Lotus Elise

I warmed up to the ILX as I was sprinting around the detours through a construction-ridden Detroit. It handled all the stops and starts like a champ, and the 2.4-liter engine was more than up to the task of hauling the car around. But I found the eight-speed a bit of a distraction since there are multiple up and down shifts even in slow-speed city driving.

I agree with Andy about the suspension and road noise. Unfortunately, turning up the radio only helps one of those problems. Driving home on I-75, the car let me know about every expansion gap and small bump I ran over, and when I arrived at my exit, which resembles microwave bacon, I thought I might chip a tooth.