While the RX 450h is reasonably priced to start at $42,110, adding options quickly ratchets up the sticker price. Items you might find standard on other cars in this class, like those heated and cooled seats, are an additional $640 (or $825 in a package along with rain-sensing wipers). To get a power moonroof, you need to add a $2,400 Premium Package, which also adds heated outside mirrors, a power hatch, a USB adapter, and memory settings for the driver's seat and steering wheel. Add in my test vehicle's navigation system ($2,465), a surround-sound audio system ($1,610), and LED headlights ($1,825), and the sticker was $52,110.

As a music fan who took the RX on a long commute, I was not impressed by the audio system. The sound was crisp, but it had no low end or midrange; it made even the most laid-back rock 'n' roll sound shrill. The navigation and entertainment settings, accessed using Remote Touch, were a pain to use. Cargo

One winning attribute for the RX is its spacious cargo area. At 40 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 80.3 cubic feet with them folded, you'll be hard-pressed to find another two-row crossover — or perhaps even a three-row crossover — that tops it. Audi likes to compare its new Q5 crossover with the RX, but the Q5 packs just 29.1 cubic feet in back. The redesigned Cadillac SRX has 29.8/61.1 cubic feet.