Dayton Daily News

Here's how the purchasing process for major items goes in my household — and it doesn't matter if it's a house, television or blender: We agree to a budget, find the best item we can find for that price ... and then upgrade, upsize, upwhatever. Hey, we figure, there's no sense settling.

Now, if we were in the market for a car and decided a fit was the 2008 Infiniti M35 sedan, would our eyes stray toward that M45? Sure. And then here's where I would throw around my "but." But the M35 is not settling.

All things considered — product vs. price — the M35, which is rear-wheel drive, compares favorably to the M45. The major difference is under the hood. The M35 utilizes a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 280 horsepower. The M45 has a 4.5-liter V-8 engine with 335 hp. It's a lively step up but it comes with a steep tag at $6K more. Among few other differences, only steering-adaptive xenon headlights on the M45 stand out.

The M35 starts at $43,050 and the M45 at $49,700. There are two other options within the line as the M comes with all-wheel drive, which is identified with an "x." The M35x starts at $45,100 and the M45x starts at $52,200.

The reason we can say the M35 stands firmly on its own is that the V-6 engine performs quite capably. Mated with the same 5-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift gate that comes with the larger engine, the M35 performs well on surface streets and the open road. Closing the gap in the horsepower category is the fact that the M35 gets kudos for its handling. Our test vehicle came with a sport suspension that increases the driving experience with controlled steering and a bit firmer ride.

The M rides the wave with others in its premium midsize category with a stylish exterior that has a sleekness tinged with muscle. No blocky lines here. A wheelbase of 114.2 inches is good length for a car this size.

Inside, there is room for five passengers, although the middle rider in the back must deal with the driveline hump. There are leather-upholstered seating surfaces all around and the power front seats are both heated and cooled.

There are some other highlights among the standard features like a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate controls, power tilt/telescopic steering wheel with radio controls, driver-side memory system, heated power mirrors that tilt down when backing up and a driver-side mirror that automatically changes for day and night, keyless access and starting, universal garage-door opener and alloy wheels. Among the safety features are front side airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes, brake assist, antiskid system and tire-pressure monitor.

Our test vehicle came with two well-stocked packages. The Technology Package, for $3,350, includes navigation system, rearview camera, upgraded sound system with hard drive and iPod adapter. The Sport Package, for $1,650, includes 19-inch alloy wheels in place of standard 18-inch wheels, a sport suspension, active rear steering (this angles the rear wheels slightly in turns) and special interior and exterior trim.

While there may be no denying the pluses in having the V-8 engine that comes with the Infiniti M45, the M35 proves that it measures up within the line and against the competition.

David Mikesell is a free-lance automotive reviewer based in Indianapolis. Read this review and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.