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Months in fleet: five
Miles to date: 15,169inline_mediumwraptextright28290340/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1004_2010_audi_q5_3_2_march_update1003_01_z+2010_audi_q5_3_2+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

With the pending CAFE standards on the horizon even sports car manufacturers like Porsche are looking for ways to improve fuel economy. Enter the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, which shares its mechanical underpinnings with the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid. That means a 333-horsepower supercharged V-6 from the Audi S4 and a 47-horsepower electric motor can be found underhood, paired by a decoupling clutch to allow each to run independently. Combined, the two power sources make a solid 380 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque and run through an eight-speed automatic transmission.inline_mediumwraptextright28543363/green/news/1003_2011_porsche_cayenne_s_hybrid2011-Porsche-Cayenne-S-Hybrid-front-three-quarter-view-motion.jpgTrue

Even with nineteen-inch wheels, the MDX rides surprisingly well, much better than our Four Seasons Audi Q5. Acura's 300-hp V-6 powers the chunky MDX with authority, and it sounds good doing so. This vehicle is a little more annoying to get into and out of than the Audi, particularly in back (with a high step-in and narrow door aperture), but cabin space is good. Of course, there is the standard third-row seat, for those who need cramped occasional quarters for two more. Massively thick pillars, large rear headrests, and a shrunken tailgate window mean rear-quarter visibility stinks, making the blind-spot warning system a near necessity. The interior is nicely finished, not a work of art but uniformly good materials quality and no fit or finish issues. Lots of buttons on the dash could be better grouped by system, but even as is, it's better than wading through onscreen menus, and there are knobs for some important functions.inline_mediumwraptextright28511614/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_acura_mdx1003_03_z+2010_acura_mDX+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The Cadillac CTS coupe is a car for realists. Sure, it looks like a concept car that took a wrong turn leaving the convention center, but, in fact, it's an entirely logical and even conservative step in a brand renaissance that's changing course. After a decade in which Cadillac reached for the stars with sexy halo models and pie-in-the-sky concepts like the Sixteen, General Motors' luxury division is adjusting its ambitions to reflect new realities. So, whereas Cadillac's last two-door car, the now-defunct, Corvette-based XLR, was an ambitious, low-volume sports car with an oversize price, the CTS coupe is a natural progression of the brand's most successful model. Since it shares its sheetmetal from the cowl forward and almost all of its mechanical components with the CTS sedan and wagon, the coupe is an easy way for GM to target a segment currently dominated by BMW, Infiniti, and Audi.inline_mediumwraptextright26855348/reviews/driven/1004_2011_cadillac_cts_coupe1004_04_z+2011_cadillac_cTS_coupe+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

What a quick little crossover! Honda’s first-ever U.S.-market turbo is a pretty good one, generating gobs of mid-range torque and providing a swift kick in the back when taking off from a light. I’m not so fond of the RDX’s inability to put down all this power, as evidenced by frequent wheel spin at launch accompanied by a bit of torque steer. Opting for SH-AWD would likely render this complaint moot, and would put the price of this loaded Acura at $38,430 – about the same as a base Audi Q5 lacking features like navigation and Xenon headlights.inline_mediumwraptextright28439632/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_acura_rdx_tech1003_11_z+2010_acura_rDX_tech+front_three_quarter_view_snow.jpgTrue

Photo Gallery: 2010 Acura RDX Tech – Acura Luxury Crossover SUV Review – Automobile Magazine

Cadillac's SRX has grown beyond its sporty wagon pretensions and is now targeting the heart of the luxury crossover market. The strategy seems to be working, as it's already selling much better than the outgoing model (which, we should note, won a few Automobile Magazine All-Star awards in its time), and yet, it seems Cadillac isn't quite ready to give up on having some high-roof fun. To that end, the premium model featured here has ditched the wheezy base 3.0-liter V-6 and standard front-wheel-drive configuration in favor of a turbocharged, 2.8-liter V-6 producing 300 hp and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive - the same setup found in the Saab 9-3 Aero and Opel Insignia OPC. Given these macho specs, we thought it was time to measure the SRX against the best in its class, which, in our estimation, means the Audi Q5. The Q5 won our three-way crossover shootout last year and has since become a well-regarded member of our Four Seasons fleet for its sporting demeanor, handsome exterior, and, yes, Audi-like interior. Does it have what it takes to fend off the brasher and more powerful Cadillac? Read on for our impressions.