2008 Infiniti EX35 AWD Journey

Miles to date: 17,655 miles
Months in fleet: Six

It's been a busy month for our Infiniti EX. No sooner had it gone out to New York in the care of yours truly than it was on another round trip through the midwest, this time serving as a touring van for the Ann Arbor-based (and Jamie Kitman-managed) band Tally Hall.

Drummer and gearhead Ross Federman praised the car's abundance of technology, including the adaptive cruise control, iPod integration, and the overhead-view backup camera. "When I first got back into Brooklyn it helped me navigate into a VERY tight space," he said.

About a week later, senior editor Joe Lorio was behind the wheel, putting the EX through its paces on a mountain road:

"The Infiniti just glided through the curves. It was very impressive. Of course, it may have benefited from the fact that the car I had driven through there immediately beforehand was Kitman's Triumph Dolomite Sprint sedan. But still."

Lorio also stuffed a BMX bike in back and found that as much as we complain about the EX's lack of utility in terms of overall space, there are at least several features that make it easier to load than your average sedan:

"Even though it's not hard to reach the releases to fold down the seatbacks, Infiniti gives you switches on the side of the cargo area to flop the seats down electrically. You can also raise the seatbacks electrically. Additionally, the roller-shade cargo cover seemed to be more robustly constructed than most and is quite easy to remove or install."

Despite all the miles, the EX's latest service visit was satisfyingly uneventful, and it was back on the road within a few hours. The car (yes, we're calling it a car now) will be back in Michigan for good next month.