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Reports of the death of fancy and very large sport-utility vehicles have been greatly exaggerated. It is, in fact, one of the largest categories in this year's AJAC competition. Big, powerful trucks with fancy interiors and quite the array of high-tech doodads are not dinosaurs, after all.

But this category is quite a mix. It includes frame-based sport-utes vying against car-based models from Asia and Europe. In the end, for me, the Mercedes-Benz GL450 edges out the Audi Q7 by a nose.

Acura MDX Elite

Down the back stretch at the makeshift race track, the speedometer is tickling 100 km/h-plus as we approach the tight right-left-right-left-right-left-right-left slalom section that leads into a very nasty right-hander.

It's not the sort of stretch you'd normally roar down behind the wheel of an SUV. But the MDX is a tall sports car of a seven-passenger SUV, with brakes that respond firmly, but smoothly. As I ease the wheel right, then left, the truck responds surprisingly well. No wallow here.

The representatives of Honda's luxury brand claim the MDX is racetrack capable, that it handles better on the track than some well-known and highly regarded European SUVs. And they are right. The fancy all-wheel-drive system, what Honda calls Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, puts power where it should be and smoothes out the twisties.

I like that. I don't like the MDX's busy ride on everyday roads. The tight steering is great on the track, but requires little inputs constantly on the QEW. Not fun.

So here's the deal. Most moms and dads will never load up little hockey players and hammer around curving asphalt roads at triple-digit speeds. So while I like the build quality a lot, the comfort of the seats, the modern look of all the instruments and controls and the strong and responsive power train, a lot of kids will get carsick in the back of an MDX.\

Audi Q7 4.2 Premium

Audi's first true SUV — the less-than-lumpy Q7 built in Bratislava, Slovakia (in the same factory as the Volkswagen Touareg) and designed by a Canadian from Montreal — is big. Very big.

Photographs do not do justice to its enormity. Even in person, the Q7's curving, coupe-like roofline gives the impression of a much smaller truck.

Yet the Q7 has three rows of seats with room for seven. Tug various releases and the bleachers collapse into a flat carpeted floor. So it's completely practical, right down to the excellent Quattro AWD system.

Then there is the 350-hp V-8 engine. It is as smooth as an electric motor, trotting to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds — about mid-pack for its class. The all-wheel drive is always engaged, though it does not offer the low-range gear selection that many truck-based SUVs do. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts imperceptibly.

Meanwhile, the adaptive air-suspension makes for a smooth ride and gives this serious SUV a range of ground clearance heights. Ah, gadgets. There seems no end to them here — including radar beams on either side to scan the blind spots.

This Audi is very good, but the Mercedes GL seems just a little lighter, a little less imposing from behind the wheel. But they're close.

Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade is the richest of GM's new line of big SUVs. It is loosely based on the Chevrolet Tahoe, but is bigger, has a more powerful engine and a six-speed automatic transmission instead of a four-speed.

The Escalade is lavishly appointed. The 403-hp V-8 sounds wonderful and delivers best-in-class acceleration. But here's the rub: The basic rear suspension design is carried over from the '06 model and that means it does not allow enough room for the third row to fold underneath the floor — as in the Ford Expedition and others of its ilk.

Instead, the third row tumbles forward and against the back of the second row. It's removable if you want to maximize cargo space, but that's a pain.

Redesigning the rear suspension might also have made the Escalade ride, handle and steer a little better. This, instead, feels very much like a truck. The Escalade is a winner on image, acceleration and towing, but others in this group are much more entertaining to drive.

Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer MaxThis is a hulking truck with the slowest acceleration time and longest braking distance of any of the seven SUVs in the group. More than anything, the 300-hp V-8 and the brakes are overmatched by the sheer bulk of the thing: 2,792 kg.

That said, the Expedition has a very smooth ride, the six-speed automatic transmission is completely modern and the easy-folding third-row seats are functional.

So let's give credit where it's due. The independent rear suspension — typical on sports cars, but rare on big SUVs — helps it hug the road and sail over bumps.

The six-speed automatic transmission has enough gear ratios to keep the engine turning even if the power numbers are not brilliant.

Inside, the leather seats look lovely and are supportive and comfortable.

But the dashboard, while it tries to look stylish, is an odd assortment of sizes, shapes, tastes and materials. For instance, a mix of rectangular and round chrome bezels around the gauges look retro, out of place and cheap in this big, pricey truck.

Most important of all, though, the third-row seats fold at the touch of a button to form a flat floor. The Escalade can't do that.

GMC Yukon

Consider this the starter version of the Escalade. Really, they are both part of the same family.

Except in this test the Yukon is more than $20,000 less than the Escalade. Naturally, the Escalade comes with a higher level of standard features, though the Yukon has lots of standard gear, too —– especially safety gear like anti-skid control.

The Yukon also has space, lots of it, though the second row doesn't have the vast legroom you'd expect. I was also surprised by the opening at the bottom of the back door. It is narrow enough to snag a toe.

The 320-hp V-8 is strong, yet the four-speed automatic transmission seems a bit retro in a world of six-speeds. More gears would mean better performance and fuel economy.

The interior, though, is very good. The seats feel comfortable for a long drive and all the instruments and controls make perfect sense. Very nice.

Speaking of driving, for such a big rig the Yukon has a tight turning circle. Parking lot manoeuvres are surprisingly easy. That removes some of the intimidation factor for the driver.

Over all, the Yukon is a generally pleasant ride for a road trip. The design, while somewhat conservative, is attractive enough.

It's a contender here, but I'd rather save a few bucks and buy the less expensive and equally capable Chevrolet Tahoe.

Lincoln Navigator

The massive, toothy grille is completely tasteless, the kind of design feature that brings to mind one thought: What were they thinking?

That is because the rest of the Navigator is not unattractive for such a big ride. The broad shoulders, the power dome hood, the chiselled sheet metal all come together nicely.

Inside, you will find rich-looking, if somewhat-undersized, instruments and controls. And the standard luxury gear includes a lot of rich stuff.

The engine is a 300-horsepower V-8 with 365 lb-ft of torque. That's okay, but not impressive at all.

Keep in mind the Navigator is no lightweight at 2,725 kg. Still, the Navigator's engine is quiet and it does its work using regular 87-octane gas. All of the others use premium.

More than anything, though, the Navigator is not particularly enjoyable to drive. It is slow to get off the line, compared to others and this Lincoln's binders feel soft and mushy.

In fact, it takes 45.2 metres to stop from 100 km/h, while the Q7 will do it in 39.6 metres. The difference amounts to more than the entire length of one Navigator.

Ford missed the mark here. The Navigator is underpowered, the brakes aren't up to snuff and the small instruments and controls are wrong.

Mercedes-Benz GL

Here is the winner among high-priced SUVs. The GL450 is an amazing ride — handsome, powerful, driver-friendly, quiet, comfortable and safe.

I simply cannot dislike the gargantuan GL450. I like its commanding ride height (1,840 mm), its huge cabin (2,300 litres of total cargo volume), the massive towing capacity (3,402 kg), the flexible seating (for seven), the majestic horsepower (335 hp from a 4.6-litre V-8) and the spiffy seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shift switches behind the steering wheel for driver inputs.

Then there are the little things, like a deep foot well to enhance comfort in the third seat row. The third row may not be ideal for long trips if you an adult, but it does not feel claustrophobic. The glass roof panel above the seat has something to do with that.

And because the GL was engineered for sale in 135 countries, it is slimmer, narrower than an Escalade and a Navigator, and thus it is easier to park.

Above all, though, I really was impressed with how the GL rides and handles. The Merc is more like a car than you might expect. Not exactly a car, mind you, but, as monstrous trucks go, the GL is quite amazing on the road.

The turbine-smooth V-8 has enough juice to get the 2,430-kg GL surging forward without hesitation. The steering had some feel to it, too. Brakes are excellent.

Yes, being big and tall, the GL leans a bit in sharp bends — but less than you'd expect, and the standard 18-inch rubber (265/60-series all-seasons all around) provides plenty of stick.

Mercedes simply nailed it with the GL450.

jcato@globeandmail.com