From the logbook: Infiniti EX35

Sometimes the question of how do you make a good car better can be answered with “just add some utility.” For example, the folks at Infiniti infused their already great G35 sedan with a hatchback cargo area and created, basically, a wagon. Or is it an SUV? Infiniti calls it a "personal luxury crossover." (Reminds  me of the pitch for the "personal luxury cars" of the ‘70s…like the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Oldsmobile Toronado. But I digress...)

Our EX35 Journey AWD model came equipped with the Premium Package, plus a few odds and ends, and it stickered at $39,425. So did the EX make the G more of a good thing? Here’s a look at the first impressions from the testers’ logbook:

"Small and nimble—very much like the G but quieter and rides better."

"Very good steering and responsive handling."

"Great power, responsive transmission."

"20 mpg is not impressive."

"Rear visibility is really hindered to the corners by huge pillars and the restraints."

"Cannot tip the driver’s seat for thigh comfort, and the seatback is too narrow."

"Beautiful fit and finish."

"Sloping roof and tight back seat limit cargo and passenger room."

"I like how the mirrors light up when you approach the vehicle."

"Hard to pigeonhole the car…hatchback? Wagon? Has a lot of appeal, though."

"Why doesn’t $40K get you a nav system or back-up camera?"

"The car’s size is tough to justify for a family, as rear seat room is quite tight."

"What’s not to like about an all-weather G35 with a bigger trunk?"

There are times when things get lost in the translation, but, overall, many of the driving virtues we so strongly praise in the G35 are alive and well in the EX35. But the jury’s still out as to whether or not the extra utility (and price: our EX is about $1,900 more than a similarly equipped G35 AWD) are worth it. Then again, none of us here fit the yuppie-couple-with-a-dog-in-the-city profile at which the marketers are aiming the EX. We’ll have a full comparison test with this and several competing models—including the Land Rover LR2 and Volkswagen Tiguan—in the pages of Consumer Reports in the coming months.

—Mike Quincy