Mazda CX-7 Review

As impressed as I am with the Mazda CX-9, the smaller Mazda CX-7 may be the better vehicle for the largest number of people.

Shorter and seating five rather than seven, the CX-7 is a strong alternative to small SUVs and more expensive crossovers.

Mazda's attention to detail and focus on fun are what seal the deal. Not to mention economic factors. Opt for a CX-7 and $22,340 buys you a 16-valve four with a five-speed automatic transmission, independent front suspension, dynamic stability control, traction control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels, power locks, windows and mirrors, air conditioning, Bluetooth, a multi-function information display, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote keyless entry, and a better-than-average four-speaker AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system.

I'll repeat. That's standard. For the base price of $22,340. Stop there, pay the $750 delivery fee and you've just barely crossed into $23,000.



Mazda sweetened the press tester with a cargo net, fog lights, a retractable cargo cover, Sirius Satellite Radio, scuff plates and a convenience package that included heated front seats, a moonroof, a rear-view camera, power driver's seat and an upgrade for the air conditioning to automatic climate control.

And the bottom line was still only $25,990.

This, my friends, is a deal.

But wait! There's more!

As in five-star frontal and side crash ratings, four for rollover....and an EPA estimated 20 city, 28 highway miles per gallon.

And because of that fun factor I mentioned earlier, it's like driving a sports sedan. The CX-7 breezes onto the TireKicker Top 20 Cars list. It's that good.

UPDATE: Just did a week in an uplevel turbo version of the CX-7...yeah, you're boosting the bottom line to $30K or better...but you're also boosting the horsepower to 244...which makes a major difference in the fun factor. And you're only giving up 2 mpg city and 3 highway (18/25).

Toyota Testing ALL Its SUVs Stability

Toyota's moving quickly to end the panic in some circles over Consumer Reports' labelling of the Lexus GX 460 as a safety risk.  

The automaker says it is testing the stability of all its SUVs, both Lexus and Toyota brands. CR says the GX 460 can get sideways in an emergency maneuver before the electronic stability control intervenes. Toyota says it has had no customer complaints about the issue.

Full details from Automotive News (free registration required).

Chevrolet Equinox Review

And the award for "most improved" goes to.....

No, I'm not kidding. The past four years of the Chevy Equinox couldn't have been blander (quick..can you really picture one?). It was dead on arrival and buried by every new small SUV or crossover that came along since.

But this....if they'd had 535 of these to put in the Capitol parking lot a year ago, Congress would have passed a GM bailout bill so fast it would have made your head swim. There would have been no bankruptcy.


Yes...it's that good. So good, in fact, that I'd cross-shop it against the Mazda CX-7. And if you've read that review, you know that's saying something.

Pick the Chevy over the Mazda and you give up the sporting feel, but you gain room and a more commanding view of the road, thanks to the more traditional architecture of the Equinox.

Base price? $23,360...with most of the same standard equipment as the Mazda. The rest (apart from a sunroof) is made up for in options that, on our tester, only ran the bottom line up to $24,600. And here's what you get to sit in:



Not two years ago, I would have bet you that GM couldn't pull off an interior like that in this class and price of vehicle. Then, I'd have won.

And speaking of winning, the Equinox actually takes the CX-7 on fuel economy...thanks to a six-speed automatic paired with a just-right four....the EPA says 22 city/30 highway.

This is a vehicle that deserves your attention and consideration. And the new GM needs to make everything they do from here on out as good as this.

UPDATE: Just finished a week in the top-of-the-line LTZ model. Base price jumps to $28,045, but with so much standard equipment (power liftgate, 17" aluminum wheels, rearview camera embedded in the mirror, leather, automatic climate control, a Pioneer premium audio system) that GM was able to ship this one to us option-free. So with destination charges, the tab ends up at $28,790....$4,190 more than the lightly equipped base model above.

And the EPA has revised its estimates upward...it's now 22 city/32 highway. In my mix of city street and freeway driving, I saw 25.

Subaru Forester 2.5 XT Limited Review

The Subaru Forester has long been a favorite of ours...a no-nonsense small SUV that really blazed the trail for what has been a hot segment.

Even as Subaru has refined the Forester over the years, they've managed not to lose the thread.

But, as we've noted before...good basics can be obscured by too much stuff...and ponying up for the Limited trim level might be going a bridge too far.

There's nothing wrong with what you get...especially the 225 horsepower turbocharged engine...but the moonroof, leather and upgraded audio system carry a price: $29,995.

That's right...a mere five bucks shy of 30 grand for a Forester.

And our tester had XM Satellite radio as an option (the only one), so with delivery charges, it bottom-lined at $31,143.

Ouch.

Especially since the base Subaru Forester is $11,000 less than that. Yep...your basic 2.5X is only $20,295...and gets 20 city/26 highway.

Now, admittedly the extra 55 horsepower of the turbo at a penalty of one mile per gallon city, two highway is pretty appealing...but you can get that starting in the 2.5 XT Premium at $26,495...a price point that still makes some sense for the Forester.

Don't get me wrong...there's not a single bad thing about the XT Limited apart from price point and mission creep. If you want a luxo Forester, go for it. But, frankly, I hope the demand is small...lest Subaru be tempted to think there's a market worth chasing at the expense of its absolutely on-target lower-margin machines.

Land Rover LR2 HSE Review

The words "Land Rover" and "value" aren't often found together, but the LR2 could change that.

As noted in our last test of the baby Rover, the LR2 used to be the Freelander, and it wasn't very good.

The LR2 steps up considerably from those humble beginnings, creating a small SUV that looks and feels like a legitimate little brother to the bigger Rover utes.

The one we had recently stickered at $41,475..and came with only two options, a lighting package (Bi-Xenon headlamps, adaptive front lighting, approach and puddle lights and memory seats and mirrors) and the Technology Package (Nav system, surround sound audio, Sirius Satellite radio , rear seat audio controls and a Bluetooth telephone interface).

Well, let's say that the standard lighting is good enough (it is). $1,050 falls off the window sticker just like that.

Can you live without navigation, surround sound, satellite radio, giving the kids the ability to control same and Bluetooth for your phone (hang up and drive already)?

Sure. Presto. Another $3500 gone. And you've got a very nice base vehicle (hey, the standard stereo is a 320-watt, nine speaker Alpine system with a 6-disc in-dash changer).

If it weren't for delivery charges and Land Rover's highway robbery of throwing $700 on the sticker for a "Dealer Pre-Delivery Inspection", you'd be down to the base price, too...a very reasonable $35,375...in an age of $31,000 RAV4s.

Even with the delivery and PDI, you're under $37,000. But Land Rover dealers are hungry too...I'd see if you can get them to make that PDI charge go away. It better not cost $700 to make sure one of these is ready to sell to a customer.

GMC Terrain Review

For decades, GMC has been selling re-badged Chevrolet trucks. In fact, for most of that time, the badges (and a slightly higher GMC price tag) were all that separated the products. Then, just in time for the SUV and luxotruck boom, GMC hit on the idea of loading theirs up with luxury features.

Which was fine until Cadillac started selling its own tarted-up Chevys and suddenly Escalades were only a bit more expensive than Yukon Denalis.

Though Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and SAAB were the obvious targets, GMC could have been another casualty of last year's Carpocalypse.  Not enough money to develop its own product line...not enough difference between GMC and Chevy.

But GMC survived the cut and the Terrain is meant to be the template for the way forward. Based on the Chevrolet Equinox,  GMC makes a lot of changes to the appearance of the vehicle yet keeps the base price within $1,000 of the Chevy.

Move up the trim levels and the differences magnify. The tester I drove was the top-of-the-line SLT-2, $7,600 more expensive than the base Equinox, but with an impressive list of standard features (power liftgate, 18-inch wheels, rearview camera system, sunroof, leather, heated seats, climate control, a Pioneer premium sound system and more).

That actually still leaves room for options...though with a standard content level that high, there's a limit...in the case of our tester, an additional $5,140.

The 3.0 liter V6 replaced the standard 2.4 liter four at a cost of $1,500. Horsepower goes up from 182 to 264, torque from 174 pounds per foot to 222. But gas mileage takes a big hit...from an EPA estimated 22 city/32 highway to a fairly pedestrian (for this class of small SUV) 17/24. And the gas tank size goes up from 18 gallons to 20...making each fill-up a bit pricier.

Ours also had the navigation system (a $2,145 choice we'd never make, though it does add a 40 gigabyte hard drive for music storage) , 19-inch wheels ($900), trailering equipment ($350) and a cargo management package (rear cargo security cover, cargo convenience net and roof rack crossbars for $245.

Bottom line, with $745 for destination charges: $36,885.

I liked it. A very nice ride. My wife informed me a few minutes ago that if the Terrain had a third row of seats, she'd want one.

But $36,885 for a small SUV gives me pause.

It could work for GMC, though...taking the Terrain out of direct competition with Chevy but into a size and price range where they're not bumping up against Cadillac and, by comparison to that brand, seem like a bargain.

Here's how GMC's making that case:

Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Review

What a difference a decade makes.

About 10 years ago, Mercedes-Benz seriously cheapened their image with the introduction of what was then a small SUV..the ML320. It cost somewhere in the mid-30s, got them into a new market segment, but was a serious step down in terms of what people expected from Mercedes in materials and workmanship.

An even smaller SUV should be more reason for despair, right? No, not now.

You see, Mercedes as a whole followed the ML320 right down the garden path...resulting in a decade of less-than-special Benzes of all model designations...even some with astonishingly high price tags.

The good news is that M-B appears to be pulling out of the nosedive with some products that seem to put standards ahead of market share...and it is in this environment that they introduce the GLK350.

Size? Think somewhere between a Ford Escape and a Ford Explorer.

Price? Base is a reasonable $35,900. For that you get a 268 horsepower V6 engine with a 7-speed automatic transmission, translating to an EPA estimated 16 city/21 highway miles per gallon.

Best of all, it feels more solid than the ML ever has...and even loaded up with 10 grand worth of options (Premium Package, Lighting Package, Multimedia Package, Sport Appearance Package), it doesn't seem especially silly or excessive because, well, it's a Mercedes. It should be a cut above the other stuff.

For a long time, people paid a premium for Mercedes-Benz because of the quality and the engineering, not for the badge itself. If those days are back, we're all better off.

UPDATE:

The above applies to the all-wheel drive GLK. Choose the 2-wheel drive model, and the base price drops to $34,600...making it one of the least expensive Benzes you can buy. And given that the 1998 ML 320 was $33,900, it's amazing. Fuel economy stays the same in the city, but improves to 22 on the highway.


A recent drive in the 2-wheel drive model reinforces the earlier all-wheel drive review. And, this time, Mercedes only went for about 8 thousand in options (Premium Package, Multimedia Package and an iPod interface)...so the bottom line with $875 destination and delivery charges was $42.925.


Again, it's a Benz. And again, that's starting to mean the right things once more

Toyota RAV4 Sport Review

Usually, here at TireKicker, price gets discussed last...after a recitation of facts and opinions about the vehicle being reviewed. And then, it's base price, a rundown of the options, culminating in the bottom line.

Well, in the case of the Toyota RAV4 Sport, I'm going to work backwards.

$30,938.

That's right. Almost 31 large for a compact SUV. What can we do about that? Let's work our way up the options sheet:

$745 for delivery. Not really an option. It stays.

$359 for a VIP-RS3200 Plus security system. I'd feel like a dope if it got broken into or stolen and I'd cheaped out on $359. It's a keeper.

$750 for a towing reciever hitch. What on earth am I going to be towing in a RAV4? Lose it. Gets us down to $30,188, which is still too much money.

$199 for floor mats and a cargo mat. Yeah, I could probably do better going aftermarket, but they match and I'm not a cheapskate...I'm just trying to reasonably equip a reasonably priced RAV4. Keep 'em.

$70 for a light control system. According to the sticker, it turns your headlights on automatically. I can turn on my own headlights. Dump it. Now we're at $30,118.

$40 for daytime running lights. Hate 'em. Always have. Goodbye. Make that $30,078.

Ah, here we go: $1,550 for a Nav system. When TomToms and Garmin Nuvis are available for a couple hundred? When most new cell phones have a GPS navigation app? I don't think so. Saying no means losing XM Satellite Radio and mp3 capability, but a couple of aisles over from the portable nav units are combo XM recievers/mp3 players for less than $200. Strike this line item. New balance: $28,528 and counting.

$1,930 for the Premium Package. That's leather-trimmed seats, driver and front passenger heated seats, 8-way power adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar support and height adjustment. I say no for two reasons: One, because we're trying to get the price down here and two, because if enough people order this kind of stuff on RAV4s, they'll eventually be $40,000 and as big as Highlanders "because that's what buyers say they want." New number: $26,598.

$475 for an integrated back-up camera. In a big vehicle, where lines of sight are compromised by how high up you are, these are useful. I don't think a RAV4 needs it. Down to $26,123.

Last item: $220 for a roof rack. Lousy for aerodynamics, meaning noise and gas mileage. If you're a biker or other outdoors type and seriously need one, then you probably know where to find one perfect for your purposes and maybe at a better price. Goodbye.

Where are we? $25,903. Still a smidgen pricey, but it's well-equipped, has Toyota's reputation for reliability, high crash ratings and an EPA estimated 21 city/27 highway miles per gallon.

At this price, I'd be interested. At almost $31,000? No way.

UPDATE: Drove the 4X4 version of the RAV4 recently with a base price of $26,530. Ouch. That means with nothing on it, it's now above what we whittled the front-wheel driver down to. And while this one wasn't quite as option-laden, it still rang up to $29,808 after delivery charges. Meantime, mileage drops to 19 city/26 highway.

There's growing competition in this segment...and by and large, it's less expensive. A couple of years back, you could justify the extra cost with a simple, "Hey, it's a Toyota". But right now, pennies count...to say nothing of thousands.

UPDATING THE UPDATE: Having the feeling I'd damned with faint praise, I arranged for an extended refresher in the RAV4 Sport.

Three weeks...more than a thousand miles. It never put a foot wrong, it proved itself more comfortable and versatile than its size class and price point would indicate.

As time went by, it wasn't "what's the next car?" so much as "Hey, I could live with this day in and day out for a five-year loan. Even at $29,808.

Sometimes a week and 300 miles just isn't enough to get beneath the surface. I'm glad we went back for another, longer round.

Nissan Rogue Review

As other automakers pack their compact SUVs with so much stuff that they flirt with the $30,000 price point, Nissan has done what it did years ago with the original XTerra...boiled the recipe back down to its essentials.

The Nissan Rogue is a no-frills, no-excuses small SUV (actually, small crossover, since it's built on a car platform). 170 horsepower from a 4-cylinder engine connected to a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission...Nissan's the one automaker who's absolutely nailed how these are supposed to work). 16-inch wheels, a decent audio system, manually-adjusted cloth seats, power windows, power doorlocks and remote keyless entry.

The EPA says it gets 22 in the city, 27 on the highway, which is very, very good.

And then there's the price. Base for the Rogue S 2-wheel drive: $20,220. Which put our tester (having only splash guards, floor mats and a cargo mat for options, plus $745 delivery charge) on the sweet side of $21,500.

The Rogue gives a lot of value for a little money, and by keeping it simple, Nissan sends the subliminal message that nothing's likely to break...that this little machine will last a long time. That's a terrific market position in an economy like this.

UPDATE: Recently did a week in the uplevel Rogue SL AWD...which adds 17 inch aluminum wheels, roof rails, body-color outside power mirrors, a six-way adjustable manual driver's seat, rear privacy glass and a polished exhaust tip.

It takes the base price up to $23,010, which is fine as far as it goes. But five clicks in the option boxes (moonroof, floormats, cross bars, a premium package that upgrades the audio to a Bose system and adds Bluetooth and fog lights, and a portable Garmin Nuvi nav system with dashboard mount) ran the price of the one I drove to $27,850.

It's every bit the solid small SUV described above, but at that price, not the solid value. Also, the AWD (as opposed to the 2-wheel drive) knocks the EPA estimates down to 21 city/26 highway.

Mercury Mariner Premier Review

Somewhat lost in the hype over the Ford Escape Hybrid is how good a vehicle that is even without the super-green powertrain.

Its fraternal twin, the Mercury Mariner Premier came to TireKicker Villa for a week's stay recently and made its case for the traditional good life.

You see, the Escape Hybrid I tested last summer was a base model with just one option...Ford and Microsoft's SYNC audio system.

The Premier came loaded...nearly six grand worth of options including heated mirrors and seats, 17 inch painted aluminum wheels, moonroof, a mini-overhead console with map light, the rear cargo convenience package, a navigation and audiophile music system, dual zone climate control and a reverse sensing system.

The moonroof gets a "Moon & Tune" discount (that's what they call it on the window sticker) of $395, so with $725 in delivery charges, the Mariner bottom-lined at $29,670...a stone's throw from the as-tested price of the Escape Hybrid.

Ah, you say....but you're giving up all that fuel economy. Well, yes and no.

Hybrids are designed to deliver the biggest improvements in fuel economy in the city, where the electric engine can often take over completely in low-speed driving (or crawling, as commuters on L.A.'s 405 freeway might know it).

Often, hybrids' EPA estimates are the reverse of normal cars...higher in city than on the highway. That's the case for the Ford Escape Hybrid...34 city/30 highway.

At 20 city, the loaded Mariner (even with the four-cylinder engine our tester had) uses a lot more fuel.

But what if you do mostly highway (or uncongested city freeway) driving? Well, then things get interesting...because the Mariner's EPA estimate is 28...only two mpg less than the Hybrid (which, by the way, you can get in the Mariner as well).

If your driving tips the scales toward highway, then a loaded Mariner with a gasoline four, selling for a grand or so less than a base Escape Hybrid with SYNC (though the tax credit pretty much makes it a wash) might make as much or more sense. Less complexity...less uncertainty about what the bill might be when the battery pack fails after the warranty runs out.

Your call. They're both very good small SUVs.

Suzuki Grand Vitara Review

The past three years or so have seen Suzuki really blossom in terms of product, limited as it is. The SX4 is a quirky but fun machine and the Grand Vitara has gone from an overreaching spawn of the Samurai to a solid player in the small SUV field.

The high points are price ($18,499 for a no-frills base model, $25,299 for the nicely equipped XSport V6 four-wheel drive I drove) and solid gas mileage (EPA says 17 city/23 highway) for an engine making 230 horsepower, driving four wheels and carrying 5 people and their stuff.

Once a bargain-basement automaker, Suzuki has stepped up to the good stuff of late. The XSport level brings a sunroof, climate control, heated mirrors, an 8-speaker, 6CD audio system with subwoofer and a bunch more (the only options left were a cargo mat & net, floormats and premium metallic paint).

If you're thinking RAV4 or CR-V, cross-shop the Grand Vitara, too.

Kia Sportage EX 4X4 Review

They grow up so fast.

Yes, the phrase is usually associated with children, but in this case, I'm talking about small SUVs in general and the Kia Sportage in particular.

Not too long ago, the Sportage looked like a pretty risky purchase...a step or two up the evolutionary ladder from such mini-SUV forerunners as the Suzuki Samurai.

But time and Kia's constant quest for improvement has made the Sportage look like a sensible choice. Lay down $23,205 for a top of the line EX 4X4 (2 wheel drive LXs with manual transmissions start at a mere $16,360) and you get a 2.7 liter V6 engine, four wheel drive, a four-speed automatic, power four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, a sunroof, power windows, doors and mirrors, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system (with a cassette player...one of the few cars where you still have that option), trip computer and bunches more.

The tester I sampled for a week had one lone option...a $1,300 Luxury Package which added leather, heated front seats, automatic headlamps and an auto-dimming inside mirror. Oh, yeah...and a subwoofer for the audio system. Bottom line: Under $25,000. And that's for a vehicle that seats five reasonably, gets five-star crash ratings in all categories (four stars for rollover) and manages a respectable 17 city/21 highway in the EPA test (go bare-bones with the 4-cylinder and that jumps to 20 city/25 highway).

If your concept of a Kia Sportage is based on the original, take a look and a drive in an '09.

Kia Sorento EX 4X4 Review

When the car buying market bounces back (and it will), look for smaller SUVs to be one red-hot segment. Utopian dreams of greenies notwithstanding, there are people...a lot of people...who not only want but need the utility and versatility of the SUV...just maybe not the super-size variety.

A few years ago, the Koreans weren't even in this game...but they are now and the Kia Sorento is worthy of some serious consideration.

Smaller than the new Borrego, but larger than the compact Sportage, the Sorento is right-sized for a lot of buyers...and follows the Kia formula of lots of features for relatively little money. Sorento promises to "Conquer The Road In Total Comfort" (according to Kia's website), and it does a remarkably good job.

A base 2-wheel drive Sorento starts at under $23,000...which is awfully close to dirt cheap in this arena. The tester was the top of the line 4-wheel drive EX...with a base price of $27,365. Even so, fully loaded (16 inch alloy wheels, sunroof, leather, heated front seats, dual zone climate control, automatic headlamps, premium audio system) the price tag barely cracks the $30,000 mark. And there's Kia's world-beating 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.

There are better choices for fuel economy (the Sorento's 3.8 liter V6 and 5-speed automatic are good for an EPA estimated 15 city/20 highway), but the safety test results are rock-solid...five stars for all four frontal and side crash categories and four for rollover.

We even got compliments about how nice the Sorento looked.

"The Power To Surprise", indeed.

Infiniti EX35 Review

Now this is more like it. After reviewing the drowning-in-too-much-tech FX35 and its gonzo-powered big sister, the FX50, the Infiniti EX35 is a comforting bowl of just right.

The EX35 is smaller (think Nissan Murano), making it a much more capable handling vehicle. Nimble is the right word here. And, it being an Infiniti, power is not in short supply. In fact, the 297 horsepower here is a better power-to-weight deal than the 303 in the FX35.

Luxury abounds in this smaller package, as well, with everything most people could ask for (automatic, ABS, moonroof, leather, power folding rear seats, an audio system with XM Satellite Radio and more) standard at just $35,450.

But this is an Infiniti...a car company all about shattering expectations. And with the EX, they manage not to cross the line into excess. The tester I drove had three options: A Premium Package (upgrading the audio to a Bose system with 11 speakers, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and mirrors, rear air, memory seats and steering column and Bluetooth) for $2,150...the Luxe Style Package (trading the stock 17 inch wheels for 18s and an adaptive front lighting system) for $1,250 and the Navigation Package (navigation, a 9.3 gig music jukebox and a rear view camera and monitor) for $2,150.

Bottom line with delivery charges stays under $42,000...and mileage isn't too shabby, either...17 city/24 highway.

The EX is a strong package...and it belongs on your Christmas list.

Kia Rondo EX Review

Three rows of seats. It's virtually a condition of purchase for SUV buyers these days...prompting a lot of manufacturers to shoehorn a third row into vehicles that really shouldn't have one.

The Kia Rondo is a small vehicle...one that makes a lot of sense in a time of uncertain gas prices and other economic issues. With a base price of $20,195 for the uplevel EX trim, an EPA estimated 18 miles per gallon city and 26 highway and five-star driver and passenger frontal crash test ratings (as well as five stars for front seat side crash and four stars for rear seat side crash and rollover), the Rondo jumps right onto the list of intelligent choices for people looking for the alternative to SUVs, crossovers and minivans.

All but for that third seat. Points go to Kia for making it an option ($500). Yes, two people can fit back there...and kids probably won't find it uncomfortable...but the seatbacks are just too close to the tailgate for my comfort.

Past that, the Rondo beats expectations at every turn. It's quicker, quieter and nicer than you'd expect from a vehicle at this size and price point. The tester had the $1,000 Leather Package, which includes heated front seats, and the $1,200 Premium Package (a power sunroof and an Infinity AM/FM/CD Changer audio system). That, the third row seat and destination charges brought the bottom line to $23,495. Leaving off the third row gets you under 23 grand. This could be a very smart move for a lot of small families.

Land Rover LR2 Review

Land Rover is what's known as an "aspirational" brand...something people want to move up to. There was one weak link in that argument...the smallest Land Rover, the Freelander.

Last year, Land Rover moved to fix that, sending the cramped, underpowered, plasticky Freelander out to pasture and replacing it with the all-new LR2.

Good move.

Get inside an LR2 and there's no disconnect with your expectations from the larger LR3 and Range Rover models. Materials, fit and finish are not only a quantum leap ahead of the late, unlamented Freelander, they're better than the $35,000 base price would indicate. And that base price also includes a leather interior, a front power sunroof and a fixed sunroof over the rear seat and dual-zone climate control.

Looking for something that can handle not just Rodeo Drive but the Rubicon Trail as well? Land Rover didn't skimp there, either...giving the LR2 8.3 inches of ground clearance and the ability to ford streams up to 19.7 inches deep.

And the option list includes a $3,500 technology package, bringing navigation, Bluetooth and a killer 440 watt Alpine audio system with 12 speakers and Dolby 7.1 surround sound. It's worth the additional dollars.

Big points to Land Rover for understanding that an aspirational brand needs an attractive entry point. It'll pay off in LR2 owners trading up to LR3s and Range Rovers over the years.

Subaru Forester Review

There are very few cars in 11 years of writing about them (not to mention 30-plus years of driving them) that I can honestly say I've always liked and recommended. The Subaru Forester has made that list every single time.

Not an easy trick, because with each generation, the Forester strives for a bit more refinement and a bit less quirky individuality...a path on which many vehicles have lost their way and become just another car (cough...cough...SAAB...cough).

But not to worry. The all-new 2009 Forester is everything every other Forester has been...but better. A longer wheelbase means more room and a better ride. A stiffer platform improves handling and a new chassis gets better crash test results. Vehicle Dynamics Control is standard. And the two four-cylinder engines have more user-friendly torque curves (more oomph when you want and need it).

Also important in an SUV that actually can go off the pavement, a tire pressure monitoring system is now standard.

Buy a base 2.5X model with a stick and no options, and you're out the door for $19,995 (okay, the $665 delivery charge puts you at $20,660, but these days, you can probably haggle the local dealer down by $665, right?).

Ours was a bit more expensive. Subaru sent over the 2.5XT Limited with navigation...and with delivery, that one's $30,660.

Yep. A 30-thousand dollar Forester. It's come to that.

Remarkably, though, the Forester managed to make that number seem reasonable the more we drove it. If it was my money, I'd probably go for a mid-level model...but the Limited with nav isn't out of line.

It's never been the cutest of what used to be called the cute-utes (small SUVs), but the Forester has been...and still is...our pick.