By FRANK A. AUKOFER, Scripps Howard News Service

The Outback is dead! Long live the Outback!

Obviously, a rallying cry like that requires explanation. Back about a decade, when Japan's Subaru had a tidy lineup of all-wheel drive sedans and station wagons.

American motorists had become infatuated with sport utility vehicles, most based on trucks. Gasoline was cheap and vehicles like the popular Ford Explorer were riding high.

Specifications for the 2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium four-door crossover utility vehicle.

Engine: 3.6 Liter horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, 256 horsepower.

Transmission: Five-speed automatic.

Overall length: 15 feet 8 inches.

EPA passenger/cargo volume: 105/34 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,634 pounds.

Towing capability: 2,700 pounds.

Specifications for the 2010 Mazda CX-7i four-door crossover utility vehicle.

Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 161 horsepower.

Transmission: Five-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.

Overall length: 15 feet 4 inches.

EPA passenger/cargo volume: 99/30 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,496 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 20/28 miles per gallon.

Mazda is making a grass is greener move with the 2010 CX-7 crossover utility vehicle.

When it was introduced in 2007, the CX-7 aspired to be a mid-level five-passenger CUV, competing then with the likes of the Acura RDX, Nissan Murano and Mercury Mariner. It pitted its 244-horsepower turbo four-cylinder engine against some competitors' six-cylinder motors.

Lately it seems as if Acura has been magnetizing its automobiles, drawing them ever closer together.

Though it never fielded an extensive lineup, the luxury division of Honda at least had cars that were distinct from one another.

Specifications for the 2010 Acura TSX V6 four-door sedan.

Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 280 horsepower.

Transmission: Five-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.

Overall length: 15 feet 6 inches.

EPA passenger/trunk volume: 95/13 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,680 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 18/27 miles per gallon.

Specifications for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T Track.

Engine: 2-liter four-cylinder, turbocharged, 210 horsepower.

Transmission: Six-speed manual.

Overall length: 15 feet 2 inches.

EPA passenger/trunk volume: 89/10 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,294 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 21/30 miles per gallon.

Like people, automobiles can have multiple personalities. But few have ranged as far and wide as the Ford Taurus.

When it was introduced in 1985, it was an immediate sensation -- a mid-size American car with rounded styling that resembled the luxury Audi from Germany. Before long, it became the best-selling car in the country.

Specifications for the 2010 Ford Taurus LTD AWD four-door sedan.

Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 263 horsepower.

Transmission: Six-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.

Overall length: 16 feet 11 inches.

EPA passenger/trunk volume: 102/20 cubic feet.

Weight: 4,224 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 17/24 miles per gallon.

Even though the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox was developed by the old General Motors, it likely will come to be hailed as a hallmark of the new GM.

The all-new Equinox is a compact crossover utility vehicle (CUV) that is equal to or better than any of its competitors. It's a shame that it took such a long time coming.