MotorMouths

It’s the combination of near-luxury and performance that sets the Nissan Maxima into a niche where it will compete with the upscale Acura TL, Audi A4, Hyundai Genesis, Lexus IS 250, Volkswagen CC, and the Infiniti G37. That’s pretty good company.

Subaru has redesigned this cherished model for 2010, making roomier for passengers and cargo. This fourth generation Outback is a nice package at a fair price.

The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is a tiger when you want it to be but a pussycat when you’re putting around town with a wonderful exhaust note burbling behind you.

The Honda Odyssey has raised the bar in its back-and-forth race with Chrysler-Dodge to top the minivan sales charts.

We found the CTS to be the definition of a luxury coupe. On the road, the standard 3.6-liter direct injected V-6 offered all the oomph we needed. It’s a vehicle that begs you to “Give me a second look and admire me.”

The new flagship of the Bentley line, the Mulsanne is a dream on the road. And there’s no way in this space of listing all the amenities that the Mulsanne offers.

The new Grand Cherokee is Tom Brady-like — Euro-grizzled, New England tough, equally at home on dirt roads or crashing in the Back Bay, and equally comfortable when its driver is wearing jeans, designer jeans, or a tux.

Kia outdid itself with this redesign. The 2011 Optima is well-equipped at each price level and a winner in the “bang for your buck” category.

The Routan isn’t a bad choice, it’s just lacking the competition’s higher-quality interiors and flexibility. While its driving dynamics impress, for the money it’s not the best choice in this segment.

If you’re a fan of these smaller CUVs, be assured that the Kia Sportage fits nicely in this niche with the likes of the Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4. We found it more than held its own — along with a lot of ours.

The 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD sedan is loaded with goodies and is an intriguing entry in the near-luxury market. The styling and build quality are outstanding and materials are all up to anyone’s contemporary standards.

Infiniti says its EX35 combines the look and feel of a luxury coupe with a crossover’s flexibility. We concur, and add that in “the old days” we’d have just called this a terrific sport wagon.