Infiniti G Convertible Review

Infiniti was adrift for more than a decade, trying to establish itself in a crowded luxury scene filled with established players that enjoyed years of pedigree and consumer recognition. With a lineup of staid sedans and rebadged Nissan SUVs, there were few products to help the brand get noticed. That all changed with the G, a car that established Infiniti's current penchant for creating cars that are fun to drive, packed with high-tech features and priced lower than their competitors.

Yet, a successful luxury car company should touch every corner of the market, and with the Infiniti G Convertible, the brand is in an even better position to take on its rivals. Blessed with a retractable-hardtop design, it offers the quiet comfort of a coupe when the top is up and the exhilaration of a convertible when it's automatically stowed beneath the trunk lid. But there are a couple of serious penalties paid for this luxury. Besides being about 450 pounds heavier than the coupe, its backseat is nearly useless with the top raised and the trunk is nearly useless with it lowered.

Because of these practical concerns, we don't think quite as highly of the G Convertible as we do of its Coupe and Sedan siblings. Even so, the Convertible certainly shares the sort of performance, handling and value that has made the G family such a smart buy in the entry-luxury segment.

Current Infiniti G Convertible
The Infiniti G Convertible features a retractable hardtop roof, seats four people and is offered as a single G37 model with three trim levels -- base, Sport and Limited Edition. Every G Convertible is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 that sends 325 horsepower to the rear wheels. The base G and Limited come with a seven-speed automatic transmission featuring manual paddle-shift control and rev-matched downshifts. The Sport comes with an exclusive six-speed manual transmission.

The base G comes standard with items like xenon headlights, keyless ignition/entry, a rearview camera, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bluetooth and an iPod interface. Besides its bigger wheels and brakes, summer tires, quicker steering and sport seats, the G37 Sport includes niceties that are optional on the G. These include parking sensors, a power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a navigation system, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and a Bose stereo. The Limited is essentially a Sport with an automatic transmission and special black paint and red leather.

The Infiniti G Convertible offers user-friendly controls, excellent build quality and a handsome design -- the latter highlighted by such items as the car's leather-accented magnesium paddle shifters and aluminum (or optional wood) accents. The optional Bose audio system is excellent, and the convertible's headrest-mounted speakers make it even better.

The front seats are comfortable and well-bolstered, while the available sport-styled seats offer even more aggressive bolstering (though they may be a bit too snug for larger drivers). The backseat is essentially useless for normal-sized adults, even compared to other convertibles. Useless is a good word to describe the G's trunk when that hardtop is lowered, as its capacity shrinks to about 2 cubic feet (think a tissue box and not much more).

In reviews, we found that the G Convertible serves up thrilling acceleration, but we're not fans of the coarse noises it makes at higher engine speeds. On the move, this well-sorted Infiniti attacks curves with aggression and precision, yet it remains poised and compliant when driven over less-than-perfect pavement. The only real downside is the weight, as it saps some of the car's potential compared to the lighter G Coupe, or Nissan's Z Roadster.

Used Infiniti G Convertible Models
The Infiniti G Convertible was an all-new model for 2009. Besides a special, low-production Anniversary model for 2010, there have been no notable changes.

Read the most recent 2013 Infiniti G Convertible review.

If you are looking for older years, visit our used Infiniti G Convertible page.