LIKE A G37

It was a different kind of Far East movement that spawned the Infiniti G car—one that combines a four-wheel independent sport suspension, rear-wheel drive, and the popularity of a new sport—drifting. The movement has spread to other models and brands, but you don’t need to be a drifter to know which way the wind blows. Editor John-Fredrik Wright tests the G37—Generation Two of Infiniti’s G car. By John-Fredrik Wright It always makes it easier to review a car when hauling around passengers. Spending time alone driving around, I have to pay special attention so not to miss details in the passenger and back seats. An uncomfortable back seat might feel comfortable for the first couple of minutes, but on a longer drive it might become a seat of needles. Some passenger critique is unfair to blame the car for. Quick acceleration and hard cornering are usually driver-induced, but still yield a yelp from the back seat. The passenger verdict on the Infinity G37 sedan was good. The back seat could comfortably fit two adults, even on longer drives. On a side-note those passengers actually had enough room to change (as in change clothing) while driving between two outings. The fault found in the back seat was the fact that the front seats were too low to allow for the back seat passengers to stick their feet under. Usually, in most cars, there is room under the front seat, extending how much legroom the rear occupants have. The G37 did not have this, which limited the rear passengers to a ride with knees bent more than they might have liked.

Also noted from the passengers was very quick acceleration and a stiff ride. The acceleration created a little bit of discussion, since one passenger enjoyed the feeling of safely being powered forward, whereas the other said she could have done without it. Both understood that the possibility of quick acceleration makes for a safer drive. They were, however, agreed on the fact that the stiff ride of the G37 does not make for comfy cruising. From a driver’s standpoint, the stiff ride and the rapid acceleration enhance the experience much more than they spoil the ride. Getting on and off of freeways is both invigorating and fun; pick a hole in the traffic up ahead and go for it. The stiff ride creates a different kind of comfort; namely the kind of safety, knowing that the car is not going to roll all over the place. That feel of safety is somewhat blown out the window the first time you “floor it” in a too tight of a corner or on/off ramp; resulting in the back wheels peeling out. The good news is that the ESP will kick in and save the day, and the fact that the car has enough torque to have this “problem” in the first place is always impressive.

Another manly, but maybe not so comfy, feature is the harsh downshifting encountered when accelerating. I’m used to a car downshifting one gear if I lightly touch the accelerator, but the G37 would go down two or three gears in an attempt to propel me forward, even when I had just indicated a need for a small increase of speed. This might be something your foot needs to adapt to, but I was accidentally making the car downshift heavily even after week of driving it. The shifting itself is fast, but still not the quickest shift in the shed. The paddle shifters (solid magnesium paddle shifters, to be precise) are a nice feature, and the fact that they are stationary and don’t rotate with the steering wheel makes them easy to find if you have a tendency to lose them while turning. The Infiniti G37 sedan is a car designed to be driven, but it does not stop there. A surprisingly great amount of trunk space greets you when you open the boot. The touch-screen that controls the navigation and entertainment systems is easy to use, and actually also has a twisting knob to complement the touch-screen. This is, however small a feature in a luxury car, a really handy tool. It means that the user can either push the button on the screen or use the knob to navigate the menu. This was very intuitive, and easy to learn, and assisted hugely when driving and trying to fiddle with the systems (Editor’s note, LACar.com does not recommend ‘fiddling with the system’ while driving. As much as possible, try to set up your system before driving. When that isn’t possible, the Infiniti’s intuitiveness is rather forgiving). A minor note on the nav-system; the “zoom out” button was behind the “zoom in” button, which I never learned or figured out why. Every time I wanted to zoom in I would of course push the button that is closer to the screen, closer to the map, inwards from everything in the driver’s perspective. Unfortunately that button zoomed out.

The zoom buttons is one of only two things that I found to be a little irritating in the G37 (and I should mention that two is a good verdict). The second is the fact that the trunk can only be opened from inside the car or using they key. I have commented on this before, in other cars; I can never figure out why, when I’m standing by the trunk, I can’t open it. It probably just takes some getting used to, but I just can’t figure out why it isn’t standard on every car. Speaking of getting in and out of the car, however, a keyless system is always appreciated. Just get in, push start, and go. I love it! Gun the motor and hear the rumble of the engine. Strap on your seatbelt and adjust your seat; you’ll notice that your seat can also be adjusted in how tight it will hug your butt and back, grabbing your body and pinning it into the seat. Remember to loosen the grip when you are driving longer stretches, as the super-tight seat will get uncomfortable after a while. From the outside, the G37 sedan looks like an extended coupe, which is exactly what it is. The exterior of the G37 sedan is pretty much identical to the coupe, just with an extra set of doors. So the sedan is the perfect car for those who want a coupe, but need the space. The sleek exterior looks, coupled with the luxurious interior, really makes for a great-looking ride. Fancy and refined, yet sporty and rough, all at the same time. And as long as you stay out of trouble with this rear-wheel drive beast, the G37 will be a continuous joy to drive.

SPECIFICATIONS: Name of vehicle: 2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey Limited Edition Price: $43,400 (base, including Limited Edition Package) $44,645 (and as tested with high friction brake pads and destination charges) EPA fuel economy rating: 19 mpg (city)/27 mpg (highway) Engine size and type: 3.7-liter DOHC 24-valve VVEL V6 Horsepower: 328 @ 7,000 rpm Torque: 269 pound-feet @ 5,200 rpm Transmission type: Electronically controlled 7-speed automatic with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC) and Drive Sport (DS) mode. Drive configuration: Rear-wheel drive Steering (type): Vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering Suspension (front and rear): Front independent double-wishbone with coil springs over Dual Flow Path shock absorbers, stabilizer bar Rear independent, multi-link with coil springs over Dual Flow Path shock absorbers, stabilizer bar Brakes: 12.6 x 1.1-inch ventilated discs; 4-wheel, 4-channel ABS / 12.1 x 0.6-inch ventilated discs; 4-wheel, 4-channel ABS Wheels and tires: 18 x 7.5-inch, split 5-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with 225/50R18 W-rated summer performance tires (front), 18 x 8.5-inch, split 5-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with 245/45R18 W-rated summer performance tires (rear) Dimensions Length: 187.9 inches Width: 69.8 inches Height: 57.2 inches Curb weight: 3,618 pounds