2012 INFINITI G Coupe Review

The Infiniti G Coupe receives no significant changes for 2012.

Sport-focused, intelligently designed and attractively priced, the 2012 Infiniti G Coupe is an excellent choice for a luxury sport coupe.

Luxury sport coupes like the 2012 Infiniti G37 exist at the midway point between sports cars and entry-level luxury sedans. They are supposed to offer sharp handling, but still ride comfortably. They're supposed to look cooler than their four-door counterparts, yet still provide a backseat that can be used in a pinch. They should also come with all the leather and gizmos the term "luxury" denotes. They are at once a compromise and a best-of-both-worlds proposition.

Quite pleasingly, the G37 pretty much meets all of these requirements. The 2012 Infiniti G coupe lies at the midway point between the Nissan 370Z sports car from which it borrows its platform and the Infiniti G Sedan from which it borrows just about everything else. The result is a two-door that offers a blend of handsome looks, strong performance and athletic handling. Inside the cabin you get nice materials, a stylish design and available high-tech features, plus one of the most user-friendly electronics interfaces around. You obviously don't get the spacious backseat of the G sedan, but it sure beats the Z's non-existent rear seat.

The G37 isn't the only luxury sport coupe around, however. The BMW 3 Series coupe offers better handling and comparable performance, while the Audi A5 is more stylish and fuel-efficient. Another top contender this year is the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe, which is arguably more prestigious. Compared to these other models, the G also typically comes up a little short in terms of trunk and rear seat space. Yet even among this stellar group, Infiniti's G Coupe remains one of our top picks for its total combination of performance, styling and comfort.

Every 2012 Infiniti G37 is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 that produces 330 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive are standard. The G37x gets all-wheel drive and the G37 Sport features a six-speed manual transmission.

In Edmunds performance testing, a G37 Sport coupe went from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds -- swift, but the BMW 335i is even quicker. EPA-estimated fuel economy with rear-drive and the automatic is 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. It's 17/25/19 with the G37 Sport and 18/25/20 with the G37x.

The 2012 Infiniti G37 comes standard with stability control, traction control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. The optional Technology package adds pre-crash seatbelts that use the adaptive cruise control sensors to detect an impending impact and then automatically pre-load belt tension.

In Edmunds brake testing, a G37 Sport came to a stop from 60 mph in an excellent 110 feet. Expect slightly longer distances with the all-season tires found on other models.

The 2012 Infiniti G Coupe's V6 serves up thrilling acceleration, but we're not fans of the coarse noises it makes at higher engine speeds. The seven-speed automatic transmission provides quick gearchanges via the shift paddles on the steering wheel, and downshifts are quickly executed with precise throttle blips to match revs. Upshifts aren't quite as smooth as we'd like, however. We're also not particularly fond of the six-speed manual transmission, which suffers from a heavy and abrupt clutch engagement.

We can't complain about the G's handling, though. This well-sorted Infiniti attacks curves with aggression and precision, yet it remains poised and compliant when driven over less-than-perfect pavement. Steering feel is commendable, particularly with the quicker ratio provided in the Sport trim or package.

The G Coupe offers user-friendly controls, excellent build quality and a handsome design -- the latter highlighted by such items as the car's available leather-accented magnesium paddle shifters and the Japanese "Shodo" aluminum trim (or optional wood trim). The optional Bose audio system is excellent.

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). As expected, the backseats are rather cramped and best suited for little kids or cargo. The trunk measures a modest 7.4 cubic feet but the rear seatbacks fold down if more space is needed. The trunks in the Audi A5 and BMW 3 Series are significantly larger.