2012 Infiniti FX50 SUV

The Infiniti FX is a sports car trapped in a small truck's body. Even when Infiniti did a complete overhaul of the crossover awhile back, it didn't dare touch the car's dynamic ability. Sure, it's not your traditional SUV -- no low gear for off-roading, not a lot of rear-seat room, and limited storage capacity under its handsome hatch. But if you want to carve apexes and look good doing so, the FX might just be the best sport-utility vehicle out there. The FX35 and the FX50 have two different powerplants. The FX50 gets a high-strung -- but still highly polished -- 390-hp, 5.0-liter V-8. In the FX35, a 303-hp, 3.5-liter 24-valve V-6 does duty. It's less mellifluous but still strong. Both engines are paired with a standard seven-speed automatic transmission with available shift paddles (made of solid magnesium). All-wheel drive comes standard on the FX50 and is optional on the FX35, where rear-wheel drive is standard. Both models have double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspensions, and large four-wheel disc brakes. The driver-oriented cockpit with intuitive controls is one of Infiniti's best efforts, and that's saying something. The interior is richly appointed, and the available sport seats have good lateral support to hold you in place during hard cornering. Naturally, plenty of advanced audio, navigation, and technology is available as well. It may be one of the least practical SUVs on the market, but the FX is certainly an entertaining one.