The conundrum for Americans who want the practicalities of wagons and minivans without social stigma are being addressed by the burgeoning crossover contingent. Toyota was first to the party with the original Highlander in 2001; the all-new model is bigger and more powerful, as it utilizes the wonderful corporate 3.5-liter V6, here with 270hp. Improved in every way, it has more room for kids and cobber, more useful accessories and options, and a less milquetoast appearance.

Mazda’s CX-9 is only a year old, and the vehicle’s only real weakness, a lack of torque, has been speedily addressed by stuffing a new 3.7-liter engine under the hood. With 273hp and the most twist of any of our trio it should be the quickest. It doesn’t feel so; the Toyota, despite offering one fewer gear than the Mazda or Hyundai, is subjectively sprightlier. But the Mazda’s tranny is the smoothest shifting and most intuitive, and it’s as quick as need be for a family hauler. The Hyundai Veracruz falls somewhere in the middle. Its powerplant is the biggest at 3.8-liters, but weakest in power at 260hp. The trio all recorded around the same real world fuel economy of 19-21mpg.

In the ride-and-handling stakes, things fall within expected parameters. The Mazda has the best steering by far; it’s quick and direct, feeling like it was lifted direct from the Miata. It corners flat and precise, though this leads to a firmer ride than some families will want, especially on the 20” wheels that come on the Grand Touring model.

The Hyundai seems a direct hit on the target market. Much better at rubbing off the roughness of urban scarring, it still handles well enough to tackle mountain sweepers, and while its steering doesn’t offer the clarity of the Mazda’s, it is far better than the frightfully numb and vague Toyota tiller. This is the unfortunate result of the use of fuel economy-increasing electric (instead of hydraulic) assist for the steering.

Notations on the Highlander’s handling and ride come down to which model is specified. Unlike the others, Toyota offers different suspension setups. The basic model is quite comfortable on its softer settings and smaller footware. The Sport, with its more aggressive calibrations, offers better control—though it’s still no match for the CX-9 in feedback or precision. The Limited feels fairly cosseting most of the time, but can be caught out by more pronounced bumps, unlike the Veracruz, which retains a level of refinement beyond the others no matter the terrain.

Looks are a subjective thing, and all three are attractive, though one person commented that the Highlander was still a bit bland, and another thought the Mazda too minivan like. Twice the Hyundai was mistaken for a Lexus, and its perceived interior quality was light years ahead of the other two. Everything feels expensive to the touch, and the damped action of all its switches, precise and attractive stitch work on its seats, and careful flock lining of all its myriad compartments bespeak a level of attention to detail that Toyota seems to have misplaced of late.

In terms of practicality, the Highlander must also come last. One can only enter its 3rd row (the tightest and least well finished, not to mention the only one that doesn’t split-fold 50-50 for long objects) from one side of the vehicle, which can make things hard for those with baby seats. It also has the least amount of cargo room with all the seats up. It does offer a unique middle row that can be set as a bench seat or buckets, and a flip-open rear window on some models.

Demerits for the Mazda include the fact that you cant have a rear DVD player and a moonroof. Its biggest strength is its size; being 10-12 inches longer than the others, it has much more usable cargo volume, and a fairly commodious back row.

The Hyundai (for now, anyway) doesn’t have an available navigation system or back-up camera, and it is harder to hone a decent driving position, as it’s steering wheel only tilts and the seat cushion is a bit short. It is the quietest and most refined, however.

We slaughtered some sacred cows during this test; that the Veracruz was the least expensive was expected; the way in which it routed the others on apparent build quality and refinement was not. The CX-9’s athletic feel was per the party line, but that it drove the smallest—while being far and away the most usefully roomy—was perhaps its biggest party trick. Though the Highlander disappointed in its (apparently) cheaper build and lack of usefulness vis-à-vis the others, is does have the historic Toyota traits of high resale value and reliability on its side, and it offers the most variations of equipment, style, build, and driving experience—not to mention being the only one with a Hybrid version. Despite their differences, all three are excellent examples of meeting the needs of consumers who want viable alternatives to full size SUVs without the concomitant image issues of minivans.

2008 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ
Price Range: $28,600-36,445
2008 MAZDA CX-9
Price Range: $31,335-42,779
2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
Price Range: $30,780-43,556

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