Hi all
Recently joined you from the other side.
Last month, I bought myself a new car, an Infiniti G37 saloon in GT spec with the multimedia pack. Not sure if anyone's interested, but, as there are so few in the UK, I thought I would provide my thoughts on the car so far.
The Infiniti brand is really an up-market Nissan, and there are plenty of Nissan markings under the bonnet. As far as I'm concerned, this is a plus, as I used to have a Primera which was the most reliable car I've ever had.
Pros :
Very smooth and refined, feels well-built
Love the understated but classy exterior
Lovely interior, especially the soft leather seats
Very quick if you want it to be (has the same 3.7 V6 engine as the Nissan 370Z, I think)
Love all the gadgets (and there are loads), especially the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel, the Bose system and the reversing camera
Like the fact there are so few others around - makes the car stand out and be a bit of a talking point
Finally, just bought GT5 on PS3, and great to be able to drive my own car in the game (well, the coupe version) in a way that I would never dream of driving my real car)
Cons:
OK, mpg not great, but as expected - getting just over 23 mpg, but not too bad considering mostly stop start driving. Just doing my bit to cut the Govt deficit!
Not sure how it will handle in the snow, being RWD - but just bought 4 snowsocks, so hoping for the best on that
All in all, absolutely loving the car and would thoroughly recommend the brand. Don't drink, don't smoke, so the car for me is a little luxury that I'm prepared to pay a bit more for.
Best wishes to all - great site by the way. Any questions on the car, just let me know.....
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Welcome Infiniti Man - good review.
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To answer the obvious question, it looks like this:
www.infiniti.co.uk/g37-coupe.html
There's a cabriolet version which would be a nice upgrade from the CC3.
Except I'd have to sell Iffy Towers to buy it.
www.infiniti.co.uk/g37_convertible.html
Last edited by: Iffy on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 13:28
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I quite like it, but lack of dealers will hold back sales for a while. Only two at present, third under construction in Stockport.
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Looks nice.. Pity about the fuel and the RWD...
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Thanks Iffy. Mine is the straight G - can easily be seen from the above links, though
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Seems to have taken Nissan a long time to get Infiniti going in the UK.
I'm sure they announced the brand was coming years ago.
Perhaps the launch was delayed by the Renault merger and/or the credit crunch.
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They've got 4 dealers open now - more planned for next year.
I'm actually only committed for a 1 year period, and I may then switch into another model, or buy another marque altogether (really like the Jag XF).
If I stick with Infiniti, then, depending on how my car copes with the snow, I might switch into an AWD G next year.
They also do a 3.0 diesel which I may think about (but not at the mo in the G). I did drive a diesel FX - very quick too.
Quite fancy the Infiniti M - think that looks great too.
I bought mine from the Reading dealership and live locally. Funnily enough, starting to see a few around the area now, mainly the EX and FX.
But don't have to decide anything for a while yet............
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Lovely car and nice write up I.M.
hmmm.... maybe in 6 years time when it costs 2k a year to tax i could afford one (but not the tax)
Enjoy your motor.
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Nice motor, i like cars that are just that bit different, especially those from the Far East.
Maybe you could do some interesting pics, interior, underbonnet, and underside, brakes etc when the weather improves and stick 'em on Photobucket or similar please, i'd like a goosey..;)
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Nice review, Infiniti Man, and Welcome to the site.
Like you, I had a Primera, and it was the most reliable car that I ever had. Hugely underrated car, IMHO.
I could therefore be tempted by this car, but there are two critical hurdles to overcome.
a) I can't live with a saloon (much though I love the shape), so Infiniti would need to provide a hatchback version.
b) The MPG is too low for me to cope with. They would need to make a diesel version.
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Surely any Nissan dealer could service an Infiniti seeing that the engine (and probably lots of other bits) are shared with the 370Z?
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Interesting reading, it's good to read about the rarer machines. What's the engine like, i'm guessing it can fairly scream on to a high rpm?
Definitely got a magpie streak in me, pictures would be good :-)
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Interesting, IM - and thanks for posting. I'd been aware of Infiniti (and Honda's similarly made-up Acura) as brands in the US since the 90s but its presence here had passed me by.
They do seem to have decided to conquer Europe the hard way - big V6 petrol saloons and sub-X5 SUVs are a tough sell, so a combination of appealing engineering and showroom sparkle is probably the best approach. I do wonder if they'll get past the rather naff, arriviste image that (sorry BBD) still clings to Lexus here even after 20 years.
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>> I do wonder if they'll get past the rather naff, arriviste image that (sorry BBD) still clings to Lexus here even after 20 years.
Ever driven a Lexus LS WdB?
Fabulous piece of kit, drives the way that people think old Jags do except it doesn't leak, rust or break down. Only for people who can afford the petrol costs though.
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Infiniti are advertising quite heavily in Germany, but mainly the M which has the advantage of the 6 cylinder diesel engine. Here in Munich you see quite a few FXs which I think are horrible, but who am I to judge. I don't know why Nissan don't fit the diesel into the G so it would stand a vague chance with company car buyers. It's not only nice looking and a bit different it would upstage Lexus as well, the only diesel they offer is the lethargic IS220d.
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Hiya
Just to pick up on a few points raised above :
I will post some piccs, but not til the weather improves!
I suspect the engine probably does rev very nicely at the top end, but not been beyond about 4k revs yet. I'm telling myself it's because I'm running the car in, but the truth is that the car accelerates very quickly without needing to go up the rev range. Plus my daily commute is not really conducive to pushing my car. I did wonder (and still do) whether it's a bit of a waste having such a powerful (and thirsty) engine when I'm probably never going to use its full potential.
I also test drove a Jag XF diesel - a beautiful 'work of art' car - perhaps go for 1 of those in a few years' time. I also went on 1 of those Lexus driving days where you can try out different cars and really liked the IS250 - but not really any quicker than my old car (MG ZT190) - I know this is contradicting my para above.
I guess I think the days of the big petrol engine are nearly over, and I wanted to experience such a beast before it's too late. I was pleased, though, that I took out a leasing deal which meant the garage paid the 1st year road tax (£750, I think!!).
I did have an FX diesel on loan for a day while the garage very kindly sorted out a scuff on my alloy. I struggled with the FX, TBH. It's very very big!
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Bagpuss, I admit my first-hand experience of Lexus is limited to an LS in Texas some years ago and a colleague's IS when I was shopping for what turned out to be the S60.
The LS was astonishing - beautifully finished inside, as good as silent at any speed, and positively discreet compared with the locals' pickups. The IS was horrible - macho-salesman gimmicky and too short of head- and legroom for me, so it didn't make the list.
In between I remember seeing a lot of GS saloons with huge wheels and boot spoilers emerging not from some backstreet Max Power outfit but from the Lexus dealer near my house. It was these and the IS that led me to form my rather jaundiced view of the Lexus brand, with the LS as an honourable but impractical exception.
If Infiniti is offering something distinctive but discreet, and can offer it with a decent diesel engine, I'll certainly take a closer look.
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WdeB
I woud suggest you look at an Infiniti M diesel. I certainly shall be next year.
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Slightly off topic, that's a first here and i'm claiming the fame..;)
As we've drifted onto LS Lexii, why on earth didn't Toyota shove a stonking great Diesel in it as an option, a more refined version of the 4.2 Landcruiser TD would have been ideal, effortless power with million mile quality.
In my humble they'd have wiped the floor with MB and severly dented BMW's sales too with Lexota's rock solid and long life build, as it is they missed one of the best opportunities ever to beat the Germans at their own game.
Unless i'm mistaken they still haven't put an auto option in the IS Diesel, despite the fact Avensis D4D has a lovely proper auto option, what on earth are they playing at unless all hybrid is the long term target.
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Probably because the 4.2 TD in the Landcruiser has more in common with the Ark than a modern CR diesel.
They need a decent 4-pot diesel (like Jaguar) if they are to compete with BMW/Mercedes/Audi.
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 21:55
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>> Probably because the 4.2 TD in the Landcruiser has more in common with the Ark
>> than a modern CR diesel.
I meant 20 years ago when the LS first appeared before CR became the altar of worship.
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...I meant 20 years ago when the LS first appeared before CR became the altar of worship...
I recall reading at the time they didn't want to, as they saw it, cheapen their new brand by fitting a diesel.
They were probably right, we'd have LS400 minicabs by now.
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Thanks, IM - I'm not far from Reading so that should be possible.
GB: the Avensis is FWD; I wonder if that means that its auto box won't fit the RWD IS.
More broadly, I don't think Lexus thinks much about the European market, hence the shortage of diesels. We get mildly modified versions of models conceived for the US. That's why we get hybrids, not because they're technically superior but because diesels don't sell in America. There happened to be a Toyota diesel lying about that would fit the IS, so in it went, but there was no sales justification for the engineering effort required to make an automatic to fit it.
All my perception, of course, but this is where my feeling comes from that those who buy Lexuses in Europe are choosing something that doesn't really belong here, like a Cadillac, a Big LHD pickup or, erm, a pair of cowboy boots.
};---)
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Toyota own Aisin Warner so have a few choices of automatic gearboxes compatible with rear wheel drive cars. They choose not to do this.
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>> GB: the Avensis is FWD; I wonder if that means that its auto box won't
>> fit the RWD IS.
Probably right on the money there WDB.
If there'd been a Diesel LS i'd have had one long ago Iffy, i'd have loved a LS430 or a facelift 400.
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Infiniti G37 saloon - review - R.P.
