Overview & Reviews

Infiniti is an upscale automaker from Japan. Though most of its products are related to those sold by parent company Nissan, Infiniti looks to achieve a premium status by infusing its cars and SUVs with spirited performance and additional luxury content.

The brand was launched for the 1990 model year. Its purpose back then, as it is now, was to create premium vehicles for America that wouldn't have otherwise fit in with Nissan's more mainstream image. This was the same tactic Honda used for the creation of Acura, and Toyota for Lexus. In its first full year, Infiniti started out with two vehicles, the Q45 sedan and the M30 coupe and convertible. The compact, entry-level G20 was introduced soon after.

As the 1990s moved along, Infiniti slowly added more vehicles to its lineup. The Q45 luxury sport sedan found its market. The car's 278-horsepower V8 was class-leading in its day. On top of that, the Q45 offered cutting-edge technology such as an active suspension system. By the late '90s Infiniti had rolled out the QX4, an SUV based on the Pathfinder. The sport-ute's truck platform gave it a leg up in off-road performance relative to competing car-based SUVs.

Although Infiniti's sales grew steadily, the marque still fell short of both Lexus and Acura in terms of popularity. The early 2000s saw Infiniti making a determined effort to sharpen its focus and upgrade its products. But it was the introduction of the entry-level, midsize G35 in 2003 that finally gave Infiniti the boost and identity direction it sorely needed. Based on the same platform underpinning the Nissan 350Z, the G35 coupe and sedan met with immediate sales success. The FX35/FX45 soon followed -- a crossover SUV that provided spirited acceleration and sports-car handling with the utility of a wagon.

Today, Infiniti's lineup has expanded to include the G (now a sedan, coupe and convertible) and FX as well as the midsize M sedan, the EX small crossover SUV, the JX midsize crossover SUV and the QX large SUV. Infiniti has also introduced the M Hybrid sedan, its first hybrid vehicle. No matter the model, shoppers will find Infiniti's latest vehicles to be focused on luxury, sport, quality and value.

User Reviews:

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  Grea Car for the Money - 2003 Infiniti I35
  By TN - April 3 - 1:00 pm

  I have now owned the I35 for over 3 years now. It has been a great car for the money. The car has 255 hp with a smoother ride than DTS. Awesome inside. The inside is layed out very nice and you feel like you are in a $40,000+ car. I paid 28,500 for mine and that included the winter package.

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  The Coupe thats worth its price - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By forman - April 3 - 2:00 am

  The infiniti G35 Coupe is definitely a bargain for its price. though the Japanese version (the Nisaan Skyline 350 GT) has more horsepower its about $$100,000.000 the G35 Coupe is roughly $$30,000.000. This car drives better than Sedans I wanted to buy like The Acura TL and Volvo S 60 R. This car is luxurious and glamorous. If you really want a bargain, get this car, if you want an overpriced coupe, go get a porsche. to sum up this review. This car is almost perfect.

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  Fantastic car - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By MArk - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I love it mor enow that when I first bought. Great handling, great breaking system. Navigational system is best out there. The acceleration is just plain fun. On the negative side, there is too much road noise and wind noise, the trunk should spring open when you push the remote button,the tires wear out too fast (maybe thats my driving habits) I had to replace both break pads and rotors after just 11,ooo miles. To my delight, the factory re- imburse me for the expense as they noticed a trend and wanted to keep people happy so the decided to include pads and rotors in the warranty. Awesome. It is a great car. I would absolutely buy another G35.

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  Better choice - 2009 Infiniti G37
  By nz4me - April 3 - 1:23 am

  I love this car. It has power, speed, good gas mileage and fun to drive. I think it is better value than Audi, BMW, Acura when you compare specs and price. My suggested improvement items may be already available depending on the option package. I have premium package and feel those should been added as standard item.

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  Sweeeetttt!!!! - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By Sweeetttt!!! - April 2 - 10:03 am

  I truly enjoy driving this vehicle. I have only had it for a few days...but they have been some fun fast and furious!!!

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  looked at everything - 2001 Infiniti G20
  By MaryB - April 2 - 10:00 am

  To replace my 89 BMW 325ix I narrowed the search down to the Acura 3.2 TL, Audi A4, another 3-series BMW or the Infiniti G20. Determining factors were the wonderful seats, stability and performance at highway speed, all optional features I wanted were standard except for heated seats which my salesman got on a swap with another dealer, beautiful Bose stereo, price $7K below the lowest of the others, and the best warranty and dealer service. Nice little surprises were a cargo net, a leather holder for CDs, really nice millenium jade metallic paint and 30+ mpg on regular fuel.

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  So far, so good - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By Carl - March 31 - 10:20 am

  Positives: Great car, overall. Exceptional power and comfort. Good visibility for changing lanes and backing. Various climate and stereo controls take some getting use to but make sense once mastered. My AWD X model is great in snow and the best thing going for slippery roads. The G35 is much more stable in dicey road conditions than my former Audi Quattro. Negatives: Optional mud guards do not prevent stone chips from occuring between the rear wheel wells and rear doors. Paint quality is a bit shabby. Dealer service rep (Elk Grove California) was not at all helpful with respect to addressing a couple of issues that I brought up during the 3,500 mile service.

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  Its not made of plastic! - 2001 Infiniti I30
  By Irene Bradway - March 30 - 8:36 pm

  This was my first "luxury" car since the 80s. After raising my kids, I wanted a car that I could drive for hours without feeling cramped. I love it. Lots of bells and whistles, but I bought it because of its reliability rating with Consumer Reports. And it has proven incredibly reliable, including when I accidentally run over curbs!

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  Wait for the 2006 - 2005 Infiniti QX56
  By Infiniti driver - March 30 - 5:43 pm

  I believe Infiniti makes a good automobile. I think because of the newness of this vehicle there are a lot of problems that need to be adjusted. I have had 2 blow out tires. Ive had shaking when I apply brakes. (Rotors were recalled in the middle of winter - thats scary) Problems with Heat turning on and off, problem with seat warmer.

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  Better than the E500 - 2008 Infiniti M45
  By Victor G Zilinskas - March 30 - 4:26 am

  I have the Sport model. Exciting car to drive with all the extras that a driver could desire. I dont find the control center confusing, but rather find it loaded with useful features. I push the car hard on winding roads and I find it very responsive and easy to handle. (It compares favorable to BMWs I owned in the past.) The gas mileage is not good, but that is the only disappointment (especially when premium hit $4.00 in Santa Barbara.) All together, I highly reccomend this reasonable priced luxury sport sedan.