Trim levels: Luxury

MSRP: $50,500

Notes: While Nissan and Toyota both launched their luxury marques at the same time, their stories could not be more different. Lexus quickly rose on the sales charts, becoming a true contender to every luxury marque from Cadillac to Mercedes-Benz. Their flagship LS sedan quickly became one of the best and most popular cars in its segment, overcoming the "stigma" of its Toyota ancestry. Infiniti, however, never got traction to the same extent, and its trajectory followed close to that of Acura: appealing to a loyal clientele, but never able to become a major player. Infiniti's original Q45 was a much sportier car than its LS rival, but never sold as well. In its 1997 redesign, Infiniti softened the car substantially, upsetting loyal fans of the 'Q-ship,' but not garnering sales success. So, for 2003, the Q45 was redesigned for the second time, and returned to its sporting roots. A stiffer rear-drive platform underpinned the new sedan, which was larger, roomier, quicker, and more maneuverable than its predecessor. The styling was also far bolder -- HID headlight elements that resembled miniature Gatling guns (with 7 xenon low-beam bulbs each) flanked a large chrome grille with an even larger Infiniti logo. The engine went back to being a 4.5L V-8, with 330 horsepower on tap, driven through a 5-speed automatic gearbox with a manual shiftgate. While the new Q still wasn't as opulent as Lexus's LS 430, it was certainly sportier in appearance, and fully $5,000 cheaper.

Series: 2002-curren

PERFORMANCE