For its part, the G35 coupe is supremely stable and offers great handling. It's precise, like a BMW, and firm, but has a nice ride. It feels like a high-performance sports car, not a sports-luxury car like the Lexus SC 430. It jiggles on highway undulations, for example. Overall, it's a great balance. You feel connected to the road in the G35. It can be driven precisely at high speeds. It's very stable, perhaps more so than the Z.
We haven't tried the available Rear Active Steer system, but Infiniti claims it improves handling by adjusting the rear suspension geometry according to steering input and vehicle speed. The system's electronic control unit calculates the desired vehicle dynamics from a series of inputs, including vehicle speed and steering angle, and directs an actuator motor to move both rear suspension lower links. With the Rear Active Steer option, you also get a slightly faster steering ratio (15.1:1 vs. 15.9:1), and the variable-assist servo tracks vehicle speed instead of engine speed.
The G35x all-wheel-drive sedan employs a system Infiniti calls ATTESA E-TS, for Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split. That alphabetic mouthful means that a computer controls an active center differential for smoother starts, better fuel economy, and better traction and maneuverability in snow. Most of the time, the system sends 100 percent of the driving torque to the rear wheels, so the G35x handles like a rear-wheel-drive sedan. (Many all-wheel-drive sedans are based on a front-drive system that biases more torque to the front.) Nissan's system will divert up to 50 percent of the power to the front wheels if it senses that the rear wheels are slipping. A Snow mode, selected by a button on the console, locks torque distribution at 50/50 front/rear, and reduces the sensitivity of the drive-by-wire throttle. This is the same all-wheel-drive system used in the Infiniti FX luxury crossover SUVs.
The G35's V6 produces a unique and sporty sound. There's lots of low-rpm torque, which makes the G35 feel responsive around town. Stand on the gas and it delivers brilliant acceleration performance.
Shifting the manual gearbox is direct and precise, though it requires some deliberate attention. It doesn't feel as light as an Acura gearbox, and the clutch pedal is relatively firm, which makes it more challenging to drive smoothly.
The five-speed automatic transmission is super-smooth in normal use and quite responsive when pressed. It offers a manual mode, which can be activated by pushing the shift lever to the right, then back to downshift or forward to upshift. Some drivers find pushing the lever to the outside awkward, but we didn't feel it was an issue. Once in the manual mode, this transmission will assume you know what you're doing and are paying attention. If you select third gear, for example, the transmission will still automatically shift down to second when needed, but will not shift up to fourth; it will hit the rev limiter instead. This manual mode reduces the tendency for the transmission to upshift unnecessarily on winding, mountainous roads. It won't shift up when you lift off the gas to brake for the next corner; that gives you some engine braking when you lift off the gas, making your mountain climbing assaults more enjoyable. Still, the transmission is so responsive in the regular automatic mode, we tended to put it in Drive and leave it there. Next Page