Test Drive Experience

[KinsmanRedeemer]

Hi, everyone,

jackdar was kind enough to provide us with a pretty in-depth review of his driving experience, so I'll do my best not to replicate his fine work.

First off, the car struck me as big. Not huge or too big, but you're definitely not in an MR2. My Audi A6 actually has a slightly shorter wheelbase than the 112+ inches here, and the 72-inch width is quite commanding.

The front seat is comfortable and supportive--I'm 6'2" and 220 lbs, and I felt fine. I'd hazard to say that I had a bit more headroom than in the G35 coupe. The cockpit does feel more closed in than I had expected, though. I'm not at all saying that this is a negative--you just feel insulated, as if you're a pea fit into a pod.

On the road, the car feels very solid. You can be very aggressive on the turns while the car maintains its grip. The model I drove did NOT have 4WAS, but it should also be noted that I did not work to push the limits of the car but instead simply went more into the "aggressive" category of driving.

Brakes were firm. Made some fast stops without standing on the pedal with great control and quick response.

The acceleration wasn't neck-breaking. But, as the Infiniti marketing material suggests, you did feel like you're riding a wave of power. If you've ever surfed or boogie-boarded, it's akin to riding down the front face of the wave when you first pick up speed. To get technical and drag out my physics handbook, it is a bit like how gravity is described as 32 f/s/s--you just keep accelerating even as your speed keeps increasing.

The engine is unmistakeable and sounds quite beefy.

Rear seat has acceptable knee room and actually a substantially deeper seat than I had expected. My son will be quite comfortable.

The interior was "stone" (grey), which is nicely two-toned with the black dash and trim.

The GPS updates the map very, very quickly. I drove at twilight to see both "day" and "night" (it auto-adjusts), and both modes are fine. The roads are a bit coarse and skinny compared to my Garmin c550, but this is more of a subjective matter.

The rearview camera is a real kick. It's very tempting not to look behind you/in your mirrors when backing up. Little red/yellow/green markers predict your trajectory--even with the wheels turned!--and where you'll want to stop.

Paddle shifters seemed nice but I didn't even think to use them. (It was the tail end of rush hour.)

Bottle holders (you know, like the 700 ml variety) are built into the door as part of the pocket, and it's a nice touch.

I don't think many people will be disappointed by this car. It's a definite step up from the G35 coupe, both in terms of refinement and performance. I couldn't make a reasonable argument about why you'd want to stay with the outgoing model.
Modified by KinsmanRedeemer at 8:13 PM 8/10/2007

[Yimbie]

Nice review! Thank you very much for your input!

- Yimbie

[G_whizz]

Excellent write up!!