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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  Fun Ship - 2004 Infiniti QX56
  By Allan - November 8 - 12:56 am

  I am sold on Infiniti. Having driven BMWs for over 15 years I must say that as soon as I test drove the Infiniti it felt very much like a Beamer but much better. Coming from an X5 BMW I wanted to have speed and pick up and still have a car feel to driving. The QX56 has it all, power, comfort and the Cadillac Escalade that I test drove was no comparison. This is an 04 with only 21,000 miles so it feels like new. Took it on the interstate for the first time and it was like heaven. The cockpit gives one the feel of an aircraft. Awesome job Infiniti Im hooked!!

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  Roberts Q45 - 2000 Infiniti Q45
  By Robert Doyna - November 5 - 12:16 am

  Fabulous car, this is the third one that I have had and I love it. Extremely reliable, in fact, it has never broken down.

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  AJG35x - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By AJIcing - November 4 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is the perfect balance of performance in snow and practical transportation the remainder of the year. The fun to drive quotient in any season is very high.

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  Excellent value, fun to drive - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By mistrad - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Had the car for a month. It is a blast to drive. If you are used to sports cars, this is the sedan for you. Also looked at the BMW, Acura TL, etc. There was no comparison overall. The interior is not the classic luxury style, but I fell in love with it. And, it is the most unique and best looking car around.

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  Great value and fun to drive - 2004 Infiniti G35
  By bostonbob - November 4 - 10:00 am

  This car is a great value. It provides wonderful handling, great power, excellent appearance and decnt gas mileage. I have previously owned several Lexus, a MBZ SLK model and this car is far superior to the Mercedes and cheaper as well. It is not quite as quiet as the Lexus but it is much more fun to drive and is definitely a "drivers" car. I believe itis the best value on the road, far better than the Lexus ES 330 or the Acura TL.

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  Best car I ever owned. - 1998 Infiniti I30
  By allanc1 - November 3 - 3:48 pm

  I purchased my 1998 I-30 in 2002, as a used car with 40K miles on it. I now have 297,600 miles on it. Outside of normal maintenance such as tires and brakes, I replaced the alternator once and the battery once. I change the oil every 3000 miles or as close as possible. It is the best purchase I ever made (and trust me, I have purchased some dogs over the years). I wish I had another just like it.

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  Unpredictable acceleration, uneven stops - 2015 Infiniti Q50
  By FotG - November 3 - 6:33 am

  There is very little consistency from where you put the pedal and how the car accelerates. The standard transmission mode is the most consistent and the most driveable. The sport mode is so wildly unpredictable that its pretty much unusable. Sometime the car takes off like a rocket, and some times there is a 2-3 second delay before anything happens. The braking is uneven and when between 30 and 40 miles per hour there is a sudden decrease in acceleration force and the brake pedal has to be pressed much harder. The transmission is too aggressive at shifting up to higher gears making it hard to maintain a constant speed. I read the reviews of this car and saw it was a love it or hate it kind of car, but I was not expecting it to be so unpredictable. Strangely enough, nearly all of these problems go away if you shift manually, but it also disables EV mode. Software in the car seems rough around the edges and as if it was rushed to production. They are typically small problems but they get annoying after awhile. Ex: dash screen and top screen remember what you last set them to, bottom screen doesnt. Wont remember your selected drive mode. One thing I do like is the direct adaptive steering. But only in the heavy/quick mode. The standard mode gets twitchy when making quick left then right turns (such as an apartment parking lot). The bottom line, I would not buy this car again, acceleration and braking are too unpredictable, which are consistent with a surprisingly high amount of car reviews. I didnt notice any of these issues in the test drive. My advice is get a weekend demo if you are looking into this car.

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  Unpredictable acceleration, uneven stops - 2015 Infiniti Q50
  By FotG - November 3 - 6:33 am

  There is very little consistency from where you put the pedal and how the car accelerates. The standard transmission mode is the most consistent and the most driveable. The sport mode is so wildly unpredictable that its pretty much unusable. Sometime the car takes off like a rocket, and some times there is a 2-3 second delay before anything happens. The braking is uneven and when between 30 and 40 miles per hour there is a sudden decrease in acceleration force and the brake pedal has to be pressed much harder. The transmission is too aggressive at shifting up to higher gears making it hard to maintain a constant speed. I read the reviews of this car and saw it was a love it or hate it kind of car, but I was not expecting it to be so unpredictable. Strangely enough, nearly all of these problems go away if you shift manually, but it also disables EV mode. Software in the car seems rough around the edges and as if it was rushed to production. They are typically small problems but they get annoying after awhile. Ex: dash screen and top screen remember what you last set them to, bottom screen doesnt. Wont remember your selected drive mode. One thing I do like is the direct adaptive steering. But only in the heavy/quick mode. The standard mode gets twitchy when making quick left then right turns (such as an apartment parking lot). The bottom line, I would not buy this car again, acceleration and braking are too unpredictable, which are consistent with a surprisingly high amount of car reviews. I didnt notice any of these issues in the test drive. My advice is get a weekend demo if you are looking into this car.

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  An Excellent Choice for SUV - 2002 Infiniti QX4
  By ar236 - November 1 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent choice for a SUV. The ride is better than others I have tested (Lexus RX4 & Merc ML). The warrantee on QX4 is genereous and the customer service is absolutely incredible. Cargo space could be better.

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  Value - 2003 Infiniti M45
  By on tilt - October 31 - 6:40 pm

  My brother has owned a G and two Qs and has had great luck with all of them. He took both the Qs to 150K with very little trouble. So I bought the M knowing it had the same great engine of the Q. A great used car value. I picked up an M for 32K and love it. Outer style is okay, but what a superstar to drive. Center console controls are fine once you get to know them. You get great fit-finish, power- handling AND reliability. Typically you dont get all of those benefits in one package. Drive one, youll see. The 06 model looks much nicer, but wont be nearly as soft. If by chance they do get as soft, Ill buy one when this one is worn out.