in a road test of a 2009 crossover vehicle, the amc eagle "combined two disparate personalities – rugged childlike playfulness and staunch paternal responsibility – in a way that few thought possible in 1980. and for all the eagle's lowly heritage, it has set a lasting standard for utility and a friendly, innovative spirit that has eluded most of the compact crossovers on the market today." an article in a series about innovations and icons, the bbc wrote "the eagle was, in essence, the kind of segment-busting product that engineers and marketers spend entire careers trying to create."