Five-Point Inspection: 2013 Infiniti M35h

Hybrid does not have to mean boring, and the Infiniti M35h proves it outright. With 360 hp on tap, this cruiser makes a strong case in the luxury hybrid segment against the likes of the BMW 5 Series ActiveHybrid. And with a starting MSRP of $54,750, it undercuts BMW’s hybrid cruiser by about $7,000, and even Lexus’ GS hybrid by about $4,000.

The M35h also holds the distinction of being the fastest accelerating hybrid on the market, which presents the promise of sporty driving experience. Does the the M35h deliver?

Read on to find out more about Infiniti’s fuel efficient 5 Series fighter.

The M35h carries an EPA fuel rating of 27 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined, besting the V6 powered M37 by 9 mpg in the city. In our time with the car, we managed 28 mpg between a mix of highway cruising and city driving. Due to the plentiful amount of smooth power that come when the accelerator is pressed, we had trouble keeping our foot out of the gas, but thankfully, the car still returned decent fuel numbers with no extra effort from the driver.

While it doesn’t compete power wise with the M56’s 420-hp V8 option, it delivers solid performance and a solid 11 extra mpg combined over the big V8.

Hammer down and the M35h gets up and runs with haste thanks to a Infiniti’s 3.5-liter V6 combined with a 67-hp electric motor. The brakes are consistent and powerful, the throttle response is sharp, and best of all, there is no lag or any indication that anything but a naturally aspirated engine powers this car. An available Eco mode does a lot to dull that response, but that can be changed to suit the driver’s liking. Returning those fuel economy numbers with this much kick under the hood is a compelling argument in favor of M35h.

In comparison, we found that BMW ActiveHybrid 5 to have some inconsistent brake pedal feel, constantly reminding the driver what is at work under the hood. In the Infiniti, all that technology is hidden thanks to the smooth nature of the controls.

The only area where the M35h promises and falls short is in the handling department. The car tends to understeer and has a hard time sticking in the corners – unlike it’s little bother, the G. A smooth ride, combined with light steering do make this car an ultra-smooth luxury cruiser, but zap it of any of its sport credentials. With dynamics less than what we’d want, to be fair, it delivers exactly what is needed for the segment, though not what the title of world’s fastest accelerating hybrid would denote.

The automatic lane keep assist system works subtly by pulling on the brakes slightly to bring the car back to the center of the lane when one of the road lines is touched. It is not an intrusive system, and never once did it seem like it was overcorrecting, or doing anything counter intuitive to what the driver would want. For the better part of three minutes, the M35h drove itself (on a flat straight highway), but the system isn’t fool proof.

Cracked and faded lines are the first obstacle, as the car can no longer see the boundaries it is supposed to keep. Even double yellow lines or dotted white lines proved to be a little confusing for the system, which sometimes reacted to them and sometimes didn’t.

Don’t count on the lane-keep assist to drive, but as a just in case system, it functions in the background with minimal driver interference, exactly as it should. And for the perpetually sleepy driver, it could save a life.