I went and rode on the Husqvarna ts242xd today. Nice mower for sure. That 21.5 hp Kawasaki is sure quiet. I did not like the gigantic discharge chute, I'd have to trim that thing down! The deck sure seemed nice! The deck on the cub seemed a bit unfinished looking, where as the Husqvarna had the same bright glossy paint as the body and hood. I also noticed the metal hood. The CC hood is all plastic.
I was a bit surprised to see the half inch wide deck belt, my Craftsman has a 5/8 and the visual difference was immediately noticeable to me. The CC also has a half inch belt.
Really liked the way the Husqvarna ran and drove. The only problem is the one I drove was the only one they have. It has 4.8 hours on it. The steering wheel is misaligned. The battery was dead, not sure if they replaced it or what to get it running. They said somebody left the headlights on. They did offer me $300 off, so $3599.
I think I'm still leaning towards the XT2, ever so slightly. Need to hop on one and test it out.