2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe or sedan, these are great driver's cars. By Mitch McCullough, New Car Test Drive .com

The Infiniti G35 badge represents a sports sedan and a sport coupe, both based on the stellar rear-wheel-drive Nissan 350Z sports car. And the 2004 Infiniti G35 sedan is available with all-wheel drive.

The rear-wheel-drive G35 sedan was introduced in March 2002, representing an affordable alternative to the BMW 3 Series sedans. It was followed by the G35 coupe, a luxurious and practical version of the Z. The new G35X borrows its , all-wheel-drive setup from the superb Infiniti FX luxury crossover vehicles.

The G35 sedan boasts all the hallmarks of a true sports sedan: powerful engine, rear-wheel drive, sports suspension, performance tires, excellent brakes, balanced weight distribution, and a driver-oriented cockpit. It handles better than most front-drive sedans and it boasts more horsepower than the rear-wheel-drive BMW 330i, Lexus IS 300, and Mercedes-Benz C320.

Infiniti's daring design, with stacked headlamps, catamaran fenders, and short overhangs give the G35 a unique look we find appealing. It's also practical, offering more interior space than other cars in the near-luxury class. Best of all, it costs less than the BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes.

The G35 coupe is essentially a longer, more luxurious GT version of the Nissan 350Z. It's longer than the Z, has a trunk instead of a hatchback, and it has a rear seat that can be used to transport the smaller members of the family.

The 2004 Infiniti G35 is available as a four-door sedan or two-door coupe that seats four. All models are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, the same engine used in the Nissan 350Z. A five-speed automatic transmission with a manual-shift mode is standard, but a six-speed manual is available on some models.

All G35 models ride on a four-wheel independent multi-link suspension and come with electronic stability control and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS, Brake Assist, and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). Safety equipment includes dual-stage front air bags, curtain airbags designed to provide head protection for front and rear passengers, and front-seat side-impact airbags designed to provide thorax protection. A tire-pressure monitoring system has been added as standard equipment for 2004.

The G35 sedan ($27,950) comes with cloth upholstery and a long list of standard features, including automatic climate control, heated power mirrors, and a 120-watt AM/FM/CD/cassette stereo with RDS. 2004 models come with new 17-inch aluminum wheels. The sedan's 3.5-liter V6 is rated 260 horsepower at 6000 rpm, and 260 pounds-feet of torque at 4800 rpm.

The coupe ($29,250) shares all of the sedan's equipment, plus high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon headlamps; six-way power driver's seat; two-way power passenger's seat; a more powerful, 160-watt stereo; wider tires (with the rear tires wider than the fronts); and chromed exhaust tips. The coupe's suspension is stiffer, and its engine is tuned for a little more power, 280 horsepower and 270 pounds-feet of torque.

The sedan with leather upholstery ($30,100) is considered a separate model and also comes with an eight-way power driver's seat, four-way power passenger's seat, heated seats for driver and passenger, steering wheel audio controls, illuminated visor vanity mirrors and HID headlamps.

The coupe with leather ($31,550) is similarly equipped, but uses the same six-way power driver's seat.

A six-speed manual transmission is available for leather models. The six-speed leather sedan ($29,850) comes with nearly all the same equipment as its automatic counterpart, but deletes traction control and adds a sport-tuned suspension, viscous limited-slip differential, and W-rated performance tires in place of the standard V-rated all-season tires.

The six-speed leather coupe ($32,450) also comes with a limited-slip rear and W-rated performance tires, but up-sized to 18 inches; plus heavy-duty Brembo brakes, a double-mass flywheel, and additional titanium interior trim.

The newest member of the G35 family is the G35X all-wheel-drive sedan ($31,900), which is equipped similarly to the automatic sedan with leather. It is not offered with a manual transmission.

Premium Packages for the sedan ($3,050) and coupe ($2,250) add more luxury equipment, including a glass sunroof, premium Bose audio, automatic headlights, a HomeLink transmitter, dual-zone temperature control, and other features. Automatic sedans can be upgraded with the sport-tuned suspension ($425), and automatic coupes with leather can be equipped with 18-inch wheels ($900). Other options include the glass sunroof ($1,000), premium Bose audio ($900), Sirius satellite radio ($400), and DVD-based navigation ($2,000). Not all options are available on all models, however.