Say you have 40 grand (more or less) to blow on a nice all-wheel-drive crossover. You don't need a lot of space and you want a name that's going to make the neighbors at least look up from their iPhones when you drive past on the cul-de-sac.

Acura and Infiniti may not be the competitors 1 thinks of immediately, but the 2 luxury brands from long-standing Japanese carmakers (Acura comes from Honda and Infiniti from Nissan) offer crossovers at about the same price point. The vehicles go in dramatically different directions from there.

This week, we'll get to know both crossovers from the inside, and next week get underneath and take them out on the road.

In the end: Lovers of the tried-and-true who need a real back seat would find the Acura a more rewarding purchase, while people interested in pushing the envelope and not carrying passengers or cargo might find the EX37 a better choice. Me? I don't find enough delight in either to not save almost half my money and get a Mazda CX-5.

But if I had to have luxury from these makers, I'd go for the Acura TSX wagon or spring for the Infiniti JX35.