PROS Plenty of power, Well-designed interior, Great roadholding
CONS Cramped rear seat, Rough ride on Sport, Smalish trunk
By its nature, the sports coupe is rough riding, cramped, and a downright hard to live with on a daily basis. That's why it is often branded as frivolous by many shoppers. Truth be told, some buyers find those attributes appealing, making the sports coupe a great choice for a select few.
One shouldn't confuse a sports coupe with a sports car (think Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Nissan 370Z, Porsche 911). A sports car has a singular mission, and that's being a race car for the street. Whereas a sport coupe lives a dual life as reasonable transportation and pure-bread adrenaline on wheels. Inherently, that means that the sports coupe is a compromise and how each automaker balances that compromise has a lot to do with each sports coupe's character.
Some sports coupes lean toward pure performance. Those include the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5, Mazda RX-8, and Nissan 370Z. Others lean toward luxury. Prime examples being the Audi TT, BMW 1-Series, MINI Cooper, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Volkswagen Eos.
The Infiniti G37coupe falls neatly into neither category. It is part sports car, after all it is based on the Nissan 370Z, and part luxury coupe. Positioned thusly, Infiniti hopes to make the G37 Coupe appealing on two fronts without offending either camp.
Like many competitors, the G37 Coupe shares engines and chassis with a sedan counterpart, in this case the G37 Sedan. Both the coupe and sedan were redesigned in 2008. New to the lineup this year is a G37 convertible that sports a power-operated top. While the sedan seats five on front buckets and a three-place rear bench, the coupe and convertible only have room for four. The G37 Coupe comes in four trim levels: Base, Journey, Sport, and G37x. All are powered by a 3.7-liter V6 engine that makes 330 horsepower.
Base, Journey, and Sport have a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. G37x comes with a six-speed manual transmission and all wheel drive. Regardless of model, traction control is standard. Also included on all models are antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, front-seat active head restraints, tire-pressure monitor, and dual-front, front-side, and curtain-side airbags. Optional on all are lane-departure warning and a rear-view camera.
Vehicle Tested |
2009 Infiniti G37 Sport Base Price: $37,000 As-Tested Price: $44,095 Built in Japan.
Options Premium Package Illuminated Kick Plates Rear Spoiler Navigation Package
Engine: DOHC 3.7-liter V6 Transmission: 6-speed manual Drive Wheels: rear-wheel drive |
The G37 Base lists for $35,900 and includes air conditioning with automatic climate control, tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, leather upholstery, eight-way power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, four-way power passenger seat, center console, folding rear seat, aluminum interior trim, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, keyless access and starting, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with digital media player connection, satellite radio, illuminated visor mirrors, variable-intermittent wipers, rear defogger, theft-deterrent system, HID headlights, 225/50VR18 tires, and alloy wheels.
The Journey coupe lists for $26,650 and ads to the Base coupe dual-zone automatic climate controls, eight-way power passenger seat, AM/FM radio with in-dash 6-disc CD/MP3 changer, and automatic headlights.
The G37 Sport lists for $37,000 and adds to the Journey limited-slip differential, more-powerful brakes, sport suspension, and 225/45WR19 front and 245/40WR19 rear tires. The G37x starts at $38,700 and adds to the Journey locking center differential, dual-zone automatic climate controls, heated front seats, eight-way power passenger seat, heated power mirrors, AM/FM radio with in-dash six-disc CD/MP3 changer, and automatic headlights.
Options include sunroof, power tilt/telescopic steering wheel, memory system (driver seat, mirrors, steering wheel), Bose sound system, iPod adapter, Bluetooth cell-phone link, universal garage door opener, rain-sensing wipers, navigation system with voice recognition, traffic information, and digital hard drive. All G37s are built in Japan and carry a $865 destination charge.
Get Up and Go G37's smooth and powerful V6 is extremely responsive at any speed. Infiniti doesn't quote a 0-to-60 mph time for the G coupe, but it's easily less than 6.0 seconds--more likely about 5.5. When mated to the easy-to-shift six-speed manual transmission the engine has plenty of punch off the line and exceptional passing response.
The new automatic transmission is impressive for what it isn't rather than for what it is. It's not intrusive. Step on the gas and it upshifts smoothly and downshifts promptly. It also doesn't hesitate between gears when downshifting in passing situations.
The throttle pedal is also very easy to modulate. Press a little and you get mild acceleration, press harder and speed increases in a linear fashion. Stomp hard and acceleration is outstanding.
While this may seem like the norm, sadly it isn't. Lots of today's luxury-sport sedans have a throttle pedal that's hard to modulate. You either get too little or too much acceleration. This is often done to try and improve fuel economy ratings, but it ends up making the car much less satisfying to drive.
Speaking of fuel economy, the 2009 Infiniti G37 Sport is EPA rated at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Those numbers aren't outstanding given the car's size, and Infiniti requires that all G models be fed more-expensive premium-grade fuel. In around town driving and typical highway commuting expect to average about 20 mpg. Straight highway driving is likely to net about 24 mpg.
On the Road The G37 coupe sports a very firm ride. That means there is little float or bob on wavy roads but also a fair amount of road feel--especially on uneven roads or broken pavement. The suspension does a good job of filtering large bumps, but it softens rather than removes. The Sport model, with its 19-inch tires and sport suspension, has the firmest ride, so firm that it might not be to everyone's liking.
The hard ride is never harsh or jarring, but isn't typical luxury-car smooth either and does get a little annoying on longer trips. Enthusiasts will love the balance between road feel and comfort, luxury purists may yearn for something a bit smoother.
What's really impressive is the way the suspension works to keep the G pointed in the right direction regardless of road surfaces. Any automaker can make a suspension on that produces good handling on glass-smooth roads, the hard part is making a suspension that absorbs bumps and still keeps the tires in contact with the road.
Speaking of handling, the G37 does an amazing job of tracking true through turns on even the bumpiest of roads. In addition, there's very little wheel hop in hard acceleration. Add to this the wonderfully direct and accurate steering and powerful brakes and you get a coupe that actually handles like a sports car--sans the pounding ride of course.
Rear- or all-wheel drive, the G comes with touring tires that really aren't appropriate for snow-covered roads. Buyers who live in the Midwest must consider a set of all-season tires or, better yet, snow tires, if you plan to ply winter roads.
NHTSA Crash-Test Results, 2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe |
Front Impact, Driver | NA |
Front Impact, Passenger | NA |
Side Impact, Driver | NA |
Side Impact, Rear Passenger | NA |
Rollover Resistance | NA |
Behind the Wheel Critics of the first-generation G claimed interior materials and fit-and-finish were out of step with other entry-level sport-luxury cars. Infiniti took that criticism to heart and gave the G37 an interior that rivals more-expensive premium-luxury coupes. Materials are top notch, buttons and switchgear work with sewing-machine smoothness, and the overall ambiance is one of understated luxury.
Gauges are clear and easy to read, day or night. The entire gauge cluster moves up and down/fore and aft with the tilt-telescope steering wheel. Major controls for the audio and climate control system are easily reached on the center stack. Navigation and ancillary controls are incorporated into a pod at the top of the center stack that should be studied by other manufacturers for its simplicity and ease of use.
The firm and supportive front seats are a bit narrow, but there's plenty of leg room for large adults. Those taller than six foot will find that headroom is at a premium. Seat controls have been repositioned from the previous inboard seat cushion location to a more standard outboard position. There's not much room between the door panel and the seat bottom, so they are still somewhat difficult to operate.
Outward visibility isn't as bad as in most coupe competitors, thanks to thin pillars and large rear-quarter windows, but the available backup monitor is a must if you do a lot of parallel parking. Unlike similar systems from other automakers, a simulated grid overlays the video image that shows the intended direction of the vehicle. It changes depending on steering wheel angle.
As in most coupes, the rear seats are not intended for adults, and that's no different in the G. With the front seats pushed all the way back, leg and knee room are non-existent. If you are lucky enough to wiggle back there, you'll find that head room is also limited thanks to the steeply sloping roofline.
Trunk space is a scant 7.4 cubic feet. In itself that's not impressive, but the trunk has a reasonably large opening and expensive hinges that don't intrude on cargo space. Interior storage is adequate, highlighted by large front-seat map pockets and a roomy center console storage bin.
Bottom Line If you're a coupe buyer, it's very hard to find fault in the G37. Infiniti was smart to upgrade the interior without meddling with the overall package. Luxury-minded buyers will want to avoid the Sport or the Journey with the Sport package as the ride is firmer than expected.
Prices are reasonable for first-time and value-conscious buyers, and the G37 also offers a host of high-tech features for those looking to upgrade from the previous G. Rarely does a sequel match or exceed its predecessor, but in this case, part II may, just in fact, be better than the original.