2009 Toyota RAV4 in Thousand Oaks

Sometimes, even when you work at Automobile Magazine, you don't care if a car is fast or good looking, if it's refined or luxurious, or if its seats have the right amount of bolstering. You just want it to get you home. That's exactly the sort of mood I was in when I emerged from the office last week around midnight, eyes bleary from proofreading articles for the upcoming issue (it's a good one). It was a cold, rainy night, and I was glad to have the keys to a Toyota RAV4.

The little crossover was perfect - easy and pleasant to drive, and very surefooted in the wet. The four-cylinder might be a bit uninspired, but it was more than sufficient for my short, slow commute home. I especially appreciated the large, easy-to-read dials on the dash---I can't tell you how many wündercars I've driven home with the windows down and radio off simply because I didn't have the patience to decipher their controls.

David Zenlea, Assistant Editor