1996 Infiniti I30 A Wolf in Infiniti's Clothing. By Helen V. Hutchings, New Car Test Drive .com

Are you the kind of person who shops at Nieman Marcus or Loehmanns? Sears or

Montgomery Ward? When you buy frozen veggies in the supermarket, does the store brand

suffice, or will only the gourmet brand do? The answer to these questions will go a

long way in determining whether Infiniti's new I30 is the car for you.

Infiniti is Nissan Motor Corporation's luxury division, and they have been selling

automobiles Stateside since 1990 when they introduced their flagship, the Q45. The

I30 is Infiniti's latest offering. It's a mid-level, front-drive luxury sedan slotted

between the V8-powered Q45, the rear-drive J30, and Infiniti's entry-level, 4-cyl.

G20.

In the crowded entry-luxury segment, the I30 competes against some real standouts

like the new BMW 328i, the Mazda Millenia S, the Lexus ES300 and even Nissan's Maxima.

Luckily for Infiniti, the I30 is blessed with solid performance and luxury car

credentials that deliver on its promises. But, is it worth the premium? That all

depends.