2012 Honda Crosstour

When the Accord Crosstour went on sale in 2010, Honda faced criticism from those who wanted the company to bring the European-market Accord wagon to the States instead. The company answered those critics by giving a wagon version of the Acura TSX to their upmarket division. This year, the Crosstour drops "Accord" from its name, but it still shares its 271-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine, five-speed automatic transmission, and suspension setup with its former namesake. As such, the Crosstour is like a high-riding Accord, with solid handling, reasonably good grunt, and decent fuel economy. Gas mileage is helped by Honda's Variable Cylinder Management, which runs the engine on three, four, or six cylinders depending on accelerator load. Unlike the Accord sedan and coupe, the Crosstour is available with four-wheel drive. The Crosstour's unique styling -- a sort of cross between a station wagon and an SUV -- does create some ergonomic problems. Rear-seat headroom is sparse, and the cabin of the Crosstour is no more roomy than that of the Accord sedan, although there is a fairly significant amount of extra cargo capacity. The Crosstour strikes a good balance between design and versatility and represents a convenient option for car buyers torn between the space of an SUV and the economy of a sedan.