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Re-activateAs we return to Connecticut, this is the final chapter in our quest for an Infiniti G35 without AWD, though we will continue to report on our findings online, and in Consumer Reports magazine.
Day 2, 8:25 AM - I cruise out of Maryland and head toward that ultra-boring strip of highway known as Interstate 95. But I'm on a mission to bring this car back to our track this day, and the G35's luxurious interior and fine-sounding stereo make the miles of dull highway bearable. Plus, there are signs for Starbucks located at the rest areas.
10:30 AM - Found a great college radio station out of Philadelphia, WXPN. Cruising north in New Jersey, I'm amazed at the responsiveness of the G35's 3.5-liter V6 engine. It feels so powerful that it's almost like Nissan put a turbocharger in it and didn't tell anybody. You could build an entire car company around this powerplant. Come to think of it, they basically did.
As I enter the final stretch of asphalt leading toward the George Washington Bridge, I pull in to the Vince Lombardi rest area for a break. This football coach was known for wise, inspiring messages to his players -- you best be a convincing leader if you're trying to get men to play ball in the numbing Wisconsin winter -- but the one that stands out in my mind and seems to represent my trip to deliver the G35 is summed up here:
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
1:30 PM - After about 12 hours and 777 miles, the G35 arrives in Connecticut. If the trip computer is accurate, I averaged about 23.9 mpg on mostly highway driving. (We recorded 20 mpg overall in the last G35 we tested, and this one isn't broken in yet.) I didn't stagger in and lie "exhausted on the field of battle," but I certainly felt victorious in bringing this test car home. Stay tuned for the full test of this sedan and several upscale peers.--Mike Quincy
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