Wagons have always been a worthy alternative to the sport utility crossovers with better handling and superior fuel economy, but with about the same space.

So it makes perfect sense to us that Acura has produced a wagon variant of its appealing sporty TSX sedan. The sport wagon looks great from every angle and we discovered while driving winding roads north of San Francisco and for a week on home turf that it is surprisingly lively.

Surprising because the only engine available in the sport wagon is the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder making 201 horsepower. It starts at $31,820. That's a bargain for a well-made luxury hauler.

MotorwayAmerica photos by Jim Meachen