Packed with 10 airbags and the requisite safety features found in luxury cars these days, the 2010 RX was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2009. For 2010, those ratings will include a roof-strength test, which the RX has not yet undergone. The RX should, however, meet most car shoppers' safety thresholds.

Additional options — like a pre-collision warning system and a subscription service that contacts roadside assistance for tire changes and emergency responders for crashes — are peace-of-mind features we like to see in this class. The pre-collision warning system detects when traffic ahead is stopped or moving too slowly and sounds an alert in the cabin, and it initiates braking when needed. It's part of a $1,500 option package that also comes with speed-sensitive cruise control that adjusts your speed to match traffic in front of you.