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Road Test: 2012 - 2013 Infiniti G37 Sedan
Car Reviews

Road Test: 2012 - 2013 Infiniti G37 Sedan

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May 18,2013
·
10 min read

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So, you’re a young executive. You’re finally starting to make a decent sum of money at the end of each month. And to go with your new found pennies, you want something nice to drive.


This is where the Infiniti comes in. The car is aimed squarely at the German trio – the 3 Series, the C-Class and the A4. It tries to persuade buyers away from them through a barrage of extra equipment as standard and keen pricing.

Style

The car is getting on a bit now with the current model having been released in 2007.  I am still a fan of the curvaceous body of the Infiniti but when compared with its rivals, it does seem to be getting a bit long in the tooth now. It doesn’t appear as sharp as the newly released Cadillac ATS or as modern as the latest models from BMW, Mercedes or Audi equivalents.

However, Infiniti does have plans to come out with a new shape (and a new naming series) and has revealed a concept called the Q50 which will replace the G37 soon. So if you are the type to not want to be stuck with a previous model, this may be a bone of contention.

Interior

 

Our test car came with two tone interiors in grey and beige off-set by a lovely wood finish. At first, I disliked the colour combination finding the grey quite off-putting but over time, the light coloured interior grew on me as it made the car feel airy and cool. I particularly liked the beige leather seats that were covered in good quality leather and proved to be quite comfortable. Having said that, the lighter shades will be prone to discoloration and will require regular cleaning to maintain.

Equipment levels are high. Our car came with auto headlights, navigation, a Bose sound system, electric seats, 2 memory settings, electric steering wheel column adjustment, cruise-control, parking sensors, reverse camera and much more. A stand-out feature was the AC which blew an ice-storm through the car and cooled the interior within minutes even when the car was left out in the sun to bake. What it did seem to lack was the heated and cooled seats which we know to be available in the full options model (the cooled seats are one of those features that you can't live without once you’ve tried them).

Space, while not generous, is not very tight either. With my 6 foot frame in the driver’s seat, there was adequate space for anyone below 5’10” to fit behind me. However, if you are one of those drivers that lean your seat back and drive ‘gangsta style’, then space at the back would be at a premium. Aside from that caveat, the car seats four adults comfortably and a fifth person at a squeeze predominantly due to the transmission tunnel that runs through the car.

My biggest niggle was the switchgear used in Infiniti. The buttons for the windows are straight from the Nissan parts bin and these black blotches dotted around the cabin stood out sorely against the beige interiors. Even the steering wheel controls appeared to be made of cheap plastic and felt extremely flimsy – particularly the cruise control buttons. In a car aiming at the higher end of the market, this was a terrible blemish.

Drive Performance

The Infiniti is a good car on the move. The 3.7 liter V6 developing 325bhp proves to be more than adequate and you never feel short of power. The car picks up speed with aplomb and a guttural sound emanating from its exhausts. This causes the car to feel decidedly sporty and less luxurious. The transmission was a sore point of the whole driving experience. The gear changes were jerky most of the time and no where near as seamless as the competition (more on that later). Considering Infiniti is trying to cut itself a slice of the premium executive saloon cake, such gear changes are not forgivable. There was quite a bit of tyre roar and wind noise at highway speeds. These proved unacceptable when personal experience dictates that even modern hatchbacks (the VW Golf GTi as an example) are much quieter on the highway.

While I’m generally a fan of naturally aspirated engines, the fact remains that modern turbo-charged engines can produce any given amount of power while using less fuel. The Infiniti was not exactly thrifty averaging about 12l/100kms during our time with the car where a good portion was highway driving. While the power from the big V6 was endlessly entertaining, the fuel costs marred the joy.

The brakes at first worried me. The pedal is quite soft with no bite for the first few inches of pedal travel. However, once pushed, the brakes are extremely effective at bringing the G37 down to a complete stop. This allows you to gain a lot of confidence in the car as you’re safe in the knowledge of the car coming to a dead halt when you need it to.

The car was easy to thread through town having modest proportions. It was even easier to park with the sensors and reverse camera. The reverse camera proved a treat as it not only shows you what is behind you but also displays guiding lines to show you where the car would turn based upon the angle of the steering wheel. Very helpful. Very neat.

The Infiniti was also very supple over rough roads. While testing the car, I was caught off guard when I came across a less than perfect road and was expecting a juddery ride ahead but the car took the bumps and ruts with aplomb and it felt like we had never left tarmac. That was quite shocking for a car that also handles twisting roads quite well.

On the whole, the car drives quite well but when compared with other cars in the same class, there are some aspects where it distinctly falls short.

A chink in the armour...

I got into the G37 one evening to run down to TECOM area in Dubai, about 30kms from where I was. The car had a quarter tank of fuel and the digital display showed a range of 120kms. A few minutes into a steady highway drive, the range display suddenly read ‘0kms’ and the fuel gauge visibly lowered all the way to empty. This caused quite a fright as I was miles away from the next gas station. However, I continued on and the needle rose again and the range went up to 82kms. Could be a computer glitch but something to be noted. 

Considering I was driving at a steady highway speed, it seemed odd for the fuel gauge and range display to fluctuate like that. It happened once more where the range dropped to zero and slowly went back up again. I decided to fill it up at the next station and the fault did not rear its head again but if I had just bought a premium saloon, I would expect its fuel gauge to be a little bit more consistent.

When the Vettel in you takes over…

And then you have days when you feel a bit spirited and knock the gear lever to the left. This puts the car in sport mode which effectively keeps the car one gear lower than it typically would. This works very well when you don’t want to drive the wheels off the car as it doesn’t have the engine revving very high.

Upon pushing further, the car transmission holds gears longer and if you so wish to take control yourself, a flick of a paddle gives you manual mode and the gears wont change up even if you are into the rev limiter (which at 7,250rpm is quite high for a car in this class and that’s a good thing!!).

The car also handles incredibly well going into safe understeer when pushed. This can be neutralised with a push of the go-pedal. In fact, with the amount of power the car has, it will quite happily wag its tail. A heavy right foot will have the traction control light flickering at the exit of any corner.

The car does prove entertaining when driven hard and the growl from the engine adds to the excitement.

A little bit of comparison…

Having said that, nobody buys a car like this to hoon in all day. There are alternatives for such silliness. So to put things in perspective, we went out and found a BMW 328i Sport and decided to see how things stack up.

From the off, the BMW, sporting its new face seems to have the upper hand. It looks extremely smart, especially in grey with the red interiors. Interior space seemed on par with the Infiniti but the quality of materials inside was in a different league. Everything about the BMW felt more expensive and looked more attractive. The BMW also had mood lighting running through the car and this just adds to its appeal.

On the move, the BMW has a modern 2 litre turbo and while its down on power (240bhp), it makes up for the deficit by having around 350Nm of torque which is about the same as the Infiniti. What this translates into is that on the road, both cars feel evenly matched and its only if you’re caning them that the Infiniti would edge a lead. The smaller engine in the Bee-Em also requires fewer fuel stops, particularly when compared back to back during city driving. The stark contrast is in the transmission where the BMW seamlessly shifts between ratios where the Infiniti would stumble about.

Now the part where things come into perspective is the price. While the Infiniti G37 would typically be compared to the BMW 335i (300bhp, 400Nm), the reason I selected the BMW 328i was because it had adequate performance and a more reasonable price tag.

The Infiniti G37 as tested was AED 150,000 where the BMW 328i comes in at a hefty AED 215,000, as tested (BMW 335i is approximately AED 270,000). This is a substantial sum of money and despite the fact that the Beemer comes with a 5 year service contract, it only comes with a two year warranty as opposed to the Infiniti’s 5 year, unlimited mileage warranty. 

The BMW is definitely the better car here having a feel good factor unmatched by the Infiniti. The question is whether that feel good factor and brand appeal is worth AED 65,000 and 85 fewer horses under the bonnet.

Verdict

The Infiniti is a great car that would make a young exec feel great on the day to day drive and leave a silly grin on his face if he puts his right foot down. The car will not win over owners from the German brands based on its laurels. Having said that, the car is priced extremely keenly and could hence win new customers who are looking at the premium sedan market for the first time, especially if a buyer is not wooed by brand image. A new model is expected within the next year or so (which probably explains the lowered price tag) promising a revised look, much improved interiors and a new naming system across the entire Infiniti range. If you can wait, it may be worth a look though the price will definitely go up.

If you've got the dough, splash out on a German – they are the segment leaders for a reason. If you want to get value for your money, the Infiniti is a great alternative and will not leave you feeling wanting, especially when you consider the extra cash you’ll have in your bank.


Check Out

- Infiniti G37 Prices and Specs

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