2003 Infiniti G35 Price, Reviews, Specs & Road Test

Motor Trend Cars of the Year are chosen for performance, dynamics, quality, value, and importance. When we take one on as a long-termer, we know it'll exhibit a certain amount of workmanship and reliability; we consider the automaker's history and reputation before awarding the Golden Calipers. But each Car of the Year is a new model, and the vagaries of any all-new car can trouble us as much as it can any consumer. So it's a singular delight when we get a car (or truck or SUV) that proves to be well-built and a good design.

After one year and more than 20,000 miles, we're still raving about the performance, dynamics, and value of our 2003 Car of the Year, the Infiniti G35. There's been no second-guessing our original conclusion that the G35 sets a new standard in entry-level luxury sport sedans, eclipsing the car that established this field, the BMW 3 Series. Editors who drove the G35 on California coastal roads and twisty inland highways raved about how quickly it gets past slower traffic, its comfort and roominess, and how much fun it is to drive.

Our sedan came equipped with extras that pushed its price well over the $29,525 base sticker. A $2200 premium package included a 200-watt Bose audio system (with razor-sharp highs, big bass, and no distortion) and added reclining rear seatbacks, driver-seat memory with an exit assist (raises the steering wheel and moves the seat back when you shut down the engine), a four-way power passenger seat, Homelink system, dual-zone temperature control, auto-dimming inside mirror, and one-touch up/down rear windows. More important, the sport-suspension package added stiffer springs and shocks, 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels with P215/55WR17 summer tires and titanium-tinted interior trim for just $425. A trunk mat was $60, the power glass sliding sunroof a cool grand, Xenon HID headlamps $580, the nav system two grand, and the aero package $550, although every editor would have been happy to ditch the package's gaudy rear decklid spoiler. The bottom line came to $36,280.

The G35 sedan was launched in late 2002 sporting a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, so that's what we have. Our long-term G35 Sport Coupe features a six-speed manual gearbox, which Infiniti made available on the sedan within half a year of launch. But our automatic, besides being the only transmission choice at launch, also reflects what the majority of buyers will choose for the car.