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Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier
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I believe the G35 has better styling than the competition - inside and out. BMW, Acura, Lexus all look as though they were designed by very competent committees.
G35 seems to have a stronger design concept. Yes, it leads to some quirks, but overall, I feel that the design is stronger for it. I'm tired of the bland aerodynamic styling of other companies - too many cars looking too similar.
Also, the auto transmission is a good selection for me. 95% driving in stop and go city traffic. Unfortunate, but that's life.
The steering was loose as hell and the ride was terrible. The suspension pounded your [non-permissible content removed] into the seat. BMW actually offered a steering fix by changing the steering rack at no charge but I did not do it. I held onto this for three months and sold it for $500 less than I paid for it. Germans do not know how to make comfortable seats unless you spend 60K for the car. The workmanship of the 330I stiching in the seats was not great. The best thing that car had going for it was a folding rear seat. Listening Infiniti? I paid 40,500 for a custom order car with a 43,500 MSRP. If the G35 lives up to the hype for in my case $35K, I'll be very happy.
Other wood trim is the shift knob. No wood on console.
If 95% of your driving is stop and go city
driving then why on earth do you need a relatively large, powerfull, RWD vehicle ?
Is it to step on it from a light 200 yards down to the next light ? I bet that an experienced city driver can keep up with you in that hybrid toyota/honda thing making 60 miles per gallon.
automanual gate - this has nothing to do with left hand drive or right hand drive or Infiniti forgetting to switch sides. Different cars have the gate on different sides - Acura has it on the left, Audi and VW on the right side. I think Lincoln LS has it on the right side too. Chrysler 300M has it at the bottom of the shift plate and shifting action is <-->.
thanks
DL
DL
Lexus RX300: 3924Lb weight, 222Ft-lbs and 220HP
BMW X5: 4519Lb weight, 214Lb/ft and 225HP
Any magazine quotes BMW faster though it's 600 pund heavier and less torque. And my test drive confirm it! You what they said, "German ponies are bigger"
Also the M3 is one of the engine marvels, 333HP from an inline six with no Turbo/Blower ala Benz C32 or Audi S4.
Also wasn't it Infiniti who was in deep water for overstating the 0-60 numbers?
I really wish someone would do some nonbiased auto reporting, call it NBAN NonBiased Auto News
no subjective bull in the text about feal of materials, just numbers and picturers so we can see for ourself, also include insurance claimes ratings to asses reliability. Everything else is subjective.
Wondering if any of you are disappointed that the manual transmission won't come out until 2004 MY. The AutoWeek article says "a true manual transmission won't show up until the G35 enters its second model year".
And NO limited slip differential: "we would have liked a [LSD], but Infiniti says with traction control and VDC it's unnecessary." Odd, the 6-speed manual Maxima SE can be had with LSD. Wonder if the future G35 6-speed manual will too?
gandhim3... The G35 is being introduced today. So you have to compare it to what is out there today! Sure, BMW introduced certain models after the original introduction. But the 325Xi AWD was introduced in mid-1980s, about 15 years ago! The convertible came out in late 1980s. The 3 Series originally came out as a 2 door, then the 4 door was added. But both have been around since mid-1980s. The M3 has also been around for over a decade. Infiniti has been around since the late 1980s when all these 3 Series models were out. But they choose to introduce G35 initially ONLY as a 4-door sedan automatic. Odd and interesting.
http://forums.freshalloy.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=14
I was referring specifically with the timeline for E46 version of the 3 series line. Everyone knows that the 3er has been around for a while.
If you apply your logic, then even Lexus does not have a chance against BMW because applying the grandfather clause means BMW has been around selling all their cars long before Lexus ever existed, and so Lexus is incompetent and does not have a chance. Thats BS! Turning the tables, BMW no longer sells the compact version of the new 3er, but Infiniti continues to sell the smaller G20. (Hey, it is in the G-model family) Does that make BMW inferior and Infiniti superior?!
Introducing new car models is a capital intensive process. Besides the huge manufacturing investment, there is also inventory, and administrative overhead. No car company is going to introduce all the versions of their model at the same time. Besides not having the resources to do so, there is also substantial risk. Say for example (NOT true, but used just for arguments sake), that the latest E46 3er sedan was a collosal flop because it did not live up to the "BMWness" assocaited with the marque. If they just released the sedan, BMW can hold of releasing the other variations and go back to fix whatever was wrong. Now IF BMW had released all the variations at the same time and they were all a collective flop in the marketplace, then BMW would be hurting very badly.
You cannot go around comparing the 3er with the G35, and then go back a decade or two. Selling cars is a business, and Infiniti has to justify the investment. Infiniti will have to sell (successfully) the new G35 with an automatic, to warrant in investment from parent Nissan for other models like the manual and the coupe.
All Sedans: About 53,000 or 56.5%
All Coupes: About 16,000 or 17%
All Convert: About 17,600 or 18.7%
All Wagons: About 3,200 or 3.4%
All M's: About 4,900 or 5.3%
Almost 45 percent of 3 Series sales are NOT the average 4-door sedan. (There is some double counting above due to M's.)
Will be interesting to see how many models of the G35 Infiniti ends up introducing. And how their percentage sales break down over time.
I'll take a great-shifting automatic over a poorly-executed manual transmission anyday.
I'll take a good manual over the best automatic any day. Heck, I'll take a decent manual over a good automatic any day. But I'm not sure there is such a thing as a truly great slushbox! Is a bit of an oxymoron.
Infiniti will lose real sales and real publicity due to not having a manual immediately. Just like Lexus did with IS300. You only get one chance to make a great first impression in this crowded, competitive market segment!
I couldn't imagine an automatic in my 540i 6-speed. I hear 540iA Sports are nice, but not for me. The GM automatic in my wife's 323iA is quite nice. To each their own. But having a choice is best!!!
1. BMW 3 Series has cleaned the sales clock of Lexus IS300. Not even close in sales comparison. IS300 board posters at Edmunds have noted how sales have fallen even as IS300 line is expanded to wagon and manual. First impressions are everything! IS300 didn't live up to them. You don't often get a 2nd chance. That is why the initial impression of new G35 is so critical. BMW, Lexus, MB, Volvo, etc. are not standing still!!!
2. Last time I looked, Nissan was and is one of the WORLD's LARGEST car companies. Maybe somewhere around 5-7th place after GM, Ford, Toyota, and DC. Not sure if bigger than VW or not. And Nissan has Renault's considerable resources behind them. Thus Nissan dwarfs BMW in terms of capital, employees, resources, etc. Nissan is a worldwide giant. They build cars in USA, Europe, and Japan. Do you honestly believe Nissan lacked the money, talent, or resources to launch G35 with both manual and coupe upon introduction???
3. How long has the Nissan Skyline been around? How many markets has it been sold in? Hasn't it been around a long, long time?
4. BMW (like Nissan) has many models in other markets that they either never bring to USA or drop if sales expectations aren't met. You can't buy a 4-cylinder BMW in USA anymore. You can around the world. You can even get odd things like 520i or 520i Touring in Europe you can't get here. BMW also sells diesels we don't get in America. Just like Nissan, they try to tailer particular engines, body styles, and options to individual markets.
5. BMW did sell the 3 Series Compact for about 3 or 4 years in late 1990s. 318ti. They still sell it around the world. Hatchbacks aren't big in the near luxury segment. Just check out Saab's sales and trends for the past decade. I've seen reports of a European M Compact. Who knows, if the latest hatchback craze lasts, BMW might bring the Compact back again. Maybe Nissan will build a hatchback G35?
6. The G20 competed primarily against the 318i and later 318ti. G20 was only 4 cylinder. Nice but underpowered, esp. in automatic form. (The old 318i automatic suffered from same problem. BMW had sense to drop it.) Infiniti sold the first G20 from 1989 to 1996. Then dropped it in USA in 1997 & 1998. But brought it back in 1999 without a 6 cylinder. Big mistake. It was never a hit at any time. That is why it is discontinued due to the G35's arrival. The G35 clearly overcomes the 4-cyl engine problem! Isn't the G20 sold as a lowly Nissan Primera in Europe? Will it still be made and sold after the G20 exits America? Thought it will.
7. Nissan had announced the future availability of manual transmission and coupe versions of G35 BEFORE the G35 was ever sold in USA. They are NOT waiting for G35 to be a monster smash hit before deciding to expand the model range. They made that decision a long, long time ago. But why they delayed after initial introduction in USA is odd and interesting.
Does the side and rear styling remind you of any other car. How bout those tail lights?
1) The IS300 is relatively unsuccessfull not because of a lack of manual but because the car was too narrowly focused. There are only so many 20 year olds that can afford a 30K car. I just can't picture hordes of people turning away at the Lexus dealership because of a lack of a manual. The 3-series has universal appeal.
2) If the car is as good as it is on paper, then a manual will put another dimension on an already successful car.
3) A manual would only account for MAYBE 5% of total sales. I feel that this car is more fitting of an automatic anyway. I have driven many maximas and they are much better off with the auto rather than the 5-speed(or six speed) which had long throws and notchy linkage.
Although I would like to see this car with a manual, I would probably buy one with an automatic if I had the choice (only if it was a good one). Its not an all out sports car, its a very sporty luxury car, one that has the needed HP and torque to make it nice with an automatic. The only way I would think that it needed a manual is if it had a very peaky engine, which it doesn't.
BMW 5series- notice how different the top photos are from the bottom in the picture? the top one is probably more acurate but the bottom one looks edited.
I doubt that 40% of BMW's are sold with manuals in the U.S. I think it's like 15-20% - mostly 3's and Z's.
Amen. The fall of the IS300 is NOT due to manual being released in the second production year. Regardless of manual or no manual for the IS300, the fact of the matter is that the styling is TOO aggressive. It's the styling, stupid. It's either you hate it or love it! There is no in between. No amount of special leasing is going to move this boy racer car. It's a souped up Toyota Corrola that should be badge as a Toyota, not Lexus!
For anyone who predicts that the G35 will be doom due to lack of manual is totally clueless! Even without a manual, the G35 auto will probably stay neck and neck with the 330i manual for $10K less!!! For $15K less, it can stay with the 530i/540i auto. How's that for a bargain? Do you actually think G35 with no manual will be doom? LOL. It's all about pricing and performance!
People who buys the G35 look for style, performance, value, and quality. There's no other Japanese subsitute besides Acura TL/CL that offers that. If Acura is any indication, G35 and the Infiniti management team will follow the footsteps of the highly successful formula from Acura.
The biggest loser in this segment will be the IS300 (until Lexus restyle and offer more bang for the buck like the G35).
Being a big fan of BMW engineering, I am sorry to say that I would not consider future BMWs if these pics are any indication of their styling direction.
I predict Chris Bangle will be out of a job by the end of 2003.
At least the G35 is better looking. Say what you will of the new G35s rear end, it is still way better than what you would get if you bought new 7er (and I suspect, the upcoming 5er as well).
Infiniti, here I come.
With LSD you get a much better launch and exit from corners. You can really feel the LSD working anytime you start driving your car a little harder; like most people who buy a true sports sedan tend to do, drive their cars a little harder. I am sure future G35 owners would gladly pay more to get an LSD. Too bad you don't have the choice. I would rather have the LSD over the high tech trunk hinges and lifts.
First year cars are always the worst ones to buy. They never seem to get it right. It is almost like they don't want to. They need something for next year or the year after to generate new interest in the car. The press always likes something new.
The IS300 is actually is very nice car to drive. I do agree that the effort to try to bring sport to the Lexus name was overdone with the IS300. It lacks substance and prestige - that's the first impression. I used to mistaken it for the Honda Civic all the time.
Also, the G35 is a much more practical car than the IS300. It's more roomy than the BMW 5-series with a larger trunk. Makes me curious about how big the new Infiniti "mid-size" competitor is going to be.
I wrote the G35 off and bought a BMW with manual. I wasn't waiting to see if it ever came with a manual and if my local Infiniti dealer would ever order one with a manual. How many manual tranny I-30s did you ever see on a dealer's lot? Or in any parking lot? I NEVER EVER saw a one. The two Infiniti dealers within a 150 mile radius of me NEVER EVER ordered one. I asked both dealers at the time. Infiniti ended up killing it off and then didn't put a manual in the I-35.
Just wait till the comparison tests are performed on the 2003 G35. They'll all likely point out how it--ALONE amongst all serious all around sport sedans--cannot be had with a manual. Both Cadillac CTS and Lincoln LS can. BMW 325i, 330i, 525i, 530i, and 540i. IS300. Saabs & Volvos. MBs. Etc.
What does all this say in the minds of true enthusiasts? What will the press enthusiasts communicate to the public? You only get one first impression. So why waste it in every article where the writer will make darn sure to say the G35 can't be had with a manual and you'll have to wait a year or more to get one???
Are you guys saying the G35 does not?
That would be a step in the right direction.
Well stated. I couldn't agree with you more.
It appears to me that Infiniti chose to release the car, start the revenue stream coming, get some return on that huge investment required to bring a new model to market, and target it at the largest market segment (i.e. auto tranny) rather than delay release because 6sp wasn't ready. Basically a financial decision where they decide to accept the trade-off of first yr criticism from the auto press vs revenue stream. I have to believe it was a conscious decision, since they talk about the 6sp and when it will be available to try to ease the pain....a conscious but disappointing decision for the enthusiast market which I consider myself part of. This car will not be a serious contender with BMW until the manual tranny comes. The IS300 rollout was hurt like this...and so will the G35.
Remember, the car has to be good first, if its not than a manual will not matter.
Why can't people like the G35 if they are not going to race it? Maybe the public doesn't like a fancy Maxima.
As for the manual vs. auto debate - I REALLY hope that Infiniti follows through with the bundling that it has done so far on the G35.
Work with me here - Infiniti bundles all 6-speed manny cars with sports suspension and a LSD - that is the only way you can get it. And it would be the perfect combo for me. The only other options I would want after that would be Xenon lights and the Bose sound system.
corkfish... Check out the current issue of Motor Trend. Is their long-term wrap-up of 2000 Maxima. Guess which one? The 5-speed manual!!! Read how many automotive press reviews of the Maxima manual model were done from about 1990-2001. The SE manual was the hot car, the one the press wanted to test. It got a lot of publicity for Nissan, far more than the sales figures. But it got positive buzz and brought people into showroom. That is what a serious sport sedan in the full model line up should do. It generates interest and floor traffic.
I was told that I should get mine by mid-March.
If the G35(w/ the sports suspension) drives and handles anything close to my 528 w/ the M-suspension, I'm a happy camper.
Because the G35 will still handel better then the I35 even with an auto, It will still have rear wheel drive, and you still can get a little slide out (dont believe me? go drive an E55 mercedes its auto). and overall a "sports sedan" is a compromise. YES COMPROMISE between luxery and performance, some people want to lean more to the performance side then an I35 but less then a G35 manual. And most importantly 90% of consumers will still want it with an auto. So dont ask silly questions about why other people want something, just worry about what YOU want.