The luxury crossover might end up becoming a symbol of the 'you-can-have-it-all' era recently brought to a stunning conclusion by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. They're vehicles that let you tower over most passenger cars on the road while giving you near-carlike ride and handling. They get fuel mileage that won't embarrass you, but won't give you anything to brag about, either. And their performance is good enough, at least, to rival many quotidian cars.
You won't wonder why you didn't buy, say, a Cadillac CTS Sports Wagon; rather, you'll figure you got yourself a utility crossover that superbly balances ride, handling, refinement and performance. Around a circuit like the Lutzring, setting the gearshift in sport mode and letting it upshift and downshift for you is the way to go. Sport mode also stiffens the suspension and tightens the steering ratio oh so slightly. The transmission always seems to find the right gear in which to downshift - second or third - at the right time, making your exit out of the turn as smooth as you could be.
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