More staff insights on the latest test vehicles, from the January 2007 issue of Consumer Reports:

Gene Petersen: Sporty SUV or off-road SUV? Some people may truly need an off-road vehicle or just want one, but the access, stiff ride, and poor visibility in some are not worth the price of admission for someone like me who drives predominately on public roads. A sporty SUV sounds appealing and seems to be a growing sub-segment. The Nissan Murano was one of the pioneers in this segment and still viewed as one of the best. It looks slick, drives like a car with nimble handling and comfortable ride, and the spunky V6 and continuously variable transmission operate smoothly. The Acura RDX and Mazda CX-7 try to compete in size and personality, but come up short with turbocharged four-cylinder engines that are not terribly fuel efficient or pack the low-end punch found in the Murano. The BMW X3 looks good on paper, but lacks rock-solid reliability and comes with a big-SUV-like price tag.

Mike Quincy:
Sporty: I'm trying not to jump on the Nissan Murano bandwagon, since a number of my colleagues have tagged this SUV as the one they'd buy. Can't help it, though...the Murano has it all over these other SUVs. For me, nothing combines the Murano's acceleration, good steering, and snow-weather traction. The premium-only fuel, though, is a bummer, and the ride and controls could be a tad better, but these are negatives that are still easy to swallow.

Off road: Truthfully, I can't see a time in my life when I'd need a tough-off-road focused SUV; I'd rather hike the trails some of the vehicles traverse. My trip in Texas (see "The Texas truck two-step"; "More Texas trucks - Digging in the dirt"; "Toyota Land Cruiser - Aging gracefully") gave me some additional seat time in the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota FJ Cruiser for some challenging off-road driving. Both are well-designed for this purpose. For me, however, the Wrangler's classic good looks and the top-down option put it slightly ahead of the FJ. Plus, the deal-killer for the FJ is that it requires premium fuel. But I'd choose the Nissan Xterra over both, since it's nicer to drive on-road and has competitive off-road abilities. It also has a roomier back seat for my young kids and a cargo area big enough to haul stuff for a week's beach vacation.