Exactly what I thought....

 

Trying to pull it back in .... I don't have paddle shifters, just the shift **** once in DS mode you move it forward or back. I'm old school, been driving things with a clutch since I was 12 (50cc 3-speed Chibi mini bike). I can't get used to the "no clutch feel". For me, if I feel the need for spirited driving, straight DS mode works fine and I'll let the car shift automatically.

 

Thanks, I thought it was just me. I love the car ('11 G37x bought in February '14) but I don't quite get the whole idea of so-called 'manual' shifting without a clutch, especially with rev matching on the downshift. My wife's Outback doesn't do that, and I can use the paddles on it for engine braking on steep downhills. Tried that on the G once and thought I'd killed it. It's just no fun w/o a clutch...well, the next one!

 

I drive in Atl daily traffic 4 days a week and believe it or not it seems like the DS mode and letting it shift is smoother than in D and letting it or DS/D and me shifting it. I checked last time in the deal to be sure i had the latest software for transmission and did. If i have it in D it just seems that in stop and go traffic i was always in a higher gear than i needed to be.
If im wanting to drive spiritedly (PC word for driving fast) than i use DS and use paddle shifters. this was my first paddle shifter car so had to break the shift **** habit. Was wierd at first but is pretty much second nature now. I like the ability to shift but dont miss the clutch in the busy traffic. i had 2 manual cars when i first moved here and it was a pain.

 

I can vouch for that feeling too. I've felt that in Stop and Go traffic it takes a little bit more gas to get it going in that higher gear. It can be a pain.

 

I have now owned 2 G37's, my first was an '11 G37X and I loved that sedan. Gave it to the wife when I inherited my father's '12 G37 (base), he bought his after riding in mine on a visit.

I now live in East Texas with a ton of winding 2 lane state highways that run about 65-70 mph, and the Infiniti is a smile factory for me. I love the handling through corners, I just carry momentum as other comparable cars are braking (I know the driver will make a huge difference, so not always apples to oranges), and in trying to keep up, I have almost had Mustangs and Bimmers almost run off the road.

So, not sure what constitutes a 'boat' to you, but my Infiniti feasts on more expensive performance cars regularly.

Maybe the problem exists between the steering wheel and the driver's seat...

 

You, sir, don’t seem to know that the G37 and 370Z are the same platform. While not a Miata (I have two), I greatly enjoy driving my S sedan, it has darned good handling.

 

You do not need to use the padddles when driving in D or DS modes. You may, if you wish, but you’re not required to do so. Only difference between D and DS is that DS will delay up-shifts when driving in a sporty manner. You still have to smash the throttle to get a down shift which can lead to clumsy handling when cornering unless you manually down-shift before the corner. Nissan programmed the car to up-shift as soon as possible and hang onto that gear for dear life just to improve CAFE number.

Sports mode expects the driver to manually shift using either the paddles or the stick shift. Unless you’ve gotten the transmission hot (HPDE, for example), the trans will not up-shift for you.

My first mod (in 2015) was an ARK exhaust so I could hear the engine so I could manually shift. I rarely use D mode anymore.