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" Jennifer Lopez did it. So did Jon Bon Jovi and even &amp;quot;Marky Mark&amp;quot; Wahlberg. With gold records adorning their walls, and hordes of adoring fans fueling their booming music careers, these pop singers jumped from your CD player to your DVD, crossing over from the music to the movie world. Well, if the glitterati can do it, so can the grunts of the automotive industry. The result is crossover SUVs, the hottest niche in the market since the ponycar. To find out which of these vehicles most successfully straddles the car/truck universes, we picked 10 of the most popular. Ironically, even though Subaru arguably created this entire genre, the company couldn&amp;#039;t provide a brand-new Forester in time. Ditto for newcomer Pontiac and the Vibe. We were, however, able to secure the Vibe&amp;#039;s assembly line sibling, Toyota&amp;#039;s Matrix. Toyota also supplied a Highlander and its close cousin, the Lexus RX 300. And while Mazda couldn&amp;#039;t deliver a Tribute for the test, we did have its near twin, the Ford Escape. Honda got us a Pilot as well as an Acura MDX. Rounding out the group were a Pontiac Aztek, a Buick Rendezvous, a Saturn Vue and a Hyundai Santa Fe. We flogged them as you would--and as you probably wouldn&amp;#039;t. Here&amp;#039;s what we found. Toyota Highlander Think of the Highlander as a Lexus RX 300 without the fancy body and price tag. It&amp;#039;s the closest we&amp;#039;ve seen to Lexus-grade quality in a Toyota product. Especially our Limited model, which came with all-wheel drive, a smooth V6 and soft leather. Though it didn&amp;#039;t medal in any of our tests--it&amp;#039;s pretty much midpack in all--the Highlander is greater than the sum of its parts. It is very carlike to drive and ride in. It is also one of the quietest, another Lexus-like trait. The Highlander is smaller than the Pilot and a third-row seat is not available. However, we had no complaints from anyone in the back seat. In fact, we found very little to complain about at all. It&amp;#039;s a notch above the rest and earned our top spot, though barely edging out the Pilot.  Honda Pilot Our Pilot was so new we could almost smell the paint. While the Highlander is like an affordable RX 300, the Pilot is everyman&amp;#039;s version of the Acura MDX. Like the MDX, Pilot is based on a strengthened Odyssey minivan chassis. With command-style seating and a wide body, it feels roomier and more like a full-size than anything else here. Its size and height make it less carlike than the Highlander but it delivers seating for eight. The 240-hp V6 packs a torquey punch right off the line, but its 4400-pound mass makes for slow slalom times and long stopping distances. Another nice feature the Pilot shares with the MDX is an all-wheel-drive system that can be locked in temporarily to help you get out of sticky situations. Simply put, we like the big Honda.  Ford Escape We&amp;#039;ve sung the Escape&amp;#039;s praises in recent months and we&amp;#039;re still enamored with its moves. With a suspension that&amp;#039;s tight and poised, it posted the third-best times in our handling tests. And the gutsy V6 makes the little Ford reasonably quick, too. Our Control Trac-equipped awd tester came with a lockup that, at the push of a button, splits torque evenly front to rear. It&amp;#039;s a nice feature, especially at the Escape&amp;#039;s price. Slotted in Ford&amp;#039;s lineup right beneath the Explorer, the Escape is relatively small on the outside but surprisingly roomy inside. That doesn&amp;#039;t make up for the hard front seats though--still not our top choice for long hauls. And as reasonable as the price may be, the fit and finish and choice of interior materials could use improvement. So could the old-school steering column shifter that blocks the radio controls when in Drive. However, if fun and a mid-20s price tag are important to you, the Escape is a must-look.  Saturn Vue Yes, even Saturn, the soft and fuzzy little-car company, has a crossover. And it&amp;#039;s a good one. The Vue has an all-new chassis, one that&amp;#039;s unique within General Motors. And that chassis blends a smooth ride with excellent handling. Packing the optional 181-hp 3.0-liter V6, all-wheel drive and a 5-speed automatic, our test Vue proved a competent cruiser, albeit a little slower than most. But through the pylons, the Vue outhandled everything in the test except for the much lighter and smaller Matrix. Like all Saturns, the majority of the Vue&amp;#039;s body panels are plastic. But in typical GM fashion the gaps between them are Grand Canyon wide. The interior, while functional, is a bit plain. Regardless, the Vue is a nimble hauler and priced right in the meat of the family market.  Hyundai Santa Fe Though similar in size to the Escape and Vue, the Santa Fe has an entirely different feel. Compared to those vehicles, which are light and nimble, the Santa Fe feels heavy and sluggish, and it outweighs the Vue by nearly 500 pounds. Despite its 181 hp, the 2.7-liter V6 can&amp;#039;t cope with the Santa Fe&amp;#039;s mass. The good news is that the Santa Fe feels solid and well-screwed together. The choice of interior plastics, along with the vehicle&amp;#039;s ergonomics and overall driving experience, is more upscale than either the Ford&amp;#039;s or the Saturn&amp;#039;s. Value is the key here and the Santa Fe oozes it.  Lexus RX 300 Lexus sets the benchmark here and would easily be the overall winner, if price weren&amp;#039;t an issue. But 40 thou-plus is a bit rich for this group. Especially with the Highlander eager to do the same job for $4000 less. The 220-hp V6 is velvety smooth and pushed the Lexus to 60 in just under 9 seconds. The 4-wheel disc brakes shed speed better than everything except the Matrix. The RX 300&amp;#039;s ride is the plushest of this group. The price paid for that ride comfort, however, is a lack of crispness through the slalom, and much of the blame rests with the hyperactive Vehicle Skid Control. The system may be good when that blind curve hides a huge slippery section and your neighbor&amp;#039;s golden retriever standing in the middle of it, but bad for our slalom test. Lexus builds vehicles to pamper and the RX 300 does that very well. Rich leather and wood adorn the entire passenger cabin. Each stitch, screw and bolt--inside and out--is drawn tight, exuding a quality not matched by many. The interior isn&amp;#039;t as roomy as some others in this group and it is lacking a third-row seat, but that does little to diminish the Lexus.  Acura MDX The Acura is tough to fault. It packs one of the strongest engines in this test backed by a crisp-shifting 5-speed automatic. The MDX was second quickest in both 0 to 60 and passing. Driven on a country road, the suspension and sticky low-profile tires delivered a rewarding experience. But driven hard in our slalom, the MDX showed a bit too much happiness with its tail--fun for a skilled driver on the track, but unnerving when you&amp;#039;re dodging debris on the freeway. Inside, the controls are well placed and the MDX feels more like a luxury sedan than an SUV. It boasts one of the smartest and best-furnished interiors here. Plus, the MDX has a family-friendly third row that ups seating to seven. The only downside is its $40,000 price. But there&amp;#039;s no denying you get what you pay for.  Toyota Matrix With the dust settled and testing done, we see that maybe the Matrix doesn&amp;#039;t exactly fit in this group. But it and its twin, the Pontiac Vibe, bridge the car and SUV gap like few others. The Matrix is essentially a tall sport wagon, and our top-level XRS model was the sportiest of all with its high-revving 180-hp 1.8-liter Four and 6-speed manual from the Celica GTS. With its can&amp;#039;t-lose combo of small size, light weight and potent drivetrain, this tyke dominated at the track. Plus it delivered the most miles per gallon. The icing on this particular cake is that the Matrix is the lowest-priced vehicle in this group. But as severely as it spanked the competition, it&amp;#039;s just too small to compete. Like the other Toyota products tested here, the Matrix has excellent fit and finish and you can get it with awd.  Pontiac Aztek Okay, the Aztek&amp;#039;s styling may not be for everyone, but it does pack a certain value that, for its size, no other vehicle here can match. It&amp;#039;s large, inexpensive, and it bested the fuel economy of every vehicle in our test except the Matrix. Our vehicle lacked awd, which saved some weight, lowered the price and made for sprightly acceleration. Like any tall, softly sprung box, the Aztek rolls in the corners and isn&amp;#039;t the most nimble. However, it was quick enough through the cones to place fourth. Since it&amp;#039;s based on GM&amp;#039;s minivan chassis, the Aztek is very roomy, especially in the cargo hold. And thoughtful touches abound, like a power port and stereo controls in the way back. But the interior is filled with a sea of bargain-basement plastic. Likewise, body panel alignment on this vehicle is not GM&amp;#039;s best effort.  Buick Rendezvous Think of the Rendezvous as a more luxurious and more conservative version of the Pontiac Aztek. Underneath the bodywork, though, is the same powertrain. That means GM&amp;#039;s low-tech 3.4-liter pushrod V6. Our Rendezvous was a fully loaded CXL model that came with Versatrak all-wheel drive. This made it nearly 500 pounds heavier than the front-drive Aztek, and all that bulk taxed the drivetrain at the dragstrip. The steering was as responsive as the gas pedal--slow. The Rendezvous is ponderous through the switchbacks, but when driven like a Buick it&amp;#039;s a comfortable place to enjoy that first cup of coffee. Its interior is more nicely finished than the GM products in this group. Ours had a third-row seat, a $750 option that we think is money well spent.  &amp;amp;gt;SPECIFICATIONS AND DIMENSIONSVehicle Manufacturer &amp;amp;amp; ModelBase Price/Price As TestedEngine Type/Disp. (liters/cu. in.)Engine HP, SAE NET/Torque (ft.-lb.)Premium Fuel Req.?/Tank (gal.)Trans./Drive/ Final RatioWheel Base/Length (in.)Track F/R (in.)Width/Ht/Min. Ground Clearance (in.)WGT (lb.)/WGT/HP RATIOMAX TOWING (lb.)ACURA MDX Touring$39,300/$39,780SOHC 24v V6/3.5/213.6240 @ 5300 rpm/245 @ 3000 rpmno/19.25A/awd/4.43:1106.3/188.566.3/66.576.3/68.7/8.04420/18.44500BUICK Rendezvous CXL$27,552/$34,937OHV 12v V6/3.4/204.0185 @ 5200 rpm/210 @ 4000 rpmno/18.54A/awd/3.29:1112.2/186.562.7/63.873.6/68.9b/7.04260/23.03500FORD Escape XLT$24,450/$25,840DOHC 24v V6/3.0/182.0201 @ 5900 rpm/196 @ 4700 rpmno/16.04A/awd/3.77:1103.1/173.061.2/61.070.1/69.1/7.83520/17.53500HONDA Pilot EX$25,000a/$30,000aSOHC 24v V6/3.5/213.6240 @ 5400 rpm/242 @ 4500 rpmno/19.25A/awd/4.40:1106.3/188.066.3/66.577.3c/70.6/8.04420/18.43500HYUNDAI Santa Fe GLS$21,099/$21,179DOHC 24v V6/2.7/162.0181 @ 6000 rpm/177 @ 4000 rpmyes/17.24A/awd/4.52:1103.1/177.260.7/60.772.7/66.0/8.13880/21.42200LEXUS RX 300$35,705/$38,895DOHC 24v V6/3.0/183.0220 @ 5800 rpm/222 @ 4400 rpmyes/19.84A/awd/3.29:1103.0/180.361.6/61.071.5/65.7/7.74025/18.33500PONTIAC Aztek$19,995/$21,680OHV 12v V6/3.4/204.0185 @ 5200 rpm/210 @ 4000 rpmno/18.04A/fwd/3.29:1108.3/182.162.7/63.873.7/66.7b/7.23780/20.43500SATURN Vue$22,575/$24,675DOHC 24v V6/3.0/181.0181 @ 6000 rpm/195 @ 4000 rpmno/15.55A/awd/2.60:1106.6/181.361.0/61.071.5/66.5/8.03400/18.82500TOYOTA Highlander Ltd.$30,795/$35,344DOHC 24v V6/3.0/182.8220 @ 5800 rpm/222 @ 4400 rpmno/19.84A/awd/3.08:1106.9/184.462.0/61.271.9/68.3/7.33900/17.73500TOYOTA Matrix XRS$18,750/$19,250DOHC 16v I4/1.8/109.5180 @ 7600 rpm/130 @ 6800 rpmno/13.26M/fwd/4.53:1102.4/171.359.3/58.569.9/61.0/6.22800/15.61500a.estimate. b. w/o roof rack. c. w/o mirrors. d. side curtains optional. e. w/o sunroof. f. w/rear seat slid back. g. w/electric assist. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best time from 40 to 70 mph. 3. Best stop hot or cold. &amp;amp;gt;SPECIFICATIONS AND DIMENSIONSVehicle Manufacturer &amp;amp;amp; ModelSEATS/AIRBAGSHEAD-/LEG-/HIPROOM,F/C (in.)HEAD/LEG/HIP, R (in.) CARGO (cu. ft.) SEAT(S) UP/DNR DOOR/GLASS TYPESTEERING TYPE/RATIO (overall)TURNING CIRCLE (ft.)WHEEL SIZE &amp;amp;amp; TYPE/TIRE BRAND &amp;amp;amp; MODEL, TIRE SIZEFULL-SIZE SPARE TIRE/WHERE?SUSPENSION SYSTEM CONFIGURATION (front/rear)BRAKE SYSTEM TYPE (front/rear) DIAMETER (front/rear)ACURA MDX Touring7/front-seat side38.7/41.5/56.9 39.0/37.8/56.336.3/29.3/48.5 14.8/49.6/81.5liftgate/integralpower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/16.9:137.817x6.5-in. alloy/Michelin Cross Terrain, 235/65R17no/belowcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, multilink, stab. bardisc/disc, ABS 11.8-in. vented/12.3-in.BUICK Rendezvous CXL7/front-seat side40.9/40.5/61.1 40.1/39.0/61.137.5/34.6/48.3 18.1/54.5/108.9liftgate/integralpower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/17.1:137.416x6.5-in. chrome/Uniroyal Tiger Paw, 215/70R16no/in floorcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, A-arm, stab. bardisc/disc, ABS 11.8-in. vented/11.5-in.FORD Escape XLT5/front-seat side40.4/41.6/53.4 na39.2/36.4/49.0 33.0/64.8liftgate/liftglasspower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/16.8:136.716x6.5-in. alloy/Continental Contitrac SUV, 235/70R16yes/belowcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, multilink, stab. bardisc/drum, ABS 10.9-in. vented/9.0-in.HONDA Pilot EX8/front-seat side41.9/41.4/57.5 na40.9/37.9/56.6 na/90.3liftgate/integralpower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/na38.016x6.5-in. alloy/Goodyear Integrity, 235/70R16no/belowcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, multilink, stab. bardisc/disc, ABS 11.8-in. vented/12.3-in.HYUNDAI Santa Fe GLS5/dual front39.6/41.6/54.3 na39.2/36.8/53.9 29.4/78.0liftgate/liftglasspower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/na37.116x6.5-in. alloy/BF Goodrich Long Trail T/A, 225/70R16yes/belowcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, multilink, stab. bardisc/disc, ABS 10.9-in. vented/11.2-in.LEXUS RX 3005/front-seat side38.1/40.7/55.2 na38.7/36.4/55.2 30.7f/39.8/75.0liftgate/integralpower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/17.4:141.316x6.5-in. alloy/Goodyear Integrity, 225/70R16yes/in floorcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil/strut, multilink, stab. bardisc/disc, ABS 11.7-in. vented/11.3-in.PONTIAC Aztek5/front-seat side39.7/40.5/58.5 na39.1/38.0/61.0 45.4/93.5dropgate/liftglasspower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/17.1:136.416x6.5-in. alloy/Uniroyal Tiger Paw, 215/70R16no/in floorcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, torsion beam, stab. bardisc/drum, ABS 10.8-in. vented/9.8-in.SATURN Vue5/dual frontd40.4e/41.2/53.3 na39.9e/36.4/53.1 30.3/63.5liftgate/integralpowerg rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/17.8:138.016x6.5-in. alloy/Bridgestone Dueler H/T, 235/65R16no/in floorcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, multilink, stab. bardisc/drum, ABS 11.7-in. vented/9.8-in.TOYOTA Highlander Ltd.5/front-seat side38.6/40.7/55.1 na38.9/36.4/54.9 38.5/81.4liftgate/integralpower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/16.0:137.416x6.5-in. alloy/Bridgestone Dueler H/T, 225/70R16yes/in floorcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil/strut, multilink, stab. bardisc/drum, ABS 11.6-in. vented/11.2-in.TOYOTA Matrix XRS5/front-seat side40.6/41.8/51.7 na39.8/36.3/47.8 21.8/53.2liftgate/integralpower rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion/19.5:135.517x7-in. alloy/Firestone Firehawk S2, 215/50ZR17no/in floorcoil/strut, lower arm, stab. bar/coil, torsion beam, stab. bardisc/disc, ABS 10.8-in. vented/10.6-in. &amp;amp;gt;TEST RESULTSVEHICLE MANUFACTURER &amp;amp;amp; MODELFUEL ECON. (mpg) EPA CITY/HWY PM TEST (avg.)ACCEL.1: 0-30 MPH/0-60 MPH (sec.) 1/4-MILE (sec./mph)PASSING2 40-70 MPH (sec.)BRAKING3 60-0 MPH (ft.)SLALOM4 525 FT. (mph)LANE5 CHANGE (mph)SOUND (dBA)6 IDLE/60 MPH/FULL THROTTLESERVICE7 INDEX, 0-100ACURA MDX Touring17/23 15.23.26/8.45 16.28/85.236.1713840.649.446.6/72.0/79.373BUICK Rendezvous CXL18/24 19.03.77/10.59 17.51/80.098.3813739.748.345.7/76.7/79.979FORD Escape XLT18/23 16.33.19/8.83 16.33/84.626.9013643.550.553.0/75.3/84.371HONDA Pilot EX17/22 16.33.41/8.57 16.37/85.266.2214040.347.049.0/74.5/79.769HYUNDAI Santa Fe GLS19/23 17.73.87/10.59 17.66/79.478.1514540.146.752.5/77.7/80.561LEXUS RX 30018/22 18.33.23/8.99 16.65/82.297.1512839.150.853.8/74.1/77.479PONTIAC Aztek19/26 19.63.32/9.25 16.61/84.217.2414441.747.950.1/74.2/79.777SATURN Vue19/25 15.13.45/9.05 16.75/83.066.9313344.450.858.1/75.7/82.364TOYOTA Highlander Ltd.18/22 18.43.35/9.47 16.97/81.297.4513439.348.048.5/79.7/88.280TOYOTA Matrix XRS22/29 24.73.32/7.97 15.86/90.825.8711746.052.053.3/74.4/79.6674. Best speed weaving through eight cones 75 ft. apart. Index of transient response. 5. Best speed through a 250-ft.-long double lane change. 6. Average of two readings. 7. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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