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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  Infiniti failed with this car - 2013 Infiniti JX
  By Sarah C - September 10 - 11:48 pm

  I know that I will never buy another Infiniti again. We have a Nissan truck that cost almost $30k less, and it drives like a champ. My car is 3 years old, and we have already had to replace the transmission- which cost an additional $5300. Nothing on this vehicle can be serviced by a mechanic, everything must come from the dealer. The bluetooth barely works, we can never get the DVD player to work, the GPS is inaccurate, and had routed me to a 2-track jeep trail that almost killed me, I even busted my wheel bearing going down this road trying to stay alive. The service department is great and very helpful, and the car is comfortable. The cruise control is awesome, but for $55,000, I will never make this purchase again. We have spent more time in the shop with this vehicle than any other vehicle, even ones that we bought pre-owned. A new transmission with only a 12,000 mile warranty is unacceptable.

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  Poor quality,QC Eng reviewed - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By captlear55 - August 9 - 10:00 am

  The QX-56 is a great looking SUV. The build quality is very poor. The basic structure of the vehicle is flawed.Sqeaks and rattles are abundant. The roof panel will "tin can" if a single window is opened at speeds above 60 mph. Window regulators have failed (2),drivers seat has failed,overhead console has fallen down. The total enjoyment of what should have been a great SUV has been lost. Dealer was not able to fix due to a lack of parts. Nissan went to production without a robust supply of service parts resulting in 5 months of wait time before repair.

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  QX 56 New Buyer - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By Dave3110 - August 9 - 10:00 am

  Had initial quality problems after getting the car: Replacement of map bezel. Steering wheel does not extend every time I get in the car and put key in ignition. Dealer is unable to find problem so I have to live with it. Radio antenna on rear window was broken, If you hold the cruise control lever up for a couple seconds the car lags and then a few seconds later races from 60 to 90 before it can be stopped. Dealer says they are aware of this and can do nothing about it. I like the performance, handling, power and comfort very much. I had 2 Lexus before this and the service just is not up to par with what I am used to. Hope they improve.

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  Horrible money pit - 2002 Infiniti I35
  By allison - August 7 - 2:33 pm

  Purchased this car with 80,000 miles on it and odometer now reads 111,500. Since that time, check engine light came on, needed to replace radiator (it cracked), temperature gauge (it broke), left rear brake caliper (it seized). Suspension is the worst, pretty much intolerable. The engine has the most obnoxious clunking I have ever heard. Was recently told the muffler and catalytic converter will need to be replaced asap as these do not pass inspection. This car is a money pit when it comes to gas and repairs and the performance is disgraceful for the infiniti name. Will be purchasing a Honda/Acura and will never consider a Nissan/infiniti in the future.

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  Youve seen the good news, now the bad - 2005 Infiniti QX56
  By Texas Girl08 - July 9 - 3:23 pm

  I loved my Q4x4 the first year I had it, but it started falling about at about 25k miles. In for repairs for failing elec system... rear liftgate wont lift (at all), tells you liftgate is open when it is not, flashes and beeps warning for flat tire when there is none, dvd is very noisy and the screen is not fastened securely. After the first year it bounces noisily, heated seats went out, driver seat lumbar broke, rear third row seat broke, nav system went out... these are highlights! Will never buy Infiniti again and selling this.

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  Not Best in Class - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By Driver427 - July 6 - 10:00 am

  I test drove all the cars in this class extensively, and the G35 is not the leader in my opinion. Yes its fast, but the handling isnt the greatest and it was not very fun to drive. The BMW 330 is the best overall car.

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  Not impressed - 2014 Infiniti Q50
  By yossarian7 - June 27 - 2:52 pm

  I have been driving this car for a month. It has excessive wind noise, engine noise and road noise -- far more than expected for a car in this price range. A harsh ride too. Severe torque steer as if it was a front-wheel-drive car. About 10% of the time, it doesnt recognize that I have the key in my pocket. About 25% of the time, it beeps a loud "alarm" when, after I park the car and turn it off, I open the door. Strong engine, but I am only averaging 17.4 MPG in mixed driving (pretty bad in my opinion for this small car).

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  Cant believe the other reviews! - 2002 Infiniti I35
  By Maria - June 24 - 1:16 pm

  I leased this car in October 2001; for 4 years it was great except for the 2 or 3 recalls. Bought it in 05; 1 month later, it all started falling apart. It now has 99,000 miles on it and I have put so much money into it its not even funny. Spark plugs, hoses costing $700, O2s, transmission, motor mounts (twice), struts, CD player doesnt work (55,000 miles ago), sun roof opens at will and now it decided not to close. It sounds like theres a window open in the car all the time. If you put too much base on the radio the rear view mirror shakes to the beat (WOW!); that happened from the beginning. Oil leaks. Not to mention all the dings and dents on the front/back doors! Wanna buy it?

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  I Expected More - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By Patrick Lucas - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Great looking car. Average interior materials. Poor initial quality. 7 repeat visits to repair a dangerous pull to the right. (Was told it was in spec) AC faulty but factory had a repair for it. Gas tank will not fill up. Factory does not have a repair for it.

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  Problems with QX56 - 2005 Infiniti QX56
  By Jim Heine - May 20 - 5:56 pm

  The road performance is fine. The shortfall lies in the dash- poor heating and defroster times, too complicated to find proper settings for climate controls. Have had several minor breakdowns with basic functions ie windshield wipers,mirror motors. Probably would not buy again- Im a 3X infinity buyer.