Driving Impressions

Infiniti might classify the I30 as a luxury car, but it could have fooled us: we thought we were behind the wheel of a sporty midsize coupe with luxurious interior. The ride, handling and transmission of the I30 Touring Sedan are all extremely impressive. We felt comfortable the moment we drove away in the car, and for the next week our opinion of the performance of the suspension only got higher, while the only time we even thought about the transmission was when we marveled at how seamless it was. We drove maybe 300 miles on Washington's two-lane Highway 14, winding along the Columbia River, back and forth to Portland International Raceway for a CART race. There were opportunities to challenge the suspension, steering, transmission and brakes, and try as we might we couldn't get the I30 to complain or misbehave. Stable and even-keeled are the key words. There's virtually no body lean, even driving aggressively through switchback turns, yet there's nothing stiff feeling about the suspension. You can pitch the I30t into a sharp turn harder than is necessary, and it will turn quickly without any sort of negative feedback at all. As for the ride, Infiniti is masterful in working with the independent front and multi-link rear. The superb leather seats have a lot to do with the feeling of comfort of the ride, but not so much that you can't tell it's the suspension that's somehow erasing the bumps. The I30t also maintained its composure on long waves of roller coaster desert roads in California with miniature peaks and valleys that compress then quickly unload the suspension. This is a car that you can drive forever and be almost oblivious to the condition of the road surface. Besides driving quickly through turns, we found two other situations where the I30t passed the test with flying colors. Changing lanes on the freeway, back and forth, there was never a hint of wandering. And on bumpy surfaces, in a curve, under braking, again: rock steady-and this is a test that few cars can ace. Even during a panic stop to test the four-wheel ABS ventilated discs, there was very little nose dive. During normal use, the brake pedal has an excellent feel. This remained true following numerous hard braking maneuvers; the brakes performed consistently no matter how we abused them. The twin-cam V6 engine is celebrated for its smoothness, and its 227 horsepower seems like plenty. The torque peak comes at 4000 rpm, which doesn't make it a (low-rpm) grunty engine; the car gathers speed, it doesn't throw it at you. Under normal acceleration, you can scarcely feel the upshifts; when you hold your foot to the floor, they come like the silent slice of a knife at about 6200 rpm, with the rev limiter electronically triggers at about 6600. We think this is one of the best V6 engines available. Though the standard I30 works fine, the Touring equipment raises the I30t's abilities a notch. The steering seemed to be just a bit vague in the I30, but felt much tighter in the I30t. The I30 is easier to maneuver in tight parking garages, however, because it offers tighter turning circle (35.4 feet curb-to-curb versus 40.0 feet). Optional electronic traction control ($300) minimizes wheelspin when accelerating over slippery surfaces. A viscous limited-slip differential comes standard on the I30t that helps distribute torque between the front wheels.

Final Word

This is a great luxury sports sedan. The cabin is quiet and comfortable when all you want to do is settle into the drive, turn up the Bose system and cruise on down the highway. It comes with one of the best V6 engines available. The engine is smooth and quiet in normal use and the transmission shifts so smoothly that you can scarcely feel it. But stand on it and the I30 delivers thrilling acceleration performance. Starting at less than $30,000, the Infiniti I30 offers a luxurious interior wrapped in a stylish package with excellent performance and handling. We preferred the I30t (Touring) for its improved handling. It's extremely stable and easy to drive at high speeds. The I30 also comes with Infiniti's Total Ownership Experience, designed to pamper the owner whenever visiting the dealership for service. This is a vehicle one can live with for years and never be disappointed in your choice of wheels.