1ST PLACE: 2013 Ford Escape! Doing It Right says Motor Trend.

The new 2013 Ford Escape is about as close to being great as a compact CUV is going to get. The Escape does almost everything right. Take the powertrain, for example. The 1.6-liter turbo-four is one reason Ford won the gold medal. Evans found it a "strong little engine," while Kiino noted that it has "great power from 2000 to 5000 rpm." More important nobody felt the Ford was low on power or struggled to accelerate.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1209_2012_2013_compact_crossover_suv_comparison/cr_v_cx_5_escape_html.html