I tested a G35 Sport 5AT fully loaded. As many people have said...the pictures don't do the car justice. Infiniti stepped up to the plate and smacked one out of the park with this generation. I won't focus on the interior or exterior because I think that has been covered in great detail on this board. However, to drive the car is something else

My sales guy and I went for a cruise in mostly 50-70 mile per hour zones. I was able to test passing speed, street start acceleration, handling. After starting it, I immediately put the car in MM mode to test out the paddle shifters. The first thing I noticed is how composed the chassis seems to be. Even with the sports suspension, the car doesn't get out of sorts on the bumps and expansions. In MM mode, the car responded beautifully by both upshifting and downshifting without drama. There doesn't seem to be too much of the "banging" into gear that some have noticed in MM mode. In fact, I think it is one of the smoothest auto trannies Infiniti has produced so far. After testing MM mode I put it back into drive and continued to cruise along. While testing a 10-60 mph street start, I noticed acceleration is minimal at first and then surges like a mad animal toward 60 mph (Yes, you do get pushed back in your seat like others have said). Once hitting 7000 rpm my sales guy yelled at me to "Shift! Shift!" thinking I was still in MM mode. The auto allows the engine to rev right up to the 7500 rpm red line before smoothly transistioning into 2nd. Once the G shifts to 2nd...hold on! I know some on this board wanted six gears but this five speed auto will do just fine. The handling was nice and tight but as it was wet outside, I didn't take too many sharp turns, high speed corners, etc.

This car not only lived up to and exceeded my expectations but with its value, its almost impossible to beat.

 

Great write-up man, thanks.

 

How about previous generation kick back to steering wheel over bump? DId you notice any of it?

 

I've got to get seat time in one of these cars.

Speaking of seats, how good are they? I'm very interested in the adjustable bolsters--every performance car should have them.

 

The previous gen's problems with kickback has been pretty much fixed. I didn't notice any kickback as the steering wheel stayed in its 12 & 6 position even with Michigan's crappy roads.

The seats were quite comfortable and the bolsters did not seem to pinch as some have complained about. I'm 6' 0" and around 190 pounds. They fit me just fine. You could definitely go cross country with these and not feel extremely stiff when you get out of the car.

 

Anyone know if the seats on the Sport models have any adjustment for width, for instance, by tilting the side bolsters in or out? I'm one of those fat-a**** aging boomers and, while the sport seat felt OK to me in a short drive, I don't know that I would be so charitable after driving all day ...

 

Both the cushion and seatback bolsters are supposedly adjustable for width on the Sport, if my reading of the specs is accurate.

N50, where are you in Michigan? Northern West Bloomfield myself. When I stopped into the dealer a few weeks ago the salesmen told me the preview party was on November 1st. Wish I hadn't missed it as a result...

 

I think that those people with a not-so-slender build will have an issue with the sport seats, especially the side bolsters for the thighs.

I had a chance to sit in them and one word came to mind:RECARO. I don't know if Infiniti designed the seats themselves or had Recaro assist them, but these seats are simply the best OEM seats that I've ever sat in.(I worked as a hotel doorman/valet driver recently so I do have a bit of "unofficial real-world" experience on the matter; you name it, I've sat in it.)
Just the sport seats alone have sold me on the new G. I could care less about all the other stuff, just give me extremely comfy seats and I can drive all day with minimum fuss.

 

Did you adjust them?

The Sport seats in the current 3-Series are also very good, though with them only the seatback bolsters are adjustable.

 

mkaresh,

Not to worry...I'm in Kalamazoo. We had the unveiling at Pfeiffer Infiniti (Grand Rapids) on the 26th and I test drove it on the morning of the 27th. I'm sure you haven't missed it.

 

Yup! That sounds about right...

 

N50, I can attest to your write up. I'm coming out of my '05 6mt That was recently totaled,(May she rest in peace) and I was blown away with the difference in the two cars. Wow! When first pulling out of the dealership and getting on the road I immediately felt how much better the car felt. It really felt like a different car. Then, getting on the open road I was able to flog it. The salesman is a friend of mine so he let me have at it. He told me to take some corners pretty fast so I gladly abliged. Damn was I impressed! The power is unbelievable in this new VQ. Yes it really does lay you back in the seat. I ran up on an M3 and was trying to have a go to see where this car stood but he declined. Damn! I experienced the same good feeling about the tranny. Not a big A/T fan but I actually started thinking about it when driving the car. The paddle shifters seemed to work quite well, shifting the tranny as I commanded them. This car is absolutely a winner. I had a grin on my face the whole time driving it. I gladly ordered my loaded 6MT which I cant wait to get.

 

That's exactly the first thing I noticed when I sat in the car. I'm not huge, but I'm not thin either. The side bolsters on the back of the seat were nice, but the ones at the thigh seemed kinda tight and uncomfortable. I'll see how the ones in the non-sport are in comparison (since I'm interested in the X-AWD).

 

Drove the AWD yesterday, and sat in the Sport. The seats in the AWD were much different, with smaller, softer boslters. Those in the Sport have pneumatically adjustable bolsters in the seat bottom and seatback. Frankly, I'd like them to be ever more aggressive, but they'd do.

 

I went out for approximately an hour in the X Premium on saturday afternoon. To be fair I have only taken the previous generation for a quick spin, but from the second I sat in the new G I knew I made the right choice. The acceleration swell is definitely noticable, I started out slow and was going over 100km/h before I knew it (oops ). The MM mode on the AT transmission was impressive, I love that I can keep my foot to the floor and still feel in control like I would with a MT. This is my first AT in a long time, but as I spend quite a bit of time each day battling my way through traffic I think I'll really enjoy it.

I was lucky and got 3 time slots for my test drive thanks to a couple of cancellations. We took the car out to try some off ramps. I am definitely impressed with how well the car hugged the road around corners, and I expect it will be even better when she gets some new bigger shoes. My salesman also ordered a new G, and he is just excited as I am to feel this beast out. I had a blast. Unfortunately right after the offramp adventure, we ran into a traffic jam caused by an injury accident. I had to drive really slow while I attempted to get past the rubber neckers. I found the seats to be extremely comfortable, but as I mentioned before I am coming from a 98 neon. Overall I am very impressed with this car, I just can't wait to get mine and play with the Nav/Tech Package (if it ever leaves the port in Vancouver.)