The weather was relatively okay for an early October Michigan weekend. It was cool, but not yet “cold”. There was off and on rain showers which when the clouds broke for that all too familiar bright autumn sunshine, made the clouds look dark and almost like they were holding snow. Oh no! Not this early!
But then I was surprised by the arrival of an Infiniti G25x in my driveway. Of course I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a close look at it and rate it for the daily driver it is. I didn’t have the usual amount of time available so I hurried and took off on a nice autumn ride suitable to see if there was any glaring faults or benefits to this vehicle.
I must say, this sedan is a very classy looking vehicle. It has all of the Infiniti design language which raises the bar for similar vehicles. Infiniti being the luxury wing of Nissan has done a pretty good job taking their vehicles upscale into the luxury market.
This particular model is the base G-series offering. The G series nowadays is made up of different body styles (coupe, sedan or convertible) of the G37. This G25 is the same vehicle, albeit a moderately stripped down version with a smaller and allegedly more fuel efficient engine.
The G25 model was only produced from 2011 and 2012. I guess it seemed most people simply chose the more powerful and better equipped G37. It’s understandable but still a shame because as you’ll see, I liked it.
Vehicle Specifics
One of the hallmarks of our consideration is the desire to simply get to the meat of the review. We want to consider how this or any vehicle stands up as a daily driver. So if it’s detailed specifications you want let us know and I’ll provide them. But considering the fact that that information is covered in more detail than actually needed on other review media, we won’t go too deep into it here. We will however let you know what we feel is important to properly rate it for daily driver use.
This 2012 G25x is powered by a 2.5 liter V6 engine with 218 horsepower and 187 pounds of torque. Typically this model comes with rear wheel drive. The vehicle I had was the “x” model which meant it was equipped with full-time all-wheel drive.
That’s the basic information that’s relevant to your drivability on a daily, normal driving situation. Well, maybe you could use a bit more, but that can be deep dived on other sites.
The horsepower is relatively low compared to its competitors but it won’t hurt you as much as the limited amount of torque in daily operation. That torque, and where it is in the power band is what gets you moving from the light. As you will read later, this could be a concern.
Observations
Some might say this model is a bit bland, but personally I liked it. It has the traditional Infiniti front end which is similar for all their models, so that won’t hurt you in the class department. The rear end also sports the common Infiniti treatment. So again, I have to say this vehicle looks the part of the compact version of a sport luxury model. The fact that this is the base model isn’t too obvious at first blush.
A general walk around of the vehicle confirmed that it was put together with the usual care and attention to detail that you have come to expect from Infiniti/Nissan or any of the competitors in this market. The alloy wheels were nothing special, but still stylish.
The interior of the car was “nice”. It was nothing special, but again it was “nice”. I had basically no faults with the seating. No faults at all. The leather was nice and the seats had the typical embroidered “Infiniti” emblazed on them. Another touch that was good to see.
The dash was typical for a car of this price range as well. It was adequate, but nothing earth shattering in its design or function ability. It served its purpose.
Competitors
The primary competitors for this vehicle include the ever present BMW 325, Lexus IS 250, Mercedes C250, etc. I guess you can begin to see the similarities with the base models in each manufacturer’s range. All seem to have a similar engine size and the designation to go with it.
Usability
I liked the fact that this even though this car was a base model had a great keyless entry system. These days there seems to be no reason you have to take the key out of your pocket/purse to drive off.
Trunk space was average at 13.5 cubic feet as was the interior legroom. The rear seats were acceptable with the front seat positioned for the normal driver. So again there were no complaints or surprises in the cargo or passenger carrying areas.
There glove box and armrest/console storage was decent as expected. The armrests for the front and rear passengers were fine and well positioned. Vanity mirrors were lighted and there were the traditional map lights and courtesy lighting as expected.
The car had great sight lines since it was a sedan. There were no glaring blind spots that would prevent you from adjusting the mirrors and driving in traffic with confidence.
Drivability
I have to tell you, that ever since I had my first European sports sedan, an Audi 5000, I have been spoiled in favor of a tight and sporty driving car. This G25x did not disappoint me.
The ride was tight but not harsh by any means. It was just the way it should be to give confidence and to let you know what’s going on under your tires. There was no over-abundance of body roll or dive on braking. The vehicle passed my usual test in that I could clearly discern each tire’s action through the seat of my pants or the steering wheel as I drove. It may not seem like much, but little things like this help you determine if you have a tire going down or more importantly if you have lifted into a hydroplaning situation or if you have lost a bit of traction on ice, etc.
The other thing I noticed and appreciate right away was how tight and firm the seats were. They were excellent and the seating position was fine. Some might complain about the seats being a bit too firm. This is common complaint if you are coming from a typical American manufacturer’s vehicle.
I have learned to appreciate the firm seats. They do seem a bit firm or stiff upon first sitting in them. HOWEVER, they are worth their weight in gold on any extended driving. They give the support that a softer seat cannot compare with. There was a generous amount of side bolstering which hugs you in the seat. Compare a simple drive longer than 30 minutes in a firm seat and then a soft seat and you’ll agree. You will have less if any back fatigue with the firm seat every time.
In my opinion, the steering was very accurate and felt great as did the steering wheel in my hands. It turned in as precisely as I needed in parallel parking situations as well as on the highway during lane changes. During normal, daily operation you will not be dissatisfied.
Upon first pulling away in the car I immediately noticed there was a delay or low power spot somewhere from starting off up to the first part of second gear. It felt like the old Mercedes models that started out in second gear unless you really got on it.
This flat spot was apparent when leaving from a light or coming out of a turn. I did some checking around and it seems this is a well-known concern among the Infiniti community. There is plenty of discussion about it and a technical service bulletin that was supposed to remap the drivetrain to alter the downshifts and hopefully upshifts to eliminate it. The jury is still out on whether it is solved on this or the more potent G37 model. Since it is apparent on both versions of this model line, it may be safe to say it isn’t as much the engine as it is the transmission.
In any event, it was immediately noticeable and something to work around. I have to say however that this was the only blemish I found that moderately affected the drivability of this car on a normal use situation.
Considering the fact that we are looking for the daily driving or normal use of the car, it’s tolerable. However even though this is the base model, for the money, this “lag” shouldn’t be there. The relatively low torque didn’t help.
I did like how solid this car was in all driving situations. There were no concerns during stop and go city driving as well as highway driving. High speed passing was a little anemic due to the limited horsepower. The transmission kick-down was a bit slow and also weak in its application of power. But again, we’re not talking about a Porsche. We’re talking about the base model in a vehicle line. Know your limits and live within them and you would be fine.
The gauges were well ordered and lit as were the controls on this car. The center stack and console was well laid out in my opinion which basically means nothing was bothersome.
I did notice that this model (G25) doesn’t offer a navigation system as an option like the next model up. The center stack did have an adequate graphical interface although the graphic quality could be better.
Driving conveniences such as Bluetooth for your controlling your phone was welcomed as was the steering wheel controls. The typical dynamic backup camera was included and appreciated as well.
You can expect to get fuel economy somewhere in the mid 20 miles per gallon on the highway using premium fuel as recommended. The Infiniti community agree that for a scaled down engine, it seems that you should get more miles per gallon. The quoted real world mileage is not much better than the larger and more powerful G37 engine. Perhaps this is another reason that this model is no longer offered.
Summary
In summary again, I liked the car. It is definitely a base Infiniti, but it IS an Infiniti. That in itself includes all the normal luxury manufacturer perks such as a great dealer network, loaner cars for service and attention to the details. It should also be noted that this car has a better than average 4-year/60,000 mile basic warranty.
The drivability of the car on a daily basis is great. I had no real limitations on using this as my daily tread. This G25x can be used in most all situations. Since this is the AWD version, it can be used with confidence in wet or winter conditions as well.
Recommendations
I would not hesitate to pick up this model if it was one you were considering. You might have to find one on the used car market these days, but again with the strong dealership network, it should be well cared for.
The competitors may have certain benefits that outweigh this model, but at what cost? Given the service network, precise handling and the sharp, upscale looks it’s a decent performer once you know its limitations. None of these limitations should cause it to be a problem for the normal daily driving situation.