Currently own a 2008 Altima 2.5s and I am at a point in my life where I want upgrade my car and get something a little more exciting and luxurious. I looked at the German cars, but maintenance and relaiblity scare me off, primairly the new 328i, Audi4 and C300. I know from experience with the VQ Nissan v6 motors that they are top of the line engines and that is what is attracting me the most to the Infiniti. So my question to you guys I live in Cleveland and I have to have all wheel drive, is this car really good in snow, and is the gas mileage really poor? Should I wait until I can get a Q50 used for cheap or go instead with the G? I know either car is a big step up from a Altima.

 

Funny I have a 2008 Altima 2.5s as well and I bought 2010 g37x a couple of months ago. I haven't tested the 4wd yet but I would have no concerns about its awd capability. As long as you have good tread you'll be good to go. As far as gas mileage, it will not compare to the Altima. The Altima gets really good gas milage but I will tell you that most premium luxury sedans, 4 or 6 cylinder will average mid-high 20mpg. I average 20mpg mix city and highway.
As far as the Q50, it think its a matter of styling and technology preference. my 2010 G37 is fully loaded and I feel completely content with it. It has all the bells and whistle I would ever need (unless auto-drive comes out). I would doubt you would find a Q50 cheaper than a G37, There are still G's out there with really low miles.

 

wifes car is a 2008 altima 2.5s awesome car great gas mileage very reliable as well
I have a 2010 g37x im in ontario canada so we have similar weather conditions, the awd is really good in snow and the car is planted as its a lot heavier and rwd based.
gasmileage if you want to own the g dont bother comparing the gas mileage to the altima. our altima averages 8-9l/100km on regular while my g doesn 12-13/l on premium. However the altima is just an a to b transportation while to me the G puts a smile on my face when i drive like an idiot

my recomendation if you are gonna go with the g37x i would get one with Nav as mine doesnt have it, if you can find an Xs even better as it comes with bigger rims and paddles.

q50 is same as G except the interior and tech, from what i read anyways not enough changes IMO but sure if i can do it again i would probably go with the newer q50
either way cant go wrong with the VQ family

 

Thanks for your replies guys. Gas Mileage is important but if I am getting around 20mpg city highway I think that's not too bad. I think I am going with this car probably a 2011-2013 with really low mileage. Any of you have experience with the M37, would it be worth to get that car over this one, it seems like the M37 is the same car with just much more luxury.

 

I looked into the M37 before... a little more expensive and very little aftermarket support.

 

If you drive mainly city expect low teens. I worked in the city for a few months and was averaging 13-14 mpg with my xS. I am averaging about 23-24 mph with my S with 90% highway. Keep in mind. You're looking at a sport oriented premium vehicle. Gas mileage was not on the list of priorities for the engineers when designing the G.

If mpg is really a big deal for you then why not just get a new Maxima? For whatever reason they offer a few feature that the G doesn't have, still a VQ, sport model looks good, and gets better gas mileage than the G. Plus the difference in price for regular vs premium.

 

I have a 2010 G37x in Baltimore, MD so we live in similar climates. I love my G. I have owned it going on 3 years now with not one single hitch in quality or reliability. As others have mentioned dont expect alot for gas mileage, especially in the city. I recommend getting the tech package with the Bose sound and the adaptive cruise control. Good luck and enjoy the ride

 

I'm averaging 15mpg with my 2012 G37x

 

I have a 2013 G37x and live in Cleveland. Driving it on the tires it came with was TERRIFYING as soon as snow fell. I bought a set of snow tires (which was about $1000 installed, so consider that as part of the car's purchase price). It is now just fine in the snow as long as you don't slam down the accelerator--then the rear will kick out and the car will start to skid. I have no fears about driving it in the Cleveland winters. My last car was a 2010 Audi A4 quattro, and that was just a little better in the snow--but the wipers regularly froze in heavy snow--never had that with the G. With the Audi, I had to reach out and SNAP the wipers while driving in order to get decent visibility.

Concerning gas mileage, on a mix of city and highway driving I average 19-20 mg. The Audi was about 22 mpg on the same route, but easily got over 30 mpg on highway-only driving.

 

The Maxima is spec'd for 91 octane.

But I still agree... it's a fine choice for performance and style that beats other cars in its class, even though the 7th Gen Maxima has been around for 5 years. But the G is not in that class of cars; it's sideways, and slightly up.

 

Mine is pretty good in snow once I got rid of the OEM tires and replaced them with Michelin Pilot AS3's

They failed at getting me up my upgrade driveway with over 8" of unplowed snow .They did get me home in a raging NJ snowstorm last winter

Buying an X is going to reduce your MPG



Telcoman

 

I recently traded in my 3 series BMW 325xi for a 2011 G37x! I looked at the new Q40 and Q50 models. The Q40 is the same as the G37x just different naming convention to go in line with the whole Infiniti name change initiative. I drove a Q50 as a loaner and was impressed with the handling etc, however, I didn't think it was worth the money. There has not been a body style change on the G37 since 2011 so depending on preference I would suggest getting a pre owned one. I also added the additional bumper to bumper warranty to extend it out to 100k. My wife had a rear wheel drive G35 6 speed manual that she couldn't drive in the Indiana winters. We just upgraded her to a 2012 pre owned G37x. Given the current cold weather hitting the Midwest, it won't be long for us to test out the all wheel drive feature. I like the fact it is 100% rear wheel drive and can adjust up to 50% based on driving conditions. Where as my BMW was 38% front and 62% rear all the time, which I did notice a performance issue with acceleration. Good luck with your decision!

 

The Sedan body goes back to the 2007 G35 through the 2009 G37. In 2010, they tweaked the headlights, grille, front and rear bumpers... but the body was unchanged. So really what you mean to say is there hasn't been a body style change in the Infiniti entry-level Sedan between the 2007 G35 and the 2015 Q40.

 

I agree 100%. My 2012 Maxima was a beast. I always put premium in it, the sticker on the fuel door says Premium is RECOMMENDED...whereas on the G37, it's more stated as a requirement.

It's a newer overall design from the G37 though which explains some of the creature comforts the Maxima has which I find lacking on the G37. The things I miss most are:

1. TPMS on Maxima shows tire pressure for each tire on your display screen.
2. Side mirrors shift downward when in reverse to help see lines when backing up.
3. Driver's-side mirror auto-dims with the rear view mirror (passenger side does not)
4 . Trunk organizer between spare tire and trunk floor allowed me to store tire repair kit and air compressor out of sight.

I also love the CVT in the Maxima. Very smooth and responsive.

But what made me switch to the G37 is rear wheel drive (AWD in my case) and 38 more HP. There's a noticible difference in acceleration. I also had almost $2000 worth of maintenance to perform (including over $1000 in 19" tires) so I've put all that off for another 18 months or more by switching.

I should have kept the 4DSC sticker from my Maxima

 

Individual TPMS notification... YES x1000
Mirrors... meh.
Trunk organizer... buy yourself a decent trunk organizer online.
You're forgetting the heated steering wheel. Wish we had one.

CVT... um, no. Just no. As in, no way in hell.