Let's
just start this review by saying that we like this car. We really like
this car. Our more savvy readers will recall that the new Infiniti G35 Sedan bested
every other sedan on the market in the Sedan Category of the 2003
Road and Travel Top 10 Car of the Year Awards.
Its blend of contemporary styling, sports-car-like performance and a surprisingly
low price clearly impressed our judges, and looking now at Infiniti's soaring
sales figures, it seems to be impressing buyers as well.
The
G35 is available as either the aforementioned sport sedan or a drop-dead gorgeous
sport coupe. Both have clean styling that is delightfully free of any sort of
extraneous luxury-car gobbledygook. Rather, the G35 makes its luxury statement
through the strength of its pure form instead of some shameless smattering of
body jewelry. And while the G35 Sedan is sexy, the G35 Coupe is a bombshell: flared
fenders, a slim windows and fat dual exhaust tips blur the lines between luxury
coupe and sports car. Speaking
of sports cars, this is a good place to mention that the G35 and the phenomenal
Nissan 350Z (another '03
RTM award winner) are kissing cousins in terms of basic mechanical
bits. Hence, every G35 feeds its rear wheels with a 3.5-liter V-6 (260 hp in the
Sedan, 280-hp in the Coupe) that empowers it with effortless forward thrust. You
can choose between a five-speed automatic with manual control or a true six-speed
manual (either are thoroughly entertaining). Brakes, steering and suspension are
simply outstanding. In spite of that high-performance hardware, ride quality is
quite good, even if not as smooth as, say, the Lexus ES300. The
G35 certainly has guts under the hood, but let's just say that inside, it knows
how to treat a lady. The interior of the G35 is as fresh and modern as the exterior
with room to spare in front and back seats, albeit headroom is bit tight in the
low-roofed Coupe. Automatic climate control, a 6-disc in-dash CD changer and stability
control are all standard, while a full gamut of options can be added upon request,
including Infiniti's terrific navigation system with its "BirdView"
map display. |