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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  Good but not the Best - 2009 Infiniti G37
  By Abujamil - October 29 - 11:10 am

  My first time I have Inifiniti G37 Coupe, it was fun to drive... a good horse power, but its for sure not a gas friendly car, I have seen avg 14Mpg to max 20 Mpg, and the sport model type have a noisy tires until you get used to it. Small seats, its made for big people. It has a good features. Im enjoying it but I wont buy it again if I was asked to buy it.

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  Too many problems - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By jbmagic - October 24 - 4:36 am

  Im not happy with the car after almost two years. The mileage is horrible (15 mpg) and the brakes have been replaced twice already at 18,000 miles. The cd changer has gone out twice and the tires are cupping and making lots of noise. Since the backs are a different size and they are unidirectional, they cant be rotated. Road noise is very loud from the tires. Im ready to sell it.

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  Not Quite - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By P-man - October 22 - 10:00 am

  The dealer gave me a 24 hr test drive. 50 mi later, a squeak in the dash. The headliner looked like it was trimmed-to- fit with a box-cutter. Dealer installed wood veneer just stuck over the existing plastic. Cheap! Trunk liner is flimsy. Dashboard looks cheap. Aluminum hood had a wave to it. Orange lighting is too Pontiac. Shifter in way of stereo. Stereo is mediocre. Fast off the line, but tranny shifts can be rough. Handles very good. Brakes are touchy. Its a drivetrain looking for a better body/interior.

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  Fun first Infiniti - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By Gwhiz - October 20 - 10:00 pm

  I have had my G since November 2006. I traded in a 2005 Altima and the G had fewer miles and was fully loaded. payments were reduced and insurance remained about the same. I have to say, its a fun car and the only thing that annoys me is I have to get brake work done more frequently than any other car I have owned. I purchased with 40,000 and now have 130,000 miles and have had brakes done 4 times now. I will consider a newer g but I hope the brake issue has been solved. Infiniti g is a sports sedan and so I realize that the higher performance parts do cost more and may require more replacements, overall I enjoy the vehicle as its been the most fun car I have owned.

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  QX56 - 2005 Infiniti QX56
  By Infinitiqx56 - October 20 - 12:23 pm

  I went from a 02 Escalade to this. I like 80% of the style and features of the Qx56 better. There are a few little things I do miss like the doors do not lock automatic when you shift into gear. Also I am a big fan of the heated seats and the Qx56 do not get hot enough. I miss the power folding mirrors for parking in tight spots. Over all I like the Qx56 better though. The power lift gate is very cool. Also the third row seat is way better and it folds flat. If any one is in the market for a luxury suv then I would recommend this one for sure. One other note the 4 year 60k mile warrany were also a deciding factor for me. Hope this helps someone out there.

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  G35 MT6 - The poor mans M3? - 2005 Infiniti G35
  By Larry LaRose - October 18 - 8:00 pm

  Sexiest style on the road. Makes BMW look dated and appear under-powered. For 2005, Infiniti ups the power to 298hp from its naturally aspirated VQ series V6. Why cant bimmer and Audi do this?

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  Not so great as expected, but still... - 2008 Infiniti G35
  By Shpyntik - October 11 - 5:23 am

  Im a little disappointed by my G35S. Its a great car with an excellent engine, nice interior, great exterior, all the gadgets and a posh sound system. But it has several HUGE flaws - horrible transmission and clutch! First of all it is VERY hard to launch it smoothly and quetly, too much throttle and it surges like a bull, too little and it shakes like its got an overdose. Let go throttle at 1st gear and instead of slow smooth engine braking you get uneven and abrupt deceleration, horrible feeling (and you look like a fool too). Second - very LOUD drivetrain noise. Third - under hard acceleration the car starts to shake violently, as the tires gain and loose the grip, very disappointing.

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  No comparison in price segment - BUY IT - 2006 Infiniti G35
  By Guru G - October 8 - 5:26 pm

  Z: Better instrument cluster but not back seat, creature comforts cost extra. Not as elegant and stylish 3-Series: Way overpriced just for the brand-name. Underpowered (in versions costing less thank 40k). IS: 4 doors. Not fun without $8k in technology options. RX-8:Amazing handling and grip. Ugly exterior. Boy-racer image (but less than that of a Mustang heh). Needs to be redlined for any form of performace which gets annoying fast. Mustang GT: did not even bother to try G35: This car simply makes me smile. I just simply feel good when i am driving it or just simply staring at its uber sexy form. The Bose system is pretty decent as well. In short, this is a true feel good car !!!!!!

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  4 Wheel Rocketship - 2003 Infiniti M45
  By AllenG - September 22 - 2:00 am

  This car is amazing. My previous car was a Mercedes E320. I thought that was a great car, but this car is better in every way. It handles better, classier interior, MUCH faster, and less money. The Infiniti service is on par with Mercedes. This is the car to buy!

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  BMW, Audi and Lexus - - - Eat my dust!!! - 2003 Infiniti G35
  By mpk31 - September 20 - 9:36 pm

  Wow - Youve got to actually drive this car to "get" it. Spectacular! Very very strong power at all rpms. Great suspension - very nice feel. Tight smooth steering. Push this car and it does what you are thinking it should. When you take the race number off the G35, you can take the wife and kids to church in it (they dont have to know about the rest).