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" \u2022  First Report Infiniti M35 After attending the press preview of Infiniti&amp;#039;s M35 and M45 several months ago, we were so smitten with the M duo that we named it the Luxury Category winner for our inaugural Automotive Excellence Awards (check out the awards here). We also decided we wanted to test one in more depth--so we ordered an M35 for our long-term fleet. We opted for the humbler of the two for a number of reasons: Taking into account price, gas pumps and the environment, the V6-powered M35 seemed a wiser choice than the V8 M45. But we didn&amp;#039;t skimp on the options, including trick see-around-the-curve headlights, a nav system with an integrated backup camera, a cruise-control system that automatically maintains a safe following distance, and the company&amp;#039;s lane-departure warning system. This kind of technology is found on few cars at the M&amp;#039;s price. Since the car landed at our Santa Monica offices, we&amp;#039;ve been stretching its legs and gathering impressions. And our initial take holds true. The car&amp;#039;s interior is meticulously crafted. We love the low-gloss wood trim that evokes fine, handcrafted furniture. We&amp;#039;re also finding the integral nav/HVAC/audio system very intuitive to use--unlike those in some German luxury sedans. We enjoy the car&amp;#039;s ride and handling compromise. In the past, we found that Infinitis equipped with a sport suspension were too firm for our tastes, so this time we went with the stock suspension and its 18-in. wheels and tires. And we&amp;#039;re glad we did. Next up is a cross-country trip to see how this cruiser handles the really wide-open road. --Ben Stewart  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt; VITAL STATISTICS  Base price:$40,640As-tested price:$48,400Extra-cost options:Journey Package, 14-speaker Bose audio system, intelligent cruise control, lane-departure warning, XM Satellite Radio, splash guards, trunk matDrivetrain:3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine, five-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveEngine performance:280 hp/270 lb.-ft.EPA fuel economy: 18 city/25 hwy  First Report Toyota Highlander Hybrid It seems that we&amp;#039;ve been writing about the Toyota Highlander Hybrid an awful lot lately (check it out here). So we decided to cut to the heart of the matter and add one to our fleet. We&amp;#039;re interested in experiencing the real-world, long-term effects of hybrid life, with the bonus of a well-appointed interior. Interestingly, as cutting-edge as the Highlander&amp;#039;s drivetrain may be--all-wheel drive via an electric motor at the rear axle--much of its interior tech is a bit long in the tooth. The audio system, for one, accepts cassettes but not MP3 players. Huh? The nav system seems a bit clumsier than other systems. And we&amp;#039;re wiping fingerprints off the touchscreen daily. But these are minor complaints. The Highlander is proving to be quite comfortable for five adults. (We haven&amp;#039;t subjected anyone to the third row yet.) More important, the vehicle is both fun and frugal for a crossover SUV. So much so that we&amp;#039;ve already racked up enough miles to be ready for the first service, of which we are reminded constantly by an annoying flashing warning light. --DON CHAIKIN  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt; VITAL STATISTICS  Base price:$39,290As-tested price:$42,054Extra-cost options:Touchscreen navigation system, carpet/cargo mat setDrivetrain:Hybrid Synergy Drive System with 3.3-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine, CVT, all-wheel driveEngine performance: 268 hp total, 208-hp/ 212-lb.-ft. V6, 167-hp/ 247-lb.-ft. and 68-hp/ 96-lb.-ft. electric motorsEPA fuel economy:31 city/27 hwy  border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;DRIVERS NOTEBOOK \u2022 Could use a rear-window wiper.  \u2022 Recaro front seats are a treat.  \u2022 Usable trunk opening is exactly 35 x 14 in. You&amp;#039;ve gotta be kidding! Big stuff just doesn&amp;#039;t fit through. Good thing the rear seatbacks fold 50/50.  \u2022 Supercharger makes a ready 205 hp. No waiting.  DATA SO FAR  Price as tested: $24,585  Previous reports: See 12/05   Miles driven: 5639  Miles since last report: 5089  Fuel economy: Average-22.1 mpg, Worst-15.2 mpg, Best- 31 mpg  Maintenance/repair costs: Scheduled service, $43.34Second Report Chevrolet Cobalt SS The stiff suspension under our winged coupe beats us up while commuting, but tracks corners like it&amp;#039;s on rails. We don&amp;#039;t need to slow down for exit ramps. Great fun that seems to grow with each drive. If you&amp;#039;re a weekend racer, this thing&amp;#039;s got potential. Too bad Nemet Motors in Jamaica, N.Y., soured the Cobalt&amp;#039;s first service. We had to wait more than an hour just to drop off the car for an oil change. And the service tech didn&amp;#039;t reset the oil-life monitor. --KEN JURAN  border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;DRIVERS NOTEBOOK \u2022 We have come to enjoy the low diesel rumble--especially since there&amp;#039;s no belching smoke.  \u2022 One skiing trip to Vermont proved this Jeep&amp;#039;s real 4wd mettle.  \u2022 Gotta love that Sirius Satellite Radio.  DATA SO FAR  Price as tested: $28,045  Previous reports: See 12/05Miles driven: 12,725  Miles since last report: 10,171  Fuel economy: Average-20.1 mpg, Worst-17.8 mpg, Best-29.7 mpg  Maintenance/repair costs: Scheduled services, $80.29, $166.95Second Report Jeep Liberty Sport CRD A Jeep Liberty is meant to haul stuff, run dirt roads and tackle snowy hills. We did all that. But, we also took it on a trek from frigid New England to Florida and back. Once we adjusted to the diesel noise, the ride was comfortable. The smallish cargo space held everything we wanted, handling wasn&amp;#039;t bad and the fuel stops were minimal. But no sooner did we get back home than the check-engine warning light came on. Manhattan Jeep replaced the EGR valve, but the light&amp;#039;s come back on. And the Liberty&amp;#039;s back in the shop. --JERRY BEILINSON  border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;DRIVERS NOTEBOOK \u2022 The radio controls on the steering wheel are nice, but we&amp;#039;d rather they were up- and downshift buttons, like on the Porsche Cayenne.  \u2022 Love the huge sunroof: It brightens up the whole interior during the day.  \u2022 A most annoying automatic climate control system that alternates between a lot of hot and a lot of cold.  DATA SO FAR  Price as tested: $34,351  Previous reports: See 12/05, 9/05, 6/05  Miles driven: 17,757  Miles since last report: 5527  Fuel economy: Average-20.4 mpg, Worst-16.6 mpg, Best-26.8 mpg  Maintenance/repair costs: Scheduled service, $112Final Report Subaru Outback Our final report on the Outback comes from the middle of what has so far been a mild winter here on the East Coast. This has obviated any real advantage of the full-time all-wheel-drive system, more&amp;#039;s the pity. We regretfully recall last winter&amp;#039;s heavy snowfall and freezing temps--and remember lingeringly the sure-footed combination of all-season tires, awd and supple suspension that made the Outback one of the more capable suburban grocery-getters we&amp;#039;ve driven. We&amp;#039;re still trying to figure out why the FM radio on this car works so marginally. It fuzzes over to hisses and gurgles in the city, and pops and buzzes underneath most powerlines where other cars&amp;#039; radios don&amp;#039;t. The first thing we&amp;#039;d do is install a conventional mast antenna to replace the standard one buried in the rear-window defroster grid. At least the rattle in the right-front door has gone away on its own. Lately, we&amp;#039;ve been driving other cars, and it gives us a chance to appreciate the good things about this one: the pothole-absorbing suspension, excellent road manners and inherent utility of the station-wagon body style. We still reach for the keys to something else when we need to get somewhere in a hurry, or very far away. The sluggish transmission response is improved somewhat by using the Sport mode, which allows manual shifting. But, the slightly offset driving position and lack of lateral support in the seats gets our backs aching after a few hours at the helm. Nonetheless, there&amp;#039;s nothing else in our fleet as well suited for bopping around town. --MIKE ALLEN  border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;DRIVERS NOTEBOOK \u2022 The light gold interior always looks dirty.  \u2022 The perfect vehicle to take to the class reunion.  \u2022 Somehow the harsh ride and hard front seats grew on us over the miles.  \u2022 Ahh, the surge of power when you downshift and depress the gas pedal.  DATA SO FAR  Price as tested: $68,100  Previous reports: See 12/05, 9/05, 6/05Miles driven: 22,342  Miles since last report: 4943  Fuel economy: Average-15.1 mpg, Worst-13.9 mpg, Best-16.6 mpg  Maintenance/repair costs: Scheduled service, $431.19; replacement tires, $780.04  Final Report Porsche Cayenne S Not unlike the mythical one-horse shay, our Cayenne long-termer was hale and hearty until the very end of its tenure with us. The potent Porsche seemed impervious to the cumulative abuses of life in the hands of half a dozen different staffers. However, when we brought the Cayenne to Manhattan Motorcars for its first scheduled service at about 18,000 miles, we were told that its Pirelli Scorpions were ready for tire heaven. Seemed like a short life for a set of tires, but we&amp;#039;ve learned that&amp;#039;s about the norm given the vehicle&amp;#039;s aggressive handling and gummy tires. Fine enough, but at Manhattan prices, a new set would have been over $2000. We opted to call the nice folks at TireRack. For about $1300 less, we had four new tires. But before we could get the tires mounted, the Cayenne lost its power steering. No sign of a leak, but a completely empty reservoir. Unfortunately, the staffer behind the wheel at the time had to drive a bit to find a safe haven. Luckily, our executive editor is a muscular sort and was able to manhandle the hard-steering Porsche to a garage. We replenished the steering fluid, but the damage was done: The power steering pump was history. Porsche replaced it under warranty. After that, happily, the Cayenne soldiered on like new, giving as much pleasure and comfort as it had since new. We all really miss it. After all, it&amp;#039;s the Porsche of SUVs. --D.C. Photograph by Jennifer Rocholl "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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