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:

• 

  Very Well-Built, Super Reliable - 2002 Infiniti QX4
  By faucj - July 4 - 4:26 am

  As the second owner of my QX4, Ive put 82,000 miles on it, bringing it to a total of 150,000. The only money Ive spent on repairs was for a rattling heat shield early on. Aside from that, drivetrain has been bulletproof - no surprise as the VQ35DE engine was included in Wards 10 Best for 2002. No squeaks or rattles - exterior and interior have held up remarkably well. CD player glitchy. Feels like a tank, which has its pluses and minuses - solid, but a bit underpowered; great towing (body-on-frame construction), but pretty poor fuel economy. Four-wheel-drive system is a technological marvel - has gotten me up a 45-degree snow bank with no wheelspin. Amazing truck - luxurious and reliable.

• 

  Good car but.............. - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By Brian - June 30 - 4:03 am

  I drove all of the competition (BMW, Acura, etc) and to be completely honest, I would rather be driving a 3- series. However, there is no denying the fact that this car presents incredible value for the money. This car is literally 7 to 8 grand less than a comparable BMW. But some days I like it and others I dont. I have had the car for 3 to 4 months and there are squeaks and rattles creeping up which is simply unacceptable for a car like this. The car does have great features, exterior styling is very nice, and it is very comfortable. Gas mileage isnt great but I wouldnt really expect it with nearly 300hp.

• 

  Poor brake life - 2006 Infiniti G35
  By Rich Trupp - June 25 - 10:26 pm

  My brakes needed to be replaced at 12,500 miles and Infiniti would not stand behind their product even though prior years models had a similar problem and they extended the warranty to cover these owners. According to my dealer, Infiniti feels they have resolved this problem to their satisfaction. I will not lease or puchase another Infiniti ever again.

• 

  NICE Car Bad Back Seat - 2003 Infiniti M45
  By logan2744 - June 21 - 5:27 pm

  Purchased the car about 8 months ago. It had 124,000 miles on it. I was on a local government auction site and saw it. I wasnt even looking for a car. I was actually looking for something else not car related. It had issues. Needed paint, starter, driver seat and some tlc. I checked for recalls and found that it had 2 recalls that needed to be done. Infiniti fixed them. While at the Infiniti Shop they saw that the gas gauge wasnt working properly. That was a $1000.00+ to repair. So after getting it painted, a new driver seat, starter and putting some tlc in it at an additional cost of $1000.00+ I finally think I have a great running car. Car has some get up to it.

• 

  Radio Off Windows Open - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By goldenears - June 19 - 10:00 am

  This car has one good feature, acceleration. Suspension has you bouncing off the ceiling, the brakes off the front window, the steering is touchy and you sway back and forth. Fun to drive but rotten to be a passenger.

• 

  Bang for the buck - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By james - June 16 - 10:13 pm

  This car is beautiful to look at but not beautiful to drive! Overall it is a fun car with very high performance limits. However it has a slightly unsophisticated feel to it - in the clutch and suspension feel and the acceleration is not linear. The brakes are awesome. The rear axle tends to hop with wheel spin which is a letdown. If you dont spin the tires acceleration is top notch. Anything above 8/10s level the car feels flawless. It is in normal day to day driving, particularly the daily work slog, that it can be tedious to drive. Again, for the money this car in pretty much in its own league. Just be prepared for a rough around the edges experience.

• 

  Check your paint/Poor Client Experience - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By sfarris7 - June 11 - 3:30 pm

  The good: Drives awesome and the stereo rocks. Very comfortable seats and well put together. The bad: 6 days after taking delivery discovered a paint flaw in three doors (looks like someone ran their fingers under the clear coat and left a "wax residue" the size of a hand). Manufacturer acknowledges it was a factory defect but is only willing to re-paint all doors, plus part of the front and rear quarter will need to be repainted. BBB says I have no case under Lemon Laws. The car is silver which is a difficult color to match. The manufacturer may be following the law by only offering to re-paint but is it really fair to force a client to accept a repainted new car? In my opinion no.

• 

  Good, Reliable Car - 1998 Infiniti I30
  By linc2u - June 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car used at a local dealership. I drive 40,000 to 45,000 business miles a year. I service the car regularly. Currently there is 125,000 miles on it. I have replaced the brakes and put new tires on it. Nothing else has needed repaired or replaced. I get 29 mpg highway, and 20 city. The ONLY thing that has not always worked properly is the power antenna. (it does not fully extend) It doesnt seem to effect the reception. I plan to drive another 50,000 then get another. It is not the best car in its class, but it has to be one of the best values you can get. My wife loves her Acura and wouldnt drive anything else. The same goes for me with the I-30.

• 

  A great car - hopefully getting better - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By DonR - June 5 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my G35 for about 14 months now and I would have to say that Im generally happy with the car. Ive had no problems at all and Ive been very satisfied with the dealship so far. I would recommend this car to anyone! However, the paint is suspect! I have a number of chips on the hood that have never shown up on another vehicle that Ive owned. I suspect the car will have to be repainted within 3 years.

• 

  Pretty Good - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By g35owner03 - June 5 - 10:00 am

  I had it for a month now, and the driver seat is making a sequicky noise, what a shame! I owned a Dodge before, for about 4 years, and never had to take it to the service even once for warranty problem, except for a light bulb. I have expected a much better reliability for a 33K car, well I guess stuff happens. On the other hand engine is superb, 6MT is really good, but the shifter is rattling all over the place. Interior quality is OK, not as good as Audi or BMW, but the leather quality is much better. If 330, or A4 6cyl was not so expensive I would have chosen BMW or the Audi.