Impressions of my first G Ownership

[consultant1027]

I've put about 5K on the used G37x I bought with 40K miles on it. Great buy from me as I only put 7K or so miles on my cars each year working from home. I'm coming from a 330HP (modded) Volvo S60R, Acura TL Type-S before that and a couple other dozen cars before that. It came down to the G37x and the Acura RL but I'm glad I went with the drivers car as opposed to the old man's car.

PERFORMANCE - I'm very happy performance wise. Acceleration is on par with my Volvo. Handling is a tad behind my Volvo which had aftermarket springs and the active suspension with three settings, but the ride in the Infiniti is much better overall - feels more solid and a better blend between performance and ride comfort than the Volvo. Infiniti is definitely closer to the ride/handling of a BMW or Audi sedans than any other Japanese brand I've driven. Steering feel is perfect in my opinion for a mid-size/level Sport/Luxury Sedan. I can see how it got 10 Best Cars. Brakes are a little over boosted leaning more toward a luxury sedan feel than a sport sedan. Exhaust is a bit too loud for my taste but I knew that going into it. I'd say the touchy brakes are the only thing performance-wise that irritates me occasionally.

7AT - After reading horror stories from *some* people about it, I was pleasantly surprised it is silky smooth for me and have noticed very little erratic shifting. The only thing I don't like is if you take the gas off and coast then come to a stop going down a hill, the transmission seems to have a bit of a hesitation when you go to pull away, like it didn't shift to 1st quick enough. Other than that, no issues.

GAS MILEAGE - Yuk. Whatever 1 or 2 MPG gain you get with the 7AT, you lose with the additional displacement of the 3.7L. I averaged about 20.5-21 MPG with 60% city, 40% highway in my Volvo with same HP and almost same weight. Getting about 18.5MPG in the G37X driving pretty conservatively. Depressing, although only a couple MPG loss. But probably expected going from a 3,600lbs car with a 2.5L turbo engine to a ~3800lbs car with a 3.7L engine.

LOOKS - The looks grow on you on this car (and I'm not an Infiniti/Nissan fanboy.) I think looks wise it was definitely the better choice over the RL. Although I really think 18" wheels should be standard and 19" should be standard for the sport on the sedan. A little too much sidewall for my tastes with the 17" wheels.

INTERIOR - I've got the Journey not the premium. After coming from the Volvo , the interior is a big step down, especially considering this is an Infiniti brand. The premium interior is somewhat better. There's too much black plastic in this car. I can live with it though. I've seen worse. The leather is also a good step below what you see in a Lexus, BMW, or Audi. I'm sure Infiniti has made improvements on its newer and more upscale model vehicles. I haven't missed my 60/40 split rear seats yet, but I probably will at some point in the future but I know I was giving that up going into it.

AUDIO System - I've listened to both the Premium and non-Premium systems. I'm an Audiophile so I really had to 'settle' on this car as far as the stereo, but it was way too good of a deal to pass up. Amazingly, the system sounds as good as the system in the Volvo and it slightly edges our the Infiniti Premium system as far as overall balance. You need to have the settings just right, and for those interested for this, it is flat bass, +1 on treble, and the special Dynamic adjustment setting (or whatever it is called) on, and then using the analog input with an iPod, set the iPod EQ to FLAT/OFF. It really sounds a lot better than I ever expected. Only downside is since the bass comes from the doors, on some songs you may get a few brief door rattles. I'm having an aftermarket iPod interface installed. Will be interesting to see if it sounds different than the analog input.

Quirks - There's a low hum with sunroof all the way open between about 30 and 40 MPH. It appears the car interior and the aerodynamics create a resonance point at that speed. I verified it in the loaner I drove one day and the tech verified it too. It is something most casual owners probably don't notice though.

Can't think of much else. Pretty happy with this car so far. It was a corporate car probably for a salesman who bought a lot of freeway miles on it and didn't baby it like most owners would. Definitely exhibiting that rock solid Nissan reliability I've experience with my Nissan trucks in the past.

[joe603]

Thanks for the post! I had to add an aftermarket subwoofer in my 09 G37 sedan...made a HUGE difference!! Now I love the stereo. The car also needed an intake kit...too quiet for my tastes. R2C really woke up the 3.7l

As for mileage, I recently went on a trip with the G, and I was really surprised at the gas mileage! Much better than I was expecting...around 28MPG on the highway.

[kmckis1029]

i agree about the 7speed auto and the sun roof, im loving my g37x!