2012 Acura RDX SUV

If you lust for a hot hatch but need the versatility of a small SUV, Acura may have the perfect compromise: the RDX. Despite sharing its basic architecture with Honda's popular CR-V, the RDX exhibits a completely different -- and much more dynamic -- personality. Even with its tall roofline and higher ground clearance, the SUV behaves like a subcompact. The rorty, snorty 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder packs a substantial wallop, and the available SH-AWD system -- which aids handling by sending power to the outer rear wheel during cornering -- helps the already-poised RDX exhibit tenacious grip. Dynamically, the RDX is still quite impressive, but it is starting to show its age elsewhere. That's most evident in the cabin. Although the interior is chock-full of clever cubbies and storage areas (including a locking center console designed to hold a laptop computer), its aesthetic generally feels dour and dated. Buyers may be wooed by a number of advanced features, such as ELS surround sound, perforated leather seating, and GPS-linked climate control, which are typically found in more expensive vehicles, but the RDX's true party trick remains its on-road demeanor. The compact utility segment has grown increasingly crowded, but the RDX is one of the few that convincingly meld the soul of a sports car with the shape of a sport-utility vehicle.