Infiniti G

Start with what the Infiniti G is: a 4-door sedan with 2.0L SR20DE I4 140 hp, built from 1990 to 2016, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to Mamoru Aoki (1987).

Where it came from

The Infiniti G Line is a series of compact executive cars manufactured and marketed by Infiniti, a luxury division of Nissan, for the 1991–1996 and 1999–2016 model years — across four generations. The first two generations of the Infiniti G (P10 and P11) were sedans based on the Nissan Primera. Beginning with its third generation (V35), the Infiniti G have been rebadged versions of the Nissan Skyline line of sedans and coupes that were exported to the United States and Canada.

The fourth generation (V36) introduced the hardtop coupe convertible. The Nissan FM platform, used with the third and fourth generations (V35 and V36) of the Infiniti G, also underpins the Nissan 370Z and has shared components with the Infiniti M, Infiniti EX, and Infiniti FX. Infiniti established a new naming convention beginning with the 2014 model year; all passenger cars are designated by the letter "Q," while sport-utility model names begin with "QX." The Infiniti G was to have been replaced by the Infiniti Q50, but the G37 was revived as the Q40 beginning with the 2015 model year.

Under the skin

The engine is 2.0L SR20DE I4 140 hp; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. On the scales it comes to 2535 to. The wheelbase is 100.4 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

In context

In the Infiniti line-up the Infiniti G has a clear place: it handed the line to the Infiniti Q50 (sedan) / Infiniti Q60 (V37) (coupé/convertible); the factory was Yokosuka, Japan. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Renault Clio, the Honda NSX, the Ford Explorer. Nearby in the Infiniti catalogue sit the Ex35 and the Fx35.

Owning one today

Buying one now means $13,300–$21,000 for a typical example, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $5,040–$6,745 a year. Insurance sits around $1,490–$2,240 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.