Review: 2010 Infiniti G37

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The G37 also has plenty of raw speed when you punch the gas. I clocked the G37x at about 5.6 seconds in accelerating from zero to 60, which would put it midway between the comparably priced BMW 328i and the more expensive 335i. However, other reviewers have gotten slightly faster times in the rear-wheel-drive G37 with the automatic transmission, and Road & Track magazine got a blazingly fast 5.1-second zero-to-60 time in the G37 Sport.

The Sport Package includes solid-magnesium, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, 18-inch alloy wheels, and heavily bolstered sport seats that hold driver and passenger in place during hard cornering. When you use the manual shifting function—which can be activated either via the stick or paddle shifters—the G37 becomes downright raucous, with quick, slightly jarring upshifts. It doesn't hit 60 mph until third gear, which makes its zero-to-60 performance all the more impressive. One negative: When the engine redlines, the power kicks off rather than upshifting automatically. So you lose speed if you aren't careful to shift just below the redline.

As in other entry-level sport-luxury sedans, the G37's interior is a bit plain. However, you can jazz it up with glossy maple trim for an extra $550. There's plenty of leg and head room in the front seats, but the rear bench seat is a bit cramped. It's only really designed to hold two passengers because the middle seat is quite uncomfortable.

I found the navigation system intuitive and easy to use, but the center console controls are busy and complicated to figure out. I'd also recommend avoiding the sport seats unless you do a lot of hard driving. I found that they became increasingly uncomfortable during a three-hour highway drive.

A couple of pluses: The screen resolution on the backup camera is excellent, and there are graphics to show you exactly where the car is headed. And the automatic transmission has a "snow" mode to improve grip during winter driving.

Buy It or Bag It?

Shopping for an entry-level sport-luxury sedan is like being a kid in a candy shop. The average selling price of numerous other excellent models falls in the same range as the G37's, including the 2010 Acura TL ($36,222), the 2011 Audi A4 ($36,211), the 2010 Lexus ES 350 ($37,037), and the Mercedes C300 ($37,430). Ditto for the BMW 328i. Keep in mind that many G37 buyers will qualify for a $1,000 rebate being offered through the end of September.

I recommend test-driving the Infiniti against the BMW 328i. In the unlikely event you're not satisfied with either one, try one of the rivals. In this segment, it's hard to go wrong.

Click here to see more of the 2010 Infiniti G37.

Thane Peterson reviews cars for Businessweek.com.

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