Motor Trend 2003 SUV of the Year

Despite being based on a stretched version of last year's winner, the GMC Envoy, the Isuzu Ascender was undersprung and too apt to oversteer for our liking. A V-8-equipped version will eat up hundreds of freeway miles while pulling your 7200-lb boat, but don't ask it to compete in an autocross.

Oddly, there are divergent reviews of the handling characteristics of the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition. Though they're essentially the same vehicle under the skin, it's obvious the Navigator received far more attention in the ride-and-handling department. Where the Navigator feels incomprehensibly lithe and nimble, the Expedition "feels heavy, tight, and loose at the same time." The Ford produces an equally crisp turn-in, then pauses, and leans far more than the Lincoln in the same corners. How did Lincoln get it so right and Ford--well, not so much? The same can be said of the current Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. They feel like completely different vehicles even though they are not.

Not since the introduction of the BMW X5 have our editors mentioned "fun to drive" and "sport/utility" in the same sentence. In fact, one editor put it this way: "Nothing in this field feels more like a 'total package' than the XC90. Enormous functionality, great motors, and handling at the supreme level--all at a base price under $40,000."

Last, we all stepped out of the Honda Element with grins plastered across our faces. Its no-nonsense boxy shape never suggested we'd find it fun to drive, but we were happily proven wrong. With its Civic Si-style dashboard-mounted manual shifter (in FWD trim), peppy VTEC engine, and happily tossable chassis, the Element is "tons of fun to drive. Not a lot of power--but enough--with great balance and response." Similarly positive evaluations went to the Mitsubishi Outlander.