2002 Infiniti G20 review from North America
"Nice well-built car, comfortable and reliable, but somewhat under-powered"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Very reliable in this mid-mileage range.
General comments?
Purchased this car in 2004 when our daughter left for college and we no longer needed the room of our Acura MDX. Also had sold a pop-up trailer and no longer needed a vehicle capable of towing it. The Infinity was selected because it offered a similar level of creature comforts (leather, Bose stereo, climate control and power everything), but had a fuel-efficient 4 cylinder engine.
I like the styling, air dams, alloy wheels, overall lines of the car. Very comfortable and well built. Leather seats are comfortable on long trips. Generally handles very well, but the suspension does not take bumps well. Have to slow WAY down for speed bumps.
Sound system works well, but could use a subwoofer as bass is all the way up for most CDs. Road noise is minimal. Moon roof operates well, but don't drive with open over 45 mph unless you enjoy a wind tunnel. Climate control is a little uneven and does not compare favorably with that in the Acura MDX. I frequently have to make manual adjustments to mode, fan speed, etc. whereas the in Acura I just set it and drove.
Gas mileage is good; about 26 MPG in town and up to 35 on the highway. However, the car is underpowered, even compared to other 4 cylinder models I've owned (we currently also have a Subaru Forester and Nissan Sentra, both standard transmission, both better performers). May be the auto transmission gear ratios. Seems to take forever to get from 0 to 50 MPH. A standard transmission would probably be a significant improvement, as would, I suspect, the turbo model (G20T). I would consider buying another G20, if standard transmission and/or turbo model. Unfortunately, Infinity is catering to the gas-guzzling habits of us Americans and no longer even makes a car with a 4-cylinder engine.
Recommended reviews
| Quick, efficient, luxurious, and practical at a very reasonable price. |
| A stylish, reliable, and practical car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 4 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 40000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 58000 miles |
| Previous car | Acura MDX |
| Date of Entry | 27th May, 2006 |