2008 All Wheel Drive Sedans

Infiniti EX35 tops in safety

Infiniti's EX35 compact crossover has earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation for 2011 from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety , an independent testing agency that is funded in part by auto insurers.

The rating is a result of the EX35 earning the top score, “Good,” in separate front-, rear- and side-impact and roof-strength tests conducted by the institute, which has standards that generally are more stringent than those of the federal government's testing program.

Vehicles also must have electronic stability control to qualify for the institute's special designation.

Also on the list of Top Safety Pick vehicles this year is the Infiniti M sedan, which comes in two versions, the V-6 powered M37 and V-8 powered M56.

Standard safety features on the EX35 include dual-stage, dual-threshold front air bags with seat-belt and occupant-classification sensors, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows of seats, front seat-mounted driver and passenger side-impact air bags, and front-seat active head restraints.

Among other standard safety items are child-seat anchors and tethers, tire-pressure monitoring, traction control and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.

The EX35 has a long list of optional safety equipment as well, although the Top Safety Pick designation was not based on any of these extra-cost features. Those include the Infiniti lane-departure-prevention system, intelligent cruise control, distance-control assist and intelligent brake assist with forward collision warning.

Also available is a blind-spot warning system, which signals the driver with a light if another vehicle is detected in the blind-spot area on either side of the car. If the driver activates the turn signal with another vehicle in the blind spot, the indicator flashes and a warning tone sounds, as well.

The EX35, introduced for 2008, has a base price range of $35,200 to $38,800 (plus $895 freight) for model year 2011. It's one of the most popular models in the Infiniti lineup, offering sporty performance in a car that has seating for five and SUV-style cargo-carrying capability.

Based on the chassis of the Infiniti G sedan, key competitors include the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Volvo XC60, Cadillac SRX and Audi Q5. But the EX also competes with sedans in the entry-premium segment as well.

The EX is a junior version of the larger Infiniti FX crossover and has essentially the same engine as the FX35 (V-6) model — but with a starting price that is $7,400 less. The FX35 begins at $42,600, while the V-8 powered FX50 begins at $57,600. The EX is not available with a V-8 engine.

S-Series Touring Sedan

The STS is the successor to the Cadillac Seville. That car used the STS name, standing for Seville Touring Sedan on upscale performance-oriented versions beginning in 1988. In 1992, Cadillac split the Seville line into STS and less performance-oriented SLS (for Seville Luxury Sedan) trim lines. The next year, the STS got Cadillac’s then-new North star System, including the aluminum DOHC L37 North star V8 engine. Throughout its existence, the STS was Cadillac’s highest-priced sedan. Worldwide, the STS is Cadillac’s flagship model. In the United States and Canada, the STS is positioned between the mid-size CTS and larger DTS, and is priced above the latter. The Cadillac STS is rated with a four star frontal and five star rear passenger crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It was given an overall “Good” score in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal crash test. And an “Acceptable” rating in the side impact test.[5] In the side impact test injury measurements to the driver’s pelvis was rated “Poor” and for the torso “Acceptable.” The front wheel drive Seville was retired in 2004, replaced by an entirely new STS model based on the rear wheel drive GM Sigma platform. All wheel drive is offered as an option, the first Cadillac sedan to be available with this drive system. The STS carries on the Magnetic Ride Control suspension, which has bragging rights as being the ‘fastest reacting suspension ever,’ before it was ever utilized on newer Corvettes and Ferraris. Wheelbase is 116.4 in (2957 mm), though overall length is shorter than the Seville. Interior space is greater than its predecessor, though. A heads-up display is optional, as is a 300 Watt Bose stereo system with MP3 capability. Base pricing starts at US$40,995 (slightly higher than the DTS, which is longer but has front-wheel drive), and extends to US$52,240 for the AWD V8 model. For 2008, the STS has been updated. Changes include a refreshed exterior, with styling cues resembling the 2008 CTS, such as larger, more aggressive grille and chrome fender vents. The interior has also been updated, with new materials and a new steering wheel, though the overall interior design remains the same, despite previous rumors of an all-new interior similar to that of the Chinese-market SLS. The standard power train is now a direct-injected 3.6 L V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, which in the STS will produce 302 horsepower (225 kW) and 272 lb.ft (369 N.m) of torque. It also offers enhanced safety features, including a lane departure warning system developed by Mobileye, a blind spot monitoring system, and an improved version of GM’s StabiliTrak stability control system, which can now operate the steering system in addition to the brakes to help correct a skid. Additionally, options previously limited to the V8 model (such as HID headlamps and heads-up display) are now available with the V6. The 2008 Cadillac STS debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show. For the 2007 model year, the Chinese market received the Cadillac SLS. Compared to the STS, the SLS has a longer wheelbase, unique interior appointments, and a near-identical exterior appearance. Engine choices are the 2.8-liter V-6, 3.6-liter V-6 (the non-direct-injection version shared with the 2005-2007 STS V-6), and the same 4.6-liter Northstar V-8 as in the STS V-8. Chinese-Spec SLS receives facelift at the end of 2009, and is sold as 2010 Model Year. The grille, bumper and many other details have been revised. Shanghai-GM has also introduced On Star system to MY2010 SLS. With the introduction of two SIDI engines (one is 272 hp 3.0L, the other is 310 hp 3.6L), the new SLS goes up-to-date. The new SLS is priced from 448,000RMB to 698,000RMB. The automotive press has reported that the next Cadillac DTS is expected to merge with the Cadillac STS to create a single flagship sedan which should be similar to Cadillac’s XTS Platinum concept which debuted at the Detroit International Auto Show in January 2010.[16] Reports differ whether this model will continue on rear wheel drive, all wheel drive GM Sigma platform, or drop down to the front wheel drive GM Epsilon II platform.

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