Here we are, the final pair in the quest for an enjoyable, affordable family car two years ago. The 2016 VW GTI was the benchmark to beat, and lightly used Acuras, Lexii, and Bimmers failed to do so. Only the Infiniti G37 remains, but if Lexus and BMW couldn’t cut the mustard, then Infiniti would certainly face an uphill battle here, right? Nissan hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire with either quality or appeal for the better part of two decades. And yet, they did produce the 370Z and GT-R so there’s a crazy uncle somewhere in that family. The question is, did the G37 inherit these wild recessive genes or is he another Johnny-9-to-5 square who gave up all hobbies because that lawn really should be mowed every Saturday, and Walmart’s running a sale on weed-and-feed this weekend but maybe I’ll kick my feet up and watch the game with a beer if I’m feeling crazy afterwards? That dude is certainly not going to stand a chance against VW’s hot hatch. So, toward which side of this incongruent family does the G37 hew?
2014 Infiniti G37
Certainly not the Sentra side. The RWD G37 is in no way a warmed-over version of something from Nissan’s economy car division. He has 4 doors, which is akin to a sensibly-funded 401K, but does so because it comes with his day job as a helicopter pilot. He took the job so he could fly, not so he could have the 401K. He does not pass up a chance to canyoneer with his buddies in order to mow the lawn. He is also a different animal than his segment competitors, which add a thicker ganache of refinement and trendy technology to attract luxury lessees. Most of those entry-level sports sedans are a bit serious, sterile, or remote despite their impressive capabilities. Those guys are the airliner pilots.
As with the Lexus, the Infiniti is conflicted. But it’s conflicted in a way that I like. It is absolutely nothing to look at from the outside. Rounded. Anodyne. Anonymous. Invisible in the greyscale spectrum they all seemed to be painted in. Yet underneath dwells some potent old-fashioned mechanicals. This car was outdated when production ceased in 2015. The platform was then 9 years old, the V6 is from an aged engine family and relies on displacement rather than forced-induction, the transmission is a torque-converter automatic, there are no drive modes to fiddle with, NVH was apparently not the top priority, and the steering is hydraulic.
Such a list would be a litany of grievances for many lessees and reviewers, but for me they coalesce into a charismatic whole with comfortable long-term reliability. The G37 is a brash and tactile quasi-pony car thinly masquerading as a respectable luxury sedan. Pushing the bounds of hyperbole, perhaps it is a warhammer with a nice leather handle and some pretty gilding on its lethal head. The engine doesn’t fire up or idle with the Lexus’s exemplary smoothness, nor does the suspension so skillfully straddle that difficult line between controlled compliance and harshness, but that was forgotten before I crossed half the dealership’s lot.
Why? The steering has feel. I’m doing 15 mph across a parking lot and already the steering has feel. When was the last time you enjoyed driving across a parking lot? There’s texture, resistance, the subtle vibration and push and tug of the front wheels transmitting back through the column and wheel into my palms and I haven’t even pulled out onto the street yet. Once I do, the tactility remains without becoming annoying. The steering tune isn’t overly sensitive and jerky. The brake response is excellent and the 7 speed automatic isn’t as quick as the BMW’s ZF but is responsive enough. The Infiniti is very enjoyable to drive around town and I haven’t been able to say that about any other car in this series.
The engine is fully warmed by the time I reach the onramp, so I give it gas like a teenager and holy hell this is what a 5 second sprint to 60 feels like. I’ve been driving slow cars for too long. I am Mr. Mow the Lawn. The 3.7-liter VQ V-6 may originate from an old engine family, but this is no low-revving 2-valve mod motor expected to serve duty in both pickups and pony cars. It has been meaningfully updated over the years and makes nearly 330 horsepower without resorting to direct injection. The redline is well above 7000 rpm and it lunges for it, emitting a vigorous, loud, and perhaps uncouth growl while pulling all the way up the tachometer. It’s such a happy, terrifying engine. Between this beast and the ultra-refined 3.5s in the Acura and Lexus models, I don’t know why anyone wants a 2.0 turbo four. They offer nothing. Well, efficiency–this Infiniti will use 40% more fuel than the GTI. So there is some similarity with pickup trucks there.
The G37 exudes old-school character and driving charm you would never suspect when looking at it. It’s a joy to drive and encourages rude reckless behavior, but there is a price to pay for that. A bit too much tire roar enters the cabin at highway cruise, much like the Acura. The characterful engine is coarse compared to the Honda/Toyota sixes. This may simply be a case of paying to play–it doesn’t cosset or exude quality the way the Lexus does but it’s far from spartan or uncomfortable and it makes me smile in a way the Lexus didn’t.
The interior makes a good visual impression of a luxury car. There’s nice brightwork here and there, the center console and shift lever surround do a very convincing impression of solid metal, and the tasteful dashboard design is not a copy of anything else. The leather is real, all critical touch points are padded, and if you don’t care about modern infotainment the feature list is fairly rich.
The impression of a luxury car does begin to fade once you start poking about, though. Build quality doesn’t approach the Lexus or GTI. The seats are just OK. The brittle-feeling window switches are lifted straight out of an Altima, which in turn were lifted straight out of a Sentra, which in turn were lifted straight out of a Versa, where they finally feel price appropriate. This is the opposite of VW, whose switchgear tends to feel lifted out of an Audi. That’s the proper way to raid the parts bin. The problem with these flubbed details is you will never, ever forget that you are in a late-2000s Nissan product. If you’ve owned a late-2000s Nissan product as I have, you may understand why that is not an appealing association.
Oh well. Start that monster VQ up and go for a drive. You’ll forget all about it. The G37 is a riot without punishing you for it, and it is not hard to find very low mileage final-year examples for just over $20K. That’s probably the best deal going for a practical RWD sport sedan that you can buy to keep. Consumer Reports reliability statistics are encouraging. If you are waffling, just go for it. They don’t make them like this anymore, and probably never will again.
2016 VW GTI
If the Infiniti is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, then the Mark VII GTI takes a somewhat opposite approach. The GTI is a practical semi-premium car pretending to be a hot hatch. The GTI is shockingly mature and restrained when compared to the childish wing-bedecked wastegate-popping WRX, Civic Si, and Focus ST it competes with. Only the narrow profile tires give away its intentions.
The doors open with that delightful solid kerchunk! and close just as well, the driving position is faultless for my six-foot height, and the seats are nearly as good as the Lexus. All the touchpoints are padded, fit and finish is remarkable for the price, and there is unusual attention to detail throughout. How they sell these at $28K MSRP and $24K real-world is a mystery to me. I’ve often wondered if VW raids the budget for mechanical durability in order to fund its interiors and driving refinement, and when sitting in this car I also wonder if it isn’t worth it.
The refinement continues when in motion. During the daily grind it is quiet and civilized, shoved ahead effortlessly by the invisible hand of torque from the turbocharged engine, not really drawing any attention to itself or annoying you with boy-racer drone and road noise. In these conditions, it feels like a larger, more expensive car than it is. Your freeway commute will be quiet and comfortable, with laser-sharp tracking at speed. The only giveaway is the stiff ride–you will feel potholes and railroad crossings more than in the Lexus or 328i.
Yet, this refinement doesn’t filter out every sensation that makes driving enjoyable. The electrically-assisted power steering isn’t as informative as the hydraulic G37 but you still receive more sensation through the wheel than the BMW, Acura, and Lexus and there is no dead zone on center. The hatchback that felt like a little big car on the highway shrinks when bombing through town, whipping through right-handers and into parking lots with an agility and responsiveness that had me smiling. It isn’t necessary to push this car hard in order to enjoy it.
The two-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine is also a charmer. I know mere paragraphs before I wrote that this engine format offers nothing over a big V6, but this one comes close enough that I wouldn’t be complaining much. Turbo lag feels minimal and it seems to have a wider powerband than, say, the Ford 2.0 turbo that runs out of steam long before redline. Straightline performance is essentially even with the BMW 328i, yet the VW’s engine sounds better and is more refined. It revs very smoothly. The soundtrack is dominated by the Soundaktor-amplified exhaust note rather than the machinery under the hood, and I’m undecided about that. I didn’t find it obnoxious or synthetic over these short drives, but it may grate on the nerves long term. The internet will teach you how to disable that function, or you can make the dealership do it while the paperwork is being signed.
A far larger concern is the DSG dual-clutch automated manual transmission in the GTI. The one benefit is lightning-quick upshifts. The transmission comes alive during aggressive driving. Wind it up towards redline, and it will snap instantly into the next gear, keeping the engine on boil and the car hurtling forward. Driven this way, the GTI is genuinely quick. The DSG provides far more snappy manual control over the gears in more aggressive driving than the laggardly manu-matic function in the G37. That car is best left in “D”. However, there’s a dark side. I’ve driven two DSG examples in town, and while one was decent the other was absolutely hateful under the low-speed part-throttle situations that make up most of our daily driving: unresponsive, slow to downshift, slow to apply power from a stop. When it’s good, it still isn’t as good as the ZF 8-speed in the 328i. And when it’s bad, it’s a full-stop deal breaker. Fluid changes are also pricey. I recommend the manual transmission that I cannot have for household reasons.
The GTI has carved out a brilliant niche for itself. It covers a lot of ground well without making any obvious mistakes. You can commute or take a road trip in comfort. You can take it to a track day. You can have fun on a mountain road. You have straightline power and fuel efficiency. You can enjoy the simple act of running errands. You can do all this while six-foot adults are comfortable in the rear seat. For those of us with young ‘uns, a rear-facing infant car seat will fit behind a six foot driver–if only just. It would seem to be the obvious choice in a world without the G37.
This is a difficult decision. The GTI is quick and agile and tactile, but the G37 even more so. The G37 blends comfort and practicality with performance, but the GTI even more so. The GTI has a long warranty but is more likely to need it. The G37 is my last chance to experience a nearly-extinct branch on the automotive phylogenetic tree while the GTI is likely to hang around for awhile. There’s no obvious winner here. In the end I did make up my mind with a purchase…and it’s a very weird ending to this cross-comparison. I’ll write about it next time since it requires an entire article. Meanwhile, I’m genuinely curious what you would have done. Which would have been your pick for a 7-year ownership horizon? And no, an Olds Toronado or resto-mod Fairlane is not an appropriate answer, even here on Curbside!
Excellent article.
Yeah, the G35/G37/Q40 is a sports car pretending to be a sensible sedan. I wonder how many non-enthusiasts were bothered by the fact that it was harsher than its contemporaries. Never mind that; it certainly was powerful.
As for the GTI, I do wish we got the Euro-market console, with the sliding cupholder cover and electronic parking brake. The only Golf-family cars that have it are the Golf R and the e-Golf, because those are the only ones assembled in Germany; the others hail from Puebla, Mexico.
My pick, between the two, would have been the GTI. The G37 has a somewhat-disposable quality that I’m not particularly fond of. Whereas I got to know the Mk.7 Golf intimately when I had a 2015 Golf SportWagen TDI SEL, and loved it.
They can keep the electronic parking brake.
Good move on VW’s part not to give something like that to the US market. It’s one of those things sending perfectly good cars to the junkyard
The electronic parking brake sounds like that answer to a question nobody asked. Like the power-retractable coat-hook.
I know exactly what you mean about the VW appeal, Kyree. The GTI just felt right from the moment I sat in it. That’s the big factor that kept the G37 from being an obvious win over even a DSG-equipped GTI.
But how exactly am I supposed to annoy the family on snowy days by kicking the back end out while pulling into the driveway if the parking brake is electronic? Priorities, sir.
My wife purchased a 2017 QX50 which is essentially the hot hatch/wagon version of the G. She got it cheaper than an equivalent RAV or CX 5 that she was initially looking at since they were blowing them out with the 2019s on the way. All I can say is wow! By far the nicest vehicle we have ever had, and that engine! My dd is a 2016 Forester XT Limited (wagon version of the WRX) and although a great driver does not have the character of the Q. I would be very satisfied with the G and would prefer it over the GTI and the others that have been in this series.
It certainly doesn’t take long for that engine to win you over. I normally don’t care for crossovers, but a VQ equipped QX50 is appealing.
I had a 3.5 l VQ in a 2002 Pathfinder and it was nothing compared to this 3.7. It’s been a real eye opener as far as the engine goes and my wife loves the snarl it makes. Fortunately she does not put a lot of kms on it since it likes it’s premium fuel to the tune of 11 l /100 kms (compared to the XT at 8.6).
Well, we bought a 2015 Golf a year ago, so you know my answer. I like your observation that VW may be raiding the durability bin to fund interior fit and finish, but it’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make. Our base Golf is SO much nicer in that regard than our 2nd from the top line TRD Tacoma, it’s hard to believe that Toyota has a clue as to what can be done with ergo’s, instrumentation and controls, and plastic feel and look.
I like the dichotomy in your driveway!
Oooo, I certainly respect your choices, but I’m not personally hugely impressed with any of these cars. I’d have gotten a 300/Charger. I’d also be interested in how a depreciated grosser Hyundai/Kia would compare, those things end up being ridiculously cheap for what you get and I’d trust Hyundai long term reliability over ze Germans.
Re the Infiniti, they never have seemed luxurious to me, but too blah. My friend had an M35 and the seats were intolerably hard, after 5 minutes I was squirming around and could not get comfortable. It also started burning oil at 150K and 10 years, and we thought it should have lasted longer.
The VW has its reputation for reliability, but he got a 2016? Audi q5 which has been completely trouble free with now about 70K on it, so VW may have finally shaken some of its quality problems. I’d have a hard time betting on that though.
I cannot stand the way Toyotas drive; the steering and all the controls feel completely disengaged and have a weird video game not connected to anything feeling.
I don’t see what makes the Acura better than an Accord, although they are good value used.
I think you weren’t impressed with the BMW and for me it would be too small and I’d be afraid of the maintenance.
I respect Dodge/Chrysler for continuing to offer large-RWD sedans with powerful engines. I hope they continue to offer that lineup for awhile, but that’s definitely a full size class up from what I was looking for. You’re right that the Infiniti doesn’t quite come off as luxurious…but get behind the wheel and any impression of “blah” should evaporate quickly.
But could you tolerate the seats, or were they too hard for you?
Better than the BMW, but still a bit hard and not shaped as well as the other three cars I was considering.
If making a choice between the two it would definitely be the VW, although I would opt for the six speed manual and not the DSG. I have ridden in a couple of Nissans with the VQ V6 and have not been favorably impressed; the engine seems loud when pushed even moderately hard and the impression is that it would be much happier in a truck or SUV. Of course I’m not in the market for a different car so all of this is moot in my case.
VW for me. A real manual transmission, a hatch and not only cloth seats but *plaid* ones. Yes, please.
They’re pretty rare, but the G37 did come with a manual.
After experiencing maintenance with a few VW products, hands down Infiniti. I still have my 2007 Infiniti M45 with 170k and no issues. I still have it even after I purchased a newer 5 series because its still in excellent shape but worth nothing because of age and miles. The Infiniti was purchased after being severely disappointed in the E60 5 series. Once the F10 came out, it was back to BMW. That said, Infiniti/Nissan will hit it out of the park with a good product here and there, but then they let it die on the vine. This is why their product line up is so checkered. Several significant models have fallen from grace like the Pathfinder and Maxima. These models have been dumbed while simultaneously removing quality and the fun factor. Thats why the VW is so appealing. They are still a blast to drive and have stayed truer to their orgins.
Yes, I haven’t read much encouraging about this car’s replacement, the Q50. Sounds like they added some refinement and took out the magic.
Another great writeup Petrichor! My old Audi ownership opened up my eyes to sportier and slightly lux sedans for DD duty as well as “getting” German cars as far as excellent highway manners and ergonomics go. Up until that point I had written all of this off as wholly irrelevant to my interests (I like BOF SUVs, sturdy FWD sedans, things that can handle our bad roads in general). I found myself window shopping Golf Sportwagens, and yes, Infiniti Q40s. The Infiniti is like a much better and more serious/modern incarnation of my departed Maxima. The Golf sounds like all of the strong sides of my Audi but with better MPG and much faster (and it being a new car with a warranty, no reliability worries for a while).
I suspect I’d ultimately come down on the side of the Infiniti. More of an old school unapologetic bruiser that avoids DI, DSGs, and lifeless EPS.
I’ll keep this on the back burner, right now we’re in minivan shopping mode!
Thanks gtem.
Don’t drive either the Golf wagon or Q40 before minivan shopping. Recipe for despair!
When your Audi moves on, I think you should consider a G35/37 of either generation. Since they debuted back in 2002, you have a wide range of choice in year, mileage, and condition to tinker with.
If you want a car for the long haul, the G37 is hard to beat. I bought a new 2010 Journey with Premium Package in the summer of 2010 and over eight years later a first repair was needed in December 2018: a pricey circuit board that runs some of the dash controls (the electronics on many of the newer Infiniti models, the Q50 and QX30 in particular, are far less reliable). The original battery lasted just short of eight years. Granted mine has only 44,500 miles on the odo but these are reliable, well-built cars. Agile and fun around town, a blast on the highway with loads of power.
Fuel economy might be a concern. Premium is required and city mileage is poor. A highway run with some use of cruise control will easily produce 29 MPG. The pictured Q40 lacks some of the value-added content that the earlier models/packages were known for, e.g., rear bumper sensors. My car is far from spartan with features such as auto power tilt/telescoping steering wheel/column and seats with memory that are now placed in expensive packages for pricier versions of the Q50.
Some call the G37 a Z in a tuxedo. Having owned a 300ZX Turbo (and a 1st Gen Altima GLE and 4th Gen Maxima GLE) I think this is an accurate characterization.
Nice to hear from an owner of one. The fuel economy certainly was a concern. That’s a big engine and it seems to drink like one. Rockets never were particularly fuel efficient.
I would go with the Infiniti for reliabilty purposes. I’ve owned 3 VW’s and they were all money pits. But German cars have character which almost makes the maintenance costs worth it. The Infiniti has that sterile Japanese quality to it just like Lexus and Acura. Nice cars, just blah!!! But guaranteed to be relatively trouble free over the long term when compared to the VW though.
One vital question for either car, approaching an advisary sign for a 65kmh corner at 110kmh do you feel the need to brake or just turn in and power around it? I dont give a rats for 0-60 times but being able to steer is important.
Both steer and corner very well. Safe to say that I didn’t take corners at twice the limit in borrowed cars, but I’m guessing the RWD Infiniti would provide a bit more when pushed very hard.
I know it’s not quite the same, but I have been impressed with my wife’s QX50 which is based on the G37. You can tell it’s rwd biased, and it’s very nicely planted in the corners. Just grips and goes. Much better than my Forester which feels and acts the front heavy it is. That needs the slow in fast out technique while the Q can carry much higher speeds into the corner. Not that I have tried your example mind you!
Great article. I’ve had both cars (slightly different years), with the GTI being the replacement for the G.
My Infiniti was a 2007 G35S with the manual gearbox. You hit on the most outstanding attribute, the steering; power was second. Rear seat space and trunk room were the worst features. Had it for something over 80,000 miles without a single problem, and faith that it would keep rolling that way.
I replaced the G35 with a 2011 GTI, a generation earlier than you cover. Most of what you’ve said about the 7th generation applies to the 6th. It was also a manual gearbox. Loved the car; easily the most fun of any I’ve had. Not so blinding quick as the G35, but plenty fast for the real world me. With the hatchback configuration it was far more practical than the G35, with much better room for rear passengers and a far better fit for my golf/fishing/shooting/travel vices. The major downside was my faith that it was going to break, though it did not through the 65,000 miles I owned it.
Odd circle next: I had fully intended to get another GTI, but when having my wife’s JX35 serviced at the dealership I kicked showroom tires and discovered the QX50. No, it didn’t have the proper number of pedals. No, it wasn’t the pure fun of the GTI. But it was as quick as my G35, and was an even better fit for my vice-filled lifestyle, largely due to AWD and more ground clearance (we have a place in the Rockies). So… I now have a 2017 QX50 in the garage, my first-ever automatic daily driver.
No matter which way you go, have a great trip!
I was hoping to hear from someone who had owned both! And another happy QX50 owner as well.
How was the manual in the G? I liked the feel of the GTI’s manual but never tried the Infiniti with one.
Perhaps later years were different, but the manual in the ’07 was a challenge for anyone other than the daily user. The shifter itself was fine, very direct and precise though a bit notchy. The clutch, however, was nearly hair-trigger, engaging fully in the first inch or so of travel from the floor. Same was true of the throttle. A regular driver could adapt, but as you might imagine, nearly anyone who wasn’t used to it stalled the car at first. I certainly wasn’t worried about carjackers getting very far!
By comparison, the GTI clutch was perfect. I could have taught anyone to drive a manual in it (and it was a far smoother daily drive than the DSG version I tested). The shifter was considerably less precise than the G35’s but smooth and plenty accurate.
This really well-written comparison brings up a question that’s been nagging at me for awhile: why exactly does electric power steering have less road feel than hydraulic?
In both cases torque is applied when needed to lower steering effort. In one case it’s provided by hydraulic pressure maintained by a pump (which consumes power all the time and is hard to vary), in the other it’s provided by an electric motor (which doesn’t and isn’t). Either way the steering wheel is mechanically connected with the steering linkage, which it seems to me ought to transmit road feel regardless.
I wonder if it’s just a matter of expense or design? My Toyota Prius and Fiat 500e both lack the road feel I enjoy in my old Miata. Does Tesla electric power steering lack road feel?
Can someone provide a good technical explanation?
I’ve never understood this either. Whatever it is that supposedly makes electric steering lack feel, no one told Mazda. The RX-8 had it and was one of the best-steering cars I’ve ever driven.
That’s great, so we’re not doomed to feel disconnected from our tires. Even in EVs which obviously must have electric power steering. So maybe numb electric PS is the manufacturer’s fault. Is that all there is to it?
You’ve also reminded me that hydraulic power steering is certainly no guarantee of good road feel. One of my favorite quotes from the golden age of Car and Driver was in a road test of a big fuselage Dodge, which said “the steering wheel has as much feel of the road as the volume control on the radio.”
The GTI is excellent for EPS. And remember that the majority of hydraulic units were numb and overassisted as well, even just prior to EPS taking off.
I traded a 2004 Maxima 6pd. manual of a 2011 GTI Mk6. I drove thAT FOR 130k trouble free miles and traded it (not going to push my luck) for a 2015 GTI MK7.. Again not wanting to tempt fate, I traded that car for a 2018’ GTI Mk7.5 at 110k trouble free miles. At 25k miles now and watching for news about the Mk8. As you can tell I’m sold on the GTI as the perfect combination a GT, sports car, commuter car. No doubts.