Entered CNET Catalog: 10/19/2006
SKU: 100822711
Manufacturer: Infiniti
Product summary
The good: With its six-speed manual transmission, strong engine, and excellent handling, the 2007 Infiniti G35 is a joy to drive. Its Bose stereo sounds very good and handles MP3 and WMA discs, plus it has aux inputs for audio and video.
The bad: It's difficult to find satellite radio stations with the car's interface, and the Bluetooth cell phone integration can be operated only by voice command. Gas mileage isn't particularly good.
The bottom line: Responsive handling and a powerful engine make the 2007 Infiniti G35 an excellent driver's car. The cabin's tech options should satisfy buyers who want digital entertainment and cell phone integration.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/26/2006
2007 Infiniti G35
The Infiniti G35 is available in a number of styles, from a sport coupe to a more sedate sedan. Our test car got the best of both worlds, with four doors but also a big red S after the "G35" on the trunk lid denoting the sport version. The sport version of the sedan gets a suspension tuned more for twisty roads than comfortable cruises and the aforementioned six-speed manual transmission. The car announces its high-tech pedigree from the start with its standard smart key. The doors unlock automatically in the presence of the key, and you can start the car by just pushing a button.
The body of the G35 looks thoroughly modern, with raised front fenders and a roofline that curves down almost to the trunk lip. Because the roof extends back so far, the nose looks inordinately long in profile, one of the unique quirks of this car. Another very interesting development is the LCD in the stack. Although we've seen plenty of LCDs in cars, this is the first where the navigation option isn't present. This configuration suggests that Infiniti decided to make the LCD a standard part of the dash no matter which options are ordered.
Quirky tech
Without the navigation option, the LCD shows only audio, phone, climate, and car information. Infiniti's standard multifunction knob, a big dial topped by five buttons, sits below the LCD, with big function buttons surrounding it. We like this arrangement and find it easy to use while underway. The car includes buttons for cruise control on the steering wheel's right spoke and audio controls on the left, which mirror the functions of the audio buttons on the center stack around the analog clock. Buttons for the voice command Bluetooth phone system sit below the left spoke.
The premium stereo system in our G35 review car comes from Bose and uses 10 speakers, with 2 in each door, a rear deck-mounted subwoofer, and a center fill speaker in the dash. These speakers produce a nice full sound that isn't biased toward either end of the spectrum. It's a very good system but doesn't give a complete surround-sound effect. Beyond AM and FM, the stereo can play XM satellite radio and has a six-disc in-dash changer that plays WMA- and MP3-formatted music. Even better, RCA jacks hidden in the center console work as an auxiliary audio input. And in one of this car's intriguing tech quirks, a video input sits next to the RCA jacks, so video can be played on the car's LCD.
Infiniti's scheme for selecting satellite radio stations isn't well thought out. The large multifunction dial merely scrolls through presets displayed on the LCD; selecting from all of XM's 200-plus offerings requires turning the smaller tuning knob, located further down the stack. We would also have liked the display to show us which XM stations we were tuning through, but it showed only which station we landed on after twisting the knob. In another audio interface foible, MP3 and WMA CDs can be navigated only from folder to folder, with no ID3 information, such as album or artist, displayed on the search screen. The system will show a static display of ID3 information, but only when a button labeled Text is selected.
The other major cabin tech feature on the G35, the Bluetooth cell phone integration, has its own quirks. Although the LCD shows phone information, none of the buttons around it or on the center stack give access to phone functions. Instead, the whole system is controlled with voice commands, activated by buttons on the steering wheel. The system works well, though, and allowed us to pair multiple phones to the system, each with its own voice tag identifier. The system very successfully recognized the telephone numbers we told it to call, but it didn't automatically copy over our phone address books. Instead, we had to make new address entries for the car using the voice command system. Audio quality with the phone system was good for both incoming and outgoing calls. We also found that volume can be set separately for the stereo system and the voice command system, depending on which is currently active, using the steering wheel volume controls. The separate volume levels, and the ease of setting them, are a very thoughtful feature.
As we mentioned before, our car didn't come with the navigation option. Infiniti's navigation system for its 2007 models uses a hard disk to store maps and navigation data. Additional space on the hard drive is available to store music, which can be ripped from CDs inserted into the system.
Handling is supreme
But this car is tilted toward a lot more than making phone calls and listening to good quality audio, as evidenced by the sporty manual gearshift at the bottom of the stack. Rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual transmission, and a 3.5-liter V-6 making 306 horsepower at 6,800rpm make up a powerful drive train that can encourage some seriously bad behavior. The G35 takes off fast from a stop, and its precisely shifting transmission will encourage drivers to maintain acceleration all the way to sixth gear.
Something about having a manual transmission in a sedan made us really want to push this car, and its handling on windy mountain roads didn't let us down. With its luxury interior, it was comfortable enough sitting in traffic, but the G35 is really in its element during sport driving.
Unfortunately, this is not an economical engine. One handy screen on the LCD shows fuel economy, instantaneously and over time. The only times we could keep the mileage consistently over 20mpg was by going downhill. Even in sixth gear on the freeway we couldn't keep it over 20mpg. The EPA rating for the manual-transmission G35 is 19mpg city and 27mpg on the highway, but our overall observed economy was 16.4mpg.
Traction control steps in
The G35 includes full airbag coverage standard, with front and side airbags for the driver and front passenger, plus side curtain airbags for the entire cabin. Along with its antilock brakes, the G35 has the usual roadholding suspects, such as traction control and electronic brake-force distribution. During hard cornering, a light on the dashboard will indicate the traction control is active, a satisfying reminder that the car is helping out.
High-intensity discharge headlights are standard on the G35, and an adaptive headlight system is available. The taillights use LEDs. The car also includes some niceties to help the driver while adjusting the seating position. The side mirrors automatically move when the power-adjustable seat is moved to stay in the proper position. The instrument cluster also moves in sync with the power-adjustable steering wheel when it is moved up or down.
The base price for the 2007 Infiniti G35 Sedan with a manual transmission is $32,250. Our test car also came with the Premium package ($2,350), which included such things as the Bose stereo, sunroof, and the power-adjustable steering wheel. With the package, our test car's final price was $34,600, a very good value for a sporty sedan.
Whenever we got the opportunity, we were out test-driving the 2007 Infiniti G35, which attests to how much we liked this car. Except for the less than stellar mileage, the power train is extremely satisfying. Handling is very good, and interior comfort is top-notch. Ours didn't come equipped with navigation, but it is available. Sound quality is also very good, and the Bluetooth integration works well. Each system has its odd quirks, but overall, the G35 is highly desirable.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24out of 24 user reviews
U get what u pay 4 and what u dont pay 4 U DON'T GET!
Pros: Good power, good sound system, like the mp3 playback.
Cons: This is the absolute worst car I've ever had! I think the X in G35x stands for eXtremely garbage. Horrible gas mileage, lousy handling, and a poor example of what an AWD sports sedan should be. Bluetooth doesnt even download my phonebook either.
out of 24 user reviews
Great car to drive, but heavy on gas
Pros: Awesome performance, you can beat anything on the road with this car. Spectacular interior, great bose sound sysytem, flawless breaking.
Cons: Poor gas mielage, no other pros at all
However it has an awsome interior, nicle sound system and a very good navigation screen. Also user accessible 9.3GB hard drive is a great feature to have. Backup camera has safety markings on it.
I am really impressed by the breaking system of car. It is much better than most of its competition.
out of 24 user reviews
Great Ride!
Pros: great blend of technology and elegance
Cons: gas mileage..
Only reservation I have about this car is the gas mileage. About as good as my previous car, but thats due to a way to jumpy transmission as opposed to bad engine efficiency.
Updated on Jan 25, 2009okay, wanted to add an update to my review. I'm still very happy about the G35, but upset about the process of updating the NAV system. Its a great idea to create a HD based systems that can be easily updated, but its not complete and we're (myself and other Infiniti owners with a HD based Navi) are still waiting for an update.. G
out of 24 user reviews
Love my 07 G35S
Pros: Handling, Bluetooth, a/c and heat, stereo system, styling
Cons: gas mileage
out of 24 user reviews
I'll take two please
Pros: The amount of car for the price is what lead me to the G's in late 2007.
Cons: I'm a geek and would love to have added Nav to my car, but being a geek and knowing what goes into a NAV system I could not allow myself this luxury at the inflated price requested.
Finding a great deal on a low mile 2007 Premium packaged Journey in my colors of choice helped with this decision.
After 2 years of comparision shopping I purchased my 07 G35 Sedan with no regrets! A few years from now when the nest is less crowded might have resulted in G37.
Till then... Knowing my "sedan" will get from 0-60 in 5.2, and run the quarter in the upper 13's will keep me content with my family crusier.
out of 24 user reviews
The example G-35 did not have correct features
Pros: The G-35 is a fun with features that will make long driving more enjoyable
Cons: Road noise on bumby roads.
Thumbs Up.
out of 24 user reviews
Great Car!!!
Pros: Keyless entry and ignition, Bluetooth, fast, (very fast), and great styling.
Cons: Gas mileage is not as good as I would like.
out of 24 user reviews
I love this car but....
Pros: Power, styling, handling
Cons: can't tweak audio, no option to upgrade firmware/software
Well I actually took the plunge 5 months ago a purchased (financed) this car with premium package but opted out of the tech package/Navpackage. I have to say that I'm 5 months in and I do not regret my decision one bit!
The only gripe I have is with the audio system. It sounds great when I'm listening to a "RDS enabled" radio station but my CDs don't sound nearly as good. The high frequency tweeters seems to overpower the mid-low range speakers. I'm a tech-nerd and need to have the ability to tweak and upgrade as necessary. This car only offers base/treble/directional controls.
Overall the fit, finish and quality of materials are top-notch. The performance is great and offers THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK of any car in it's class - and I test drove them ALL.
out of 24 user reviews
Great Car!!
Pros: Styling, Performance, Quality, Electronics
Cons: Trunk a bit small
Looked at Saab, Acura, Audi and kept coming back to G35 and are not sorry we did.
Took car on 5000 mile trip starting the day after we picked it up and had absolutely no problems or any kind. Rides well for extended driving, comfortable seats, very good climate control, and extremely quite ride will little road or wind noise.
It's by far the best new car we've ever owned in terms of quality. A real head turner and great performance to boot.
out of 24 user reviews
And its a GREAT looking car too!
Pros: Powerful and FUN to drive! If you love high-tech toys, this is it.
Cons: Poor fuel economy, but no worse than other sports cars. But if you average the extra cost over an average year, it's not that bad.
The controls are very intuitive and Infiniti supplies redundant controls, allowing you to choose how you prefer to operate systems and extras. Now who's ever heard of that??!
This car wants to go, and has more power and speed than you'll ever get to experience unless you own a race track. When I first bought it, I drove slowly so the trip would last longer. I didn't want to get out of the car.
The sound system is by Bose and is supurb, with speakers hidden everywhere and a 10" woofer in the dash! You can rip upto 3,000 songs in the jukebox memory and never need to fumble for a CD. My only complaint about the stereo is that it is factory balanced to be heavily faded towards the front. I prefer rear loaded sound. Yes you can use the fade control to rebalance the sound favoring the rear, but to me, the sound quality suffers for some reason.
My final comment - Hurry up and buy this car before Infinity changes a thing!!!!
out of 24 user reviews
All blocks checked but with some rough edges
Pros: Styling, engine, wheels&tires
Cons: unmatched painted body parts, unmatched interior trim, smaller-than-avg sport bucket seats, no fold down rear seats
However, after plunking down the money, I felt a bit taken by the unmatched painted bodywork (lakeshore slate) and interior trim pieces. My Washi katanas differ from door panel to dash. The GPS/stereo module frame is a matte nickel finish while most everything else is Washi 'metal-paper.' Rear headroom is tighter than expected - my 5'8' wife had hair touching the ceiling, but the sunroof is probably a contributor.
I'm 5'10' and 180lbs and found the seat uncomfortably grabby, especially uncomfortable on hot days.
Steering wheel hinders view of many dash components, but fortunately not the major gauges.
out of 24 user reviews
Great Car A+++
Pros: Performance
Cons: Exhaust sound
Suspension is perfect at coners and you can determinate where the car is going without any fear.
The Top speed is 138 MPH The computer limited Speed stop the car with automatic trans. The brakes can be upgrade to be more aggressive and that's all. Everything else it doesn't appear in a car.
out of 24 user reviews
A sports sedan for the thinking man/woman
Pros: Performance (power, handling); Interior; Stereo
Cons: Phone controls are voice only
out of 24 user reviews
G35x - a pleasant surprise
Pros: performance, handling and comfort
Cons: poor gas mileage, small and awkard trunk, too much plastic
Chose the 2007 G35x with all the upgrade packages except the "Technical". It is a "sensible" car, comfortable with good performance. Tad too much plastic for a "luxury" sedan and the seats are not entirely leather, just the butt surface... shame that Infiniti did that.
The shape though, with the curvy front end (reminiscent of the Z's bad, big brother) with a conventional (admittedly dull) rear end, takes getting used to, I am still not sure.
After one month ownership, I have grown to love the car and am pleasantly surprised to learn that it is widely regarded as top of its class and is definitely a stealth car. I look at it and can not believe the thing will do 160 mph.!
Got to deduct a half a point for the plastic and pretend leather, half a point for the small, awkward trunk and a full point for the heavy gas mileage (sub-20 mpg and I am taking it easy..!).
Must now wear a "Dunce Hat" for posting review in wrong place...duh.
out of 24 user reviews
Fabulous Drivers Cockpit strapped to a Rocket!
Pros: Serious Thrust, very refined under rated interior, sweet chasis
Cons: fuel economy...
What a shocker! This car is rock solid, stable chasis, serious jump from the get go. A seemingly limitless reserve of power available on demand. This car has some serious hops.
Sisce it was the last of its class that I test drove, and in my opinion the least likely candidate you can imagine my surprise. In this mans humble opinion, I'd have bought the G35 even had the price been the same or slightly nore than the Beemer. It's just a nicer experience all around.
I've rarely gushed about an automobile purchase... I'm gushing. This a true drivers automobile.
out of 24 user reviews
Did my homework and happy with my A
Pros: Creature Features, Power, Styling... Yum Yum
Cons: Lousy Mileage so far...
I read all the editor reviews for the new 2007 G35 as well as 325/335 & A4. Most editors raved about this car and the changes made for 2007. But more important to me is the user reviews (you & I) which I scanned from multiple web sites. Users I feel are much less forgiving when it comes to negative issue(s) and much more critical of annoyances & benefits. The only issue I had seen repeatedly is the low mileage on the G which I can attest. Hey it is a 3.5 V6 with 306HP, what do you expect? I don’t know where they got 25 hwy miles for I have yet to break 20 on the open road. But if you can afford this car, you shouldn’t be crying at the pump.
The features I like most is the touch screen Nav upgrade with 9 GB internal HD for MP3s, great Bluetooth system for phone usage, great sounding stereo & very comfortable front seats. Some of the dash controls are a bit tricky to find in the dark, but in time this should pass once I know where to ‘feel’. Rain sensing wipers, user select high speed warning & auto locks when the cars is in drive would be some nice features
Infinity offers a bumper to bumper 4 yr 50,000 warranty as does BMW, but Audi now charges an extra $550 for this upgrade!
I have only owned the car a little over a week, and I must say I am a happy camper!
out of 24 user reviews
Best Value in Class
Pros: Value in Class
Cons: Fuel Economy: or rather, the way I step on it !:) Anyway, who said Sports cars are supposed to be fuel efficient ?
G35 Drivers, Happy Driving!
out of 24 user reviews
Nice improvements
Pros: Upscale redesigning
Cons: Harsh ride rattles teeth
out of 24 user reviews
Miles of Smiles
Pros: Power, Sound System, Trans
Cons: Fuel Economy, leg room could be more generous for the front. Nav system is very sophisitcated, but, not very intelligent in its choice of routes (suggest a VZ Navigator on your Verizon phone).
And when it is on the road, the only thing that could possibly take it is a Ferarri. This car is fast. But, you pay for that power - fuel economy is poor. By the way, who comes up with those ratings and why is it that Honda and Toyota seem to get much closer to their ratings than Nissan.
Oh well, with that said, this car is flat out a great driving experience. Bullet-proof drive-train that has a good track record. I highly recommend it.
out of 24 user reviews
Traded my 328 BMW for a G35
Pros: Sportyness and overall value
Cons: Pedal Sensitivity and Road Vibration in Gear shift
out of 24 user reviews
Much improved but bad decisions were made on some changes.
Pros: Finally, more sleek curves and that dual exhaust I have waited for on the sedan version.
Cons: I have the reclining back seats on 2005 g35x. They took these out! Now it is 10 inch thick useless seat padding taking up what used to be spacious back seat room. Interior plastics, no touch screen.
The other big minus is that the navigation is still not touch screen.
Other plus is the larger tires all around.
out of 24 user reviews
The New Ultimate Driving Machine
Pros: The first car in it's class to beat out the BMW 3 series in almost every category!
Cons: Fuel Economy
out of 24 user reviews
I love it, I've had it since Sat.
Pros: Much quiter than past years, the music box featuer is incredable
Cons: None to speak of.
out of 24 user reviews
The New G35....I like it!
Pros: Power, comfort, aesthetics, and price. Ride was comfortable and quiet on the Sport. Good handling, well laid out and inviting interior, alum trim hides finger prints fairly well.
Cons: Gas mileage may not be for the faint of heart. Color selection is okay, though a little on the bland side.
On a visual level, something about how the light reflects off the curved surfaces of this car truly captures the eye. It is well proportioned, which isn't something I could say about the previous generation G. To me, the interior is much nicer than in the BMW 335i coupe that I also tested. The BMW is the more athletic of the two cars, and it's interior says to me, "let's get down to business", which is what the BMW does in spades. Whereas the G35 interior feels like you have entered a 5-star restaurant and the maitre d' has reserved their best table for you.
Beyond being coddled by its finer appointments, the G35 has plenty of punch. In fact while lightly tapping on the accelerator to pull out of the driveway for my test drive, the sales person I were immediately thrown back against our seats. Passengers should refrain from eating or drinking anything while you accelerate. The acceleration has a deep throaty sound if you are into that sort of thing.
The combination of the car's balance and the comfortable seats managed to keep me in position as I made aggressive turns onto streets and freeway on/off ramps. The sound system actually sounds quite good considering it comes from the less than audiophile Bose Corporation.
I was very impressed with the BMW 335i and was seriously thinking about going that route, but for me, the G35 is a very sweet ride that does 95% of what the BMW can do. I couldn't afford to spend an additional $8000 to get that last 5% of adrenaline rush.
If you feel the BMW is in your future, perhaps you can lease the G35 for 24 months (12k miles per yr). When your lease is up, there should be plenty of Certifie Pre-Owned 335i's you can get for a lot less. No I don't work for Nissan/Infiniti. Hope this helps those in the same boat as me who are debating between the G35 and the 335i.
Well...the day after posting my original review I took the plunge and am now the happy owner of a platinum graphite G35 in the Sport trim and MT. The options include the prem pkg, splash guards, and tinted windows. I think the nav would have been great but none of the cars with a manual trans came with that feature where I made the purchase. Still, I am a happy camper as I was able to negotiate a price below sticker...sweet!
Having had a few days to drive this car, my opinion is even more positive. It is a joy to drive and makes me want to get in and just go some place far. That in itself speaks volumes as I typically hate driving and try to bum rides from others whenever possible.
I'm not sure if all Infiniti dealerships offer the same levels of service but my experience was quite positive. They even have a consultant who is coming by my office to thoroughly demonstrate each feature in my new car.
I also got to drive the first generation G as a loaner while my car was having its windows tinted. The new model is so much nicer in every aspect. The sales people told me they were having trouble moving the older model as it looks so inferior to the new G35. That it is, but still, the 2006 G is still quite capable and can be had for a very reasonable price with attractive financing.
I still rate the 2007 G35 as 9 out of 10 because the mileage needs to be improved. Though I have only been driving in city traffic, my mileage is currently only 15 or 16 mpg. Perhaps there needs to be a break-in period before I see at least 22 mpg overall. I hope so. Luckily I kept my Honda for just this reason.
Put a test drive of the G35 on your list of things to do when making out your New Year's resolution.
