I don't think Nissan and Mitsu are "all about performance". I have a CVT Lancer which is similar to the RVR. The CVT while lacks gears isn't that bad. CVT compared to a manual or a dual clutch system is awful but it's about equal to traditional slushbox automatic.
I was looking at some suv's and decided not to get one. Here are some quick mental notes from my research. I was looking for very car-like SUV's:
Nissan Juke: Very good bang for the buck but ugly as sin. I read that handling is very good. Not a lot of room inside
RVR: Slow. Most reviews I read trashed the handling. I think it looks pretty good from the outside
Mini Countryman: $$$
VW Tiguan: $$$ and I hear bad things about VW reliability. I think this car looks sexy so if I 'had' to get an SUV I'll highly consider this one.
Honda CRV/Toyota Rav: Popular and I'm sure they're reliable. They're kinda bland but very practical IMO. I'll consider one when I'm old
I've been reading lots of reviews here:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/category/reviews/