Cadillac ELR | Starting price about:$75,000

You’ve got to hand it to Cadillac for being willing to try something totally different. The 2014 ELR is one of the most technologically advanced and ground- breaking vehicles ever developed.

This ultra-stylish coupe is not what it appears. Rather than being a track-scorching performance vehicle, it’s a very advanced plug-in hybrid car. That can be a good thing, but its price, which ranges from $75,000 to over $82,000, will prohibit ELR ownership for all but the very upper crust of vehicle buyers. My test vehicle came priced at $80,680 and, yes, tax credits are sometimes offered for hybrid vehicles.

The ELR is an electric car with a gas engine to extend your driving range. A careful distinction is that the sole purpose of the gas engine is to generate electricity and store it in the lithium ion battery for the electric motor. The car is not propelled by the gas engine. Therefore, while in EV or electric mode where the car is running on pure electric power coming from the battery, you use zero gasoline and get ridiculously high fuel economy ratings. When the battery power is depleted — after about 40 miles — the gas engine runs as a generator of electricity. The lifetime average “fuel economy” of my test car was 37.4 miles per gallon of gasoline.

So, if you drive less than 40 miles per day, you can harvest the efficiency of the car. The more you drive per day beyond that or between battery charges, the less efficient the system is and the less benefit you’ll derive from this plug-in hybrid vehicle.

On my standard 110 volt household current wall plug, it took 8-10 hours to fully recharge the battery in the ELR. And even though the car emitted no pollutants while driving in EV mode, the power plant that generated the extra electricity that I used to charge the car probably did, and, I’m not sure what the actual cost of the electricity was, but clearly it wasn’t free. All of these are the same trade-offs accompanying all plug-in hybrid vehicles. Those dynamics change as battery technology improves and as range-extending onboard gas or diesel engines generating electricity become more efficient.

In addition to all that, I found the vehicle very engaging and fun to drive. The styling is stunning and my Crystal Red test car really was an attention-getter. Notwithstanding the car’s striking shape, I found it to be a very solid vehicle. The driving dynamic was shockingly good. The ELR loves a twisting back road and rewards the driver handsomely. The electric-based powertrain delivers strong acceleration and very linear, no-drama power. The ELR is also very quiet, adding pleasure to miles spent both on freeway cruises and in-town driving. The interior is also luxurious and up to Cadillac standards.

Kudos to General Motors for being willing to push the EV envelope just a little bit further with this car.

Acura MDX | Starting price about:$42,500

The previous two versions of Acura’s very successful MDX SUV have pleased their owners. The new third generation builds on the successes of the past and significantly improves the vehicle.

The MDX is a 7-passenger luxury SUV that is optimized for performance. Yes the all-wheel-drive models will allow limited off-pavement driving but the system is really designed for spirited on-road driving.

The new MDX is totally redesigned and new from the ground up. It’s actually a bit longer than the previous model and after some rearranging, the interior is noticeably more spacious. The vehicle skillfully combines luxury, quietness, comfort and prestige in a sleek modern-looking package.

Exterior styling is reminiscent of the previous generation. A signature Acura design element is the use of LED headlights, which the MDX has. They illuminate the road with surprising clarity.

The interior, however, is the main beneficiary of the vehicle’s reshaping. Access to the second and third rows has been enhanced, plus the space is larger. The second row seats now have five-position reclining seatbacks and a new Extended Slide feature provides 5.9 inches of total fore-aft seat travel. A new One-Touch Walk-In feature further eases third row entry and exit.

On the technology front, to keep the interior ultra-quiet, the MDX uses Active Noise Control (ANC) and Active Sound Control (ASC) technology which emits background sounds similar to noise cancelling headphones.

The Multi-Angle Rearview Camera gives you several views of what’s behind you while backing up. Acura’s GPS-Linked, Tri-Zone Automatic Climate Control can tell by your GPS location which side of the car is getting direct sunlight and automatically adjust the climate control to compensate for the heat gain. You can get perforated and ventilated front seats but they’re buried in a package that requires you to buy all the MDX’s unrelated technology and entertainment gadgetry to get them.

Additionally, Acura offers the Acura/ ELS® Studio 12-Speaker Audio System plus the SMS Text Message Function which will read you your incoming texts and allow you to give limited responses, all while keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

Even though the vehicle has grown in size it has shed a significant 275 pounds of unnecessary weight. The suspension has been recalibrated for improved comfort and handling. The new MDX is powered by a thoroughly modern 3.5 V6 engine and a 6 speed automatic transmission. The engine can actually shut off three cylinders and run on the remaining three while cruising down the highway. The MDX has an EPA fuel economy rating of city 20 mpg and highway 28 mpg, delivering an average of 23. The engine produces 290 horsepower and is capable for pushing the MDX to 60 miles an hour in just 6.7 seconds.

In addition to its traditional SH-AWD all-wheel drive system, the MDX will also be available in front-wheel drive for the first time. The MDX is a fine, reliable machine that offers upscale style and creature comforts that owners predictably fall in love with.For more information on these models, visit MyCarData.com.