I disagree with this.That's the problem, it really doesn't get up and move. It sort of levers itself out of the chair and shuffles along until it gets some momentum, and then it does OK. I'm gonna go against the grain here and say that the normally aspirated 2.5 is a dog when taking off, and pretty sluggish when merging....
The OP is asking about adequate power for merging into traffic, which it has.
Its real-world performance is comparable to the vast majority of other compact cars/SUVs.
He's not drag racing this vehicle or taking it to autocross events.
If you want better performance without upgrading to the turbo model...
then get the FWD version instead of the AWD version.
Car & Driver tested both, and the FWD version was quicker than the AWD in all acceleration tests:
0-60 MPH, 0-100 MPH, 5-60 MPH rolling start, 30-50 MPH, 50-70 MPH, 1/4 Mile
As a bonus, the FWD also has shorter 70-0 MPH braking distances, costs ~$1500 less, and lower maintenance/repair costs.