Some of those options were well worthwhile, like the audio system. Everyone who tried the intuitive, quick-reacting iPod interface loved it - and the stereo's sound quality was very impressive. Road test editor Marc Noordeloos thought it "pretty cool that the G37 can play music from AM, FM, satellite radio, CD, iPod, a Compact Flash card, any other device connected through either the aux jack or RCA connectors, or even music stored on the internal 9.3-gig hard drive."
Some options were probably less worthwhile - like the four-wheel steering package. We were all looking forward to evaluating Infiniti's Active Steer, which varies the steering ratio of the front wheels and can turn the rear wheels in either direction. We're not generally fans of systems that actively alter the relationship between the steering wheel and the front wheels, because they reduce the driver's confidence that a certain amount of steering input will result in a corresponding directional change. This particular system, however, barely generated a sentence in a year's worth of comments in the logbook - a logbook filled with observations about inconsequential details like floor-mat anchors. Obviously, it's not intrusive like some other active steering systems, and it probably contributed to the G37's status as our unofficial Four Seasons "amazing drift machine - in the wet, dry, snow, ice, whatever." Unfortunately, it didn't do anything to stop gripes about steering feel, which was deemed overboosted, too eager on turn-in, and not communicative enough.
One part of the G37 that had no trouble communicating was its vociferous engine. Like all Infiniti V-6s, it is outwardly vocal as it cruises down city streets, singing a sumptuous baritone aria through the twin exhaust pipes. Inside the G37, though, the sound was anything but operatic. After an aggressive drive on hilly roads, I pulled over, grabbed the notebook, and furiously scratched out: "How could an engine whose exhaust note is so sweet and melodic sound this rough and coarse inside the car? It's like putting a stethoscope up to Beyoncé and finding out that, on the inside, she sounds like Harvey Fierstein. Ladies and gentlemen, Nissan's VQ-series V-6 has officially overstayed its welcome." Technical editor Don Sherman jumped into the sea of complaints from other staffers, noting that "the engine's grit starting at 4500 or so rpm is vocal testimony to the virtues of an in-line configuration for six cylinders." The V-6 wasn't particularly smooth at low speeds, either; several staff members noted that the shifter vibrated visibly at idle. ...next page >>