Car Zone

For nearly two decades, the Acura MDX has served as the luxury brand's flagship SUV. From humble beginnings as Acura's adaptation of the Honda Pilot, the MDX has evolved into a world-class three-row utility vehicle with a comfortable ride, excellent handling characteristics, and a wealth of advanced safety features. The current MDX proves that you don't need to take out a second mortgage to get a luxury SUV that can compete with the segment's best. The cabin is a pleasant place to be, boasting supportive seats, fantastic noise isolation, and wide window openings that allow light to brighten the interior. The 3.5-liter V6 underhood is effortlessly powerful and smooth, and estimated fuel economy is similarly impressive. There's even a hybrid version available with increased efficiency and performance. The previous-generation MDX is also family-friendly and introduced the handling-and-comfort emphasis that the current MDX enjoys. At the time, the first-generation...

All-New Platform While the RDX's mission as a premium, do-everything two-row crossover hasn't changed, everything else about it has. From stem to stern, nothing carries over from the model it replaces. Acura targeted the high end of a crowded premium compact crossover class — think Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Volvo XC60 — when developing the 2019 RDX, which means a boost in performance and handling while retaining its core values of comfort and space. The 2019 RDX marks the model's third generation and debuts a new, Acura-specific platform that will underpin some of the automaker's future cars. The new RDX is a shade lighter and quite a bit stiffer than the one it replaces. Larger than its predecessor, the new model gains more rear legroom and cargo volume thanks to a 2.6-inch-longer wheelbase (now 108.3 inches) and 2.4 inches more overall length (186.8 inches). It's also 1 inch wider and 0.7 inch taller. To get an idea of how grown-up the new RDX is...

For decades, international men of mystery have faced one particularly vexing conundrum: Which one of the three potential paramours eyeing them across the baccarat table gets a ride home in the sexy two-seater parked outside. Thanks to the four-passenger Aston Martin Rapide, he no longer has to choose. While many purists regularly express outrage that any model with more than two doors could possibly be labeled a sports car, the Rapide proves that an automobile's sporting potential has little to do with the number of doors. Based on the British luxury marque's sexy DB9 coupe, the four-door Rapide largely shares the downright gorgeous interior and athletic handling, which make it feel less like a luxury sedan and more like a true sports car that just happens to have an extra set of doors.

It might seem strange to describe a $117,000 car as "entry level," but that's exactly what the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is. Meant to sell in greater volumes than its larger and more expensive brand mates, the V8 Vantage is aimed squarely against lofty, performance-proven competitors from Germany. Like most of the cars from this iconic British brand, it is simply gorgeous. At the same time, Aston upped the fun-to-drive quotient in the Vantage to make it a true sports car rather than a grand tourer like the DB9. Although many have said the V8 Vantage is the best-driving Aston Martin ever, it still falls short of the Porsche 911 in terms of overall performance. Yet, that car is practically ubiquitous compared to the rare Aston, which will always have an advantage in terms of cool sophistication and dazzling visual allure. The V8 Vantage is one instance where the "entry level" is a wonderful place to be.

Although there have been several models produced in Aston Martin's 90-plus-year history, none have been as famous as those with "DB" tattooed to their tails. The Aston Martin DB9 coupe and Volante convertible is in fact the ninth model to be sold with these hallowed letters, and carries on a sterling automotive tradition. Sold throughout the 1950s and '60s, and then resurrected in 1994, the DBs were and still are some of the most drop-dead gorgeous and performance-capable sports cars on the road. Being driven by a certain fictional British super spy certainly enhanced the car's fame and even helped keep the company afloat. As such, the Aston Martin DB9 simultaneously represents the brand's past and future, with sexy styling inspired by (but not copying) previous models and a high-tech aluminum platform that has underpinned every subsequent new Aston. If this success continues, hopefully we can look forward to new DBs for years to come.

At first glance, it can be difficult to figure out why anyone would spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars or more for an Aston Martin DB11. After all, there plenty of high-end sports coupes that do the same job for less money. But once you've experienced the DB11, you begin to understand the Aston Martin mystique. (Driving it is the best way to go, but just sitting in it will do.) With its hand-tooled interior and carefully tuned driving experience, the DB11 rises to a level to which mass-produced high-end cars from Porsche and Mercedes can only aspire. And it certainly doesn't hurt that the Aston Martin brand is inextricably tied to Britain's most famous fictional spy. It's easy to see why this is the car 007 would use to escape the baddies, dispatch them to a fiery end, and whisk away the Bond Girl. The DB11 is the most advanced Aston Martin to come along in quite a while, with all-new electronics, largely sourced from Mercedes, and futuristic styling that...