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Enthusiasts may point to the revival of the NSX as a sign of Acura's revitalization, but the brand's actual sustenance relies on far less exotic sheetmetal. Take, for instance, the MDX midsize crossover. Launched in 2001 and redesigned in 2007, it's long been one of Acura's best-selling nameplates. In fact, in its first year on the market, the MDX was the brand's second best-selling model, and became the best-selling Acura model in 2010 -- a distinction it's held ever since.

This Ram is a minivan with two seats and a flat load floor, plain and simple. It's less expensive and comes with more standard equipment than Nissan's NV 1500, but the Nissan has 89.7 more cubic feet of cargo capacity (standard roof models), and it's better suited for more jobs. That said, the Ram did a great job hauling my 1975 Honda CB750 motorcycle. The rear opening is tight, but the big bike squeezed through and stood upright in the cargo hold. The Ram had good tie-down points in the rear but nothing up front to help keep the CB750 in place. Luckily, our tester had a $450 cargo divider that I used to strap down the motorcycle.

The Toyota Highlander is all new for 2014 with a more angular look that better matches what competitors are doing.

Presently, the number of Infiniti hybrid models stands at one, but that figure will triple for the 2014 model year. In addition to the Q70 Hybrid (nee M35h) that's presently on sale, the new Q50 sedan (formerly known as the G37) will spawn a hybrid variant, and the QX60 crossover -- once known as the JX35 -- will also be offered in hybrid-electric form for 2014.

Even the cheapest Mercedes-Benz is subject to the AMG treatment. The Affalterbach outfit has created the CLA45 AMG, a supremely powerful sports car debuting at the New York auto show. It goes on sale in November 2013.