Three reasons why I would not buy a 2011 Infiniti

As I go through the current Infiniti lineup, my grievances really boil down to 3 categories:

1) The weird "podium-style" dashboard
2) The fact that each car has a near-identical Nissan counterpart, either as a US or JDM model
3) Disappointing exterior styling compared to competition

I can't comment on the ride, acceleration, braking, etc., as I have not driven any of Infiniti's current cars, but that is not the point of this post. From reading popular auto mags, most reviewers draw the same conclusion anyway: Infinitis produce decent performance, but are either on par with or slightly worse than European competitors. When was the last time you saw an Infiniti win a car comparo? I can't even remember.

Click through to see my explanation.


Reason #1: Podium-style dashboard

Current Infiniti M

Last-gen Infiniti M

The quality of Infiniti's materials is certainly up to par, but there's something very unflattering (in my opinion) about the layout of Infiniti's interiors. Every time I sit in an Infiniti, I can't help but reminisce about sitting in a Nissan Quest, or any other minivan for that matter. Look at the angle of the instrument panel under the clock in the last 2 generations of Infiniti Ms, and compare it to the last 2 generations of Nissan Quests below - it is a very unique angle specific to Nissan, and I can't imagine it is as ergonomic as, say, the traditional vertically-oriented dashboards of the E-Class, 5-Series, or A6. The angle of Infiniti's dashboards was even worse 5-7 years ago - kudos to Nissan for toning it down in recent years - but they clearly have a lot of work left to do.

Current Nissan Quest

Last-gen Nissan Quest

Infiniti's weird dashboard angle also affects just about every other model, including the G, FX, and the now-discontinued Q (see pictures below). The Q was by far the worst offender. The QX escaped the wrath, but has so many other issues to discuss later.

Infiniti G / EX interior

Infiniti FX

Discontinued Infiniti Q - the worst offender!!

Reason #2: Nissan Clones

Infiniti has a checkered past in its efforts to differentiate its clone models from their Nissan counterparts.

Nissan Skyline / Infiniti G

The Infiniti G was sold in Japan and other countries as the Nissan Primera in early years, and now as the Skyline. As a car enthusiast, this practice cheapens the prestige of the Infiniti brand. Not every US car buyer knows this (and many do not care), so Infiniti is able to sell cars. Think about it - Mercedes are sold as Mercedes everywhere, and same goes for BMW, Audi, Cadillac, etc. The 3 Japanese luxury brands (Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus) came to the US in the early 1990s to try to establish themselves as legitimate luxury competitors, but are still sold under the non-luxury brands (Honda, Nissan, and Toyota) in other countries. Would the Infiniti G37 sell as well in the US as a Nissan Skyline? Definitely not. Buyers pay more for the Infiniti brand. I will not be fooled into paying a premium price for an Infiniti that is sold as a Nissan elsewhere!

Nissan Fuga / Infiniti M

The Nissan Fuga / Infiniti M has the same problem as the G, in terms of rebadging a car in the US that is sold as a Nissan in Japan.

Nissan Patrol / Infiniti QX

Funny how the Nissan variant looks (slightly) better than QX. Simple is always better, Nissan! Also, not shown here, the previous-gen QX56 was an exact replica of the short-lived Nissan Armada, both of which were sold in the US market. In my eyes, that dynamic had a terrible effect on the cachet of the original QX56.

Infiniti I / Nissan Maxima

I know the focus of this post is current Infinitis, but I need to mention the I35, which is fortunately not in production anymore. I despise this car. It was a lightly disguised Nissan Maxima (another car whose existence I do not understand), but made more unattractive by fussy styling - interior and exterior. At least the Infiniti J30 had a distinctive look (even though it is not everyone's cup of tea).

Infiniti QX4 / Nissan Pathfinder

I also have to mention this old "gem", also fortunately no longer in production. Nissan affixed a slightly modified front-end on the Pathfinder, swapped the logos, and put 3-spoke wheels on the car, and US buyers actually paid a premium for the QX4! Unbelievable. Say what you will about the Lexus RX, at least it did not resemble anything similar in Toyota's lineup.


Reason #3: Uncompetitive Styling

Infiniti EX

When I saw the Infiniti EX in pictures for the first time, I thought they were targeting the Tiguan / GLK / Q5 / X3 market, but when I saw the car in person, it looked more like a station-wagon version of the Infiniti G. The black molding running around the entire car doesn't work well - I think they were going for the Volvo XC70 / Audi Allroad look, but the EX falls short and looks cheap. Otherwise, the car doesn't look bad - I like the FX-inspired taillights and the G-inspired front end. What a shame.

Infiniti QX

See my post about portholes - they ruin this car, and only belong on Buicks. The proportions of the car are also way off - the front end looks distorted, the sides are too slabby, and the rear end is droopy and blobby. Who in their right mind would buy this over the abundant large-SUV competition (Mercedes GL, Jeep SRT8, Escalade ESV, Lexus LX, Toyota Land Cruiser)?

Infiniti FX

Generally speaking, I think the FX is one of Infiniti's brighter spots. When it first came out, it was very unique-looking and had a distinct exhaust tone. But there are a couple pitfalls I want to point out in the latest redesign: first, the air vents on the sides are gaudy and unnecessary (again, see my air vent post - Infiniti is a repeat offender!). The headlight arrangement is also quite odd - I almost like it, but the proportions are a tad awkward. It's missing something, but I don't know what!

Infiniti M

I really dislike the rear-end of the M. It is exceedingly uncompetitive compared to European and even American competition. The trunk line resembles the Suzuki Kizashi (not flattering!). I like the character lines on the sides, but don't love them. I can't tell if the side profile resembles a Maserati Quattroporte or a last-gen Buick LaCrosse...but I'm leaning toward the latter. And we've already talked about the interior...

Infiniti G37

This leaves us with the G37. I think the styling has actually improved with each iteration - the current version is quite muscular and attractive. Plus, the exhaust note is pleasantly distinctive. However, I have to compare this to the C-Class coupe and sedan, A4/A5, CTS coupe and sedan, and 3-Series coupe and sedan, and conclude that the G37 styling is not compelling enough to win my $40k. To be fair, I do believe the G37's styling is more appealing than the IS and TSX, but that's not saying much.