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Infiniti G37 Sedan AWD Review

It's been three years since my last seat time in an Infiniti G sedan. It was the G35 then, and it was my mode of transportation for an up-on-Monday, back-on-Wednesday run to Las Vegas (280 miles each way) for a broadcasting convention.

Powerful, great handling, luxurious without being soft. I loved it.

What's the difference between 2006 and 2009? In a word, more.

Certainly more power. 280 horses back then have been bumped to 328 now...nearly 50 more.

More gears. The G35 I drove had a six-speed manual. The G37 I handed back a couple of weeks ago had a seven-speed automatic...which bumps EPA estimated fuel economy up to 18 city/25 highway.

More features...including stuff Infiniti was probably just beginning to dream about in early '06...like the Infiniti Studio on Wheels premium audio system by Bose with 24-bit Burr Brown DAC and Driver's Audio Stage with 10 speakers.

That's how they list it on the window sticker. It's part of the Premium Package. All I know is it sounded fabulous. And it includes a 9.3 gigabyte Music Box hard drive so all your CDs can come with you and stay in your house at the same time.

Oh, yeah...and genuine African Rosewood trim. $550. An option.

Truth be told, the Infiniti stayed just this side of triggering my "too much tech" alarm...and I have a suspicion that I'd like the $35,750 base G37 AWD (or the $33,250 2-wheel drive) sedan just as much, if not more than I did the $43,015 fully loaded one. But this one is a solid contender in the sport sedan wars...and even if it never becomes the BMW 3-series killer some are hoping for, it will be fun and rewarding to drive it as it tries.

Toyota Tacoma Double Cab Review

"...maybe it's time we got back to the basics of trucks...."
---Waylon Jennings, "Luckenbach, Texas" (1976)

Okay, hold the e-mails. I know Waylon sang "love", not "trucks". Sure would make a great TV spot for the Toyota Tacoma, though. Especially one equipped like our tester.

If you're a TireKicker regular, you know I have a soft spot for the basic...and that all too many manufacturers send out press fleet vehicles loaded to the gills with every conceivable option.

Well, Toyota did the unusual: They built, and then sent to automotive journalists, a Toyota Tacoma (their midsize truck) Double Cab 4X4 with a manual transmission, cloth interior and useful options. And in the process, reminded yours truly what a revelation Toyota pickups were back in the day. Rugged, reliable and reasonable...the new 3 "R"s of autodom (circa 1976, which links us back to Waylon).

The Tacoma comes with a 236 horsepower 4-liter V6. Fuel economy's on the grim side, 14 city, 19 highway, but it's not out of line. It aces every one of the government crash tests (five stars for everyone, four out of four for rollover protection), and generally feels like it will last forever.

All at a base price of $25,695...and that's for the Double Cab four-by-four.

Options on the one I drove? An off-road extra value package (suspension upgrades, tougher tires, skid plates, and tow hooks combined with an upgraded audio system, Bluetooth, sport seats and more for $4,690), daytime running lights for $40, the towing package ($650), floor mats ($199) and a VIP security system ($479). With delivery charges, it came to $32,498, but there's a $950 discount for the extra value package, so the real bottom line was $31,548.

Dump the off-road package, the towing package, the daytime running lights and pick up some floormats from the aftermarket and this would come in just over $26,000...which is a terrific deal for a right-size truck that wins you over with its basic goodness, not a bunch of add-ons.

With $45,000 monster Tundras fuzzing up the image the past few years, the Tacoma is a great way to remind yourself just what a Toyota pickup is all about.

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Acura TL SH-AWD (with Technology Package) Review

There must be a car in there somewhere. Darned if I can find it.

Acura has apparently shifted somewhere along the way from being the near-luxury division of Honda (maker of wonderful vehicles like the original Acura Legend) to being the technology division of Honda...a company that already has entirely too much of a fascination with tiny backlit buttons everywhere it can fit them.

On the Hondas, it's just this side of annoying...because, well...because there's a Honda in there...bringing with it value, reliability and generally attractive cars. And the Honda price point keeps the tech from getting out of control.

But the new Acura TL? First, the redesign has taken a lithe, sleek sedan and turned it into a blocky, angular mess. If they could argue that all those angles confound photo radar, that might be an excuse...but they're not.

Second, it performs well...but not memorably.

And third...the tech. Too much stuff. My first clue? The owner's manual is more than 600 pages long. And there's a separate nav system manual (I neglected to count those pages, but I see that you can get it online as a .pdf...in that form, it's 172 pages.

Oh, yeah...and it's $42,995.

I respect Honda and its products (as a Civic owner for 14 years). But Acura's taken a wrong turn...and I hope its corporate nav system can plot a new route.

Nissan Pathfinder LE 4X4 Review

As the carpocalypse continues, weeklong tests of vehicles take on a new feeling...each one making its case for why it should be around, still in the manufacturer's lineup when things finally get better.

The Nissan Pathfinder makes a strong case. Like the smaller XTerra and most of Nissan's truck products, it sends a message of rugged reliability. There's plenty of space, loads of utility and more than a little sport.

The LE comes with a 4-liter V6 making 266 horsepower, teamed with a 5-speed automatic transmission, 18 inch alloy wheels, leather-appointed first and second row seats, a serious Bose 10-speaker AM/FM/XM/mp3 6-disc changer with dual subwoofers, power everything, Bluetooth and more.

The shock comes when you look at the sticker. Base: $38,510. The nav package and floormats (along with destination charges) ran it up to $41,295. Now, admittedly, the Pathfinder is a bigger and better vehicle than it was just a few years ago...and this is the top of the line model.

But still: 41 and change for a Nissan SUV. 14 city/20 highway EPA estimated miles per gallon. Our advice: Embrace the new austerity...opt for the base S model. You'll keep the engine, but trade down to 16-inch wheels, cloth interior and lose the luxo stuff. You'll also carve $11,300 off the base price...enough to add some options back into the mix with an eyedropper and come up with a solid $30,000 Pathfinder.

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