Auto News 5

We predicted early on that the Volkswagen Passat TDI's combination of space, comfort, and fuel economy would make it a popular choice for summer road trips. Sure enough, we racked up more than 1000 miles over the last month as staffers criss-crossed the state of Michigan.

People seem to either love the Flex or hate it. I don't know if I love it, but I most certainly like it. I like the distinctly American, elegant, modern exterior styling. I like the seats in the first and second rows, and even the third-row seats are fairly roomy and comfortable. I like the performance of the upgraded V-6; 287 hp is plenty of grunt, and if you want more, you can choose the turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost V-6. There's no question that a minivan would be even more practical and versatile than the Flex, but no minivan looks even remotely as cool as the Flex. So you learn to live with the more cumbersome liftover height at the tailgate and the high and thick instrument panel that seems to be a barrier between you and the windshield. If I had a family of two or three kids and didn't want a minivan, the Flex would be at or near the top of my shopping list.

After a highly satisfactory experience with a Four Seasons Infiniti QX56, our collective antennae were up at the debut of Infiniti's newest SUV, the JX35. One rung down size-wise from the big-boy QX, the JX is also built differently, being of unibody construction rather than body-on-frame. Additionally, the JX is based on Nissan's front-wheel-drive, mid-size D-platform (which also underpins the Altima and the Maxima), and it's therefore the first Infiniti in a long time that doesn't use a rear-wheel-drive architecture.