With the holiday season just about here, family members will
soon be begging you for a ride—that is, if your whip is hip. Regardless of
the size of your clan, here’s a hot list of options for the season… From a low of $26K to a high of $63K. There’s the Infiniti QX56, we have the Acura MDX, or the Acura ZDX, there’s the The Chrysler 300 Limited and finally, just for fun, the Mini  Cooper S Countryman ALL4. 

8-Passenger Premium…

Infiniti QX56 4WD / $61,800

No matter what your woman may say, when in the presence of
her girlfriends, size really does matter. For this reason, Infiniti’s QX56 4WD sits at the top of the list for up to eight.
Its chic yet rugged looks command the respect of all eyes on the playing
field. Even the green-eyed guy in the Range Rover next to you at the traffic
light will be forced to give you the props you deserve behind the wheel of this one.

The Fav-Five Facts

1. Power: A 400 horsepower V8 engine with 413 lb-ft of
torque and speed-sensitive power steering gives this 5,855-pound monster the
ability to move graciously at the tap of the gas. To harness all that power, a
seven-speed transmission makes an EPA fuel rating of 14 miles per gallon in the
city and 20 on the highway quite realistic for such a fabulous beast that tows
up to 8,500-pounds.

2. Safety: The $3K Technology Package is chock full of the
features that permits the driver to sit back in the lap of luxury and comfort
so the vehicle can be the additional eyes and ears needed to keep everyone
onboard safe. Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Distance Control
Assist, Front Pre-Crash Seat Belts and more are included.

3. The interior set-up reeks of pure prestige. Add the $2,950
Theater Package for dual 7-inch monitors behind the front seats, wireless
headphones, wireless remote control, heated second row seats and a remote
control to raise the second row seats for third row access. With it comes your
choice of a split bench seat that takes passenger seating from seven to eight.
Otherwise, the second row will include two captain’s chairs with a center
console, for overall seating for seven.

4. Infiniti’s Around View Monitor provides a bird’s eye view
from above for 360-degree visibility. And you’ll love how the air filtration
systems keeps the interior cabin free from outdoor-contaminants and the bad
odors from the horses, wild animals or fowl standing water you might pass by.

5. Mad props to the nine-spoke alloy rims on a set of 22’s
($2,300) that turn it our without pimping it out!

With all the bells and whistles necessary to make this one a
true baller’s choice, you’re only at about mid $70’s out the door for the
prestige and power of this “bad mother…SHUT
YA MOUTH!”

7 is Supreme…

Acura MDX / $42,930

In its past, the Acura brand had always taken a back seat to
floss and glam, opting for performance and efficiency instead. But all that has
changed with the realization that if and when consumers are paying luxury
prices, they want their fans and haters to see it!

The Fav-Five Facts

1. Driving the MDX is like bringing home the smart chick who
graduated magna cum laude and is fine as hell! Mom, dad, definitely your
brother and even your sisters are sure to like her!

2. Some of the tech-savvy features are really cool. Included
in the $46,605 Technology Package and the $52,555 Advance Package trim levels
are such features as a navigation system with Zagat restaurant reviews, real
time traffic and weather, traffic rerouting, even your appointments can appear
as scheduled via the calendar. The Voice Recognition system allows you to
operate the navigation, adjust temperature control, make calls through the
Bluetooth system that houses your phone book and select the songs you want to
hear via Song By Voice, which allows you to find songs on the hard drive, USB
or iPod by simply calling out the name.

3.

Nine-inch monitors can be automatically lowered for
second and third row passengers, who have the ability to maintain a climate
zone of their own.

4.Weighing in at 4,669-pounds, with a towing capacity of up
to 5,000 pounds, MDX’s V6 engine with 300 horses under the hood, 270 lb-ft of
torque and an ever so smooth six speed automatic Sequential Sportshift yields a
city fuel economy rating of 16 miles per gallon, with 21 on the highway.
Acura’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SHAWD) makes driving on any terrain a
beautiful thing!

5. Kudos for the hidden storage beneath the floor and the
ability to remotely control the windows and the moon roof while at a short
distance away from the vehicle.

5 is Fly…

Acura ZDX / $46,020

Merging the lines of sport utility convenience with coupe
elegance, designers at Acura give us the ZDX. This one is a blast to
drive—especially in the city, where the valet people will love to park for
you.

ZDX is perhaps THE most practical vehicles for the fly guy
in need of utility space while refusing to settle for family style appeal,
demanding the utmost of style, while at the same time being able seat five.
Still, I would only carry four!

And while most SUV’s and crossovers tend to look somewhat
alike, this one has only one rival to compare to on the playing field: The $59K
BMW X6.

It bares the same engine and torque as the MDX, yielding 2
additional miles per gallon on the highway instead (23 mpg) and the same for
the city rating (16 mpg).  Similar to
MDX, trim levels for ZDX includes a Technology Package at $50,520 and the
Advanced at $56,570.

Sedan Seating for 5…

The Chrysler 300 Limited / $31,179

With sedan seating for five, Chrysler has softened the lines
of its urban legend—The 300, adding a dazzling set of LED daytime running
lights to further enhance the regal presence of the Mack-daddy grill; A dual
pane panoramic sunroof (add $1295), and for $995 a set of polished aluminum
20’s. It’s even totally keyless!

Having never experienced a 300 until now, I can not compare
the former interior to the new. But I can bare witness to the beauty and
conveniences of this year’s all-new interior with softly lit sill plates in the
doorways and soft ambient cabinet lighting in the night.

I can also bare
witness to 300’s graceful handling and rock-solid feel. Then too I’d have to
rave about the power coming from the 292 horsepower V6 engine with 260 lb-ft of
torque, with a five-speed transmission that delivers 18 mpg in the city, 27 on
the highway. Yeah, it’s definitely a new game at Chrysler.

Just For Fun: You, me and it…

Mini  Cooper S Countryman ALL4 /
$26,950

If it’s just for fun, Mini’s big Countryman with four doors,
a turbocharged 181 horsepower four cylinder engine with a six-speed manual
transmission, done up in 18” Anthracite rims—is the perfect whip for thrill
seekers young in age or at heart.

Here too size matters with Mini adding 6-inches of length,
4+ inches in width and 5-inches in height over and above it’s two-door Clubman.
With its racy exterior looks, full time four wheel drive, an instrumentation
panel like none other, a well tuned stereo by Harmon Kardon, and plenty of
light bursting in through the large dual pane panoramic sunroof—the Clubman
is a definite standout in a class that Mini rules. Grandmom will think it’s
cute as a button. Don’t forget to tell her it’s in the BMW.