2010 Infiniti EX35 AWD 4dr Journey

The 2010 Infiniti EX35 is one of the best-driving entries in the growing compact luxury crossover segment, and the price is right.

For quite some time now the station wagon has been out of favor. But that doesn't mean that Americans aren't interested in convenience or practicality. That's pretty much how the crossover SUV revolution came to be, and the 2010 Infiniti EX35 is one of the more recent additions to this growing crowd. Truth be told, the EX35 is more akin to compact wagons like the BMW 328i than crossovers like the Volvo XC60 in terms of functionality. It's not a big car. But what it does offer is most of the G37's sport sedan goodness, along with a more useful cargo bay, and that should be close enough to the magical "wagon by any other name" formula to attract shoppers in this segment.

Like its crossover brethren, the EX35 is based on a car platform, in this case the G37 sport sedan. Its wheelbase is 2 inches longer and its ride height 1 inch higher, but other than that, the EX is largely a G under the skin. There are two interesting exceptions, though. First, the EX's 3.5-liter V6 is a carryover from the old G35, as is the five-speed automatic transmission (the G37 has a 3.7-liter V6 and an improved seven-speed automatic). Second, while the EX35 borrows its front double-wishbone suspension design from the G37, its rear multilink arrangement is derived from the previous-generation FX SUV.

That may sound like an odd mishmash, but the results are impressive. Indeed, we think the EX35 may have the best ride/handling balance of any current Infiniti product, providing ample cornering capability without beating up occupants over bumps. Overall, this Infiniti's driving dynamics are more akin to a sport sedan's than a crossover's -- think of it as a marginally slower G37 with a more practical trunk.

Inside, the EX sports an attractive, dual-cowl dash design that employs high-quality materials and an available two-tone color scheme.

If you like the sound of sport sedan driving dynamics, a pleasant ride, a mildly elevated ride height and a still-useful wagonlike design, the EX35 is worth a close look. Americans may not like station wagons, but they're bound to appreciate this endearingly unusual Infiniti. -Edmund's Expert Review