What’s perhaps most impressive of all about the Q5 isn’t that it would blow the minds of the average car buyer of fifty years ago, of course, but that it’s an outstanding product even for today.

We drove the 2004 Suzuki XL-7 back-to-back with several competitors—the Ford Escape, Saturn VUE, Toyota RAV4 and others—and honestly didn’t expect much.  The XL-7 has been around a while, after all, and cars in hotly contested segments like the compact SUV class tend to age about as gracefully as ill-bred racehorses.

We’re happy to report that the XL-7 surprised us.  With a new face and mechanical refinements for 2004, this dark horse proved to be a very strong runner indeed.
Suzuki’s redesign is handsome.  The XL-7’s familiar two-box features get a bolder …

We ended up driving the Buick Rendezvous Ultra back-to-back with the Lincoln LS, and were surprised to find a comparison between the two.  These disparate vehicles share similar levels of luxury and refinement, and we found ourselves choosing the multi-tasking over the sporty LS more than once.  Sure, the Rendezvous is about as sexy as a hamster, and similarly proportioned to boot, but it’s so darn useful that the handsome LS wound up parked more often than not.

The Rendezvous was a significant departure for Buick when it debuted in 2002, …

Regardless of what you know about its origins, the Cadillac XLR is not just a Cadillac Corvette.  It’s true that this big, two-place sedan shares platforms (and an assembly line) with Chevrolet’s legendary sports car, but the wide-track stance and the woof from the exhaust are the only things that are the same.

This high-tech grand tourer for two is a direct attack on German luxocruisers like the Mercedes SL, and it underscores Cadillac’s intent to remain a powerful force in the luxury market.  Like the SL, the XLR has a …

Nissan has successfully packed space for five into a very compact package. Rear legroom is the best in class, and you won’t feel bad for stuffing your friends back there.