LEXUS RX | Starting Price: $43,000

The Lexus RX is one of the originators of the luxury midsize SUV market. This perennial favorite has frequently led the Lexus brand in sales. Historically the RX has been a mid-size two rows of seats, five-passenger vehicle.

That formula worked very well, and Lexus was rewarded for its work with lots of sales and happy customers. But, some of the competition offered models that had three rows and seating for seven pas­sengers. True, there are very few times when the third row is actually used, but should you need to carry extra people, it’s nice to have.

So to solve the conundrum, Lexus opted to make everyone happy by offering both a five-passenger and a seven-passenger version of the RX. The five-passenger RX is similar to the prior models, and the seven-passenger RXL model is longer, allows for the third row of seats and has more cargo space. The extra volume does, however, add about $4,200 to the price tag.

The third iteration of the RX is the F Sport variant. This model has a sport-tuned suspension that is responsive but not harsh, has enough bold F Sport styling for it to be seen as visibly different and unique instrumentation hijacked from Lexus’ LFA super car.

The powertrain choices for the RX default to the ever-pleasing 3.5 V6 delivering 295 horsepower and Toyota’s best-in-industry hybrid drive. The hybrid has a “system” rating of 308 horsepower and is about 5 percent slower in accel­eration. The hybrid option costs only about $2,300 more but yields an overall economy rating of 30 mpg, which is 7 better than the non-hybrid version and only 2 less than the Toyota Corolla compact sedan… an amazing feat for a 4,500-pound luxury SUV.

Further, the complete RX line — the RX, RXL and the F Sport — is offered either in front wheel drive or all-wheel drive layout.

Even though the previous models were high quality, reliable and functional, they were not ornate or visually engaging. Correspondingly, Lexus has totally redesigned both the exterior and the interior making them more useful and interesting. The RX is now more in sync with buyer expectations of what a “luxury” interior should look and feel like.

So front passengers have a super-wide 12.3-inch display on the instrument panel, allowing the humans and the car to better communicate with each other. The Lexus Entune system integrates all these info­tainment functions into a simple, straight­forward tool. The upscale audio system is also worthy of the vehicle, and the seating and cabin space is excellent. I liked the clever and useful 360-degree look-down view camera as well as the no-touch Obi-Wan Kenobi power rear hatch that magi­cally opens when you wave your hand over it.

And, of course, all the latest active safety technology that actually makes driving safer is present and accounted for.

There are many buyers for this class of vehicle, but it would be tough to find one better than the Lexus RX.

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SUBARU ASCENT | Starting Price: $31,900

Subaru aims to fill a gap in its model lineup with the brand-new Ascent. It’s a midsize SUV that has three rows of seats and can accommodate up to eight occupants.

The Ascent is at its core a Subaru, therefore is designed to be able to do all the things that active lifestyle families expect Subarus to do. Though it’s perfectly happy to live out its day in an urban environment, its also amply equipped to get dirty or snowy and take the family off the beaten path.

As with all midsize SUVs of this size, the third row of seats favors the pliable and small in stature occupants. The second row is obviously roomier and offers easy access. That second row can be ordered with either two captain’s chairs for seven-passenger seating or a bench seat accommodating three for a total of eight seating positions. The back two rows can fold flat yielding a very large and easily accessible cargo space.

All things being equal, the front seats are the most comfortable and have the best views. The accommodations are roomy, attractive and allow access to control most of the gadgets in the Ascent. Interior colors include the expected black and ivory, plus the Java Brown which is the color of a traditional baseball glove… very nice. The exterior could be described as properly SUV-boxy in a stylish kind of way. Considering SUV packaging demands, it’s a fine-looking vehicle.

Being a Subaru, you would expect the Ascent to have all-wheel-drive and it does! That, plus a healthy 8.7-inch ground clearance, allows you to explore lots of territory. The Ascent is powered by a turbocharged Subaru Boxer 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine producing 260 horsepower. It’s mated to a CVT transmission with shift points built into it and has a tow capacity of up to 5,000 pounds.

This thoroughly modern vehicle boasts available built-in Wi-Fi, and up to eight USB ports distributed throughout the cabin that will charge your electronic device and offer a broad array of streaming and sharing connectivity options. The panoramic moon roof doesn’t eat up much headroom but brightens the interior, which is appreciated for those who chose black. The 360-degree camera provides excellent all-round situational awareness.

Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist technology is now standard equipment. It includes radar cruise control, which automatically controls the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you; traffic monitoring; lane departure warning; and pre-collision braking that will automatically bring you to a complete stop in an emergency. The responsive headlight system has the lights swiveling in the direction of your turn, so you can effectively see “around the corner” of the road. They also dim automatically. A blind-spot detection and rear cross traffic alert warning system is also available on some trim levels.

The Ascent is attractive, useful, enjoyable and may just be the consummate Town and Country SUV.

For more information about these and other vehicles, visit mycardata.com.