Infiniti I35 review: a forgotten grey-market curiosity in Bahrain
2.7/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
Buy an I35 only if you understand exactly what you are getting: a mechanically sound, genuinely comfortable 2000s sedan with none of the factory parts network, warranty path or resale liquidity that come with an officially imported car. It is a fine project or curiosity for someone who already owns a daily driver; it is a poor choice as your only car in Bahrain.
Pros
- Mechanically proven third-generation Maxima underpinnings
- V6 power and comfort well ahead of most Bahrain-market sedans its age
- Genuinely rare, which appeals to a specific kind of enthusiast buyer
- Any competent independent Nissan workshop can service it
Cons
- Never officially sold in Bahrain; every example is a private import
- No factory warranty path or Infiniti-branded parts supply in the region
- Very small resale pool makes reselling slow and uncertain
- Dated four-speed automatic and safety equipment by modern standards
Infiniti launched in the Gulf only in the mid-to-late 2000s, well after the I35's 2002-2004 production run had ended. That means the I35 was never sold here through an authorized channel, and it never will be; every example on Bahrain's roads arrived as a private import, most likely from the United States or Japan, where the same car was sold as the Nissan Cefiro.
What you are actually buying
Underneath the Infiniti badge is a well-proven third-generation Nissan Maxima: a 3.5-litre V6, front-wheel drive, and a four-speed automatic that is simple by modern standards but genuinely reliable when maintained. Any independent workshop in Bahrain that services older Maximas can work on an I35 without needing Infiniti-specific knowledge, because there mostly is not any to have.
The honest limitation is everything around the car rather than the car itself. There is no factory warranty path, no Infiniti-branded parts supply chain in the region, and a resale pool small enough that finding a buyer when you want to sell may take considerably longer than for a mainstream Nissan of the same age.
Treat an I35 as what it realistically is in Bahrain: an interesting, mechanically sound curiosity for an owner who already has reliable daily transport and wants a project, not a sensible primary car for a buyer who needs dealer support and predictable resale.