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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  Good car, Bad trade value - 2000 Infiniti I30
  By b111875tt - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy driving the car and it is very reliable. I own the car. The disappointing part about the car is that when it is time to trade it in, no one wants to give you anything for it...including the Infinit dealer it was purchased from!

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  Gets the luxury basics right - 2000 Infiniti I30
  By windowphobe6 - September 6 - 5:13 am

  This car is just crammed full of features, and yet it doesnt look cluttered: everything makes sense, and everything works the way it should. It may look Japanese generic on the outside, but Im grateful for the restraint: Im not anxious to be noticed, especially in a car where sudden bursts to 90-plus mph are so effortless. Its not quite as tossable as, say, the current Infiniti G, but its a good way to get into the Infiniti Experience for next to nothing.

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  Good Alternative to BMW, ACURA - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By speals - September 4 - 12:16 pm

  Fun Car, no problems and I just passed 50k with the car. Brakes make a lot of dust on the wheels upfront. I have every option but the nav and think the sport package(if you can find one with it) is worth the money. The car has strong, albeit touchy brakes at low speed. Gas mileage is not stellar but not bad either. Fun car on the highway as it has a big top end (mph). Paint is soft, so dont spend time in drive through car washes. Handling can be twitchy. Even with the VDC on you can throw the back end out into a powerslide without a lot of effort. It is very controllable and makes me think this would be the ideal 4dr drift car with the Limited slip my car has. Ditch the summer sport tires.

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  End of Infiniti - 2001 Infiniti I30
  By TJ - September 4 - 9:06 am

  The first few years were great but soon after the warranty of 4 years hit thats when the quarterly trips to the over priced Infiniti garage started as the check engine light seemed to turn on as if on a timer...I still have my 96 Honda Accord EX given the new Infiniti prices for the G and M...I am going back to the H...Honda.

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  Best of the bigger suvs - 2005 Infiniti QX56
  By Susan - September 4 - 2:50 am

  Love the room, and very comfortable; acceleration onto major roadways is surprisingly peppy for this size. Best for long hauls or mainly highway; around town; gas mileage stinks. Best GPS system Ive ever used.

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  Infiniti - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By MyLaura426 - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I do not recommend this car. The brakes and rotors wear out every 7,000-10,000 miles. Infiniti is well aware of the issue but says that you need to "sacrifice wear for performance". Considering I am very knowledgeable about cars I find that insulting. Infiniti gives us free brakes and rotors until 36,000 miles which will stop doing me any good by next year. I have repeatedly been treated rudely and disrespectfully by Infiniti and as much as I love my car otherwise it is not possible to afford. I would never purchase an Infiniti ever again.

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  QX-56 Fun - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By BC - August 28 - 5:26 am

  Great quality. Unique vehicle that gets great looks on the street and around the block. Great to drive, and great features explained in the next segment.

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  BEST HANDLING CAR YOU CAN BUY - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By InfinitiG35Owner - August 27 - 10:00 am

  Faster than 90% of the cars on the road. Dont expect great off the line acceleration with the 6 speed. A WRX Subaru blows it away. Mid range speeds however, prepare to eat BMW M3s for lunch.

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  Good Value - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By gramps hotrod - August 21 - 4:23 pm

  The looks are better than almost any car on the road. The price compared to the competition makes this car a real bargain.

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  A muscle car in a slightly-upgraded clothing - 2013 Infiniti G Sedan
  By between3and14 - August 19 - 2:20 pm

  I got this G37 RWD Journey to inject some fun in my family car/ 100 miles/day commute routine. It delivered mostly with its responsive engine, communicative steering and pretty stiff but competent suspension. I have a slight issue with the automanual though - it is supposed to have the rev-matching feature but so far it seems to over-rev quite a bit - so the car surges forward on downshifts (3->2 especially). The seats are nicely shaped but somewhat hard on the bottom - the heater element might be the cause. Anything in the front cupholders seems to get in the way of operating the gearshift stick. The maintenance alert system relies on simple mileage and does not monitor oil/engine state.