By FRANK AUKOFER, Scripps Howard News Service

Acura's new TL is guilty of encroachment.But there won't be a penalty because it's encroaching on a member of its own team. So it could be a good or bad thing, depending.

Specifications for 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD four-door sedan.Engine: 3.7-liter V6, 305 horsepower.Transmission: Five-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.Overall length: 16 feet 3 inches.EPA passenger/trunk volume: 98/13 cubic feet.Weight: 3,986 pounds.EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 17/24 miles per gallon on premium gasoline.

Specifications for the 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD four-door crossover utility vehicle.Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 297 horsepower.Transmission: Five-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.Overall length: 15 feet 2 inches.EPA passenger/cargo volume: 107/17 cubic feet.Weight: 3,953 pounds.EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 16/23 miles per gallon.

The automobile industry increasingly resembles the popular children's fairy tale about Goldilocks and the three bears.The idea is to get a new vehicle just right, while avoiding something for the target audience that is too big or too small, too hard or too soft, too cheap or too expensive, and too funky or too stylish.

Specifications for the 2009 Acura TSX four-door sport sedan.Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, 201 horsepower.Transmission: Six-speed manual.Overall length: 15 feet 6 inches.EPA passenger/trunk volume: 95/13 cubic feet.Weight: 3,419 pounds.EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 20/28 miles per gallon.

When a manufacturer gets something right the first time, the imperative is to stick with the program.That's why you have to look hard to distinguish the "all new" 2009 Acura TSX. Introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model, the TSX fit neatly into the Acura lineup between the entry-level RSX sport hatchback and the mid-size TL sedan.

Specifications Model: 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited four-door crossover sport utility vehicle.Engine: 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed four-cylinder, turbocharged and intercooled, 224 horsepower.Transmission: Four-speed automatic with manual-shift mode; full-time all-wheel drive.Overall length: 15 feet.EPA passenger/cargo volume: 102/34 cubic feet.

Specifications for the 2008 BMW 135i two-door coupe.Engine: 3-liter six-cylinder, turbocharged, 300 horsepower.Transmission: Six-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.Overall length: 14 feet 4 inches.EPA passenger/trunk volume: 85/11 cubic feet.Weight: 3,384 pounds.EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 18/26 miles per gallon.

Nobody needs the Mercedes C63 AMG. Well, maybe some people do-or at least think they do.But they also must have fulsome bank accounts, so the rest of us may not be particularly understanding of their needs.