2010 Infiniti G37 Sedan - Review

The Basics:

Infiniti won't leave a good thing alone, yet it keeps making it better, so we can't complain. The G Sedan was redesigned for 2007, then it picked up a more powerful 3.7-liter V-6 and seven-speed automatic for 2009 (and a name change to G37). Now for 2010, the G37 Sedan already gets a mid-cycle refresh, with a new front and rear appearance, enhanced tech features and options, and a redesigned center console among many small changes.

Overall, the G37's rakish silhouette has remained untouched, and that's a good thing. With a coupelike roofline and a lean, low profile, the G37 flaunts a clean and nicely proportioned profile, with plenty of clean sheetmetal—eschewing the excessive body creases that are so common now. A new front fascia and new-design headlights are paired with a new rear fascia, but you'll have to look closely for the differences from the 2009 model. Most notably, the lower air dam in front gives the G a neater, more measured appearance, but it retains the nice contours around the headlights and grille. The stance remains tasteful yet aggressive and sporty. Inside, the G37 has the cockpit feel of a sports coupe in front, with narrow footwells, a rather low seating position, and a prominent center console—redesigned for 2010—that wraps back between occupants. Big, round dials are set directly in front of the driver, and a strong beltline wraps around to the door panels. A screen mounted top and center accesses audio and climate functions, while supplemental controls are just under the screen.

The 2010 G37 Sedan gets the same 328-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 featured in the G37 Coupe. It's mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual, with all-wheel drive available with the automatic.

The G37 Sedan is one of the most responsive, communicative, and fun-to-drive sport sedans in its class. Its 3.7-liter V-6 makes more muscle—328 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque—than some rival V-8s and provides enough thrust to satisfy most rabid performance enthusiasts, though it's a little more raucous than the former 3.5-liter and not nearly as smooth as BMW's excellent turbocharged six in the 335i. The seven-speed automatic transmission in the 2010 Infiniti G37 Sedan pulls off snappy and smooth shifts when accelerating hard, but it seems more at home when driving aggressively; shifts become lumpy and indecisive when light on the throttle. Solid-magnesium steering-wheel paddle shifters (included on G37 Journey and G37x AWD models) command a quick downshift, though, including a throttle blip. Those who like a manual transmission will find the six-speed very satisfying. Underneath there's a firm, sport-tuned four-wheel independent suspension, and power steering adjusts effort according to vehicle speed. The G37 Sedan is quite possibly the best-handling sport sedan, price no object, with great steering feel and near-perfect dynamics, for those who can take advantage of them on the track. Plus, fuel economy is respectable; with the automatic transmission, it now rates 18 mpg city, 26 highway, though TheCarConnection.com fails to meet those estimates.

Seating, cabin space, and ride comfort might be the weakest aspect of the whole 2010 G37 Sedan package. Even the standard seats in the 2010 G37 Sedan have good support, though some might find them a bit too narrow and snug. There's adequate legroom, though headroom is somewhat scarce. The backseat is hardly a place for adults to spend long periods of time—made worse by a shortage of legroom and oddly reclined seatbacks. The backseats don't fold all the way forward to increase trunk space, as they do in many other sedans, but there is a pass-through for skis and such, and trunk space is decent. The interior of the G37 seems sporty and premium yet not lavish—it has the feel of a high-end sports-car cabin more than a sedan, and it's put together tightly. For 2010, trims and finishes have been revamped, and the instrument panel now includes white gauges and a new aluminum trim. Overall, refinement and quiet aren't the reasons for getting a G37, though. The ride isn't downright jarring, but it's quite firm, and road noise is more prominent inside than it is in most other sport sedans.

The G37's quick handling will likely prove to be a safety asset, but there are plenty of other safety positives. Electronic stability control is standard, along with anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist, front side airbags, and side-curtain airbags that cover front and rear outboard occupants. Crash-test ratings for the G37 Sedan have been respectable, with four- and five-star results from the federal government. The IIHS gave the 2009 G37 Sedan top "good" scores for frontal and side impact but hadn't yet renewed them for the revised 2010 model at the time of posting. The only concern with the 2009 model was a "marginal" rating in the IIHS's seat-based rear-impact test.

Four different models of the G37 remain on offer: Base, Journey, Sport, and the G37x AWD. Base models have power driver and passenger power seats, in addition to a long list of popular features. The Journey model now gets more tech features, including a Bluetooth hands-free interface, a rearview monitor, and heated seats and mirrors, plus dual-zone climate control. From the Journey, you can add any number of tech options, including Adaptive Front Lighting and the Intelligent Cruise Control with a Preview Braking safety feature. Features newly added for 2010 include an audiophile Infiniti Studio on Wheels system by Bose, and there's an optional next-generation hard-drive-based navigation system with higher-resolution screen, Zagat restaurant ratings and reviews, XM Weather and XM NavTraffic, and live rerouting. Also available is a new Advanced Climate Control System (ACCS), which purifies inside air and automatically shuts off outside air when exhaust fumes are detected.

2010 Infiniti G37 Sedan Sport models also include a Viscous Limited Slip Differential, in addition to a host of track-worthy upgrades like larger vented disc brakes, sport steering gear, W-rated performance tires, and more aggressively bolstered sport seats with active head restraints and thigh extensions.