consumer issues

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.

2009 NISSAN CUBE KROM

TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, compact wagon.

PRICE: $19,730 base; $20,420 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Oppama, Japan.

KEY RIVALS: Honda Element, Toyota Scion xB, Kia Soul.

POWER: 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower, DOHC 4-cylinder engineer; automatic CVT transmission.

There's a difference between stylish and faddish.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is stylish.

The Nissan Cube is faddish -- unapologetically so.

As one of a series of conspicuous cartons, it shares a segment with the inelegant element from Honda and the boxy xB from Toyota's Scion youth division.

"Borderlands"

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Genre: Action

Publisher: 2K Games

ESRB Rating: M for Mature

Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

"Borderlands"

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Genre: Action

Publisher: 2K Games

ESRB Rating: M for Mature

Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

2010 MAZDA SPEED3 SPORT

TYPE: Front-drive, four-door, five-passenger, compact hatchback.

PRICE: $23,195 base, ($21,717 invoice), $25,340 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Hiroshima, Japan.

KEY RIVALS: Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper S, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen GTI.

When you're in hot pursuit of trend-setting enthusiasts, you can't afford to let your looks slip, especially in the automotive world.

So, Mazda is pursuing the pocket-rocket cognoscenti with a redesigned Speed3 intent on zooming to the front of the popular pack.