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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  1st year review - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By G35 Coupe Owner - June 3 - 9:06 pm

  Great performance. Still get positive comments on the design. Fun to drive. Only issue is tightness. Several rattles and the sunroof is very noisy (creakes with any body flex at all). Mileage is average, which is fine for the performance.

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  The best compromise of luxury and sport - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By TwiBlueG35 - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I have owned Infiniti G35 sedan for more than a year already. This car has spacious cabin, very smooth powerful engine, agile handling, and well- proportioned sporty look. The ride is a little stiff when compared to Toyota Camry. The people who are used to the Camry steering feel probably would find this cars steering heavy, especially when maneuvering in parking lots. The navigation system tells me I am consuming 18mpg fuel, not that good. Talking about Navi, I have never missed a destination by its feminine and friendly voice route guidance. The leather seat is much easier to get used to after a long under-the-sun park.

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  Imitation BME - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By Josh - June 1 - 6:50 pm

  This is a great car--truly a 350Z with 4 seats. The VQ v6 is a strong engine--feels like a v8--so the car is fast. Not so much on the refinement end. Last car was a BMW 330ci (coupe), and while it was a half tick slower, it was more refined: better ride, fewer squeaks and rattles, etc. Truly the G35 is a 4-seat Z or a poor- mans BMW. But great car for all that!

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  My New 56 - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By soxit - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Would have prefered to have daytime running lights Sometimes the saftey belts are hard to locate to buckleup at start up Love the leg room in third row seats best Ive seen Best cargo room with third and/or second row searts down for vehicle size Back seat passanger comfort superb Whis fuel consumption was better but would buy again

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  Amazing - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By Michael W - May 28 - 4:30 am

  I purchased my g35 coupe used at 27k. It has prem and nav pkgs but no sports because i live in nyc. I test drove one w/ a sports package and found it way too stiff. The handling limits of non-sports pkg are beyond anything id approach + the ride is better. The GPS is a lifesaver and is one of the best in the world. Very few cards can beat it in a straight line but most imporantly is the attention the exterior + exhaust gets. All of its competitors (330Ci, Acura CL, etc) blend into the crowd. The G35C is like an exotic car on the road. Every occasion i have to drive it is welcomed. Going to get groceries is fun. Ive had it only for a few days and ive already recieved many many compliemnts

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  EYE SHOCKING SUV - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By jody Riddle - May 23 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is smooth, reliable, quiet, and eye catching. I get more compliments off this suv. I have had minor problems which were taken care of by the dealer.

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  Paint Job - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By kellie037 - May 23 - 10:00 am

  The paint on infinity G35s are terrouble!I have called about my paint job when I had it only 3 months, they know this is a major defect and will not do anything about it because if they fix mine they know they will have to repaint everyones. They use less paint than other dealerships and less clear coat. I was told this by the person in charge of making decisions on repairs. My cars paint looks old and dull. The bugs ate through the paint 3 months after I purchased it. They will not return phone calls and refuse to look at it. I will never buy a infinity again! Every person I see driving a Infinity, I make sure I tell them about the paint.

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  Not up to standards - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By retrog - May 15 - 4:43 pm

  Ive owned this car since it was new, and Ive not been happy with it for a while. The tires dont last, the interior wears quickly (not that it looked that spectacular in the first place), the radio is less than user friendly, the paint is inferior and the road noise is simply unacceptable in a car that costs this much. Actually the road noise is worse than in my sons Toyota pick up truck or my wife convertible. And the turning radius is inferior to those vehicles as well, despite what edmunds or any other website might tell you. Not a fan of the traction/stability control - almost got me hit a few times by hitting the brakes and killing the accelerator. I now drive without it.

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  Jeckyll and Hyde - 2003 Infiniti M45
  By qualityfirst1 - May 14 - 6:16 am

  I still believe this car is a Jeckyll and Hyde. Were still enjoying the power, but the transmission isnt very responsive and the manual mode is worthless. The seats are comfortable and have nice amenities, but the drivers seat squeaks now. We still love all the gadgets, but they are difficult to use. Weve encountered more issues, but we do have 108K miles now. The exhaust manifold was changed under warranty. Now its cracked again - poorly engineered. We still burn a quart every 1,000 miles (108 quarts so far!) Tire wear is phenomenal. The originals ran 28K miles. The second set were Essenzia and were just changed. The new Hankook Ventas dont feel very good on the car.

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  Awesome ride, door rattles can be fixed - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By speedynewowner - May 14 - 2:00 am

  The speed and handling are just incredible. After 3 tries they fixed the annoying door rattle (front passenger). If you have it, insist they change the door panel clips(also insulate them with insulation tape). They are not put in snug, they just rattle around. To see if this is your problem, with the door open, tap the the bottom of the door with your palm and you will hear it tapping. I think the stock sound system sounds great. Not as quiet a ride as my wifes Avalon on the highway, but not noisy either. To me the car is really impressive for 29,300 I did about 10 test drives and this was the only car I got excited about.