2010 Acura ZDX

drive the ZDX, and I enjoyed my entire experience. I was, let me say, up around Monterey and Carmel in California, enjoying a fabulous couple of days of sightseeing, dining, and staying at the wonderful Post Ranch Inn. It was a luxurious vacation experience in the lavishly appointed and trimmed ZDX, a car that follows in the design shadow of the ungainly BMW GTs, cars I find grotesquely unattractive. The second I set eyes on the ZDX, I gasped audibly. But on second glance (when I opened my scrunched eyes), the ZDX was definitely more shapely and better proportioned. And I quickly got used to driving it on the twisty narrow roads around Carmel Valley and south on Highway 1.

Now the ZDX is in our garage. It looks tall, narrow, and ungainly. Inside, it is narrow, high-cowled, and the roof feels confining. At night, the console lights are too numerous and difficult to sort in usable groups, although I know that any owner would become quickly familiar with everything. We'll find that out for sure when we take delivery of a Four Seasons test ZDX shortly. It was snowing and cold, and the ZDX became my immediate boon companion on the highway. By day, the interior becomes less confusing, and the materials are as sumptuous as I remember from last year's drive.

Acura considering small car below TSX

Acura RSX

With Acura's decision to nix V8 power and rear-wheel drive in favor of new hybrid drivetrains, dealers are worried that the brand's relentless pursuit of Tier 1 status – on par with Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz – may be threatened. But that's not the real news.

Buried at the end of an Automotive News piece about a recent Acura dealer meeting was this gem:

"[Jeff Conrad, vice president of the Acura division] confirmed that Acura is considering a small car below the TSX sedan. The vehicle not only would compete against the BMW 1 series, Audi A3 and Volvo C30 but also would help meet looming CAFE regulations."

With the TSX's growth spurt, a smaller offering from the automaker could be in order, and judging by the competition, that could mean the rebirth of the RSX. Then again, Acura could pull a CSX (an upgraded Civic for the Canadian market) or maybe even a CR-Z-based offering. Judging by the choice wording, we somehow doubt the former is in the cards, but with Acura's recent hybrid push, something with a gas-electric drivetrain seems likely.

2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L AWD

The new Honda Accord Crosstour looks weird. Its nose is too long, its roofline a little too low, and the back end comes from outer space, with no known automotive predecessor. If an elephant sat on an SUV, you might end up with something like the Crosstour. But weird is not necessarily bad.

The 2010 Crosstour is undeniably functional; the rear hatch has inserts that lets it be either a large cargo space or a traditional closed trunk. And once in the driver's seat, the car feels like a Honda Accord, until you look in the rear-view mirror. With its horizontally bisected rear glass, the view out the back looks the same as in a Prius or Insight.

The Crosstour that we reviewed was in EX-L trim, with the surprising addition of all-wheel drive. As we drove it up a rocky embankment to position it for a photo shoot, it began to feel like a capable off-road vehicle, high enough from the ground not to bottom out on a ridge. With the Crosstour, Honda is stepping into Subaru's market, offering a carlike all-wheel driver with enough cabin room for weekend ski trips.

An Acura interface
In EX-L trim, the cabin features wood trim, leather seats, and generally soft plastics covering every surface. The effect falls a little short of luxury, but it is nicely done overall. Familiar to us from many drives in Acuras was the large knob in the center of the stack, below the navigation LCD. This knob works as a joystick and dial to make selections onscreen. The Crosstour dashboard and steering wheel also suffer from button overload, a disease caught from Acura as well.