Jim, not yet....But according to My Dealer Service advisors - one has a 2011 M37X - it's the exact same thing. The 7AT is the Problem. I am driving a 2013 Ford Escape (a loaner - our 2010 Honda CRV was hit from behind and is now in the shop), has a 6AT with Full time 4WD Intelligent system , it shifts smoothly, and seems to be in the proper gear all the time. This is a Eco Boost 1.6 4Cyl engine !!! with plenty of pep for this car. Ford has better tranny - one less gear, less gear hunting. I've not driven the new BMWs with a 8AT or the new VWs which have a new technology Dual Clutch AT (rated as one of the best in the world).

 

I just drove around LA for several days in a rental Kia Optima. The 6 speed auto shifted seamlessly and was much smoother than the 7AT--even with the new programming applied. It had next to no issues being in the right gear at the right time. On both matters it would beat the Infiniti easily.

It also had longer legs (2,000 rpm for 75 mph) which was great for noise and efficiency. And, despite being a direct injection four cylinder engine, was quieter and smoother while stopped in D than the G. Of course the same could be said for a Hyundai Elantra GT as well, at half the price of the G.

I test drove the 8 speed 335i the other day. Very impressive, but not as smooth as the Kia (or likely the Ford).

I have no problem with a "sport-orientated" tranny being a bit crisper and firmer with shifting, but the G has now been neutered due to so many complaints about the aggressive downshifting. We are now left with sub-standard smoothness and no particular sporty characteristics because half the audience wants a Lexus and the other half has legitimate complaints about rough and clunky shifts and lag. They should have left the original 2009 programming as-is and cured the smoothness issue. Or, worst-case, transferred the original D programming to DS. What exists now is two D modes that are not particularly sporty, nor are they as smooth as a $20K Hyundai or Ford.

I won't even look at the new G unless it has a seriously upgraded engine and transmission (and no, not a M-B retread). The 335i is vastly superior, but is ridiculously over-priced. So the current G at a relatively modest price is still, unfortunately, the best choice.

 

Marc, I think a major challenge in the programing of the trans is the wide range of G owner tastes / preferences. I can't help but think when a car is in a catigory like the G, it might be better to offer a variable setting for cripness of shifting (harshness) and smothness (mushyness).
Not a bad thing, people are different in what they want, hard to find a medium without losing everyone.
I'm sure there are other people that find the G too loud even at an idle. On the other hand, look at all the test pipes and less restictive exhusts people buy. Just my thoughts YMMV.
Personally, I'd buy a factory G with FI in a hartbeat. The wife wonders why we "need" the power a NA G has.

 

I think the argument, which I agree with, is the D and DS modes are too similar now. DS should be truly aggressive while D is the economy mode that upshifts too early like it does now.

 

This week I brought my 2011 G37 coupe in for a repair and they gave me a 2012 G27 sedan. The transmission was excellent with such a difference compared to mine that I asked if they changed something between 2011 and 2012. He said they completely replaced the TCM. Does anyone know about this?

I experience a huge lag when trying to accelerate after maintaining speed for a period of time. Essentially having to mash the pedal to the floor to get the transmission to downshift. When it does you get a terrible jerk and RPM rev through the roof followed by another shift into the correct gear. SO ANNOYING! Wish I went on a longer more comprehensive test drive. If I realized this was an issue I would have NEVER bought the car!

 

I asked about this ages ago. To me, there has to some explanatiuon as to why they wouldn't simply "copy and paste" the 2012 programming into the older models. Why all the fussing around? I presumed the 027 update was simply the same as 2012.

Well, I have had the 027 on my '09 for several months now and am picking up my '12 this week. I'll let everyone know EXACTLY (if you have read my prior posts, you know you won't be lacking detail) what the difference is between the two.

 

Yes. If a lot of people want a non-sport sedan neutered shift pattern, which they do because they were hating the aggressive downshifting (read the posts here for proof), no problem. But let the rest of us who bought an Infiniti because we wanted something sporty at least have a decent DS mode.

 

rev c just added models no changes to base flash, getting a new tranny

 

Well, to be fair, I don't think a lot of people were expecting the solution to neuter the car. I sure wasn't. I just felt the amount of throttle applied to rev match was too low. The way the TSB was written implied that this would be addressed. It didn't mention anything about lowering shifts points across the board. If it did, I never would have applied it...

 

Had the update completed Wednesday before leaving on 650 mile trip. Definitely noticeable difference between the 20-30 mph slow down and accelerating back up to speed. The lag is now gone and the passing down shifts in D mode are also improved with less lag. Haven't done much spirited driving in DS or manual mode with paddles, but will sometime over the weekend and report back with my opinion.

 

Mark ^^^^Agreed.

 

To espouse on Marc's comments about his recent test drives of other vehicles (Bimmer, and yes a Kia), I had a new 2013 Ford Escape SEL (our Honda CRV was hit from behind - this was a loaner) for this past week. It has a 6AT with "S" mode. At first I couldn't tell nor could Enterprise Rental if I had the 1.6 4Cyl or the 2.0 4 Banger. The sticker under the hood seems to indicate it was the 2.0. FYI, both new Ford Engines use GDI and new Turbos - called Eco Boost. My God, the Escape had so much better driveability, with almost "0" lag or hesitation - took off like a Ban-chi off the Line or cruising in traffic. The 6AT was smooth shifting (so UNLIKE the G) and if you use S mode (which has a manual shifting switch on the shifter - that was a little awkward to use), immediate response. I was able to go 40-65/70 very quickly and smoothly. The Tranny and drivetrain was very impressive. Oh Yeah, my model had All Time I-tellegent 4WD. It is different modes of 4WD - changing constantly and the Info screen in front of you let's you know exactly what's going on [4WD or front only engaged - RWD, etc. From a standing start it is always in 4WD for period or when hard accelerating no matter the road conditions]. MPG according to car's tri computer which I reset upon taking delivery, came in 24.5 +/- with about 280 miles on Regular gas. I'm sure I had the 2.0T because I could feel the torque (rated at 270lbs) that could not have been mustered from a 1.6 4 banger...

Like Marc said, unless Infiniti makes a drastic change in their Trannies, I will traverse away from the new G or M, next year when my lease is up. Not saying I'm going for a Ford Escape (it;s tempting to replace my wife's 2010 CRV), but I will spend much more time researching and test driving many vehicles.

 

upon further driving I have noticed that in DS mode the rev match down shift is not as prominent but yet noticeable. in manual mode the rev match feels much smoother and not harsh like it was before. the up shifts in manual mode are more crisp with a little punch to each shift. the tsb is definitely an improvement offer the original program. we managed to pull almost 28 MPG over 650 miles.....

 

Had this done today. Looking forward to no more lag - I'm surprised someone hasn't been killed because of that lag.

 

Hey guys, quick question. So I did the transmission reprogram about 3 months ago (Car seemed to be smoother/less lag).. Recently the dealer replaced my throttle bodies and had to RESET the ECU... By them resetting the ECU, did that get rid of the new software and back to the old tranny software? Thanks