Remember the scene in the 2006 movie “Little Miss Sunshine” when all of the young beauty contestants are lined up in a row?
Although the girls have different physical characteristics — some dark, some light, some tall, some short — their “looks” are so similar they are almost indistinguishable from each other.
In many ways, the lineup of luxury sport sedans is very similar. Whether the auto is from Jaguar, BMW, Infiniti or a competitor, the field is so crowded with similar “beauties” it’s easy to become confused and mentally lump them into one.
Those who are trying to distinguish among them make attempts to lump the crowded field into two subsections. First are the extra sporty — with special wheels, spoilers and slanted glass. Then there are the extra luxurious that boast roomy cabins, climate controlled seats and superior audio systems. Rarely do the two types meet, except in name only.
The Infiniti M35 is one of the rare luxury sport sedans that offer enough to qualify as both sport and luxury. High-intensity-discharge headlights, dual exhaust with quad chrome finishers and a top-grade audio system handle the sporty while lush extras such as African rosewood trim, keyless entry and rain-sensing windshield wipers are among the luxuries. It’s a nice balance.
Overall the M35 has a comfortable and fairly posh interior with leather-appointed seats. There are also 10-way power front driver and passenger seats that are also climate controlled, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with multifunction control, and a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel.
And yes, the M35 has all the right technology stuff including push-button start, keyless entry, Bluetooth and XM radio. My quibble with Nissan/Infiniti is that it is far from out front in technology. The technology often is far from intuitive and seems a bit like an afterthought. You can buy a few optional technology packages (the model I tested had two; the one with navigation included cost $3,350), which includes navigation.
My hunch is families will be wowed by the M35’s storage space and lots of little extras that make hauling everything from books to boxes easy. Dual front seat nets, storage within the front center armrest and a trunk boasting 14.9 cubic feet of space while all seats are in place are welcome features. And if you think those elements are standard, you haven’t been car shopping lately. These are nice extras.
I don’t think anyone’s ever accused Infiniti of weak performance and the M35 is no exception. This car boasts a 3.5-liter V-6 with 303 horsepower and 262 pounds-feet of torque. The rear-wheel-drive version has a seven-speed automatic with the shift control option. The car is powerful and moves well; braking is firm and steady but never grabby.
The M35 has Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy estimates that are a respectable 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, and has a base price of $45,800, so those shopping for luxury sports sedans should definitely give this model a look and a test drive.
