Sleek, Sexy, Fun: Hitting South Beach in the Infiniti G37 Convertible

A Girls Guide To Cars | Sleek, Sexy, Fun: Hitting South Beach In The Infiniti G37 Convertible - Infiniti G37

A 20th anniversary requires a sexy vacation. And a sexy vacation requires a sexy car. Say “sexy car” to my gearhead husband and he conjures up images of throaty hot rods that can do zero-140 mph in 15 seconds. Say “sexy car” to me and I conjure up images of high-end convertibles, all sleek lines, purring engine and responsive handling.

From this day forward, I will think of the Infiniti G37 when I think of a sexy car.

Nissan loaned us an Infiniti G37 to drive during our second honeymoon in South Florida. We tooled up and down along the ocean, from Fort Lauderdale and the wondrous Everglades to South Beach and its hedonistic lifestyle, top down, wind snarling our hair, smiles on our faces.

In my BC (Before Children) days, I drove a Saab 9-3 convertible. It was the only car I’ve ever truly loved. Like many moms who have gone before, I mourned a little the day we traded it in on a Dodge Durango, with its convenient third-row seat and plenty of cargo space to tote the soccer team and all of their gear.

Infiniti G37 1The sleek and sexy Infiniti G37 with its top downDriving the Infiniti brought it all back. There’s nothing like that feeling of freedom that comes only from cruising with the top down–and no kids in back. 

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This Infiniti had several things over my beloved Saab, but these two stand out: 

  • It’s a hard top, so it wouldn’t look out of place even in Chicago’s harsh winter. The Saab, with its soft top, always looked a little pathetic sitting under a few inches of snow.
  • The aerodynamics seem significantly better. Driving with the top down on the highway in the Saab was an ear-numbing experience. Hubby and I would have to yell to be heard over the roaring wind that left us feeling battered by the end of a drive. The Infiniti was, of course, louder with the top down (there was virtually no road noise when the top was up), but it was possible to talk and hear the navigation system even while driving on the interstate.

Our week in Miami featured practically perfect convertible weather, except for the one day when the monsoons came. Luckily, we saw it coming in time to put up the top. The downpour gave us a good chance to see just how this sporty car could handle under challenging circumstances. It did just fine, even as we stressed over our inability to see more than 20 feet in front of us, despite the wipers running at full speed.

Would I buy an Infiniti G37? Sure, if all my extra money weren’t going to college tuition right now—and it will for the next six years. But after that, I can see light at the end of my mom car tunnel. 

And I’m pretty sure it’s a convertible coming at me.

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What We Loved
Leather seats
4-way individual climate controls
Navigation system (which had a very soothing voice)
Bose sound system
More technology than my Luddite husband could handle 
Push button starter
7-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode (my husband loved this!)
Easy one-button convertible hard top (although the otherwise roomy trunk space was virtually non-existent once the top was stowed)
Responsive handling, even on slick surfaces
Individual temperature controls
Seat warmers (although we didn’t need them in South Florida, they are a necessity in Chicago)

Tilting steering column and gauges that my 6-foot, 3-inch husband loved

What You Need to Know
$62,415 for the model we drove (though it was pretty fully loaded)
Rear wind deflector is optional for an extra $545, but well worth it for the quiet ride
Decent fuel economy for a sporty model at 17 city/25 highway
Warranty is four years/60,000 miles

Cindy Richards is a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist who serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the TravelingMom LLC companies, TravelingMom.com,... More about Cindy Richards