Sales figures - good for them, I was getting a little worried about their numbers last year....the new M, especially the 37, is unique I think, in the luxury world, in terms of performance, features and quality vs. price:

Infiniti has best month since August 2008, sparked by all-new 2011 M
Sales of Infiniti vehicles were 37.3 percent higher than a year before, totaling 9,942. The M, buoyed by the launch of the all-new 2011 model, was up 62.5 percent over last March. Sales of the G lineup increased 45.1 percent, and QX56 had another strong month, up 242.4 percent.

“With the launch of the 2011 M sedan, and the unveiling of the all-new 2011 QX this week in New York, this is the strongest Infiniti showroom yet,” said Ben Poore, vice president, Infiniti Business Unit.

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

• Infiniti sales for March 2010 were 9,942 units, up 37.3 percent from the 7,242 units sold in the same month a year earlier. This was Infiniti’s best sales month since August 2008.
• Infiniti M sales, boosted by the newly-released 2011 model, totaled 1,440, up 62.5 percent.
• Sales of the G Sedan were up 44.5 percent to 4,021 units, and sales of the G Coupe rose 46.7 percent over last March, with 1,650 units.
• The QX56 full-size luxury SUV sales totaled 1,041, up 242.4 percent.

If I had an M37 with all the gizmos, I probably wouldn't be so concerned with going fast, lol. I'd go buy an old F-body for that.

 

Infiniti is outsold by Acura and that's pathetic, considering all of Acura's lineup is based on a FWD Accord platform.

 

^^

i loved my last car which was an acura tsx. it was light, nimble and fun, and never once had any problems.

most people never drive their cars hard enough to appreciate a RWD bias. i do notice the G is a better handler than my old acura, but it feels slightly ponderous compared to the 600+ lb lighter tsx.

 

new m is hot.. I think the new g coupes design will be very similar

 

There are balance, performance, handling, cornering, and just overall DRIVING benefits to RWD. There are solid reasons why most of the world's performance cars are RWD. You don't have to push very hard to realize those benefits, particularly if you've ever experienced torque steer in a FWD vehicle.

 

Torque steer, sure... but a lot of people around the world live in colder climates with snow... I've had nothing but FWD since 1990. And now I have an x... but that's just me, knowing how Chicago weather can change in the blink of an eye during the winter.

 

Acura, up 25 percent to 11,722 in March 2010, so Infiniti was outsold by around 1800 units - not that much of a difference.

If you like to drag race cars, FWD is the pits. If you like to drive cars, and throw them around, there is no replacement for rwd - it's hard to get the rear end of a car to wag around, and do things like control oversteer with the throttle, if you have AWD or FWD. RWD is fun. FWD and AWD can still handle great (AWD especially), though, if the car is set up for it. Plus, can't do a burnout with AWD, lol - I did one from a stop sign this morning, and it put a big grin on my face.

 

I too owned a 1st gen TSX, and it handled very well... amazingly so for FWD. I'd say it was as good or better than my G37x. It also felt lighter as you said. The biggest downside was power of course. And for me, a recurring problem with alignment.

 

Most Acura buyers are not looking for performance. They want a reliable luxury car with all the gadgets. And if you ignore the hideous beak, you can't really blame them. My friend has a TL from 2005, the interior materials still feel new, fit and finish is excellent.

 

I too had an Acura TSX. It is a truley great car. Excellent handling, a little low on power, great fuel mileage and no problems with it. I traded it in on a 2008 Bullitt Mustang. Mustang was a blast, but the Acura was a much better built vehicle. Traded in the Mustang on our 2009 G37x sedan and so far so good. The wife drives it and says it is on a par with the Acura TL she had. We would have bought a new TL, but they are just plain ugly. My only regret is not paying more attention to the fuel mileage ratings. When gas gets to 4 or 5 dollars and gallon (and I assure you it will) I will regret buying the Infiniti.

Just one man's opinion.

Bob

 

Just a quick comment on the gas mileage - I think the G37x and the new TL SH-AWD should have similar real world MPG. But if all you do is city driving, then I think you'll get better gas mileage with the TL.

 

it's impressive the QX56 are selling better than the FX's at this point. The new 2010 G makes it an easier sale w/ the refreshened front end but the fact that more features are standard gives it a great value.

 

I agree, I was thinking of the gas mileage with the TSX and the TL front wheel drive as we got 30+ hwy with both of them. Really not a fair comparrison. If Infiniti would have put as an option a 200 to 250 HP engine, I would have opted for that. The 58 year old "ol broad" really doesn't need 330 HP. LOL

Bob

 

The new QX will have more impact I think it is weird acura is so much higher but it could be gas milege and honda rep etc. I looked at a TL before the G

 

All manufacturers have great sales numbers right now compared to last year because, well things were in the dump last year! Of course the new M is going to outsell the old one because it's new, and the old one had outlived its packaging. Frankly other than the G though, I don't see Infiniti having that strong of a lineup. The M56 is nice and all but for the money I'd be buying a CTS-V.