Price Range: $31,550 - $38,000

Engine: 3.0-liter, 220-horsepower V6 Front Engine/Front Drive or AWD

Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway

Safety Features: Driver and passenger side airbags; ABS anti-lock brakes.

Detroit, Michigan -- The New Year came in with a snowstorm that crippled the Detroit area just at a time that thousands of journalists were attempting to gather for the premier auto show of the year. Northwest Airlines proved itself incapable of handling bad conditions, turning it into a crisis. The RX300 proved it was not just a fake sport ute, managing the uncleared roads like a champ, with confidence and safety.

When the airlines finally deposited us at the Detroit airport, I was in a suit and faced with the Lexus buried in a plow created snow drift in the parking lot. Even with no preparation or tools, the full time AWD pulled the critter clear of the snow without any drama. Over the week I saw thousands of cars stuck and abandoned, no small number of them SUVs. I cruised past them all in warm comfort.

A year previous I had a RX300 in Monument Valley and had to traverse long expanses to visit the high points of the scenic landscape, and had to navigate indifferently maintained primitive state roads. Even when we placed the RX300 in some soft, silty sand for a photograph against the red buttes in this scenic masterpiece, the full time all-wheel-drive system took care of the treacherous conditions without even having to look at the tow straps.

The RX 300 is based on the highly acclaimed SLV concept vehicle. The RX 300 provides enough off-road ground clearance for poor weather and road conditions, yet step-in height is lower than other SUVs for more convenient entry and exit. Its roomy and versatile interior accommodates five people and cargo in a variety of configurations.