camry and a 3 Series BMW? Or is "four-cylinder prestige" an oxymoron? And which of these three is the best buy? Two weeks of spirited street work and a trip to the track sorted it out for us.