The 2009 Infiniti M35 is Infiniti's midsize luxury sedan. It compares with American made vehicles such as the Cadillac CTS and Lincoln MKS. Foreign competitors include Acura TL, Lexus GS, Audi A6, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 5-Series, Jaguar XF Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The 2009 body style hasn't changed in any major details from the previous year. However, more horsepower and a seven-speed automatic transmission have been added to the mix.

Speaking of horsepower, the M35 standard 3.5 liter gasoline engine now cranks out 303 of them. Aside from the seven-speed automatic transmission with overdrive, which is offered on the M35, the M35x gets a five speed automatic transmission with overdrive. No options on either the engine or the transmission. They are fixed depending on the model and trim.

The M35x gets 16 miles to the gallon in city driving and 22 miles per gallon on the highway. The M35 does slightly better at 17 miles per gallon city and 25 miles per gallon highway.

The only trims are the basic M35 and the M35x, the latter being all-wheel drive. Either offers plenty of great features. Among the nicer of them is the way Infiniti handled the colors. The Infiniti comes in a choice of eight exterior colors and three interior colors (all with leather, of course). And - typical of Japanese engineering and foresight - despite a wide array of choice in both categories, any of the interior colors will go with any of the exterior colors.

There are no NHTSA crash test ratings available for the M35 for either 2008 or 2009. Safety features are what you would expect for a midsize luxury car. Child safety locks, inside trunk latch, first aid kit, antilock brakes with electronic braking assistance, traction control and a vehicle stabilization control system and airbags all around. There is also an optional electronic parking aid.

While the fuel efficiency is poor for a midsize, it's good for a luxury car, so consider it about average for a luxury midsize. Horsepower is a little light and the car is not quite as wide as the average in class. However, legroom is excellent and the warranty is slightly longer than the class average.

The base price on the 2009 Infiniti M35 is $45,800 and on the M35x is $47,950. Again, that's high for a midsize car, but very low for a luxury car, and the M35 is foremost a luxury car. So, bottom line, decent power, good mileage and a great price for a really, really nice ride. It's a hard deal to fault.