MotorMouths

While the G37’s admirable dynamic characteristics remain intact with the smaller engine, the G25 seemed surprisingly sluggish by comparison. A sport sedan should respond with enthusiasm when you depress the accelerator; the G25 seemed uncomfortable doing so.

The G37 convertible looks as good with the top up as down, when the going gets twisty its handling shines, and it seems to retain the vast majority of the driving ability of the coupe. It was designed from the beginning to be a convertible.

On the road, the G25 drives pretty much how it could be expected to — like a G37 that’s down more than 100 horsepower and just under 100 pound-feet of torque. It never feels slow, but it doesn’t feel particularly quick, either.

What is nice is that Infiniti hasn’t cheapened the G25’s interior or appearance at all; nor has the steering or suspension tuning been dumbed down. The difference versus the G37 is confined to the engine compartment.

We’d like a little more feel and heft from the steering, but otherwise, the Infiniti G25 is an enjoyable car be the road straight or twisty.

Infiniti has made a name for itself by designing and executing some of the nicest cabins in the segment. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. This is a more efficient G, but the sedan has lost much of the umami that separates the mid-level luxury line from its Nissan counterparts.

The Infiniti IPL G37 does drive nicely, but we were hoping for more, particularly underhood. Yes, 348 horses are nice, but compared with the 414-hp BMW M3 and the 556-hp Cadillac CTS-V coupe, the IPL G is way short on power.

The G25 finds itself in a very good place. It provides enough power to satisfy the majority of buyers and has the fundamental solidity and material quality of the G37. Dynamically, this car is on par with the 328i and is far more involving than the IS 250.

The G25, with Its 2.5-liter VQ engine, is otherwise nearly identical to the larger-engined G37. It still bests the BMW 328i on the features front, offering things such as an extra gear in the transmission and Xenon lamps for more than $2,000 less.

If we’re honest, the thought of a G sedan with substantially less horsepower is not particularly appealing. After all, who prefers a slower car? But the real-world experience was surprising. At less than $32,000, the G25 is a good deal. It undercuts many of its competitors

With a respectable amount of standard content and decent road manners, the Infiniti G25 stacks up as an attractive offering—well equipped, comfortable, and nice to look at.

Unless power and performance are primary concerns for your luxury sport sedan decision, the 2011 Infiniti G25 is an excellent choice. There’s more than enough power for the average driver, in a well-mannered package.