WP's Infinity I35 Review
11-26-2001, 10:21 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 77
WP's Infinity I35 Review
FYI-
This was in yesterday's Washington Post.
By Warren Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2001; Page N01
Buyers of mid-size Nissan Motor Co. cars can be forgiven for being confused. The company seems to be working overtime to eliminate distinctions between its vehicle lines. The once-ordinary Nissan Altima now looks and feels more like the upscale Nissan Maxima, which is practically indistinguishable from the 2002 Infiniti I35 sold by Nissan's luxury group.
"Practically indistinguishable" means that when you strip away all of the cosmetic changes and gimmickry, such as the I35's heated steering wheel, you end up with the same car. This is the case with the tested I35, which shares the body structure and drive train of the Maxima.
Nissan is not the only car company playing this game. It costs billions of dollars to develop new cars and trucks. Automakers are thus forced to produce as many "different" vehicles as possible using the same platform.
Some car companies have done a masterful job of platform sharing. The Audi TT coupe, for example, is a chopped-top Volkswagen Beetle on testosterone. The stunningly beautiful 2002 Ford Thunderbird convertible looks and feels different from the Jaguar S-Type sedan, which stands apart from the Lincoln LS, but all three Ford Motor Co. cars share the same underlying body structure.
The complaint here isn't against platform sharing. It's against sharing badly. There isn't enough real difference between the new Infiniti I35 and the new Nissan Maxima GLE to make a difference.
That is disappointing. I made a similar criticism of the Maxima and the Infiniti I30, the I35's predecessor. I didn't expect to repeat that criticism this time. But, alas, the two cars remain twins, for all intents and purposes.
For example, the big news for both cars is that they get the same new engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 that develops 255 horsepower at 5,800 revolutions per minute. That's 33 more horsepower than the 3-liter V-6 previously shared by the two cars, and it's a heck of a lot of power for any mid-size automobile. But I wish Nissan had given that new engine exclusively to the I35.
There's also the matter of ride and handling. The I35 has an advanced traction-control system, which automatically detects and reduces wheel spin. That system is not available on the Maxima. But more basic is that the two cars share the same underpinnings, including a rear-beam axle. That means they both tend to bump and wiggle their rear ends a bit in the corners on less-than-perfect roads.
If I'm going to bump and wiggle, even a little, I'd rather do it in the car that costs less.
Then there is the matter of aura. Here is where "jewelry," such as vehicle logos, and other trinkets are called upon to impart the notion of "difference." The I35 uses an exquisite analog, dashboard-mounted clock to help separate itself from the Maxima in this category. It also employs supple leather seats, wood-tone accents and a standard seven-speaker, 200-watt Bose premium stereo system to rise above the Maxima.
But none of this is enough to put one car above the other.
Externally, the two cars are similar, with slight variations in the front grilles and rear ends. (The Maxima's rear remains prettier.) The I35 has a richer interior. But the Maxima GLE, with its leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather seating surfaces, is no slum.
My joy in driving the Infiniti I35 nearly 1,000 miles came not from its road manners, technical execution or craftsmanship, though it was excellent in all three areas. My happiness came from knowing that the car was not mine, that I did not pay more for getting what I could've gotten for less in a Maxima.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2001Nov24.html
This was in yesterday's Washington Post.
By Warren Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2001; Page N01
Buyers of mid-size Nissan Motor Co. cars can be forgiven for being confused. The company seems to be working overtime to eliminate distinctions between its vehicle lines. The once-ordinary Nissan Altima now looks and feels more like the upscale Nissan Maxima, which is practically indistinguishable from the 2002 Infiniti I35 sold by Nissan's luxury group.
"Practically indistinguishable" means that when you strip away all of the cosmetic changes and gimmickry, such as the I35's heated steering wheel, you end up with the same car. This is the case with the tested I35, which shares the body structure and drive train of the Maxima.
Nissan is not the only car company playing this game. It costs billions of dollars to develop new cars and trucks. Automakers are thus forced to produce as many "different" vehicles as possible using the same platform.
Some car companies have done a masterful job of platform sharing. The Audi TT coupe, for example, is a chopped-top Volkswagen Beetle on testosterone. The stunningly beautiful 2002 Ford Thunderbird convertible looks and feels different from the Jaguar S-Type sedan, which stands apart from the Lincoln LS, but all three Ford Motor Co. cars share the same underlying body structure.
The complaint here isn't against platform sharing. It's against sharing badly. There isn't enough real difference between the new Infiniti I35 and the new Nissan Maxima GLE to make a difference.
That is disappointing. I made a similar criticism of the Maxima and the Infiniti I30, the I35's predecessor. I didn't expect to repeat that criticism this time. But, alas, the two cars remain twins, for all intents and purposes.
For example, the big news for both cars is that they get the same new engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 that develops 255 horsepower at 5,800 revolutions per minute. That's 33 more horsepower than the 3-liter V-6 previously shared by the two cars, and it's a heck of a lot of power for any mid-size automobile. But I wish Nissan had given that new engine exclusively to the I35.
There's also the matter of ride and handling. The I35 has an advanced traction-control system, which automatically detects and reduces wheel spin. That system is not available on the Maxima. But more basic is that the two cars share the same underpinnings, including a rear-beam axle. That means they both tend to bump and wiggle their rear ends a bit in the corners on less-than-perfect roads.
If I'm going to bump and wiggle, even a little, I'd rather do it in the car that costs less.
Then there is the matter of aura. Here is where "jewelry," such as vehicle logos, and other trinkets are called upon to impart the notion of "difference." The I35 uses an exquisite analog, dashboard-mounted clock to help separate itself from the Maxima in this category. It also employs supple leather seats, wood-tone accents and a standard seven-speaker, 200-watt Bose premium stereo system to rise above the Maxima.
But none of this is enough to put one car above the other.
Externally, the two cars are similar, with slight variations in the front grilles and rear ends. (The Maxima's rear remains prettier.) The I35 has a richer interior. But the Maxima GLE, with its leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather seating surfaces, is no slum.
My joy in driving the Infiniti I35 nearly 1,000 miles came not from its road manners, technical execution or craftsmanship, though it was excellent in all three areas. My happiness came from knowing that the car was not mine, that I did not pay more for getting what I could've gotten for less in a Maxima.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2001Nov24.html
11-26-2001, 11:50 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 130
I35 bumps at corners on not-so-perfect roads? This guys doesn't know how to drive or what? I test drove the I35 and 2002 Maxima many times, there's some slight bumps on bumpy roads and a little wind-noise on highways going at 75mph+, but in the I35, there is no bumps! not even at corners! unless you're driving on some really bumps roads or going over rail road tracks, yea you will definitely feel the bumps but more than 70% of it will be absorbed. The I35 shares the same type of leather seatings with the Q45, standard Vehicle Dynamic Control, Computer-Assisted Brake, Advanced Traction Control, auto rear-sliding sunshade and richer interior..all these the Maxima does not have.
Yes, both cars share the same platform and drivetrain, but definitely not the same body-structure, whoever thinks that is stupid and know nothing about Nissan cars. Maxima handles better not only because it has sport-tuned suspension, its body also helps to achieve that. Don't forget the Maxima is designed and built to be a performance-oriented sports sedan, and it really is one. The I35 on the other hand, is an entry-level luxury sedan, with extrordinary ride-comfort, more welcoming, richer interior, more luxury amenities, better sound-insulation, all these are separating the I35 away from the Maxima. The writer of that article stated that Audi also shares their platform on all cars but they made their cars different, which is bull$hit, Audi=VW everybody knows that, same platforms and same body structures and most even share the same drivetrains. "Externally, the two cars are similar, with slight variations in the front grilles and rear ends." ??? This guy must be blind, if you park the two cars side-by-side you can tell right away that the I35 looks more luxurious and expensive; where the Maxima looks sportier and meaner. The two cars look similar?
Yes, both cars share the same platform and drivetrain, but definitely not the same body-structure, whoever thinks that is stupid and know nothing about Nissan cars. Maxima handles better not only because it has sport-tuned suspension, its body also helps to achieve that. Don't forget the Maxima is designed and built to be a performance-oriented sports sedan, and it really is one. The I35 on the other hand, is an entry-level luxury sedan, with extrordinary ride-comfort, more welcoming, richer interior, more luxury amenities, better sound-insulation, all these are separating the I35 away from the Maxima. The writer of that article stated that Audi also shares their platform on all cars but they made their cars different, which is bull$hit, Audi=VW everybody knows that, same platforms and same body structures and most even share the same drivetrains. "Externally, the two cars are similar, with slight variations in the front grilles and rear ends." ??? This guy must be blind, if you park the two cars side-by-side you can tell right away that the I35 looks more luxurious and expensive; where the Maxima looks sportier and meaner. The two cars look similar?
11-26-2001, 01:08 PM
#4
Kraze....
go back and drive a GLE, not a SE.. and the '02 does have CAB.. they are more identical than you think. Also, peer under the wheel wells, I dont think you'll find more sound proofing.
i was just going to post that
11-26-2001, 09:09 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 348
hmm... actually I don't find they look that similar from the outside. Also, he's incorrect about the i35 having the 7 speaker 200 watt stereo system and heated steering wheel over the Maxima (both are available on the Max). Of course that might help to prove his point that the cars are too similar, but I find it shatters his credibility in his knowledge (or lack thereof) of the two cars.
The service levels on the two cars are completely different, and the Infiniti comes with a year longer warranty.
There also isn't THAT much of a difference in price, unless of course the dealer talks you into actually paying the MSRP. Reading that article reminded me of the accuracy I see watching local news coverage of raves (or should I say "rave parties" LOL).
The service levels on the two cars are completely different, and the Infiniti comes with a year longer warranty.
There also isn't THAT much of a difference in price, unless of course the dealer talks you into actually paying the MSRP. Reading that article reminded me of the accuracy I see watching local news coverage of raves (or should I say "rave parties" LOL).
11-26-2001, 09:37 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 699
Warren Brown says:
"But I wish Nissan had given that new engine exclusively to the I35."
WTF! Why is Nissan going to deprive their flagship from such a nice VQ engine?! Let the rich pay the extra dough for the Infiniti... It is their money! But don't deprive the not so rich from the VQ pleasure!
"But I wish Nissan had given that new engine exclusively to the I35."
WTF! Why is Nissan going to deprive their flagship from such a nice VQ engine?! Let the rich pay the extra dough for the Infiniti... It is their money! But don't deprive the not so rich from the VQ pleasure!
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