The optional sports suspension includes special shocks and springs and P215/55VR17 Goodyear Eagle RS-A summer tires. It rides nicely with this setup, comfortable but firm. There's a bit of wind noise at 70 mph.

The G35 feels stable at high speeds and motors around fast sweepers without drama. The driver feels well connected to the road, less isolated than in an Acura TL. On winding roads it rewards the driver with quick, precise steering that offers good feedback. Drive it harder and it responds beautifully. It never surprises the driver with errant behavior. A skilled driver will discover that the chassis can be rotated or steered with the throttle.

The G35 doesn't have the razor sharp response of a BMW 3 Series, and the rear end bobs a bit in fast, sweeping fast turns especially those with undulations. But don't get us wrong: this is clearly one of the best sports sedans in the class with much better handling than any of the front-drive cars. The G35's long wheelbase, low center of gravity, aerodynamic downforce, and lightweight suspension are all designed to keep its tires on the road where they can generate maximum grip. This makes the G35 quicker and more satisfying to drive than an Acura TL. The Acura TL Type S begins to lose composure when pushed hard on rough roads with sharp corners; asked to steer and propel the car at the same time, the TL's front tires begin to lose grip.

The G35's handling characteristics are designed to be less-fatiguing on the driver, a benefit its developer learned from fielding sports prototypes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in Group C racing. Using a large-diameter tire instead of wide tire makes the contact patch longer rather than wider for less noise and improved wet performance. Also, the tires are less sensitive to camber changes and benefit from better sidewall support than that of a wider tire with a smaller diameter.

The G35's V6 engine produces a nice sporty exhaust note. There's lots of low-rpm torque, more than what's available on the Acura TL Type S, Lexus IS 300, and Mercedes C320. This makes the G35 feel very responsive around town. Stand on the gas and it delivers brilliant acceleration performance. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, according to Car and Driver magazine.

The five-speed automatic transmission is super smooth in normal usage and quite responsive when pressed. It features a manual mode, which can be selected by pushing the shift lever to the right then selects among the five gears. Some drivers find pushing the lever to the outside awkward, but I didn't find it to be a big issue. Select a gear, such as third, and the transmission will still automatically shift down to second when needed, but not up past third or whatever gear is selected; it'll hit the rev limiter if the driver forgets to shift up. This manual mode reduces the tendency for the transmission to uphshift unnecessary on winding, mountainous roads. That can make for more enjoyable driving because it won't shift up to fourth when you lift off the gas as you prepare to brake for the next corner, providing the benefit of some engine braking. Still, it's so responsive in the regular automatic mode, I tend to put it in Drive and leave it there.