2011 Infiniti G25: Great Car, Good Price

By Travis Persaud

With the all-new G25 sedan, Infiniti is stretching out its arms hoping to pull in as many people as possible.

According to Infiniti Canada’s director Wendy Durward in a statement, “The G25 is positioned in the heart of the luxury sport sedan market, allowing us to bring Infiniti’s Inspired Performance to a wider selection of buyers.”

They should have just said, “It starts $7,000 cheaper than our G37; more people can afford it!” There’s nothing wrong with that, especially since price is one of the biggest selling points when buyers are deciding between an Infiniti G-series model and other sport sedans. So, think of the G25 as an entry into this segment, much like BMW’s 3-series and Audi’s A4.

Thankfully (for Infiniti) “entry” doesn’t mean a slapped together car to achieve a lower sticker price – the G25 lives up to quality we’ve come to expect with any Infiniti.

Armed with a 2.5L V6 engine producing 218 HP and hooked up to a seven-speed automatic transmission, my G25x AWD Sport tester felt similar — albeit smaller and not as powerful — to the G37. Handling is comfortably tight; the slightest movement points the car where you want it to go, but you’re never fighting the wheel. And the near-instantaneous power surge when I stomped the gas pedal makes me want to have another go at driving this little guy in the city again.

The exterior has a similar shape and feel to its big brother — and that, by our estimation, is a very good thing — and the interior is equally attractive.

The heated steering wheel is a nice touch (especially during the winter) alongside leather seats (heated, of course) and a very clean centre stack: At the top is the seven-inch screen for audio, navigation and other fun settings; the middle section has the power and tuner dials bordering an analog clock; and below are climate controls. It’s very clean and easy to use — something that’s not always true in new cars these days.

However, despite the refined interior and luxe amenities, the navigation system screams low-end. It worked just fine, but the resolution is akin to that old bulky tube television taking up room in your basement, rather than the 60-inch Aquos Quattron you wish you had hanging in your den. And although the sport seats look great, they’re awfully uncomfortable. The side bolsters pinched into my legs and made me shift positions every 15 minutes or so on longer drives.

Dropping to the G25x AWD trim, or even to the base G25, (RWD) will eliminate the seats (but sadly, it will also eliminate the very fun and effective magnesium paddle shifters) and up to $9,000 off the sticker price.

We wouldn’t call the G25 a steal (its priced in the same ballpark as its competition), but it definitely gives Infiniti a legitimate vehicle in the entry sport sedan segment that has the potential to do what they set out to do with it – bring them a legion of new drivers.