Infiniti I30

Infiniti I30 Models

The Infiniti I30 is available in two models, I30 Luxury Sedan and I30t Touring Sedan.

Trim levels are identical. Both models come with the same 227-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 and 4-speed automatic transmission, a smooth, quiet drivetrain that provides excellent performance.

Ride and handling are the main differences between the I30 and I30t. The I30 offers a more luxurious ride, while the I30t is tuned for sporty handling.

The Infiniti I30 Luxury Sedan comes with numerous features we'd expect to find on a luxury sedan, plus some others that surprised us. Large and roomy, the interior sports an elegant design with handsome leather seats. Automatic temperature control, leather wrapped steering wheel and supple leather seating surfaces add comfort and warmth. A 200-watt Bose AM/FM/Cassette/CD audio system, tuned to the I30's interior, further enhances the car's elegance. Heated seats and heated outside mirrors are an option.

The I30t Touring Sedan receives all the luxurious treatment of the I30, but is tuned for more precise handling. Its Touring suspension reduces body roll in corners, while wider, larger-diameter tires (225/50VR17) mounted on alloy wheels provide greater grip. A viscous limited-slip differential is added to provide better grip when accelerating out of tight corners. I30t also comes standard with High Intensity Discharge Xenon low-beam headlights offer improved visibility on dark roads.

Driving the Infiniti I30

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 Infiniti 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 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.