Safety

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.

    See also:

    Installing child restraints
    Follow the child restraint system manufacturer's instructions. Firmly secure child restraints to the outside rear seats using the LATCH anchors or a seat belt. Attach the top tether strap when insta ...

    Vehicle load limits
    Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity, towing capacity and cargo capacity. Total load capacity: 900 lb. (410 kg) Total load capacity means the combined weight of occupan ...

    Performance
    Review-OnRoad You need to work the 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine hard to extract maximum performance, but it pulls cleanly from low revs and is punchy enough for assured overtaking. Similarly, the di ...