Stealthy Acura ZDX is a top-flight ride

Sacramento, California – They delivered a Stealth fighter jet to my driveway recently.

Yes, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

The accompanying paperwork – obviously a misdirection document drawn up by the CIA – identified the craft as a 2012 Acura ZDX, a five-passenger luxury sport-utility vehicle positively loaded with extras, with a starting price of nearly $57,000.

But I was not fooled. Wearing black skin that was sharply angled in seemingly every direction on the compass, this was something created to fly unobserved by radar.

How angular was the chassis? You have to hunt for the handles that open the rear doors. Seriously, a five-minute search revealed that they were hidden high on the back end of the entry portals.

Kudos to Acura's first female designer, Michelle Christensen, who made the ZDX a reality.

Although I never got the ZDX off the ground, it had enough pop to do the trick had wings been attached.

A 3.7-liter V-6 puts out 300 roaring horses, enough juice to whip the ZDX around most stragglers with authority. Off-the-line bursts were robust, but not snappish. Yet steering was pleasantly light. Balance was darn-near perfect. Braking power decidedly firm.

Acura insists that the ZDX is a “four-door sports coupe,” and for once I’m not going to argue with the naming game. The ZDX feels more like a sports car than an SUV. Yet it has all the comforts of the latter.

Backseat space is generous. Interior luxury abounds with leather, LED lighting and a kickin’ audio system. Driver helps are plentiful, with the blind spot information system a most welcome perk.

Fuel mileage was, well, pretty lousy at 16 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. Alas, my thoughts of high-priced fuel fill-ups were drowned out by the heart-racing performance characteristics of the vehicle.

Oh yes, the rear cargo area can be configured to create a hole of nearly 56 cubic feet – perfect for carrying, say, a dozen golf bags or groceries for 100.

Luxury, performance, comfort and agility. If you have the cash, this ZDX pretty much fills up the wish list.

Just make sure you have a good cover story when the neighbors ask you about the vehicle. Remember, the CIA is watching.