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| The 1999 through 2002 G20 shows the most character in its rear end design, especially in its taillights - presage to the I30 restyle that followed. (Photo: Infiniti) |
This no doubt has much to do with the G20's lack of a distinct character. While a few racy add-ons came with the Touring model, the G20's basic design never stood out enough from the crowd of European sport sedans to garner the attention needed to succeed. I never heard the coffee-shop banter from the neighboring tables expressing an undying admiration for its design or performance supremacy, like I did for the A4 or 3-Series respectively. There was no reason for lust, nothing really that made headlines, just another good reliable car from Infiniti.
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| The G20's 140-hp 2.0-L 4-cylinder was a smooth and capable performer among its rivals. It also boasted the best J.D. Power reliability rating in the compact premium segment. (Photo: Infiniti) |
That last point deserves mention. Infiniti ranks second only behind Lexus in J.D. Power's respected 2002 Vehicle Dependability Index, and the other Japanese luxury marque didn't have a car to compete in the G20's category at the time. Infiniti's 194 problems per 100 vehicle rating placed it well ahead of BMW who placed tenth behind Jaguar with a score of 281. By the way both brands placed well ahead of the industry average of 355.