SUVs worth waiting for in 2013

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es, the auto world is getting crowded with cushy crossovers, but that doesn't mean there aren't any rugged SUVs anymore. Here are the ones we're anticipating in the next few years.

2013 Ford Explorer Sport
When: Late Summer

We recently drove the new Ford Taurus SHO, a car that is a classic sleeper. It has a 365 hp V-6 under the hood to move the big sedan to 60 mph in a little over 5 seconds, but what's more shocking is that it corners well, too. And if Ford's done its homework, the all-new Ford Explorer Sport will be an SHO-equivalent on the SUV front.

The Explorer Sport gets the same V-6, a significantly beefed up chassis, as well as a stiffened, lowered suspension, bigger brake rotors, and a faster feel to the steering system. All of these tweaks made the Taurus SHO into a much more aggressive machine. Ford is also trying to walk a fine line between all-out performance and reasonable fuel economy with the Sport. Its 16/22 mpg target would be a big improvement on the 12/18 of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (which will cost about $10,000 more than the Ford, we think.). Significantly, the Explorer Sport will also do better than the 13/20 of the 5.7-liter, Hemi V-8 Dodge Durango, a vehicle we really like for its great handling, given its mission. If Ford catches up in power and can offer better fuel economy, it's sure to capture a lot of buyers for the Explorer Sport.