2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe Sport
Vital Stats
Engine: 3.7 liter V6 (330HP/270TQ)
Drivetrain Layout: Front engine/Rear wheel drive
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Seating Capacity: 4 Passengers
EPA Fuel Economy: 17 city/25 highway
Base MSRP $37,000 + $865 (destination charge)
Recommended Options: Navigation Package ($2,200), Premium Package ($3,200)
The Basics
The G37 delivers a logical and economical choice to the consumer. Offering a comfortable seating position, ample power, tenacious handling, rock solid reliability, and a high safety rating, this is the car to pick if you are looking to get the best German offerings, but like leaving a lot of money in your wallet.
Boasting an elegant interior, useful touches to help get passengers in the rear seat, and a techno packed nav stack, the G delivers exactly what luxury car buyers demand.
This car is the perfect match for a driver who wants a blend of sports car reflexes, luxury features, and civilized daily driveability. Just bring a shoe horn to get your friends in the back seat.
Highs: Gorgeous design, near top-notch driving dynamics, superb fit-and-finish, fun-at-anytime power delivery
Lows: Coarse engine noise at high speeds, slightly over boosted steering, floaty clutch engagement
Exterior (Brendan – 8, Tae – 9)
One of the best designed cars at any price point on the market today. Sleek, muscular, sensual, yet mature. Only complaint would be the big wheel gap.
Interior (Brendan – 8, Tae – 7.5)
The insertion of Japanese design theme is an welcome idea in a copycat market that’s in love with Germanic sterile, cold interior designs. The G Coupe features design elements like ‘Washi’ (Japanese rice paper) textured aluminum trim that resemble Katana (Samurai) swords. Plenty room for even big-and-tall persons up front, but squished headroom in the rear.
Drivetrain (Brendan – 7, Tae – 8)
Pretty much a twin brother of the Nissan 370Z, except that it feels more refined in the G Coupe. Excellent power from off-idle to redline, but the engine noise becomes a little rubbish as the needle on the tachometer climbs.
Performance (Brendan – 7.5, Tae – 7.5)
Near-perfect balance between sport and luxury. Fun when you want, and civil when you need it. Handling is not as quite sharp as the razor-honed 370Z, but more than capable. In the ‘sport-luxury’ segment, you’d be hard pressed to find something better.
Ride Quality (Brendan – 8, Tae – 7)
The chassis soaks up most bumps and road imperfections just fine. The slower you go, the harsher it feels. Infiniti has done a wonderful job of isolating the unwanted noises, like tire rumbling or wind noise, and tried to channel in the good noises. Not a cushy ride by any means, not terribly firm either, the G gives you just enough feedback.
Technology (Brendan – 8, Tae – 9)
As with all Infiniti models, there’s no shortage of tech toys in the G. The Infiniti Navigation System is probably the best navigation system on the market to date. The Bose ‘Studio-on-Wheels’ surround sound system is only above average, but oddly the sound improves as you near full volume.
Value (Brendan – 9, Tae – 8.5)
The G Coupe starts at $37k, for the standard model, and tops out at just shy of $47k (AWD with full options). The G Coupe we tested (at $44k) is about $10-12k less than a comparably equipped BMW 335i, but also inversely more than the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. It is still one of the “best bang for your buck” vehicle on the planet.
Overall (Brendan – 8, Tae – 8.5)
Looks, check. Speed, check. Toys, check. Comfort, check. There are not too many things you can complain about the Infiniti G37 Coupe. Although it is going against our hardcore enthusiasts’ hearts, but we recommend the Journey (automatic transmission) model with the Sport Package. Not only you get more refinement with the 7-speed automatic transmission and better fuel economy, it’s actually faster than the manual… and you don’t have to worry about the steep learning curve of the G37′s manual clutch. However, even with slightly (and we mean, ever so slightly) more refinement and speed, driving the automatic G Coupe is just not as fun…
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