The Washington Post reviews the 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL450.  Post reviewer Warren Brown was "surprised by the GL450's lightness of being," explaining "it drove and handled like a much lighter vehicle. It is no exaggeration to say that its entire road performance was surprisingly, pleasingly sports-like."  He was also "impressed by the luxury of the GL450 -- its panoramic sunroof that framed an azure sky, its supple leather seats, its vast abundance of informational and entertainment electronics," and "the power and smoothness of its V-8 engine."  However, the Gl450 "drinks only premium unleaded gasoline . . . and lots of it."  Brown spent "close to $85 for a full tank." 

Chicago Tribune reviewer Jim Mateja drove the new Dodge Journey, "the first midsize crossover in the Dodge family."   In R/T trim with a 3.5-liter 235 horsepower V6, the Journey "has decent power but isn't the quickest thing on the road. And fuel economy is a paltry 15 m.p.g. city/22 m.p.g. highway mileage with AWD."  The Journey, however, "isn't about how quickly or quietly you travel as much as it is about all the goodies for the trip."  It features "a pair of deep bins in front of the second row...for toys, games, snacks or 12 cans of pop -- plus ice."  A Chill Zone glove box will "cool a couple cans of pop, thanks to a well placed air-conditioning duct."  Other "noteworthy features are grocery-bags holders behind the driver's seat, a stowage box in the dash, cell-phone/iPod holder in the center console, cupholders in the console and front doors, coin holder under the center armrest and observation mirror in the roof to keep an eye on the occupants" of the rear seats. 

Boston Globe reviewer Joe Weisenfelder gets behind the wheel of the refreshed 2008 Ford Escape.  He finds that it "has received some welcome upgrades, including more aggressive styling and treatments to reduce cabin noise."  However, "With its drivetrain and some other features unchanged,...it falls behind some competitors -- and not just on paper."  The tested vehicle, in Limited trim with all-wheel drive, "was the heaviest possible, and its V-6 took a leisurely 10 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. The braking wasn't as strong as it should be, either."  Weisenfelder concludes, "The recently redesigned class leaders are already better overall than the Escape, and other compact SUVs are sure to be upgraded before the Escape is."