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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  Ordinary drivers review after 2 months - 2014 Infiniti Q50
  By jpat0973 - June 23 - 10:14 pm

  Imy not a professionally trained driver looking to evaluate this car on how many Gs it pulls. Im an ordinary guy who commutes 100 miles per day and bought this car to drive it like most people will - on traffic filled highways and streets with stop lights, not hairpin turns. It is whisper quiet on the highway, faster than anything else youll see on the road, and sips fuel. Technology is beyond what I need, but has nice features. I didnt get the deluxe technology package because I am more than capable of staying in my lane and hitting the brakes. Bottom line, this is a really nice sedan (its not a sports car). Extra note, its great in the snow.

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  This fun aint cheap - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By lastnoel - June 16 - 6:20 am

  I have owned this car for 5 years. I dont put very many miles on it per year so Im just now coming up on 38k. Brakes were squealing bad and the VDC light, emergency brake light, and SLIP light were coming on and staying on. Had read this may be a break problem. I needed new tires anyway so took it to shop. Front pads/rotors and rear pads all needed to be replaced. $800. It did fix my dash lights problem though. You definitely pay for owning a fun car.

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  AWD for All People - 2006 Infiniti G35
  By J Martin - June 15 - 6:23 pm

  Our 06 Liquid Platinum G35X has gobs of power and doesnt waste it. You can feel all four wheels grab in the wet, but it retains a rear-wheel dynamic on dry pavement. The "cockpit" feels comfortably snug for my 510", 220 lb frame. Steering is tight and responsive. I do conciously avoid potholes: the sporty suspension will clearly transmit the bump to the occupants. The motors burble at idle and roar when accelerating makes you feel like you have a sports car and not a sedan. The stereo is loud and clear. The SmartKey is somewhat cool, but leaves me to wonder if the vehicle is at greater risk for theft if Im "around" the car, but not in the car--I do need to look into that more. MPG-feh.

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  Great get up and go - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By jjinx19 - June 13 - 2:43 am

  I have enjoyed my Infiniti owning experience for the most part. Bought it with 55K miles already on it, now at 119K no major issues to report. Only issue is my car has some electrical issues that come and go, radio cuts in & out, power seat sticks. This is a great highway car in the way of maneuvering and great pickup. Not so great on the MPG (one of the reasons Im trading it in now). Had mostly owned GM vehicles but had to trade my XL Denali (my baby) in for the G35 when the gas hike hit. Have to say I liked my Denali better, just personal preference. Costly to own & on repair, thank god for the mechanic in the family (saved me a lot on labor and routine maintenance costs).

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  Can you afford it? - 2001 Infiniti I30
  By bonedatt - June 11 - 7:21 am

  I was looking for a second vehicle for job and everyday commute and settled for the 2001 Infiniti I30. Coming from a German made 2009 VW Passat and now a 2012 VW CC Lux Plus, the expectations were already high. The 2001 I30 lived and still lives up to this expectation. The interior and exterior are beautiful. There are technologies on this vehicle that I think even the Germans can still borrow from to add to some of their "future" vehicles :-). Dont get me wrong, German engineering is still up there but this car holds its own. The question potential buyers of this vehicle may want to ask themselves is "can you afford this"?. I dont mean the buying price, but the cost of maintenance.

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  My new, 2018 QX30 - still getting used to it - 2018 Infiniti QX30
  By JM - June 9 - 9:46 pm

  Im starting to get used to driving this crossover, after 30+ years of driving BMW sedans, so Im not yet totally comfortable. I bought this car because I needed its safety features that few other cars have at this time. I specifically love the blind spot warning and parking sensors, plus the 360 degree live view. The self-parking feature was a requirement for me, and it works great! It takes corners nicely and holds the road. Negatives are: loud engine, poor placement of some of the controls (very hard to see and to reach while driving), not enough USB ports, voice controls dont that respond well enough to my commands, no onboard computer to store my music, and its disappointingly small. The price is exceptionally high, and the gas mileage is not great. Overall, Im happy with the vehicle, but wish I would have noticed some of the negatives before purchasing.

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  Absolute Premium Vehicle - 2010 Infiniti QX56
  By jomeadows - June 6 - 11:10 am

  Have had this vehicle for two weeks. Have been driving Escalades. This is a far superior vehicle in fit and finish, ride, quality electronics and stereo. The ride on the road is the best I have ever experienced. this truck is so good "on road" that I doubt it is what "off roaders" seek, but I love it.

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  Pretty Good SUV - 2002 Infiniti QX4
  By samwong - June 5 - 1:16 pm

  Have this SUV for a month now, everythings running great. A very smooth vehicle, live up to expectation, no complains. We chose the Infiniti over the Nissan after seeing the vehicle in person, we feel it is worth the extra money, the material and workmanship is much better than the pathfinder. Go for it.

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  new experience - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By j&b - June 1 - 10:00 am

  I was used to drive an X-5 (V-8, 4.4). The QX is a truck but is safe, has very nice interiors and is spaceous. Now if it only be a little more sporty (what I mean is horse power and acceleration) it would it be the best out there

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  upscale pathfinder - 1997 Infiniti QX4
  By jerryb2339 - May 29 - 10:00 am

  very nice interior - easy-to-use controls. good use of wood and leather. very underpowered and less than good mileage. loud sunroof when open. totally trouble-free