Introduction

Wow! We were expecting a mid-size luxury car when we climbed into the Infiniti I30t. What we got was a luxurious sports sedan. The I30 performs well whether it's in heavy metropolitan traffic, on mountain passes or long, undulating desert roads. We've driven this latest-generation I30 through sweeping turns in Washington's Columbia River valley, and through the heavy traffic of Southern California and Washington, D.C. We found the Infiniti I30 boasts exceptional handling, a smooth ride and lots of performance from its twin-cam V6 engine. This car is stable at high speeds and under hard braking. Its elegant interior offers supportive leather seats that are comfortable on long trips. To this, the I30t Touring model adds a sports suspension and other equipment designed to turn this Infiniti into a sports sedan. Both models offer a great value among mid-size luxury sedans.

Walkaround

Infiniti is Nissan's luxury car division and the Infiniti I30 is based on the same basic platform as the superb Nissan Maxima. When Nissan redesigned the Maxima and I30 for 2000, the company made a conscience decision to give each vehicle its own character and image. Designed to offer performance, practicality and value, the Nissan Maxima sports radical styling. I30 is more conservative, designed to offer luxury and attention to detail. The Infiniti retailers (the dealerships) are trained to reflect this, offering a higher level of service and attention to the needs of their customers. Infiniti owners demand this. The I30 is actually 2 inches longer than the Maxima, but this isn't noticeable from the outside. Unique styling projects elegance. The soft, gentle slope of the hood and front fender line draws your eye to the redesigned front-end treatment that features Infiniti's trademark grille and powerful lighting design. The rear-end design is less distinctive than the front, although the taillight treatment adds sparkle. In addition to the wheels and tires, the I30t is distinguished by a smoked headlight treatment. An optional Touring Sport Package ($1,000) adds a rear spoiler and aerodynamic side sills.

Interior Features

It may not be evident from the outside, but glide into any of the I30's seating positions and you immediately get the sense of roominess. Front-seat legroom and headroom have been increased over the previous-generation (1999) I30; rear-seat legroom is increased as well. The expansive amount of glass gives excellent visibility in all directions. Up front are comfortable bucket seats. An eight-way power driver's seat complements a four-way passenger seat. Both the forward movement of the steering wheel and the driver's seat have been increased to offer an improved ergonomic position. The front seats incorporate an active head restraint system designed to help reduce injury from whiplash by automatically moving the headrest forward to support the head and neck in an accident. Instruments are highly visible and switches are easy to operate. The instruments are virtually blacked out until you turn the key, then they come alive with a backlit design that makes the needles seem to hang in mid air. Climbing into the rear seats we immediately noticed the additional legroom. On paper it is a scant 1.9-inch improvement, but it seems as though it is much larger. Headroom is good front and rear. A foot-operated parking brake pedal has replaced the hand brake of the previous generation. While we prefer a hand-operated parking brake, moving it to the floor has uncluttered the center console and improved the appearance. Steering wheel-mounted audio controls have been added for 2001 for enhanced safety and convenience. An automatic anti-glare rear view mirror with integrated compass is also new for 2001. Every car should have a compass. I30's big trunk offers a low lift-in height to make loading cargo much easier. Trunk lid hinges intrude upon the cargo space when you shut the trunk lid, however. For 2001, an emergency inside trunk release was added for increased safety.