Drove An Infiniti G37 Today

[denslexusgx470]

It's a long story about how I ended up with an Infiniti rental today (it was not thru a rental company like Hertz or Avis) but I was surprised with the way it drove. I must have had low expectations for this company but they are truly sporty cars! The power is no doubt there as I think the G37 outpowers the 535i (IMO). The interior quality, design, and materials used aren't too "luxurious" but I'm impressed with the power. It handles and hugs the curves pretty well but I think BMW can hug the curves at a much higher speed than Infiniti. The G37 I drove today only had 400 miles on the clock so technically this unit hasn't really been broken in yet. I wonder what kind of power it will give you once it's broken in.

The setup of the controls were confusing at first. I thought the iDrive system was bad but this was almost similar to the iDrive (I prefer touch screen where I can go directly to the option I want). Gauges (particularly the odo area) reminded me of a Nissan for some reason but otherwise the color of the gauges and buttons are better than the red gauges in the 528i. The only part I strongly disliked was the setup of my bluetooth phone. I went through all the settings menus on the screen and it turns out that I had to press the button on the steering wheel to open up the bluetooth menu. THEN I had to setup my bluetooth by talking to the car! I thought this was a big hassle as you had to wait for the system to give you the pairing code, then you have to "name" your phone by saying a name for it. What normally takes 30 seconds to setup your phone in a Lexus probably took me around 2-3 minutes to setup in the Infiniti.

Otherwise it was a pretty good experience. I won't mind trying out an Infiniti someday when I'm ready to change the RX300 lol.

[LEX-SV]

I think your observation about G37 being quicker shows in test data in most road tests by major car mags. It's mainly result of power to weight ratio with 5 series being several hundreds of pounds heavier.

I noticed in separate R&T tests of new 550 (manual) and current gen Is350 (auto), acceleration stats were nearly identical. Btw G37 and IS350 weights are very close.

Thanks for posting review.

[The G Man]

The G37 is in the same class as the 3 series, not the 5, kind of like comparing apples to oranges. Comparing the interior of a Infiniti to a BMW is like comapring who is the worst of the worst. Infiniti is often refer to as a poor man's BMW and having driven a few of them I can see why. Infiniti and Nissan does have a pretty loyal following here in the US, a few friends of my swears by them, but they are a bit too entry level for me..

[SW03ES]

Have you driven an Infiniti M? Nothing entry level about the interior of an Infiniti M, very nice.

[LEX-SV]

IMO, I don't think OP/Denny was concerned about the different classes of cars and no mention was made of prices either. Although both cars are somewhat similar in size, the comments were mostly about comparing via driving 2 different cars and observations.

The reality in the market is that the 5 series is a mid-sized benchmark and other manufacturers in different price classes will make comparisons when they think certain aspects are competitive.

[denslexusgx470]

Haven't driven an M yet. We haven't been a big fan of Infiniti at all. I've only like the OEM sound of their exhaust and thats pretty much it. It's hard to really compare apples to apples because every manufacturer is different and not every manufacturer has a specific model to compete with every model of its competition.. Back in the day I remember the RX300, X5, and ML320 were supposedly the real comparison but look at where those 3 vehicles are at now. Sure I would agree that the G37 can closely compare to the 3 series. I've driven a 3 series before and they're pretty decent in power but then again you have to consider which 3 series are we talking about. I only compared this to the 5 because aside from the fact that there's a 5 in my garage but I thought maybe the size of the G37 is close enough to the size of the 5. The 3 is really small no doubt about that. Infiniti also claims that the M is their competitor for the LS, 7 series, and S-class.... Now would you really think that's comparing apples to apples?

[SW03ES]

The M isn't an S Class, LS, 7 series competitor. I've never seen them claim that, its comparable in size, equipment, performance, and price to the 5 series. Clearly aimed at the 5.

You should drive one. The M is way nicer inside than the previous generation GS for instance IMHO...way nicer inside than the 5 series too IMHO which is cold and stark.

[The G Man]

I test drove the M37X last year when I was shopping for a new car along with the TL, 535ix, E350 4 matic and the A6. I agree, the interior is top notch. Compare to other car I cross shopped, the M has the worst ride, the suspension way too stiff, but it did not have the best handling to go with that stiff suspension. The engine is pretty quick, although not the quickest in that class. The price was way up there, the one we test drove was close to $60K, a equivalent GS350 or TL would have been about $10K less. $60K is similar to the German conterpart's price range and personally, I dont think the M quite measure up to the German counterparts just yet.

[SW03ES]

I don't think the TL is comparable in that class really...

[The G Man]

I don't think the TL is comparable in that class really...

I agree, the TL was the was the bargain of the bunch. The sensible side of me wanted to see what the difference is if I try to save $10K. The handling in the TL was as good as some of the higher price cars, accelaration can be better, I would say the built material, workmanship and customer service is what is lacking in the TL.

I was a big Honda Acura fanboy 10 or 15 years ago. Its sort of sadden me to see where Acura is today compare to their begining. Cars like the Legend and the RDX were classics, I know they are re-introducing the RDX, but it wouldnt be the same. It seems to me that Acura today is lost with no direction in engineering and design.

[denslexusgx470]

I haven't been the typical magazine guy lately to read which cars are compared to what, but that is what the SALES GUY was trying to compare the LS with because the Lexus dealership and Infiniti dealership here locally are next door neighbors (literally! you can hop the bushes and you're at the competitor's dealership). Sales guy was saying that the M is the CLOSEST competitor to the LS we want but they did admit that the LS is more superior to the M. I should probably drive an M one of these days but I'm not overly impressed with the interior of the M to my tastes. Sat in one at the dealership but I was clearly convinced that I belong next door to the Lexus dealership lol.

[The G Man]

The Infiniti brand, much like Acura, is another lost soul among Japanese luxury car brands. They do not have a flagship model, if the M is their flagship model, they are in big trouble. The M is not a competitor of the LS, the LS is bigger, smoother and much more refined.

[nc211]

Infiniti use to have a competitor to the LS, called the Q45. It offered a more spirited driving sensation than the LS. But in the end, mismanagement at Nissan, has taken it's toll on their ability to keep active in the highest end luxury cruisers. But, that's never really been Nissan's market anyway. They're more like Mazda in terms of "zoom zoom" appeal, with a lot more power under the hood. I've had two Nissan products in my life, both excellent vehicles (92' Sentra SE-R, and 01' Maxima SE). Their styling drove me away though. I can say, Nissan has some of the most comfortable seats in the asian car offerings. They seem to extend the bottom portion of the seat about an inch or two more than many of their compeitiors, whereby the seat end closer to your knees. One thing I've never really liked about Toyota is the shortness in their seat bottoms. My dad replaced his 04' Nissan Quest minivan for a fully loaded new Sienna early last year. While no arguement the Sienna is far more luxurious, and feels it too, he'll say the same thing I've said about the seats. He really misses the Nissan. Said the design of the new models though drove him away from Nissan. Nissan in general, cuts just enough corners to turn a profit to keep them out of the upper levels. Even though they produce one of the fasted production cars on the planet (GTR), reveiwers all say the same thing "there's just something missing here to make you feel special about having this special car". You'd be hard pressed to find a better engine maker though than Nissan. They have a real talent for making some exceptional engines. I really enjoyed my Maxima, a lot. Loved driving it. If they'd get back to a more refined design, I'd be tempted to buy one again. The only thing I didn't like about it was the rough ride in the back. They had a steel beam that connected the rear wheel together, eliminating the characteristics of a fully independed suspenion. Made for a rough ride on marginally rough pavement. Very dependent on tire quality. I've heard others say the Infiniti cars ride the same way, especially the M model. I drove a G35 sedan years ago when thinking of a new car for my wife (Mazda 3Gt days). Thought it rode like a ton of bricks and haven't driven another since. I know Nissan shares many parts across all sector under their umbrella, far more than Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus. They all do it, but I think Nissan does it the most. I'm always amazed to see a new Infiniti product to have the exact same switch gear style for steering wheel controls, as a 1987 Nissan 300z.

[livinstone]

Infiniti G37 is a good car bro i have also drive it once!