Crossovers

Review: 2010 Honda Pilot EX Front-Wheel Drive

As crossovers replaced minivans as the primary choice for family haulers, they gradually lost much of their truck-like styling in favor of more wagon-like designs. The 2010 Honda Pilot, however, retains its boxy looks, even though most Pilots are front-wheel drive and won’t do any more off road driving than accidentally backing over a lawn. In spite of its unfashionable clothes, the Honda Pilot remains a strong seller, and after spending a week with this eight-passenger crossover, it’s easy to see why.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.6

Review: 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x4

The Jeep Patriot was one of a pair of crossovers introduced by the rugged off-road brand for the 2007 model year, the first ever car-based vehicles the company had ever offered. Based on the same basic structure as the Dodge Caliber compact hatchback, the Patriot and its sibling the Compass angered Jeep's longtime fans because it wasn't a clearly dedicated off-roader, despite a "Trail Rated" all-wheel drive system. Even non-Jeep fans found plenty to dislike about the Patriot, which was roundly panned in the press for its laughably cheap interior and noisy engine. However, an update for the 2009 model year promised to fix many of the Patriot's shortcomings, and I decided it was time to take this little Jeep for a spin and see just how Family Friendly it was.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.0

Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS All-Wheel Drive

The Mitsubishi Outlander is the company's small crossover, designed to compete with the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, among many others. When it was redesigned for the 2008 model year, Mitsubishi made a third row of seats available in this compact crossover, but only in more expensive, V-6 powered models. For 2010, Mitsubishi significantly restyled the Outlander, giving the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander a nose that's virtually a clone of the popular Mitsubishi Lancer compact sedan. At the same time, it expanded the availability of the third row, making it an option in four-cylinder models. We were anxious to try out this compact crossover, mainly because we wanted to see if a third row -- especially one that folds into the floor -- could really be comfortable enough for daily use. Unfortunately, a four-cylinder model with a third row wasn't available, so we borrowed a V-6 powered 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS All-Wheel Drive for a week to find out.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.8

Review: 2010 Toyota Highlander Limited V-6 All-Wheel Drive

Drive past a mall parking lot or an elementary school in any suburban town, and you could be forgiven for thinking its a Toyota dealership thanks to the ubiquity of Toyota's Highlander crossover. As one of the default vehicles of choice for family car shoppers since its introduction a decade ago, the Highlander's popularity remains strong, despite increased competition. The thing is, the Highlander isn't the biggest crossover, doesn't have the most cargo space, isn't the roomiest or even the least expensive crossover on the market. So where does the Highlander get its mojo? We borrowed an all-wheel drive 2010 Toyota Highlander Limited to find out.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.2

Review: 2010 Volvo XC60 T6

The words "family friendly" and "Volvo" seem to go hand-in-hand. Since its earliest days, Volvo has emphasized solidity, durability, and of course safety. But it has been nearly two decades since "boxy but good" described any of Volvo's lineup of sedans, wagons and crossovers, and even longer since many of the safety innovations that made Volvo famous -- crumple zones, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, side-impact airbags and many others -- have been co-opted by the company's competition. That, coupled with the company's ever-growing premium image prompted us to wonder: Just how family friendly is Volvo these days? To find out, we sampled a 2010 Volvo XC60 T6, one of Volvo's newest vehicles, which is equipped with City Safety, the company's latest safety innovation.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.8

Review: 2011 Kia Sorento SX All-Wheel Drive

Kia is a rising star in the automotive universe. It was only a few short years ago that the company was synonymous with cheap, disposable transportation. But now, like its parent company Hyundai, it's a go-to brand, one that's selling cars because they're desirable in their own right.

Case in point: The 2011 Kia Sorento. This midsize five-plus-two-passenger crossover slots in above the company's smaller Kia Sportage crossover. It's stylish, comfortable, packed with features, and since its introduction has become one of the hottest selling vehicles in Kia's lineup. To find out why, I drove one for a week.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.3

Review: 2011 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

"Zoom-Zoom" is a little corny for a corporate slogan, but it accurately captures Mazda's emphasis on sporty driving. You expect fun from the two-seat MX-5 sports car, but when even the 2012 Mazda5 minivan offers up more fun than you'd expect, it's clear that "Zoom-Zoom" actually means something.

The same goes for Mazda's big CX-9 three-row crossover. Its fun-to-drive nature helped it win against five newer competitors in a test by a major enthusiast magazine. The thing is, it's a fair bet that a good chunk of crossover buyers are more interested in how the CX-9 can handle three car seats than how it handles a twisty mountain road. Does the CX-9's fun-to-drive nature interfere with its family-friendliness? Only a week behind the wheel of a 2011 Mazda CX-9 would tell.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.0