By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

If horsepower isn't everything in your driving life, but you crave luxury and style in your motorized transportation even on a modest budget, we have a suggestion. Give the all-new 2011 Infiniti G25 a test drive.

It's what you might call G37 light, Infiniti's answer to the Lexus IS250, the Mercedes C300, the Acura TSX and the BMW 328i. It has the same interior, exterior and similar standard features as the G37 and is available in three trim levels — G25, G25 Journey and G25x Journey AWD.

 By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Infiniti’s FX line, introduced in 2003, may be best suited for the sports car addict who just can’t let go, but who needs more space for passengers and cargo. Infiniti has claimed for years that the FX35 — and its more powerful twin, the FX50 — is a cross between a sports car and a sport utility vehicle. After revisiting the FX for the first time in several years, we find the description is apt.

This unusual creation with its curvaceous lines that still is wearing well nearly a decade after it was introduced fits nicely into the modern ‘rounder-is-better’ design world.

 By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The technologically advanced sporting nature of the new muscular M would not suit the needs of any number of people; their needs being for more sedate mid-sized luxury as found in the Lexus ES and GS, the current Cadillac STS, and the Lincoln MKS.

Comfort and refinement are demanded at the price-point of mid-sized luxury shoppers. This in no way implies that the revised M is not comfortable or superbly refined. It is. But it also possesses a sporty driving experience that would be wasted on the “comfort” crowd. In fact, the M’s stiffer ride compared to many other luxury nameplates might be a turn off.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The luxury division of Nissan began life in 1989 as a viable competitor to the burgeoning Lexus and Acura brands, even if somewhat blinded by an avalanche marketing program that was more about rocks and trees than the brand. It took some time to overcome, but eventually the brand took shape and initially it was a winner.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The luxury division of Nissan began life in 1989 as a viable competitor to the burgeoning Lexus and Acura brands. The Infiniti flagship Q45 was a delightful performance-oriented luxury car pulled by 278 horses, a prodigious number for 1990. It was every bit as alluring and interesting as the Lexus LS and the Acura Legend. And it was more powerful.