You're rigth in that it is a lot of car for the money. I can't remember exactly, but I do know that Car and Driver liked the car a lot. It IS a nice car, and I don't think you could go wrong.

Having said all that, I'd never buy it.

(I won't buy an Infiniti... If you are curious as to why, PM me.)

But, that's just my opinion. I've read nothing but good things about it.

Juan

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Whenever I text "Barack," my phone suggests the word "Capable." I guess my my phone IS pretty smart.

Although I do not own one myself, several co-workers own/lease them - both coupe and sedan (although not the X). Nothing bad to say - fast as hell - lots of goodies - reliable.

I think Nissan and Infinity has been the most inovative Japanese brand the past few years. Everybody I know who has an Infinity loves it. They are safe, well built and fun to drive with probably the best V6 engine in the industry. (BMW's 6 doesn't count since it's in-line of course). I don't think you would regret it...

Pete- here's my 3 or 4 cents worth:

My wife has had her G35 sport/nav/prem for 4 months and loves it. Can't comment on the AWD as we're in NC and don't need it. Mileage is less than other competing sedans and the AWD drops it down one additional mpg. The performance and fun factor kills them all though. The car has performed flawlessly and the dealership has treated us very well. Free car washes every week for life, they feed her lunch and do her nails while they are washing it! (dealership specific, not an Infiniti thing). All loaners are G35s too. The sport suspension with the 18's is not for the prissy wife. It is really stiff. I love it and so does my wife. I suggest you have her drive the sport with 17's, a sport with 18's, and non-sport if you have can. With sport susp. and 18's this thing will come close to out-cornering my vette. No body roll or flex, suspension feels like an extension of the concrete you are driving on. It is like frictionless glue.

Space for 2 kids... I would have her go and get in the back seat with the kids and the car seat. It is comfortable but too small for me (6' 200lbs) to be in very often. My wife thought it was fine and it was her opinion that mattered. Trunk space is limited, make sure it is enough for your needs. We took a 1 week trip a while back and had two pieces of luggage and a duffle bag, that filled it up. Fit and finish inside and out have been excellent. Zero problems so far at 3K miles. I have heard that the paint can chip easily on the front on these models and I have added a clear bra. The diamond graphite paint is stunning.

The car is quiet on the road but you can hear the exhaust under mild acceleration, specially in the back seat. The motor comes alive over 4K and at 7K rpm it sounds wonderful. I like the way the transmission works in D. I am not thrilled with manual mode since it is backwards from our X's (forward to shift up in the G35). But as far as performance, the transmission works beautifully in manual mode. Firm quick shift but not harsh at all.

Electronics are good. Intelligent key is fantastic and very convenient. Sunroof is quick and logical. It is missing OEM Bluetooth for your phone like some other premium sedans but you can add it. The premium BLOWS stereo is ok at best. Works well with MP3's and can be modded at pre-amp level to get a fairly neutral line level input if you want to go nuts with aftermarket stereo stuff. The sub is weak but remember, it is a BOSE stereo (I won't go there in this thread). If you need any more detail about that let me know. The navigation is better than BMW's but still not touch screen like the Acura's. The best part about the nav is that is disappears into the dash and is completely hidden. This feature should be on every car in the world. When my wife is driving around town she cannot be distracted by the nav screen. It is only there when you need it, on trips, unfamiliar roads, etc and pops up to a position that is much better than our X5's. OEM DVD works well and TV on NAV screen solutions are available for it too.

Overall, for the money it is a solid winner. Look at the safety ratings, and also look at resale. It is the highest in the class. It is more fun to drive then almost every sedan I've tried in that 30k-45k range. It performs perfectly and has zero problems so far. Just check the interior size and ride comfort to be sure your wife agrees with it as this car is a real sports sedan, not a 'sporty' sedan.

Most importantly, there are lots of mods available! Good luck with your decision.

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FWIW, the 2005 Audi A6 and 2006 Infiniti M35x just got the highest possible ratings in new crash test results issued yesterday. Read about it here.

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-'13 E93 M3 Cab, Interlagos Blue, Carbon Black leather, DCT, all options, and fun, endless fun!
-'13 X5 35i M-Sport, Carbon Black & Cinnamon, Dinan Stage 2!
-'15 Toyota Sienna Limited Premium AWD, Silver & Grey, Nav & BluRay, and less lame than the 2011 it replaced
-'07 Mini Cab S, Laser Blue, 6sp, endless fun that ended (sold)
-'04 X5 4.4i, loaded, loved, modded and sold

Personally, I'd go with the E90... I've sat in the G35x at auto shows, and I don't get as good of a feeling from it... The inside is kinda plasticky, too... What about an A4?

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infiniti couldn't have produced a more vanilla looking car if they tried. no offense but the styling on the g35 does absolutely nothing for me.... no question it's reliable and everything else, but it's just bland to me.

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

I do agree that the Infiniti interior is a bit plasticky, but to be fair I get the same feeling in a Mercedes or a Range Rover... I just think that BMW does a very good job choosing better materials for their cars, and being BMW drivers we take it for granted, or just get used to it...

The E90 is in a completely different price range. I don't think its fair to compare the two. I have also been in a G35 and was not impressed by the quality of materials. Why don't you consider a new 3.2TL with nav. We test drove a couple and thought it was wonderful, ESPECIALLY for the price.

-Nav system is one of the best
-Bluetooth
-5.1 Audio
-Solid Engine (Great power,smooth)
-Handling is great

Even though its FWD it handles beautifully. Since its fwd and has so many traction systems, you should be fine in snow. We even test drove it in snow to see that performance and it was fine.