Car price: $21,695

The least expensive of any crossover on our list in comparing car prices and that includes an extra $1,200 for an automatic transmission, the Forester 2.5X comes with all-wheel-drive as standard equipment.

In this era of five- and six-speed automatic transmissions, the Forester's four-speed automatic tranny seems a bit out of date. However, when coupled with its 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine, it is still capable of delivering an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. And remember, that's with AWD.

Rear-seat legroom is 38 inches. Folding the rear seat opens up a maximum cargo capacity of 68.3 cubic feet.

The Forester comes in six trim packages. We chose the entry-level version that includes full power accessories, remote keyless entry, six air bags, tilt steering wheel, trip computer, air conditioning, cruise control, and a four-speaker audio system with CD player and auxiliary input jack.