The Creeping Crawl of the Crossover; RDX enters one of America's fastest-growing segments in awd.(News)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

Like crossovers? You're in luck, the planet will soon be crawling with them.

As the number increases, so do the categories into which they are slotted. Hence, let us introduce the "entry premium SUV'' sliver of the crossover segment, the location Acura has designated for its new RDX.

Right now the RDX and the BMW X3 sit alone in that segment, more or less, Honda says. While the RDX can be compared to the X3-and we got a chance to do just that-you could also compare it to the Mazda CX-7, which covers the Acura very closely in specs and purpose, as well as the Land Rover LR3, which is a little upscale.

Crossover cross-shoppers might also look at the Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Murano and even the Hyundai Tucson, Saturn Ion Red Line and Toyota RAV4, though those last three will certainly have the Acura folks steaming.

"The RDX is upscale, dang it!'' they will yelp.

Yes, the RDX is nice and upscale, full of features that upscalers look for, like standard dual-zone climate control, wheel-mounted redundant controls, eight-way power driver's seat and six-disc in-dash audio. Optional features include navigation with voice recognition, integrated rearview camera and real-time traffic.