The Infiniti posed a bit of a conundrum for us. Yes, it is undoubtedly luxurious. And yes, it certainly belongs in this test, as the Touring model is touted as the "sporty" version. Yet, when it came to taking the car for the evening, there was more eye-rolling and loud sighing than a back seat full of teenagers on a road trip with Jimmy Buffet-loving parents.

Even as it placed mid-pack in our Recommended Picks column, it located itself in the dead last position in the Personal Picks category, where our editors rank the cars in the order in which they would buy them. The problem was that the car simply lacked personality. It had no pizzazz. While most of the ingredients existed in order to make a fine luxury sport sedan, it failed to meld into anything more piquant than the Gringo special at Applebee's.

One of the major aspects in which it failed to sidle up to our affection is the existence of its doppelganger, the Nissan Maxima. We couldn't forget the fact that it is a perfectly good car for thousands less, and that the luxury on the I30 seems tacked-on. You can dress up Pamela Anderson in Armani, but she'll never be a society matron.

Not that it's a bad package. The 227-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine provides smooth, linear power delivery throughout the rev band; once it spools up, it gives quite a growl, and our editors were split as to whether it was satisfying or annoying. The four-speed tranny saps some of the engine's potential with slow shifts, and some criticized the lack of an automanual mode, but under most driving conditions, it is perfectly acceptable. Our test car went from 0 to 60 in 8.0 seconds, one of the slower times of the group.

The I30t was the only car in the test with a beam rear axle; the rest had independent rear suspensions. It may be a very sophisticated beam rear axle, but it is still at an inherent disadvantage in that the I30t can't absorb mid-corner bumps as well as the other cars. Our test car was equipped with the Touring package, which included a viscous limited-slip front differential and sport-tuned suspension, yet it often floated and wafted on the undulating pavement. We wondered how much softer the Luxury version would be. It is a stout system, however, and refused to get weighed down; the suspension didn't bottom out with four adults on board. Around town, the car gave a serene ride, provided that the roads were smoothly paved and you didn't take corners with much enthusiasm.

Steering feel elicited "neither here nor there" comments from our editors; it's certainly not one of the better systems of the group, with little road feel and a slightly lethargic turn-in. Its huge turning circle of 40 feet, the largest of the cars tested, turned a three-point turn on a narrow street into a five-point turn. We wondered why the turning circle of the Touring model is 5 more feet than the Luxury model's; we surmised that the wider tires and their encroachment into the wheelwells was the culprit. The Bridgestone Potenza P225/50R17 tires mounted on handsome 17-inch wheels howled excessively when pushed and emitted lots of road rumble on the highway, but gripped fairly well with progressive scrub.

Stopping the Infiniti were four-wheel disc brakes, modulated by a pedal with great feel and weight. Actual braking distances weren't as good, as it took 130 feet to stop this car from 60 to 0 mph, a figure equal to the Cadillac Catera. Our test model lacked the active safety wizardry found in other vehicles; a traction control system is a part of a $720 package, and there is no stability control system available.

The Infiniti offers plenty of kit to remind you that, yes, indeedy, this is a luxury car. It has a classy analogue clock gracing the dash, a power rear sunshade, xenon headlamps and, most impressively, a navigation system that pops out of the top of the dash to make you feel like you're in a James Bond flick. Infiniti nav systems have what they call a Birdview perspective, which gives a realistic simulation of looking at the landscape from a height. Although the joystick used to control the map isn't the most precise or easy to use, most drivers got the hang of it quickly. Plus, joy of joys, the climate controls and audio controls aren't bundled in with the screen and are supremely easy to use.

Things that this Maxima...er, I30 lack are dual climate control and an in-dash six-disc CD changer. Dash materials could be improved; the glossy hard plastic of the center console and dash, as well for the door panels, subtracted from a luxury feel. Other Infiniti products have better looking faux wood, and some of the switchgear is too familiar from the prosaic Maxima. A little more than kin, and less than kind...

Thanks to the trunk's large opening and flat load floor, you'll find it easy to load your luggage. You'll need to maneuver around the floor-mounted CD changer, however, and be careful to avoid damaging the flimsy lining of the trunk. Also, make sure to move your things away from the trunklid's gooseneck hinges. The rear seats are split 60/40 for greater storage configuration.

The big advantage of the I30 is its generous dimensions. It had one of the roomiest back seats of the test. Two of our 6-feet-tall editors proclaimed it the best in class, with headroom and leg space posing no problem. In the baby seat test, the automatic locking retractor seatbelts made for easy installation, with lots of room for perfect positioning.

You might be wondering how it is possible that we loved the Nissan Maxima and its driving dynamics in our family sedan comparison test, while we're downgrading its twin, the Infiniti. It's all relative, and the context of the car often becomes the story. The Maxima provides sportier handling when compared against plebian family sedans like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Put it up against some of the more sophisticated cars in the world, as is appropriate given the price point of the I30, and it loses its luster.

The Infiniti is a good car, and most undemanding consumers who need spacious rear seat accommodations will love it. However, we found that it lacked character; aside from its shiny chrome wheels and toothy grille that reminded us of Bowser's (of Sha-Na-Na renown) mug it lacked visual appeal, and its ride kept nagging us that we paid thousands more than if we had just bought a Maxima. Of course, in 2002, the new I35 will come out, with its 260-horsepower engine. Yep, that's just around the time when the 240-horsepower Nissan Altima will be introduced. Hmm...

Second Opinions:
Technical Editor Miles Cook says:
I know the Infiniti I30 is a fine car with plenty of luxury features, a solid drivetrain and a reasonable price tag. But none of these seemingly positive traits were able to prevent me from strongly disliking this car.

During one of our test loops, another editor and I were separate from the other cars. I was driving this barge-like Nissan (oops, I mean Infiniti), and he was in the svelte and swift IS 300. Try as I did, I got left in the dust at every sweeper or tight hairpin that we negotiated. It's hard for me to explain, but this car simply does nothing to excite my soul, nothing to cause me to say, "I wanna drive that car." I'm thoroughly bored by it. It's strange, because I've always liked the Nissan Maxima.

Call me biased toward sporting cars, but I just can't help it. This was the only car of the nine that bored me while I was driving it. I'd much rather have the Lexus IS, the BMW 330 or the Acura TL Type-S. I'd even choose the Millenia or Catera over this machine. I'll simply pass.

Associate Editor Erin Mahoney says:
This may have been the blandest vehicle of the test. I can't think of a single area in which the I30 excelled. First, power delivery didn't come close to matching the ugly, belabored groan of the 3.0-liter V6. Second, the ride was much too floaty for this to be deemed a sport-tuned sedan, and the ride over rough road jostled occupants too much to classify it as a proficient luxury sedan. The I30 just felt like it was out of its league.

That said, the I30 provided a good enough time on smooth roads and sweeping curves, with a responsive steering rack, an intelligent transmission and confident brakes. The cabin was attractive enough, as well, with a nice finished look to all of the materials, even the hard plastic. However, a whistling from the right rear window and a squeaky front passenger window attested to the fact that our Infiniti suffered from some build-quality issues.

To compete effectively in this class, the I30 just needs to improve a little bit — not a whole lot — in almost every area. Perhaps the I35 will be improvement enough.

Editor-in-Chief Christian Wardlaw says:
Dichotomous describes my opinion of the Infiniti I30. Undistinguished, unremarkable and utterly unmemorable, the Infiniti is still high on my list of recommended vehicles for an entry-level luxury sedan buyer. How can that be?

Well, a roomy and comfortable interior, an impressive load of standard equipment and low price tag, combined with decent performance and a good reliability record, prompt me to point consumers in the direction of their nearest Infiniti dealership.

But if you're looking for something dynamic, shop elsewhere. Thanks to generic Japanese styling and obvious cost-cutting, the Infiniti fails to please the discerning consumer, or this automotive journalist.

Based on Nissan's competent Maxima sedan, the I30t's humble lineage is quite evident inside, outside and underneath the car. Look! There's the Maxima's "multilink" beam rear axle. Sure, it's probably the most sophisticated beam axle ever devised, but when the I30's left rear tire hits a bump mid-corner, the right tire feels the effect, and the whole rear end gets unsettled. Outside, the most compelling visual cue is the I30's massive five-spoke brushed aluminum wheels. What's that say about the styling? Occupants of the Infiniti are treated to an onslaught of road and wind noise, and our test car had an awful window or door seal leak at the right rear.

Otherwise, build quality was impressive, and the I30t had the best navigation system of the group. Not only is it a stand-alone unit that operates independently of the stereo and climate controls, but it also offers plenty of useful and interesting features. Plus, the passenger compartment is huge. The rear seat, especially with a shorter person driving or riding shotgun, provides limo-like amounts of legroom.

In the final analysis, is the I30 a bad car? Not at all. It's just forgettable.

Stereo Evaluation - 2001 Infiniti I30t