As the luxury brand of Nissan, Infiniti has come a long way since the company was founded in 1989. Some of the companies’ early models looked almost exactly like the Nissans of the same generation and just as Lexus was often criticized for being a carbon-copy of the Toyota counterparts, Infinitis too were often overlooked and were eclipsed by Nissan, a giant in the motoring industry. However, Infiniti took a massive step forward all through the 90s and now is a company that can compete with lower-to-middle class BMW and Mercedes Benz.
The 2009 Infiniti M35x comes with a 3.5L V6 that is good for 275 horsepower and 268 lb/ft of torque. Even with the car weighing a hair over 4000 lbs, those power figures are honestly more than enough for most everyday drivers. The M35x’s V6 is capable of pulling the car from 0-60 in less than 7 seconds, which is faster than a 2013 BMW 320i xDrive M-sport version. That is impressively fast, even by 2017 standards. And speaking of performance, overall, the car is pretty darn solid. The steering wheel’s weight is just right which allows for easy cruising and even under stress, it doesn’t feel like I’m trying to do anything the car doesn’t want to do. Not only that, but the 5-speed automatic transmission feels snappy and responsive–even in the manual mode–which is something I priorities in modern cars without a DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission). Honestly, for how heavy and how big the M35x is, the general driving feel is fantastic.
Now, the M35x is definitely a more luxury-oriented vehicle than say, a G35. Personally I’ve never driven a G35, but with the little experience I have had with the interior of the G35, I can say with confidence that there is class in the M35x. The wooden trim around the interior is absolutely gorgeous, and though placed a little low for my taste, the analog clock is a great touch which compliments the car’s overall design language. The mixture of leather and wood used throughout the car is utterly stunning. The only thing I could complain about is the way the steering wheel looks. I personally felt like the steering wheel seemed a bit dull and characterless, which is not at all representative of what the M35x is like. As the steering wheel is one of the main components of the car the the driver directly interacts with, I wish the designers had put a little more thought into the design of the steering wheel, but that’s just me.
The M35x has a quite a few technology on board as well. Starting with the 7-inch LCD screen up front, optional Lane departure system and adaptive/”intelligent” cruise control, the M35x is exactly what comes to mind when one thinks of a semi-luxury sedan. The quality of the back-up camera is better than most others, with the added bonus of the wheel-trajectory that displays the direction the car is turning.
My initial impressions of the exterior of the car was a bit colorless. It seemed like it blended into the city-scape too well, and I was not a huge fan of the fact that the front end is almost identical to that of a G35 or the G35x. If I never got to drive it, I would have probably dismissed the car as being flavorless and boring. However, not long after I got myself in the cockpit, I was completely blown away by how the car looks, feels, and drives. Whether it’s from an average-joe’s perspective or a car guy’s perspective, it’s a great city car, and well, I like Infinitis more now.
The Road Tripp 
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