Nice exterior: I receive comments all the time on this car because Infiniti in general is so rare around here. The feature/price ratio was impossible to beat. Very sturdy build. Nice pickup when you are at highway speeds.

0-60 acceleration could be a bit faster. Especially for a car based on the Nissan Maxima. Infiniti really hyped up the "class-leading horsepower" bit, but the I30 has 0-60 acceleration in the neighborhood of a Dodge Neon. All else being said, considering the price and the fact that Nissan/Infiniti cars last forever, there is nothing else really wrong with this car.

An awesome piece of machinery. I purchased the I30t, and the ride isn't "harsh" like some would have you believe. After having the windows tinted, the car looks fabulous. When the dealer asked me when I was thinking about buying, I told him something along the lines of "6 months from now" and he was still very cordial with me. I just didn't understand the allure of the Lexus ES300, aside from the "name". There wasn't enough offered to distinguish between that and the Toyota (I forget its name) that just came out, and the Lexus dealer really had some attitude problems. If you want a nice car that is going to receive some looks, offer a nice ride with acceptable performance, last a while, and not break the bank, you really can't go wrong with this car. There are rumours about an upgraded engine in the 2002 model, so you might want to wait for two months and see if '01s start becoming discounted.

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Acura TL: Boring looks. Lexus ES300 - Was treated with disrespect by the dealer.

acceleration is great, great style, comfortable seats, great Bose system

Steering wheel shakes after 80mph, metallic brakes feel strange sometimes, Thin outer layer (could dent easily)

I just purchased the car, but I fell in love with it at first sight. I love the acceleration (v-6 engine). I am confused by the cruise control buttons... why is the on/off switch behind the steering wheel and the other 3 cruise control buttons are on the steering wheel. The trunk release is on the driver side door, I hit it a lot getting out of the car, which is very annoying. So far it is a great car, get lots of compliments and very great handler on the road.

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Maxima GLE

excellent navigation system, bun-warmers and strong heater/ac system; great-looking wood dash accent, great stereo, quiet ride, excellent visibility and bright headlights are a plus. powerful engine and standard leather, rear sunshade and sunroof are also big plus.

there are few, which i would enumerate here: the speedometer is placed incorrectly on the left side, and it's a little bothersome when driving - switching your eyes to the road and back to the speedo gage. it should be placed on the right side (and the tacho on the left), where it's easier when driving and looking down at your speedo occasionally. a few times i hit the radio control located on the steering wheel while turning and the music is either reversed or forwarded accidentally. splash guards should have come standard with the car. another thing is the climate control button that's a little hard to push up or down to operate the fan. i think a turning knob would be easier, like the climate control knob. seats should be thicker, especially the back seats(i think the acura TL seats are much thicker). infiniti should tint the glass a little bit darker. rear spolier should be made available as an option to both models. a side-mirror turn signal and a two-tone paint would make it a perfect competitor to the other higher-priced luxury vehicles.

excellent dealership. you will be treated well and a good deal should be waiting for you. this is one good car that i'm sure will last for years to come. excellent value for your money. highly recommended to people looking for a new luxury sedan that will haul one family comfortably.

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acura 3.2 TL (drives and rides more like an accord); mercedes c320 (more money for less gadgets); lexus es300 (more money for less car); lincoln LS (not so good reviews and more expensive; volvo s-60 (no comparo)

Engine is very smooth. Stereo is top-notch Bose -- 6 disc cd changer works well (though trunk placement is somewhat inconvenient). very comfortable (daughter says back seat is comfortable too). Price (bought new at that price including the 6 disc cd changer). Dealership was low key low stress, service department is excellent (however, at 50k miles still haven't done anything outside of regular service). Free 60k full warranty (vs the Maxima 36k).

It's a frigging dent magnet... people seems to take delight in hitting it in parking lots... 5x now... I got tired of repairing it so I covered one with a bumper sticker... guesss what?, the bumper sticker was hit and damaged within a week. Actually, I haven't found any real weaknesses except if you leave it parked too long, the battery will run down. Also, a little boring design -- may daughter calls it "an old people car", but this old man likes it.

At $30k+ a little overpriced; however if you can get one for $25k as I did, you cannot go wrong. A few months ago I took a ride in a friends BMW, now that was a sweet ride and I was starting to think that the I30 was not as good a deal as I thought -- then he told me he paid only about $37k for it and it was only 3 years old. Yikes! I stick with my decision on the value the I30 represents.

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Infiniti G20. One of the best cars I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Handled better than the I30, but is a little too small for my family.

Reliability, 0-60 Acceleration, Comfort, Stereo, Space and overall value. Put new wheels on it and add subs and you'll have a great ride.

Looks a little boring compared to new BMW 3 series and GS430. The i30 has weak boost around 60mph, doesn't compare to the BMW, Lexus V8, Lincoln V8 or Jag V8 in that arena, so I'm looking to outfit it with Stillen aftermarket parts and raise HP.

Bought the 97 i30 at the end of 99 and have never lifted a finger to maintain it. I'm recommending this car so heavily because I've spent the last 3 months looking for a new car because I can afford a bigger more expensive car now... and guess what, I'm having a hard time finding a match. Almost bought a used Jaguar XK8. Not much compares to an XK8 looks wise, and it was fun to drive, but I'm not paying 40k to have problems with the car. Reliability is an issue with them it seems. It had lots of sqeaks and imperfections, but was beautiful! Besides, I still get in my i30 and even with the crappy winter tired its quick and fun to drive. Not as fun as a Jag, but I'll also make it to the coast this summer without breaking down.

Here's the deal, I'm a HUGE Nissan/Infiniti fan and want to pimp its goodness. I'm in my mid 20's so I'm not an old crooner, the large between the seats CD compartment is stuffed with about 100 caseless CDs. This car rocks IF you upgrade the wheels and stereo a bit. I put on 16" Borbet Type H (check tirerack or ebay) with Yokohama tires, helps looks and handling a lot. In hindesight I should have put on 17's but didn't want that ghetto look. People actually do look at it now with a happy expression, the old wheels had that "bored housewife" look to them and were ugly. They make good snow wheels though being so narrow. Threw 2 Kicker 12" subs in the trunk on top of the Bose stock stereo and its just amazing. The suspension after 42k miles is a little squishy so I'm upgrading all that this spring with Stillen aftermarket parts, new shocks, strut supports etc... This spring also putting on new muffler, air intake and stillen intermediate pipe. Researching the Supercharger. I hear with the supercharger this'll blow the GS430 off the road.

I recommend this car or the Maxima to anyone who wants a great, reliable and fun car that is practical and at the same time fun with a few inexpensive upgrades put into it. I'm putting 20k miles on it this summer with road trips and look forward to it.

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Lexus GS430, 94 Maxima, 97 Jaguar XK8, Lincoln LS, BMW 750il, Audi A4, BMW 330ci coupe. All great cars on this list (except the audi which blew), the 750 naturally blows it away, but the rest are comprable. Jaguar rocked but scared me with reliability, Lexus costs too much, 94 Maxima was my old baby, the i30 reminds me of it, but better. Lincoln LS was wonderful, but shifted funny and didn't accelerate off the gate fast enough. 330 was too small, but really nice. Love BMW 3 series.

Cars have always been a passion for me, and I take the car buying process very seriously. After much research and many comparisons (Acura TL and CL, M-Benz C230 Kompressor, Lexus ES300 and BMW 300 series, among others), I absolutely fell in love with the I30 during the first test drive. As a matter of fact, I was heading for an Audi dealership (to test an A4), when I happened into Southwest Infiniti of Houston; I bought my new I30 that same day. My experience with Southwest was amazing (and continues to please even after the sale!). My new I30 has been absolutley flawless since I drove it off the lot 5 months (and 13,000 miles) ago...I have never had such a trouble-free experience with any new vehicle before. This car is an absolute dream to drive...excellent handling, comfort, responsiveness, killer Bose stereo, velvet ride, unbelievably quiet and tight at speed...awesome!

Okay, if I have to pick one miniscule weakness, it is positioning of the cruise control...the "cancel" button is awkwardly placed between the "resume-accelerate" and "coast" buttons...it's too easy to hit "cancel" when fumbling for the "set" button...(I actually feel guilty about complaining about anything in such a terrific car as this!)

I think I can sufficiently sum up my feelings about my new I30 in just a few choice words: I'll never buy another brand again...I'm now an Infiniti "family member", and I intend to stay in the family for life!

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I've owned M-Benz, BMW, Porsche in the past...certainly no comparison with any of these autos to the rock-solid reliability of the I30. The infiniti warranty blows them away, as does the dealership's committment to total customer satisfaction. As a woman, I felt belittled by many of the other maker's dealerships. I was treated as if I could'nt pour piss out of a boot, much less understand the inner workings of an internal combustion engine (what they don't know is that as a teenager, I turned wrenches on big-block "bowtie" motors...my favorite was a 454 LS6!). I did'nt have that problem at the Infiniti dealership....I had a truly wonderful car-buying experience (for the first time in my adult life!).

Strong ride, responsive acceleration (test drove with 5 adults in the car!), excellent sound system, all of the "little things" (automatic climate controls, auto-tinting rearview mirror, stereo and cruise controls on steering wheel, power sunroof, memory seats, etc.) included. Dealership experience was actually enjoyable!

Nothing yet and don't expect anything.

I would absolutely recommend this car. I have not found any short-comings. The car is mechanically exciting with a splash of luxury that is hard to find elsewhere.

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2001 Nissan Maxima GLE - not even close; Lincoln LS - many of the same features but with a heaftier price

I30T is an awesome car, fit and finish are excellent and refinement is impeccable from the engine, suspension,cooling,ac, ect, ect, ect...
As far as styling , it is a beautiful car that is sporty as well. Best of both worlds. Very comfortable and quiet as well. Car feels strong and solid as if were made of one solid piece of steel. Sound System. 60/40 fold down seats.

Ride was a little stiff until I upgraded tires , since I have the 17 inch rims on the T package , I upgraded to firestone tires sz50s. What a difference , quieter and ride is way more comfortable not as stiff even with the sport suspension.

The guy below does not know what the hell he is talking about. The I30T is an exceptional automobile that provides a beautiful , powerful, comfortable ride and an outstanding value. The have great representation at the dealerships as well , right on par with Lexus representatives. In the future , I would like to see the addition of varible valve timing like that found on Acuras and Lexus. If you think the engine is stong now, imagine how strong it will be with VVTI. Once nissan/infinity do this The car will be an absolutely perfect powerhouse , thicker glass would be nice as well.

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LEXUS GS430, yes I love and prefer to drive this car for the sportier looks and performance but the refinement and creature comforts are available on both cars. The I30T's rear seat is more spacious that the Lexus. Avalon 2000 XLS (I liked the car and it had a very supple ride but it was not inspiring, it was quiet, and extremely comfortable front and back seats) To bland for me and the wife though)

Excellent handling, and acceleration. Great stereo. Good looks. Nicer interior than competitors.

Not a thing

As a matter of personal preference this car fits me to a T. I was looking for a midsize luxury car on a lower 20's budget. I looked, researched and test drove just about everything. The Infiniti always came out on top. The similarities between it and the Avalon are astonishing. The Infiniti is a better car though. I was really impressed with the handling, acceleration, and the stereo. When I get rich, the Q45 is on top of my list. I highly recommend this car or any Infiniti product. Their sales and service teams are top-notch, and the overall quality of their vehicles cannot be beaten.

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Tested Toyota Camry and Avalon. Camry-not even close. Better suspension and stereo than Avalon. Tested Lexus ES300-see Camry. Tested Hondas and Acuras-found the I30 to be a better car in more ways than one. Looked at Cadillac's- too expensive to keep.

Comfort, power, handling & room for three teenage girls in the back seat.
The dealer service is fantastic.

Too quiet and smooth on the highway (g). No alarm to go off when the speed limit is exceeded significantly.

Probably one of the very best secrets out there.

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Lexus es300.