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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  Shake, Rattle and Rattle - 2005 Infiniti QX56
  By Larry Foles - April 10 - 5:23 am

  This car has a great drive train but rides rough, rattles and the wheels vibrate like crazy. The dealership says it was design so tight that you will feel more of the road. If the road is not a good road then you will feel it in the steering wheel. Im trying to get them to satisfy me but not getting anywhere. This car needs work.

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  wish I purchased foreign - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By Ivette - February 14 - 10:00 am

  I fell in love with the QX56 when I drove it and loved the way it handled so we purchased it. I should have known this SUV was not a good thing when I noticed the armrest on the second row were unraveling. Since then we have had a squeak in the sunroof/DVD section that is unbarable. Its been in the shop 3 times for that.The navigation system stopped working after 1 1/2 months.The back roof panel has fallen down, the radio dial popped out above the DVD screen, the flat tire waring light comes on and there are no flat tires.The brakes and rotors replaced twice in 11600 miles.Been in shop for 48 days so far (still in shop).Parts always on back-order.Dealers been great/Infiniti has not!!!

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  Fuel Consumption Terrible - 2009 Infiniti G37
  By Me - December 31 - 3:00 pm

  I have had the car for 1 Week. Fuel consumption is not good at all. I am looking at around 12 miles to the Gallon, have driven 120 miles and used 10 Gallons, this includes a majority of hwy 90 % and 10 % city, my Chevy Tahoe gave me 400+ to a full 20 gallon Gas Tank. I was told that it would give me 17 city and 24 Hwy. It is such an expensive car and I will definitely not buy an infinity again. Very displeased. The car is definitely not worth the money, not much to celebrate for the price payed

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  multiple repairs without satisfaction - 2013 Infiniti JX
  By jkwind - December 17 - 8:39 am

  I purchased my car in November 2012. Within a few months, I had a problem with a rattle underneath the back seat. After taking it for repair, the shop informed me that they fixed the problem. The problem recurred again and this time they informed me that they had to remove the dash to fix the problem. The car has been back for repair five times for the same issue without addressing the problem successfully. My efforts to have the manufacturer buy back have been fruitless. This car is a a disappointment and the customer service is very poor. This is not what I expected after spending so much much for a luxury car. Customer care service did a very poor job in dealing with my problem.

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  Not So Great... - 2013 Infiniti JX
  By granolla - December 15 - 11:59 pm

  I have 7000 miles on the new JX and would not buy again. The JX looks good, yes the interior is nice but the performance is lacking in a vehicle of this price range. The JX struggles.. If you have not driven a vehicle with a CVT transmission Do Your Homework. It is awkward compared to a traditional transmission. The engine will rev at times unexpected ,it is much louder, and you get the feeling of downshifting. They give you a selector switch that you can turn to sport mode to make it feel like a traditional transmission (not) Understanding it is SUV/ crossover, it does not take to turns well comparable. Bottom line at this price It underperforms. Would take my CX9 Back tomorrow.

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  Dont buy a used G35 - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By Calvin - December 12 - 8:56 am

  I like the G35 overall but this car is not your usual reliable Japanese sedan. It has weird reliability issues: eg. the suspension lower arm link broken @ 35000miles, the brake squeak @ 38000miles, the dashboard light went out @ 44000miles...all those little things that drive you nuts because you would expect better from Infiniti. I wish I wouldve gotten an Acura instead (owned 3 of them in the past and had no problem whatsoever at least till 100,000 miles!).

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  Unimpressed - 2006 Infiniti G35
  By jcc2007 - December 5 - 11:23 pm

  My G35 RWD has auto tranny, premium pkg, but not the sport pkg. The car has been quite reliable. I like the supple ride, Bose stereo and Bluetooth feature. The keyless feature is a gimmick. If you drive it like a luxury car, it performs pretty well. However, if you want to drive it like the sports sedan as it claims to be, you may be disappointed like I am. The engine is loud and severely lacks low end torque, and the auto tranny is slow and jerky (among the worst Ive experienced). Combined with slow (yet heavy) steering, soft suspension and crappy tires, the car is very unsatisfying to drive. On top of that, the gas mileage has been consistently worse than that of our mid-size SUV.

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  Lots of room to improve - 2007 Infiniti G35
  By MissMyIntrepid - October 20 - 4:20 pm

  Infiniti falls short in so many areas. The controls are a foot away from the display for what youre changing (A/C, stereo), the A/C controls are non-intuitive. Bumper paint doesnt match. Dash lights dont match. Body and trim panels vary in fit. Front sport seats are too tight for an average (180 lb) adult. Bad clutch - in for recall today. Cheap floor mats are almost worn out! 14 bolts/plastic cover to replace oil filter and change oil. Front chrome grill easy to chip. Moon roof trim falls out. Redundant service disply in console and in dash. Cheap analog clock should be digital for quick read. Leather not as soft as previous year. Little storage in cabin. Stereo FM separation very poor.

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  Blistering acceleration, not much more - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By galluscio - September 12 - 5:30 am

  Car accelerates very well. Its a joy to get on highway on-ramps. However, the suspension is poor - too rigid - as if Infinitis trying too hard to tell us "look, its a BMW killer!" Its also unbalanced - feels like weight is 70% front, 30% rear Plenty of room in back for passengers (rear seats "recline" like airline seats). Car is too long - try backing out of a parking garage and youll see what I mean. Visibility out the back poor. Bose stereo was great. Sold this and am happy to be rid of it.

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  Never Again - 1997 Infiniti QX4
  By Malibuwaverunner - July 15 - 10:00 am

  This was my first car when I was 17. Went to get it with my grandfather. The first 6 months were great! I enjoyed driving this SUV. However this went downhill very quickly. The first thing to go were the rotors and since the first time i had them repaired ive had to have them replaced twice!! Ive only owned the car 2 years! This is an obvious engineering flaw. This on top of the air conditioning going out($1500) and the struts ($1000) is ridiculous. I could have purchased a REAL luxury car like a BMW or Mercedes-Benz and been better off! If youre thinking of purchasing one please think twice! Japanese engineering is not the best and is filled with flaws. Just as a warning!