With gasoline prices reaching new heights on a weekly basis, perhaps the most important information you can have is how to make your gas last longer and how to find the lowest prices. Here are some handy tips that might help take some of the sting out of your next visit to the pump.

1. _{Fill up on weekdays - Prices usually rise on the weekend, so the best times to buy gas are typically Tuesday afternoons or Wednesday mornings.}
2. _{Track your mileage - Have your car checked if the average miles you get per gallon continues to decrease over time. To calculate your mileage, note the odometer reading and number of gallons purchased each time you fill up. Divide the number of miles traveled between fill-ups by the number of gallons purchased.}
3. _{Look for discount gas cards - Shell, Gulf, BP-Amoco, Exxon-Mobile, and others have rebate programs that offer as much as 5 to 10 percent off the gas you buy!}
4. _{Avoid running on empty - When your car is on empty you’re actually using more gas because your vehicle is running less efficiently. Fill your gas tank when you have half a tank or a little less.}
5. _{Less is more - Don’t carry around items you don’t need. For every 100 pounds of weight in your car, fuel economy decreases by one to two percent. Put heavy items in the trunk instead of on a roof rack, which creates drag and eats up gas.}
6. _{Look around - Find the places near you that offer the cheapest gas and shop there first.}
7. _{Consider checking into these great online resources: Cheap Gas, Gas Buddy, and Gas Price Watch.}
8. _{Avoid idling - Shut off the engine if you have to sit in your car for more than one minute.}
9. _{Check your tire pressure - Under-inflated tires require more energy to roll. More energy means more gas. When it’s time, consider replacing worn tires with low-rolling resistance tires.}
10. _{Slow down - Driving at posted speed limits saves fuel and saves lives. Each 5 mph over 60 mph is like paying an additional 10 cents per gallon. Use cruise control to maintain your speed.}
11. _{Avoid gas stations near freeways - Research shows that prices are often higher there.}
12. _{Don’t upgrade - Unless your owner’s manual suggests using a higher grade, buy regular gasoline. Costlier high-octane gas does not improve the performance of your vehicle.}
13. _{Avoid topping off - When you top off your tank, the pump doesn’t have enough time to really activate, resulting in short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the amount of gas that you are purchasing.}
14. _{Maintain your car - Change your oil, spark plugs, and air filter on schedule. Always go to a repair shop if your “Check Engine” light comes on - a faulty oxygen sensor could be the cause, lowering your mileage significantly.}
15. _{Tighten gas cap - Tightening the gas cap on your car will prevent gas from evaporating and escaping into the air. If you’ve lost your gas cap, buy a new one as soon as possible.}
16. _{Combine trips - Several short trips taken from a “cold start” can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Carpool whenever possible.}
17. _{Choose your vehicle wisely - If you own more than one vehicle, remember to drive the one that gets better mileage when you have the option.}
18. _{Choose your route wisely - Take the route with the flattest terrain and fewest stops. Try to avoid traffic jams and stop-and-go traffic.}
19. _{Avoid sudden stops and starts - Erratic acceleration and braking can waste up to 50 cents a gallon.}
20. _{Limit air conditioning - Your A/C consumes fuel. At lower speeds, open the windows or sunroof to stay cool. At higher speeds, use the car’s fan instead. Open windows create drag that reduces mileage.}

A few more bright ideas

• Buy gas from busy stations - Gas station pumps that are refilled regularly are more likely to have fuel that is fresh. Fresh gas has more power than gas that has been sitting in a station’s pump.

• Made in the shade - Park in the shade and it will minimize fuel evaporation as well as help keep your car cool in the summer.

• Fill up at night - Believe it or not, pumps deliver more gas when temperatures are lower.

• Get a tune-up - A simple tune-up on your car can improve your gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent!

And here’s a bonus tip

Check your oil - Use the recommended grade of motor oil, preferably one with “energy conserving” on the label. Gas mileage could improve 1 to 2 percent.

 

Road Test: Full Test

Full Test: 2008 Infiniti EX35 This Crossover Thinks It's a Sport Coupe By Michael Jordan, Executive Editor Date posted: 10-25-2007 We're hammering the 2008 Infiniti EX35 on Mulholland Highway in the mountains of darkest Malibu where the movie people live and we've just passed the Rock Store where bikers profile on weekends. Ahead lies the snakiest mile of the whole road. So we drive even faster. The hard-edged 297-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 spins a little quicker while the front suspension occasionally chatters a little in the hairpins, and a short time later we get to the top in the kind of a rush that makes a whole day of driving worthwhile. Then we look over our shoulder and realize that there's a whole backseat behind us, plus the big cargo compartment and we realize again that we've just done the whole Mulholland drive in some kind of crossover-utility thingy. It's a little unseemly. Who knows what the locals thought? Probably figured we were some kind of Malibu catering service running a party platter to some screenwriters. But of course the 2008 Infiniti EX35 really isn't any kind of crossover at all. Morphing the Sport-Utility Now that we're decades into the whole sport-utility deal, we sometimes fail to remember the way utility vehicles have morphed into so many shapes and then filled all the little niches in the market where plain old cars used to live. With the 2008 Infiniti EX35, Infiniti tells us that it's personalizing the sport-utility concept, creating a practical vehicle that has a fine sense of luxury and goes about its business like a personal coupe. But there's no talk of crossovers or station wagons from the guys at Infiniti. And since they like to portray the EX35 from a low angle, the vehicle seems to loom above you in pictures as if it were the size of a Nissan Pathfinder. But once you're standing next to the Infiniti EX35, you realize it's not a crossover or even some kind of utility thingy. It's really just a tall wagon, more like a Volvo XC70 than a BMW X3. This explains everything about the EX35's combination of practical luxury and the kind of driving dynamics you'd expect for express delivery of a party platter in the mountains above Malibu. Look, There's a G35 Sedan Under Here! The Infiniti EX35's speed secret lies in the platform of the Infiniti G35 that lies beneath the utility-oriented sheet metal. The wheelbase of the G35 platform has been stretched 2.0 inches to 112.2 inches, while the body is 4.7 inches longer than a G35 sedan at 187.0 inches. The EX's sculptured form looks substantial next to the G35 mostly due to an increase in height of 4.7 inches over the sedan, although 1.2 inches of this comes from the EX's higher ride height. All the serious hardware is as familiar as the G35 sedan. This version of the Nissan 3.5-liter V6 puts 297 hp at your command, and it's always a pleasure to rev it to 6,800 rpm to get every last bit of it. There are 253 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm, yet this can't begin to capture the exhilarating rush this engine delivers as the tach needle sweeps all the way across the dial, a mechanical vitality that makes the personality of this V6 different from any other. The EX35 does business with the road through a front suspension that duplicates the G35's, but the rear suspension is derived from the Infiniti FX's, a measure to accommodate the 16.8 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second-row seat. Good thing, too, because a BMW X3 can still haul twice as much. Naturally there are some consequences with the EX's new shape when it comes to weight, but the 3,752-pound version of the rear-wheel-drive model is just 255 pounds heavier than a rear-wheel-drive G35, and the fully equipped 5,029-pound all-wheel-drive EX35 AWD is just 241 pounds heavier than an all-wheel-drive G35x. Even the weight distribution is only fractionally different, but the rear-wheel-drive model is predictably a bit sharper and quicker than the all-wheel-drive model. Hurry to the Store There's not meant to be a lot of hurry in something like the EX35, mostly short trips around town while you wave to people on the sidewalk at the gourmet grocery. It's a utility vehicle, but not like some giant box-on-wheels that you'd back up to the loading dock at Home Depot. The EX35 adapts to this sort of thing with far more grace than any other Infiniti, and it rides city streets with brilliantly sophisticated composure, using plenty of its suspension travel yet without feeling tall and tippy in the way many crossovers do. The five-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly, and the V6 gives back 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. (We recorded 17.0 mpg in our mixed usage.) All the rough edges of the G35 sedan's personality have been smoothed down, and the EX feels deliciously deliberate in comparison. But when you're looking for a little bit of hurry from the EX35, it's there for you. It leaves in a decent amount of haste from a stop, getting to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and then passing through the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 96 mph. A BMW X3 is left far behind. When it's really important, this 3,820-pound rear-wheel-drive EX also comes to a halt from 60 mph in 118 feet, an excellent performance from the G35-spec brakes and Dunlop SP Sport 7000 tires. Of course there comes a time when you have to make peace with the increased overall height of the EX, and you can find it in quick transitions. Yet the EX35 still weaves through the slalom at 66 mph, reassuring you with its feel of control and stability. After all, this is a G35 sedan at heart, and good body control and those P225/55VR18 all-season tires help deliver 0.82g of cornering grip on the skid pad with a fine balance that can be adjusted with throttle input. Again, the last X3 we tested would have trouble keeping up. Maybe the Infiniti EX35 is meant for more than shopping. Infiniti Discovers Luxury at Last You can't help but expect performance from the EX35 since it's always been the nature of the G35 sedan. The surprise comes in all the little things that the EX does. Of course, you have to step up to the consequences on the price sticker, because the estimated $33,000 base price of the rear-wheel-drive EX forces you to endure the same generic interior trim that has disappointed us in the past. Once you add all the good stuff, expect a price tag above $40K. Once you start checking off the option boxes, you find yourself surrounded by African rosewood trim and upgraded leather, which makes it possible to believe the Infiniti designers have finally visited a store that sells fine leather goods. With an 11-speaker Bose audio system, a navigation system based on a 9.3GB hard drive (with enough room left over for MP3 music storage) and all the usual lights and flashes, this is the complete premium Infiniti experience, more like the now-departed Q45 luxury sedan than some kind of crossover thingy. The Infiniti EX35 also goes the extra distance with a few bits of cleverness you'd expect in a vehicle that puts utility and luxury in the same sentence. The power-operated 60/40-folding split-back rear seat can be triggered from the cargo area. (Buttons between the front seats enable you to flip them upright again.) There's a lane-departure warning system, and it lightly engages the stability control to bring you back into your lane, although you can turn it off if you like. And the EX35 introduces "Around View Monitor," a system of four small cameras that give you an overhead view of the whole vehicle in order to simplify parking. The only thing the EX35 can't give you is extra passenger space. Although the EX provides 107.1 cubic feet of passenger volume, an increase of 8.1 cubic feet over the G35 sedan, it's still not easy to clamber into the rear seat through the small doors and there's less headroom than you'd like. What's the Difference? It's Fast The 2008 Infiniti EX35 doesn't really fit our idea of a crossover. It goes down the highway like a luxury sedan, but the tiny tremble from the wide tires tells you there's a high-performance sedan lurking beneath. It steers crisply through the corners. In short, it's one of the most satisfying examples of a vehicle with "utility" in its job description that you'll find anywhere. Yet the best news might be the way the EX35 adapts to the role of luxury transportation. Premium furnishings, a composed ride and the ability to adapt to all kinds of weather, all kinds of driving and all kinds of adventures makes this Infiniti's best choice for real-world driving. We've been waiting for something that really delivers on the whole promise that the Infiniti brand makes, and the EX35 is it. Just pack light. The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.

Infiniti to expand lineup with 10 new vehicles by 2010 Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, China, Euro, Crossovers/CUVs, Infiniti, Nissan Dave Guilford of Automotive News sat down with Carlos Tavares, Nissan MoCo's global product chief, and the fruits of his investigative labors revealed that Infiniti has big plans over the next three years. A product push that involves a number of new models and expansion of the Infiniti brand into 90-percent of the luxury markets globally are the cornerstone of the marque, with sales likely to begin in South Korea and Russia, along with Europe in the latter half of next year. Product-wise, Infiniti intends to bring approximately 10 new vehicles to market by the end of the decade, and although Tavares was mum on specifics, he did state that more crossovers, a "sports-oriented" car and a flagship are all part of the future lineup. [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

At Infiniti of Elk Grove, we make a point of providing you with excellent service
from the moment you walk in the door until long after you drive home in your new car.
That's why we offer our exclusive 10-Point Value Guarantee.

10-POINT VALUE GUARANTEE: ■ Every vehicle comes with service coupons worth over $1500.00. ■ Every client receives complimentary use of our car wash and vacuum on vehicles purchased from Infiniti of Elk Grove for as long as they own the car. ■ Every vehicle comes with a complimentary oil change. ■ Every pre-owned vehicle is value priced. ■ Every vehicle receives a 100-point annual mechanical inspection. ■ Every pre-owned vehicle comes with a three-day/300-mile money back guarantee, no questions asked (same condition and equipment).1 ■ Every vehicle comes with towing for the lifetime of your ownership within a 25-mile radius back to our service center. ■ Every major service includes a loaner vehicle.2 ■ Every purchased vehicle, new or pre-owned, receives a full tank of gas at delivery. ■ We can buy your trade-in whether you buy from us or not.

Comparison Test: 2007-2008 Sport Sedans

Tough Crowd

By Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor
Date posted: 11-04-2007

BMW's 335i has dominated our recent comparison tests like Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell would dominate Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens in a face-punching contest. Its reign over counterparts from Infiniti, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz is as well documented on this site as the Iceman's rage-fueled rise to fame was on pay-per-view.

But every great performance must come to an end.

This is exactly why we gathered this group of sport sedans. That is, to find out if the 2008 Cadillac CTS, 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport, 2008 Lexus IS 350 or 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport can topple the Bavarian champ — the 2007 BMW 335i. In the spirit of the segment, each car in the test is outfitted with sport package hardware — usually a stiffer suspension and bigger wheels and tires — and an automatic transmission.

Still, each car has its own personality, as each manufacturer's interpretation of sport, luxury and utility varies widely. So, too, does each car's as-tested price. However, the $11,000 spread that covers the field does so in almost direct proportion to each contender's feature and luxury content.

We've weighted scoring according to the priorities of the sport sedan buyer, giving equal measure to price and performance, followed by feature content and our 31-point evaluation.

5th Place: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport
The fact that the new C-Class finishes last in this test is a testament to the fierce competition in this segment and the tiny differences in performance. Here's a car that costs less than the class average ($41,935, as tested), makes handling numbers on par with the best in the test and has a superb interface for its high-end audio and navigation systems. Plus it's built, well, like a Mercedes.

It's easy, however, to see where it falls short. It was best at nothing — bringing home 1st place in exactly zero categories. Perhaps the most costly miss is its powertrain performance. The Benz's 3.5-liter V6 is rated at 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, making it the least powerful car in the test. Seven forward gears offer plenty of leverage on the road, but its acceleration still suffers. It hit 60 mph in a lazy (for this crowd) 5.9 seconds and stopped the quarter-mile clock in 14.3 seconds at 97.7 mph — the second-slowest car here. The trade-off for this lack of performance is the highest observed fuel economy in the test — a combined city/highway average of 20.6 mpg.

This isn't a particularly spacious car, with 88.2 cubic feet of passenger volume, although rear-seat room has increased some with 33.4 inches of legroom and 36.9 inches of headroom. Standard feature content, too, is a C-Class weak point. Mercedes either makes buyers pay extra or simply doesn't offer many of the features its competitors make available. Steering-wheel shift paddles, for example, aren't available on the C-Class until next year's advanced agility package becomes available. And let's face it; short of bumping output by 50 hp, nothing is going to make this car as agile as its competitors. Adaptive headlamps, a limited-slip differential and keyless start are also conspicuously unavailable.

The C350 Sport's unique appeal depends on what appears to be good build quality (a reaction to surprisingly poor quality ratings for this car in its previous iteration) and a stellar multimedia package (a $2,950 option) that combines a premium audio system with hard-drive music storage and a brilliant navigation system with an impressively easy-to-use interface.

The bottom line is that there's nothing wrong with the 2007 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport. It's a high-quality — if dispassionate — execution of the sport sedan genre. It's antiseptic in its rendering of performance numbers and utterly lacks the flamboyance of the Infiniti and BMW. And that's precisely the problem. It drives well, but there's nothing here that makes us want to get behind the wheel for more.

4th Place: 2008 Lexus IS 350
The 2008 Lexus IS 350 is the reason we put words between every car's performance numbers. It's fast thanks to a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 306 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed slushbox. It gets to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, does the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds at 101 mph and makes handling numbers that are within spitting distance of the best in the test. These dynamics shouldn't equal a 4th-place performance. Here's where those words come in handy.

Not one editor who scored this test was able to find the kind of personal connection with the Lexus that they felt behind the wheel of the top-scoring cars. Its awkward, synthetic steering, soft brake pedal and slow-responding transmission kept us from maximizing the Lexus' man-machine interface. Synthesizing the IS 350's abilities with one's own limits was near impossible, and it earned less confidence in its abilities than any other car in the test. And it's not because the IS is slow — far from it actually, as the IS's accelerative surge will tear your head off — but it just doesn't encourage the at-the-limit driving that we think should be a part of every true sport sedan's abilities. If this doesn't matter to you, then you should consider it more highly.

At $47,815, the Lexus IS 350 is the most expensive car in the test and, for the most part, it backs up that cost with a long list of features and luxury amenities. Keyless start and shift paddles that turn with the wheel are standard equipment. Our test car was optioned with $11,145 in equipment, including park assist, Lexus' pre-collision system and radar cruise control, the sport package and the $3,990 navigation system and premium audio package.

The IS's driving position as well as its front and rear seat comfort are lacking relative to others in the test. It offers 88.3 cubic feet of passenger volume, but rear seat legroom is only 30.6 inches, while headroom is 36.7 inches. Its navigation and audio system interface and secondary controls are also less intuitive to use than its competitors. It received high marks for build quality, scoring 2nd to the Mercedes.

In only three model years, the Lexus has become the old man of the sport sedan class. Partly, this is due to the rapid advances of its competition — both the Cadillac's and the Benz's navigation and audio systems are more refined (and cost less) — and to its balance of luxury and sport, which keeps it from connecting with the driver as powerfully as its competition does. Put simply, the Lexus is a fast, well-built sedan that lacks the spirit or value of its more engaging counterparts.

3rd Place: 2008 Cadillac CTS
The 2008 Cadillac CTS might just be the best car in the GM stable. In fact, remove the insane Z06 Corvette from the equation and nothing else from the General comes so close to hitting its design target. It's good. But the question remains: How well will the Caddy fare on the world stage?

Well. Very well.

Three-point-six liters of direct-injected V6 motivate the CTS's 3,990 pounds. It's the heaviest, longest, widest and tallest car in the test, which is both good and bad. When it comes to outright interior space, only the Infiniti has more. There are 98.0 cubic feet of interior passenger volume, and rear-seat legroom is 35.9 inches while rear headroom is 37.2 inches. But with about the same power as the others, the extra pork makes it slower. The benchmark 60 mph comes up in 6.3 seconds and the quarter-mile crawls past in 14.8 seconds at 95 mph.

But when it comes to turning and stopping, the big Caddy has almost as much hustle as its smaller, lighter competition. It recorded the shortest 60-0 stopping distance of the group at 109 feet and tied the Infiniti for the highest lateral grip at 0.89g. It was the only car that didn't exceed 68 mph in the slalom, but its 67.2-mph pass makes it no slouch.

Inside, the CTS is the best-appointed car in the test. Not only have its interior quality and materials leapt ahead of the C-Class and G35, but its design is as striking as it is functional. From the leather-swathed details to the brilliantly capable and easy-to-use navigation and audio system, this is simply a nice car to be inside.

And it drives well, too. Our test car, equipped with the FE-3 Performance Package, not only makes the numbers but also proves genuinely engaging to drive. Drop a few gears before bending the CTS into a turn and it matches revs for every downshift. And when the turn arrives, there's a combination of grip and balance that moves the CTS well beyond the Lexus and Benz on the fun-to-drive meter. It's this combination of on-the-road poise, interior spaciousness and world-class entertainment and navigation options that earn this car 3rd place. At $44,715, its cost — like its finishing position — is right in the middle of the group.

2nd Place: 2007 BMW 335i
Known for its unrivaled ability to mix sports car performance with luxury car comfort, BMW's 335i presents the best overall compromise of speed and comfort in the sport sedan segment. But it comes at a price. At $38,900 the 335i has the highest base price in this test. Add in the Premium Package, Sport Package, automatic transmission and several other options and our test car gets a price tag of $46,650, second only to the ludicrously optioned Lexus.

Traditionally, the 335i's acceleration is staggering, and while this car's 5.0-second run to 60 mph isn't as quick as we've recorded in past tests, it's still 0.3 second quicker than the Lexus. Its advantage diminishes to only 0.2 second by the end of the quarter-mile, which comes in 13.6 seconds at 103 mph. It also pulls 0.86g around the skid pad, slaloms at 68.9 mph and stops from 60 mph in 112 feet. Combined, this is the best overall dynamic performance in the test.

Under the Bimmer's hood lies the reason for all the go-fast. The 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-6 is rated at 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, and it has the most flexible engine performance here. Once it's coupled to the remarkably tractable six-speed automatic transmission, which is as at home on the racetrack as it is on Rodeo Drive, this powertrain becomes the one to beat.

The 335i also brings home the most recommended ratings, which means we would suggest it to a friend over any other car in the test. It even won our lengthy 31-point evaluation, which appraises everything from control feel to cupholder design. It's moderately spacious at 93.0 cubic feet of passenger volume, and there are 34.6 inches of rear-seat legroom and 37.5 inches of rear headroom.

Still, there are some obvious oversights. As the quickest-accelerating car in the group, the 335i stands to benefit the most from a mechanical limited-slip differential — a feature it notably lacks despite the car's high cost. And for this kind of money, it should have a navigation system. But once you check that box on the order sheet, the price of the BMW rises perilously close to the $50,000 mark.

But behind the wheel, the 335i is the most intuitive and easy-to-drive car here — not to mention the fastest. It's also the most comfortable. And that's a tough combination to beat.

1st Place: 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport
Put simply, the 2007 Infiniti G35 wins this test because it's outstanding to drive and it gives you the most car for your money. Its $36,800 as-tested price is the lowest in the test. But the real value is what it gives you, because the G35 has the most standard features of any car here and combines this accomplishment with all-around performance second only to the 335i.

All G35 Sport models come standard with shift paddles, a limited-slip differential and keyless start. And for an additional $2,650 our test car featured XM Satellite Radio and the Premium Package, which includes niceties like a power sunroof, a Bose premium audio system and memory settings for the driver seat, steering wheel and side mirrors, plus a mountain of other goodies. This is the most spacious car in this test with 99.0 cubic feet of passenger volume, rear-seat legroom measures 34.7 inches and rear-seat headroom is 37.7 inches.

The G35's power plant is the same 3.5-liter V6 used in virtually every other Nissan and Infiniti product, but it feels most at home here, under the hood of this stellar sedan. In G35 trim, the VQ35 cranks out 306 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque through the best automatic transmission in the class. The G's five-speed tranny not only responds quickest to the throttle, but also has the sharpest, most aggressive gearchanges (with rev-matched downshifts) of any automatic we've ever driven. And it feels as comfortable while blasting between gears with hard-hitting precision at full throttle as it does swapping cogs with a simple switch and slide in commuter traffic.

The G35 is the most stiffly sprung and heavily damped car here. As a result, its ride is busy and its responses walk a fine line between quick and simply nervous. But driven with a purpose, the Infiniti is the most capable car in this test when it comes to handling. Our track numbers confirm this with a best-in-test performance on the skid pad with a 0.89g mark and in the slalom with a 69.4-mph mark.

And when it comes to getting down the road, the G35 is right in the mix. The 60-mph mark disappears in 5.5 seconds and the quarter-mile is gone in 13.9 seconds at 102 mph. It scrubs off 60 mph in just 111 feet, second only to the CTS with its sticky Michelin tires.

If there is a soft spot in the G's armor, it's inside the cabin, where the design and materials aren't always as elegant as other examples in the segment. Our test car was a high-mileage unit and it showed wear on the shift knob and kick panels. Overall, however, these are small nits to pick for a car that delivers in every other area for thousands of dollars less.

The Verdict
With few exceptions, the performance of these five sport sedans is covered by mere tenths of a second or a few miles per hour. The BMW's acceleration, as usual, is striking, while the Cadillac lags behind considerably. Handling numbers, however, are a virtual wash among all the contenders.

This leaves the decision-making to more subjective means and personal taste, which is ultimately what most buyers rely upon in any case. The fact is, all five of these sedans are excellent cars. And it's not hard to find reasons to buy any of them.

We simply find the Infiniti's combination of engaging driving character, high feature content and low cost to be the most appealing. Plus, all great performances must come to an end sometime. Just ask The Iceman.

The manufacturers provided Edmunds these vehicles for the purposes of evaluation.

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE REVEALS 2008 ALL-STARS WINNERS -

An Exclusive Stable of Ten Cars from Across the Automotive Spectrum - (LOS ANGELES, November 14, 2007)

—AUTOMOBILE Magazine, America’s leading automotive lifestyle publication, today announced the winners of its 2008 AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE All-Stars Awards, delivering an exclusive selection of vehicles at the top of their class.

“This year’s list includes a number of stalwart All-Stars winners, namely the iconic BMW 3-series, as well as new entries, such as Chevy's impressive new Malibu and the sexy Volvo C30," said Jean Jennings, editor-in-chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine. “These ten cars are the year's most exciting cars, our picks for the vehicles we'd most like to personally own in our dream garage."

Each year, the editors and bureau chiefs of AUTOMOBILE Magazine convene to test, evaluate, and debate the performance, significance, and pure enthusiast appeal of the cars that have made the biggest impact. The prestigious list of the deserving award winners is featured in the January 2008 issue, available on newsstands December 4, 2007.

AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s list of 2008 All-Stars, with editorial assessments, includes:

Chevrolet Malibu – The best Chevrolet family sedan AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s staff has ever driven. Smooth, quiet, well-finished and more than able to keep up with more powerful cars, it represents a true sea change in what GM is offering the public. This is the kind of car Americans have wanted from Detroit for years.

Infiniti G37/G35 – The yin to the BMW 3-series’ yang. Picking a winner between them—which is to say, choosing the best sport coupe/sedan in the world—is less about what the cars can do than it is about what their drivers want. The interior of the Infiniti is a pleasure dome, but the car’s power is obvious the instant you punch the push-button starter and hear the feral growl of the engine.

Volvo C30 – A perfect example of smoothly chic, Scandinavian cool. The C30 is whisper-quiet, perfectly composed and has a six-speed manual that you could teach your grandma to row flawlessly in fifteen minutes. The car embodies the one perfect criterion for All-Stardom: anyone would have it.

Chevrolet Corvette – Evolutionary improvements keep the Vette in a class of its own. The revised 2008 edition does the 0-to-60-mph sprint in 4.3 seconds—with an automatic transmission. There are faster new cars than the Corvette, but all of them cost a lot more.

Mazda CX-9 – Trucks and sport utilities seldom earn a berth on the All-Stars list, but when was the last time you could call such a vehicle’s engine charming, or its transmission silky? The CX-9 ventures beyond the obligatory nine-to-five routine to play party animal in the off-hours.

Volkswagen GTI – The GTI is magic. What else do you call a hatchback that can shame supercars? The GTI eclipses the class-clown Mini Cooper for spark and verve, and makes sense for real people who actually have to lead real lives. Fast, fun, cheap, and German. If you don’t like it, you’re probably dead.

BMW 3-series – Maybe we should give it a lifetime achievement award. We didn’t set out hoping to give the 3-series another All-Star award—this is the car’s thirteenth—but then we got in the car and started driving. BMW still does chassis tuning like no other carmaker. The 3-Series is the car that instantly makes any mope who slides behind its wheel a better driver.

Mercedes-Benz S-class – This year, Mercedes got it just right. The car drips with luxury accoutrements and high-tech accessories, but the S-class is more than just the sum of its equipment list. Rides and handles in a way that belies its size, and comes with a quartet of engines that range from supremely competent to mind-blowing.

Lotus Elise – The mid-engine sportster is a bravura engineering performance that reprises the truest Lotus virtues, namely light weight and fealty to handling excellence. The best-handling sports car we know—an audacious-looking thing that goes from 0 to 60 mph in less than five seconds.

Porsche Boxster/Cayman – If you’re afraid people will think you bought a Cayman because you can’t afford a 911, we hereby inform you that those people are fools. The Boxster and the Cayman are exquisite to drive, with steering so communicative you’ll feel more of the road’s surface only if you crawl along it on your hands and knees. Few cars are as entertaining to drive at school-zone speeds.



Criteria and Evaluation The AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE All-Stars are chosen by the AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE staff, its worldwide bureau chiefs, and its contributors, following an intensive test drive of the year’s most innovative and important new cars. Vehicles considered for the All-Stars awards combine the following traits: • Redefines an existing category or creates a new market segment • Provides excellent value and performance for the money • Exhibits an exceptional design • Offers pure driving enjoyment After a 1000-mile road trip, winners are determined by a round-table discussion that results in a vote for the ten winners. The award decisions are not made through an instrumented test process.

When you lease a new or qualified pre-owned Infiniti, you'll enjoy: Lower payments. Because you're only purchasing the right to use a vehicle for a period of time, your financial responsibility and your monthly payments may be reduced significantly. Hazard-free driving. Because most leases last for 2-3 years, your vehicle generally provides warranty protection for as long as you drive it.* True convenience. When a lease expires, you simply turn your vehicle in and pay off any remaining fees (such as for excess mileage), wear and tear, and taxes. If you'd rather not part with your Infiniti at lease-end, you can also take the opportunity to purchase it at a predetermined price. In either case, there's no need to take care of selling it or trading it in. When you purchase a new or qualified pre-owned Infiniti, however, you'll enjoy: Ownership equity. Once you've completed your payment schedule, you can drive your Infiniti for as long as you choose without any further payments. Flexibility. Leasing requires that you specify in advance the number of miles you will drive each year. Owning your car means you can drive it as much as you like, as far as you like. Freedom. Ownership gives you the ability to maintain and customize your vehicle however you see fit.

The ForAnyAuto Group has started creating a team for our dealership's 2nd Annual participation in the Sacramento Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  We invite you to visit our donation page and participate if you are able.  If you would like to join out team, choose the links on the Komen website and we welcome you!