Lexus LX570

Lexus loaded its LX570 full-size SUV with just about every conceivable amenity and then added a new one for 2009: a $4,050 luxury package with a radar system that senses when a car or person, motorcycle or wall, is in your path and applies the brakes to prevent contact.

There's also adaptive cruise control that senses when traveling faster than the car ahead and regulates speed and braking to keep a safe distance.

And crawl control to limit engine speed and apply brakes over rough or slippery surfaces so the driver can focus on steering; holds itself on a hill without rolling when first started; adjusts shock settings for on- or off-road surfaces; raises itself 3 inches for off-road clearance or lowers 2 inches for easier entry/exit; has full-time all-wheel drive with a low setting for off-road excursions; and offers stability control and traction control on- and off-road.

Yet the tall SUV, weighing in at 5,995 pounds, doesn't move like a ballerina, especially in sharp corners or turns.

A 5.7-liter, 383-horsepower V-8 with 6-speed manual-mode automatic has the muscle to climb or pass without huffing, but moving nearly three tons means a disappointing 12 mpg city/18 highway. No hybrid or cylinder deactivation. For shame.

The SUV holds eight in three rows. Second-row room is very good, and the power-operated split seats motor back to accommodate legs and knees or forward to create more cargo space. Third row is tight for other than kids. Second-row seats fold and flip for access to the back, but don't attempt entry in a skirt or carrying a cane.