I stopped by Tustin Infiinti on a whim this evening on the way home from work. They have a loaded Sport Automatic in Blue Slate with Stone interior. The sticker says "SAMPLE" and has no pricing. This one had the Tech, Luxury and Nav packages. No Rear Active Steer. I didn't really have to ask for a test drive. After chatting a while, the guy offered. What, I'm going to say no??

Exterior impression
Blue Slate is a great color. Halfway between grey and blue, very classy and luxurious on this new G. The general shape is smoother, not interrupted with angles and slopes. The car looks larger, more like an M up close, but not from 20 feet away. The cut line around the hood is outstanding, a gentle and pleasing curve. The grille is a great evolution from the original and looks distinctive.

I expected not to like the chrome spoiler lip, but I really didn't mind it on this color car. Interestingly, there was a paint and detail guy hanging around and he said it would be cheap and easy to remove the chrome lip and have it painted body color if you wanted to.

I loved the 18 inch wheels. Great satin texture aluminum. The paint guy even said he wouldn't change the wheels, though he always changes wheels as soon as he buys a new car. The rear side view is very graceful, as it sweeps up to a point at the spoiler lip. The rear 3/4 view reminds you of the coupe.

Interior
The sport seats are a must for me. Extremely adjustable, with inflatable seat bottom and side bolsters, easy to find several comfortable positions. The power adjustable wheel (adjustable for reach and rake) adds a convincing luxury to the interior.

The Washi trim: The big surprise was that I liked it in natural daylight. I had seen it at the car show and wasn't impressed in the artificial lights. But in daylight, the aluminum trim added a light color sweeping around the interior that relieved the dark dash colors. I had been convinced that I wanted the rosewood trim, based on the pictures, but I'd be perfectly happy with the washi aluminum. The brushed texture is definitely classier than plain, shiny aluminum.

I liked the Stone color seats with the dark dash and steering wheel, but I would want to see some of the other color combinations. The light colors make a nice contrast with the darker ones. I really like the shape and texture of the dash. Very simple and modern, with a nice crisp line to divide between the horizontal and vertical slopes.

The steering wheel shape and texture are excellent. Grippy and tactile.

The only complaint I have about the interior is that the gap between the washi trim on the doors and that on the dash is way too wide. You could fit a pencil in there sideways.

I keep thinking that the rear seating area is narrower than in my old G. I've read that the only smaller dimension is the head room due to a more sloping rear window, but it feels narrower.

The Drive
First impression on tip-in is that acceleration is sparkling. Couldn't help saying "Wow". I had the feeling that it might even be hard to drive slowly, but I'm sure I could learn to. The brakes are strong but not touchy like the old G's brakes were at first.

You have lots of choices for shifting. Leave it in D and just drive, use the large paddles behind the wheel (only on the Sport model), or use the manumatic stick. I did try the paddles a fair amount and found the shifts quick and smooth, and it was fun to drive that way. The dash displays the gear you are in and displays "DS" when downshifting. Nice transmission.

Cornering was amazingly flat and crisp. You just enter a corner kinda fast and swing the wheel. The car tracks around the corner with what feels like no body lean and no drama. Very satisfying feeling. Steering is light but feels connected and precise. I wouldn't miss having a BMW.

Engine sounds were involving but not obtrusive, but the interior was quiet and isolated, with no creaks or rattles.

While driving, the dash display shows a multi-function trip computer. It shows instant gas mileage on a bar graph, and toggles to show outside temp, miles and time since last re-set, and some other stuff. The toggles are controlled by the switches on the right side of the dash hood. The bar graph is useless when you're in traffic, showing infinite gas mileage when you're coasting, or 8 mpg when you're accelerating. But it might be useful when you're cruising.

I played with the Nav a little, but I was really more interested in driving (and I didn't want to be distracted and crash the salesman's only SAMPLE). Suffice to say that there is so much to learn on this display that you will want to take a week off work to get it all down.

Bottom Line
I definitely left with a bad case of the "Gotta Have-It"s. Sales Guy says prices should be out in a week and he'll call me.

 

Nice review...
I guess you get the prize for being (:edit: one of) the first....

 

Any comments/feedback on the Bose stereo system(I assume it was the Studio on Wheels)?

 

Yes, it was the Studio on Wheels. But no, I don't have any comments. I turned on the radio for about 3 minutes, but I was driving at the time. I wanted to focus on the performance, so I turned off the radio. While it was on, I couldn't tell any difference from the sound in my old G. I'm not an audiophile so the finer points of audio might be lost on my, anyway. Sound isn't a big deal for me. Otherwise I might have asked to sit in the car and play with the audio after getting back to the dealer. Maybe I'll do that and play with the Nav the next time.

 

Nice write up.

I have a question (which I've asked numerous times before but no one seems to answer): do the doors have stoppers in the hinges so they "click" when you open them?

 

Great write up Boomer. I am really envious of you guys that have already driven the new G......it is really making me impatient to get mine!

 

Seems like it might be another bit of BМW homage by Nissаn ... BМWs have traditionally had an analog gauge for real-time MPG readings, presumably to let drivers adapt their driving habits for fuel conservation. The G35 seems to have adapted the same readout but made it digital.

 

The Max had these long ago.
The G should have had this from the get go.

 

Yup - so true ....

but I hope the one in the G is much more accurate than the one in the max --- that overestimated your "mpg" by such a large number that it was not even funny !!

 

Many cars have had this for a few years now, including the Infiniti FX since 2003.

However, "Instant" MPG ratings are the most useless gadgets in modern cars. My FX has one, but who gives a damn what kind of mileage you are getting every second? Average MPG is all that matters and all you need.

 

I'm really baffled by the mystery which shrouds the pricing. Why?? It makes it difficult to compete...only those who have made up their minds sight-unseen would be sold on it without knowing the price.

Wonder if Infiniti is feeling-out the market? If the new car is priced like the 2k6's, I think they'd have a slam-dunk situation with orders backed up. If they go 40k, the opposite. Would really like to know what they're gonna sell for!

 

So, to you, 8-10k less than an equivalent competitor isn't enough of a bargain?

 

I am merely guessing, but maybe they are holding off on pricing information until the they have the customer invitations at the dealerships on the 25th/26th.

In any case, I suspected pricing would of been released quite some time ago.

 

Awesome Writeup. You are so lucky!!! Did you get to do any spirited driving? How did the actual acceleration compare to the current G?

 

Not at all. It gives drivers a sense of how much gas they're using at that exact moment, making them more conscious about wasting fuel from flooring it from light to light.

I'm sure with the addition of these in cars, people have been driving more conservatively.