Overview & Reviews

These days, we've come to expect a lot from Infiniti. But in years past, the Japanese luxury brand actually struggled to find an audience. Only with the Infiniti G35 sport sedan did the company start to regain its footing after years in the red. At the time of its debut, the G35's refined styling and sporty performance made a loud statement.

There were two generations of the Infiniti G35, both built on the same platform as the Nissan 350Z sports car. The G35 distinguished itself in the entry-level luxury segment with a roomy cabin, plenty of performance and a respectable price. For those reasons, the rear-wheel-drive G35 was one of our editors' top recommendations for a sport sedan or coupe that was rewarding to own and drive. More recently, the G35 was replaced by the G37.

Most Recent Infiniti G35

There were two generations of the Infiniti G35 sedan, although the second generation is essentially the current G37 sedan with a smaller V6 engine. The G35 coupe lasted only one generation (meaning, same body style) before being replaced by the fully redesigned G37 coupe.

The most recent G35 sedan was completely redesigned for 2007. Changes included a stiffer body structure, revised chassis tuning for better handling, a more powerful V6 engine and a more voluptuous take on the previous G's styling. It was more or less the same size as the outgoing model, but the biggest improvement could be found inside, both ergonomically and aesthetically. Everything was better put together and materials were higher in quality. The 3.5-liter V6 engine produced 306 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters was standard, but a six-speed manual came with the 6MT trim. We'd seriously recommend against this transmission (especially on 2007 models) as it was incredibly difficult to drive smoothly.

The sedan was available in five trims: a base model, Journey, x (indicated all-wheel drive), Sport and Sport 6MT. Most Infiniti G35 sedans will be of the Journey variety, which added items like dual-zone automatic climate control and a six-CD changer. The Sport trims were geared toward enthusiasts and featured 18-inch wheels and tires, a limited-slip differential, sport seats and aggressive tuning for the car's electronic stability system. A four-wheel active steering system was an option that's exclusive to the Sport trims, although we weren't fans of it.

Other than its engine, its name and few other detail changes, the G35 sedan became the G37 sedan for 2009.

Used Infiniti G35 Models

The original Infiniti G35 was introduced for 2003, and was produced in sedan form until 2006 and as a coupe until 2007. Originally, the sedan was available in one trim level until the all-wheel-drive model arrived for '04. The coupe could be had in base or Sport trim. The latter included a firmer suspension, a limited-slip differential and 19-inch alloy wheels.

Both sedan and coupe shared the same 3.5-liter V6, but the sedan originally made less power (260 hp with four doors, 280 with two doors). They were made even at 280 hp for 2005, and both models when equipped with the six-speed manual option got a boost to 298 hp. These horsepower numbers dropped to 293 and 275, respectively, for the '07 coupe because of a change in SAE testing procedures -- actual output did not, in fact, change.

Other than the myriad engine changes, there were other noteworthy updates made during the first-generation G35's lifetime. The sedan received a new hood, grille, bumpers, side sills and taillights for '05, although it was hardly a revolutionary aesthetic difference. The coupe remained mostly unchanged visually. Inside, though, both benefited from a redesigned instrument panel and improved manual transmission with a lower shifting effort. The coupe gained an optional rear-steer system for 2006, while its Sport Package gained a unique front fascia and a big rear spoiler. Bluetooth arrived on all Gs that year. While the G35 sedan was completely redesigned for '07, the coupe remained the same.

In our reviews, we were quite fond of the original generation Infiniti G35. The sedan was a bargain-priced alternative to the BMW 3 Series, while being a little less frantic and more comfortable than the second-generation G35 and current G37. The coupe was the more practical, livable alternative to Nissan's 350Z -- it was a sports car in luxury clothing. If there was one area of concern, it was an interior filled with several cheap surfaces and some unintuitive controls. Headroom was also quite limited in the coupe. One feature that was welcome, though, was the optional reclining rear seatbacks in the G35 sedan, which made it a top choice for backseat comfort.

User Reviews:

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  Beware of Brakes - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By Kris73 - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Replaced brakes at 19,000 miles, read town hall discussions (on this website) before buying this vehicle. You will definitely change your mind.

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  Lot of Hype, No Quality - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By mikeymike - January 23 - 10:00 am

  Car has no quality, driver seat squeaks, brakes squeak, sound system rattles and is pretty awful sounding. Has a fast engine but thats about it, the overall quality from the xenons to interior is disappointing, I will never be getting another infiniti again.

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  Poor Build Quality - 2006 Infiniti G35
  By dennishou - October 29 - 8:16 am

  Fun to Drive if you can stand the rattles from the windows, FSBs on the 03/04/05s but not yet on the 06s, Infiniti denies there is any issues on the 06s and will not repair. Infiniti knew there were problems for 3 years and contiuned to sell these cars and did nothing to fix the rattles.

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  Good but overrated - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By Mark Callahan - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Great Looking Car. Sub-par interior: No armrest, no memory seats, poorly located cupholders, and a barely functional backseat(<= 59"). Pros: dash arrangement, steering wheel controls, and the Seats. "specs" vs "experience": Sedan felt more powerful (with 20 less HP, and AT). The coupe feels heavy. Some may describe the acceleration as "smooth" or "refined", but I would describe it as tame, and truly did not feel like 280HP. While the sedan felt energetic, the coupe felt bloated. The 6-SP shifter is nice, however the clutch was a bit heavy for my taste. Pro: the coupe does handle extremely well, and sticks to the road like glue.

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  Not as fun as expected - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By No - August 23 - 8:30 pm

  I bought this car because it was fast, agile and sleek. The exterior has aggressive styling that recieves many compliments, the interior is not very functional and hard to find a place to get comfortable. This car has so much plastic in it I am afraid it may melt if I leave it out too long. Even though I know the car is well built, I dont feel a sense of quality to it. The car has a rather potent engine but it does not grip the road well enough for having AWD.

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  2003 G35 w/performance pkg - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By Wm. Cerniuk - January 7 - 5:26 am

  Had twin turbo Mitsu 3000 for 11 years before this. G35 is a sig step down in performance. Like rear wheel drive but tires narrow for weight of car, spinning out too easy. Ext. paint is cheap/thin and chips very easily. Interior plastic parts (changed to alum on 2004) are showing wear even though I baby it, damn cheap stuff. Is this a GM car? Dealer price on Brembo pads and rotors for care is almost $4,000. First and last Nissan product I buy. Next time Lexus, BMW or Merc. No place to plug my iPod, whats up with that? No bluetooth!! Paint on gear shift wore off under hand! Cheap cheap cheap. They lie about the gas mileage, really 23 highway, not 27

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  Its not a Honda... - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By clintguy - November 24 - 2:00 am

  The engine is bulletproof, but the rest of the car... well, it should be riddled with bullets. Everything is rattly and creaky after a year. Before this car, I had 4 Hondas/Acuras and none of them were like this. Moreover, I have had a blown out speaker since the first month I had it, and no Infiniti dealership will replace a door speaker! Agh!

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  Too much maintenance - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By donna mullin - November 16 - 2:00 pm

  At 16k miles new brakes. At 22k another set in back. At 23k all new tires. Bad mileage for fuel. Its my fourth and last infiniti. Too expensive to own and run, but a great looking car.

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  Fun gas guzzler - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By JAMES - November 5 - 10:53 pm

  I had this car for 3 weeks now and like the cars performance overall. I wish it had more torque like the lexus. The lexus is350 had a stronger motor and was more comfortable inside. The bmw was just an overall nicer car. I guess you get what ya pay for. The g35 also has hard seats and loves to burn fuel. I get about 15-16 mpg around town. The g35 doesnt handle as well as a bmw in high winds or at high speeds. It gets loose in the turns at high speeds. Sure hope gas prices dont climb again.

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  MY LOANER WAS BUILT BETTER - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By OTIS GLAMORE - August 28 - 11:16 pm

  THE REASON IM ON THIS SITE IS TO SEE IF I CAN SELL IT AND BREAK EVEN... RECALLS, OMINOUS SQUEEKING IN A WHEEL THAT SERVICE WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE, A DASH BOARD THAT IS FALLING OUT OF THE FRAME, PLASTIC ON PLASTIC CREAKING, INSTRUMENT PANEL "GLASS CRACKING, TRIM FALLING OFF COMPLETELY, ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND TRULY OPEC-PLEASING GAS EFFICIENCY...BUT ITS BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT!