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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  NIce - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By Rome - January 25 - 7:43 am

  Very nice car to drive and sit in driveway. Everyone talks about the look and the power

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  What a disappointment! - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By jmu - January 23 - 10:00 am

  We have owned this car for 2 1/2 months, and it has been in service 23 days! 3/4 tires needed replacing, navigation system doesnt work, paint came off front bumper when washing with a cloth, wood panel fell out of side door, drivers electric motor in window didnt work....The service dept. has been awesome, but Infiniti wont stand behind the quality (or lack there of) of their vehicles. We paid $14K extra to go with the Infiniti QX56 instead of Nissan Armada because of the quality issues we read in the consumer reviews. At least Infiniti has provided us with a car while ours has been in service! Issues with the car still remain.

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  Lot of Hype, No Quality - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By mikeymike - January 23 - 10:00 am

  Car has no quality, driver seat squeaks, brakes squeak, sound system rattles and is pretty awful sounding. Has a fast engine but thats about it, the overall quality from the xenons to interior is disappointing, I will never be getting another infiniti again.

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  Great car. - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By Cris - January 23 - 10:00 am

  Amazing amount of horsepower. Wonderful handling because of the weight balancing; handles standing water better than my 4 wheel drive. Car can handle tall people up to 6ft 5in; very unusual for a sports car. Back seat obviously small but useful, particularly the pull down feature that extends the trunk for longer items. You wont find a better performing car within $10K.

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  Best all-around performance sedan - 2006 Infiniti M45
  By calsteamer - January 22 - 9:00 am

  I have spent the past 6 months trying to decide on new car. I tested all comparable cars (BMW 545, Lexus GS430, Mercedes E500, Cadillac STS), and this was by far the best car for the money. Finnaly, a car with Japanese reliability that drives like a german car.

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  My experience - 2001 Infiniti QX4
  By Craig W - January 20 - 2:10 pm

  Fun little rig to drive. The MPG is a tad low but the pep somewhat compensates for it. I bought it with 90K on it and for the most part it is in new condition. My biggest complaint is with the Bose/Clarion 6 CD/Cassette stereo. I had the car 4 months and got what is known as the dreaded err 2 message on the CD screen. With a bit of investigation I found this is a very common problem. This problem is peculiar to the 2001 model. There is a plastic gear in the CD changer that strips out. I have read of dealer quotes to $500 to fix this.

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  Best car yet! - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By insulatorz - January 19 - 2:00 am

  By far the best car weve ever purchased. This is one car that covers all bases. Excellent!

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  The Birth of a Great One - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By Fatz - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Solid, from the contact points withthe road to the sunroof to the engine responsiveness to the styling. This car has all the makings of a beginning legend. The handling and the available power through redline is simply exhilarating.

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  Second Time is even better - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By Joel Adler - January 18 - 9:20 am

  This is my second G35X. I loved the first (2004). This car has been even better. I am actually getting better mileage as well. The original Goodyear tires were poor, but a step up from the previous cars horrible original tires. I replaced them with Hankook tires after 29000 miles. No complaints there. I am still on my original brake pads after 41000 miles. I cant believe it, but I have them checked, and they are fine. It might be due to my use of the autostick . This car is a lease, but I will likely purchase it at the end of the lease. I drove the 2009 with the 7 speed auto and 328 horsepower. There was no real difference. The Bose premium "studio on wheels" sounds great.

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  Great Value for the price - 2010 Infiniti Q56 - 2010 Infiniti QX56
  By jeth - January 15 - 1:53 am

  Recently bought a used 2010 Q56 with 10K miles on it. It is basically brand new. The 2011 is awesome but the older model now is a great buy if interested. Great comfort, technology options, fun to drive, solid SUV for my 2 boys and all their friends too. The Q56 was $10K-$15K cheaper than the Cadillac and Sequoia at 35K+ miles. The Q56 was super close in bling, comfort, technology, performance and gas mileage. The 2nd row buckets and 3rd row bench is much better than the Caddy. If you are looking for a great SUV that in my opinion equals GM, Toyota, Lexus but costs much less check this SUV out.