Yep, that's kind of how I thought of the differences too.....luxury/sport vs. sport luxury. Didn't know about possible discontinuance of I35 though....makes sense with the new M car coming in. I think Nissan would do better leaving the I35 in the lineup and scrapping that M car.
Thanks for your response! I think I like the idea of sport/luxury over the other way around...life is too short and I can get all the luxury I want on my leather sofa in the family room!
I just got back from a 2-week drive from So Cal to the Bay Area and back and I was reviewing some recent posts. Faenor, I see that your wife had the misfortune having the G hit in the rear while panic-braking. I hope she is still feeling okay.
I didn't see any report of the damage to your G, though. How did it fare and what has your experience been with repair?
By the way, the only G that I saw in San Francisco or the East Bay was a silver one with Mission Viejo plate holders (Southern Cal), though I did see a green one being driven quite quickly in San Jose.
My wife and I just returned from a 2000 mile trip over two weeks up the coast of California from Orange County to San Francisco and back, with some touring around included. Here are some miscellaneous impressions.
The car performed flawlessly the entire trip, with one tiny exception: a speedometer malfunction that I thought had fixed itself showed up briefly and then disappeared again.
Cruise control was excellent and maintained the pre-set speed effortlessly, though my wife said that the adjustments that I made with the Accel, Decel controls produced surges that she found quite noticeable from the passenger seat.
Ride and high speed handling were great. Steering was so solid and predictable that I found winding roads much more fun to drive. The car just went where I pointed it with no squealing of tires or the torque steer that we are all used to in fwd cars. The famous Route 1 (southbound, hanging on the edge of the continent) was much more relaxing to drive in the G than in any car I have driven there.
Gas mileage was not great, but I got a new high of 24 mpg on the Route 1 drive, no A/C, very little traffic, fairly constant speeds below 60 mph.
Trunk capacity was very good and the trunk swallowed all of our bags and stuff nicely.
The only disappointment was in seat comfort. I noticed that I tend to sit with my feet pointing a bit to the left in the G, possibly to avoid the hump in the center tunnel caused by the transmission being set so far back in the chassis. This causes me to rest my back mostly on the right-hand part of the seat back, which is tiring on my right shoulder blade. In addition, my left knee was often in contact with the door armrest and window control panel. It was better when I consciously tried to sit facing directly forward, but that felt less natural. I must mention that I have a kink in my upper spine, which may contribute to the long term comfort problem, but I haven't had this problem in other cars.
My wife drove for a few hours and she found that the seat controls pressed uncomfortably on her thigh. She doesn't notice this on the power passenger seat.
Also, I needed to use the cruise control because I found that my right ankle got tired holding the accellerator at the correct angle for cruising after an hour or so.
All in all, the car was an excellent sedan for touring. The high speed stability, ride and handling, the quiet and smooth noise control plus the power to pass effortlessly make the G a highly competent highway machine. I would like to see better, more supportive and sport-designed seats and more room for the driver's legs, but the overall package was excellent.
Just an observation, Everytime you click the cruise control acc/decel button the mph will change exactly 1 mph, thus if you are cruising at 65 and want to go 68, just up-click 3 times fast and it will set to 68.
I have made 4 trips to D.C. and have not seen another G. I know there are two dealers in D.C. and one in Baltimore where I got mine. Don't know where the other G's are but I enjoy the looks. Also, being from Pa. I had to take it in for inspection. My mechanic said wow nice car how much 50 something? Gotta love this car.
When I bought my infiniti in May I was looking for one with the navigator. I did not get the navigator as it does not have much details for where I live. I heard that the new StreetPilot III Deluxe does have detailed maps and other information for all US. I'll get one if this is the case but I'm sure as it only comes with one CD. To any of you who had the new StreetPilot III Deluxe or just the StreetPilot III, how much information does it contain compare to the one that comes with the car? Nobody carries it here locally so where is the best place to get it?
no1trust: Did you get the new StreetPilot III Deluxe or just the StreetPilot III? How do you like it?
Sounds like you took the same route I took 3 months ago when my G35 was all of one day old. It's why I jumped the gun and bought my earlier than my wife expected (surprise!). Our 1600 mile trip was awesome, with no problems and we saw only one other G - but that was back in April. I'd have thought you would have seen more by now.
I'd say the section on Hwy 1 thru Big Sur was one of my favorite drives ever, but the wife won the coin toss and had a blast chasing a 540i 6 speed through all those tight curves!
Sorry to hear about the seating comfort problems. We didn't have any discomfort ourselves and after 5400 miles still haven't any complaints to file.
I'm still filling out my JD Powers questionaire and the G scores a 10 in my book.
Orignally posted by Faenor: I hope this answer your question. Tony
Greetings!
I'm one of those who opted not to get the NAV system and now regret it.
In the interim, I purchased a Garmin Street Pilot III... Its a fantastic system and it fits right in the opening when you have the center bin lid up (It sort of nestles right in the opening) and the plastic of the very sturdy unit is almost a perfect match for the graphite interior so many people who don't know assume that it is part of the car
The unit tracks 12 satellites and consistently has an accuracy of less than 16 feet. It uses a lighter adapter for power, and has the full voice prompting...
It has a tremendous database of points of interests as well as even the most obscure of roads.
I always get a kick out of setting it to display the nearest McDonald's and seeing the list of the twelve closest, their relative direction and distance all constantly being updated every second as I drive Did you know that it is virtually impossible to be further than 3 miles from a McDonald's in even a suburban area?
The display is no where as large as the Infiniti NAV screen, but I have no problems reading the streetnames and any info that is critical like the name of the street you are on or the name of the street you are turning onto are displayed in text large enough to read even if you were in another car alongside on the freeway
It doesn't of course do the monitoring of the car's systems like the manufacturer's NAV, but it does everything else and does it well.
I was able to get my Streetpilot for $985.00 including tax and shipping from www.gpsdiscount.com (I have NO affiliation with them, and they are great to deal with!) and this includes the largest RAM chip (256Meg) which allows you to load detailed info for almost half the US... For me it is everything from about Colorado, west to the pacific... You have to buy regions by unlocking the maps that come on the CD with the unit, and you get one region free... I opted for region 1 which is all of California, washington, Oregon, Parts of Arizona and Nevada, and bought region 2 jsut to be a bit more complete even though it will probably be very rare to drive further east than Colorado.
Even if you didn't buy any regions you could still use the unit with the included Base maps which include most major thoroughfares and all highways and freeways, but doesn;t go down to specific address and street level.
One thing that the Garmin unit can do that the Infiniti unit can't is go into another car! Its COMPLETELY portable and I bought a little camera bag to carry it around in and to just generally protect it when I'm not using it. SO that's a big plus.
I'm looking currently for a home to purchase, and talking to my new real estate agent the other day, she asked how many houses I looked at yesterday and I told her 14... Her jaw dropped, and then I told her I had a NAV system in my car and she said "Ohhh! tha makes sense then"
You can punch in addresses, Points of interests, intersections, cities... all manner of things and this thing just spits out the directions for you Its incredible! try finding a particular house in the dead of night using an old fashioned paper map (Yes, it tells you not only what street you;re currently on, but the name of the cross streets coming up, and even the ADDRESSES of the houses as you are driving by them!
Dang, I've written too much! LoL! But I love this thing, and generally mobile NAV altogether.
One thing I have my eye on, is that in Japan, Clarion, Panasonic, and I think JVC are all making aftermarket retrofit NAV systems for the V35 Skyline including the large format screen, DVD player and molded piece that fits right into the upper bin to enclose the screen,a nd looks very very clean...
Only a matter of time before it ends up here, if it isn;t already available somewhere...
I attempted to trade my 02 TL-P for the Infiniti on Saturday. Long story short I need to sell the Acura myself. However, I am now inclined to order a 03 Accord EX V-6. The Infiniti was $33,500 and I like the touch of wood but $550 for Xenons. Acura gives those standard. The Infiniti interior was a little flimsy. Motortrend holds same opinion in lastest edition. Great car to drive and love the looks but the dealer was discounting $1,000 with no hard work but only giving me $22,000 for the 02 TL perfect with 9k miles. I can get $24k easy for the TL and buy the car of my choice later. INKY
I have made comments in the past that the drivers seat can be uncomfortable due to the placement of the power seat controls. I have been made fun of as I am a larger person, but I still like fast cars!! Over time, I have seen lots of people have similar complaints. Has anyone figured out a novel way to deal with this (other than a diet ) The G is a great car, but this is the only thing holding me back.
My wife and I both test drove a G35 over the weekend and enjoyed the ride and just about everything about the car. However, we could both feel the drivers seat controls press against our thighs and wondered if this became an annoying issue during a long drive. I was wondering if anybody notices this. If you do, does it become a nonissue over time, or is it always something you notice.
The seat controls are the only thing holding me back as well. I've test driven the G four times now and find the sweat controls more bothersome each time I drive it. The only other thing I don't like about the car is the tacky Nissan 80s metalic theme on the dash but that wouldn't stop me from buying one. Otherwise a great car.
I've made the same observation. However, I can say that, in my case, my thighs/hips became "numb" to the seat control after about two weeks. However, before that time I had one 350 mile trip that left me rather sore for a couple days.
Over the 4th, we went to my in-laws (~300 miles each way) and noticed no unusual discomfort... As I said, you get numb.
this may sound stupid but I was thinking of getting a piece of dense closed cell foam and covering the power seat module at least on long drives. Most people rarely change the settings.
Initially I was not at all pleased with the seat control comfort, but I really did tune it out 99% and really haven't noticed it the past few months.
Lately, I have become slightly annoyed with the tendency for some portion of the seat to rock and slide when accelerating or braking hard. This is a small but noticeable movement.
I consider these issues pretty small, and I've really enjoyed the car. It handles beautifully, really moves, is stylish, and has had plenty of room for my family and other passengers.
I personally like the placement of the seat controls. It is one the features that sold me on the car. I had cars that have had the seat controls on the doors which I find awkward and on the lower side of the seat which make them hard to adjust. My had does not fit between the doors and the seat. Agreed, you don't adjust them much, but I do adjust the seat on long drives, just to change the position to give my legs and bottom a change.
you're right about getting used to things. Thinking back I've owned cars with off-center steering wheels, lack of headroom, poorly positioned pedals etc and I soon got used to it and never gave it further thought.
I presently drive a TL-S and it's time for something new hence my test driving the G. The G handles a lot better, about the same power (I find), is quieter, is smaller outside but larger inside (good)etc., the seat controls are the only thing making me think twice. Also, great navigation system but that prop rod has to go. Enjoy your cars. Wayne.
Wux, I did not buy the Garmin yet. I want to get the Streetpilot III deluxe because of the audio prompts but I encountered an unexpected and different problem (I haven't solved it yet). I want a laptop (not a handheld) that I can use w/my SprintPCS phone. I bought a laptop after getting instructions from SprintPCS on what kit to get & to call them to guide me on the hookup. SprintPCS then tells me (after buying the laptop/data kit) that their wireless phones will have problems w/Windows XP... which is just about all new laptops. Dell & Gateway have refurbished laptops that have Windows Me, Windows 2000, but I'm reluctant to buy laptops by mail. The few offerings I found at places like CompUSA & Fry's Outpost were being sold "as is"... no returns if I have problems. Anyone have similar problems w/SprintPCS and Windows XP, & possibly a solution? Otherwise, it looks like Dell for me.
Hi Scott. Yes, that was me on July 16 leaving Davies, but since it was early morning I was probably still in a semi-sleep zone (although I vaguely recall someone waving). Been looking for you or your wife in your white G, but haven't seen it in some time. In fact, every time I drive down St. Philips I look for your car (and I've told my kids to be on the lookout as well). Next time I see you or your wife driving, I intend to try and stop you (provided I am not zoned out or having too much fun driving) to say hello. Incidentally, I have noticed quite a few other Gs on the road in Memphis the last couple of weeks or so.
Drove a round trip to Kansas City a couple of weeks ago (to pick up my daughter from her summer ballet program), and the G35 was fantastically comfortable on cruise control, with my mind on vacation with a few good CDs plugged in (however, I just hated those bugs hitting the car). I think the extra money for the Bose 200 watt audio system is well worth it! That trip was the first long drive where my back did not hurt after driving for a full two days, back-to-back. It's amazing how comfortable that drivers seat is on a long trip, and also the passenger seat, as my teenage daughter told me she now actually prefers me over her mother to take her on a long trip, IF I pick her up in my G-35 :>)
In an earlier post, someone mentioned that the there were 'gaps' or holes or something in the interior surfaces if you ordered the base leather without the premium package and/or sport suspension. Can anyone elaborate?
Does anyone have pics of an interior *without* the titanium extra bits you get with these packages?
Hood prop rod? Come on, how often do YOU open your hood compared to the trunk? I favor the weight and expense of the "shock absorber" support system in the trunk where it actually is useful on a regular basis.
Power seat controls on the seat? Not my preference, but after 3 months and 6k miles I rarely notice them there. My first week of ownership was spent on a 1600 mile road trip with long stints behind the wheel...no complaints, and I'm a larger than average guy.
Hey, I don't love EVERYTHING about the G35 either. Just don't let such small issues get blown out of proportion enough to miss out on owning such a spectatular automobile!
I truly enjoy my G35, which I got two weeks ago. My prior car was a 265 HP FWD, and the G35 handling difference is amazing. I now love tightly curved highway off ramps as I don't have to worry about the torque steer I used to get. Now the questions... 1) The burglar alarm does not have a motion detector, making the car vulnerable to being taken by towing. Has anyone put a motion detector in? If so, I'd appreciate details. 2) I am a little person, so the left footrest is too low for me. No, I am not sitting on a phone book to see over the dash. Has anyone found the same issue and has anyone found any way or aftermarket product to raise the footrest?
Know what you mean about the ride on the G35. Just wish my rear was a bit narrower (or the seat controls were on the center console by the auto trans shifter)...
Next time you see me, please feel free to wave me down. However, I'd avoid doing that with my wife. She'd probably freak. She likes the car, but not that much.
Overall I loved the car, getting the chance to test traction in gravel with VDC on/off was intense.
The only caveat was that the armrest wasn't long enough for my wife to use it with both hands on the wheel. Anyone else find that to be an issue? Seems a bit strange to find that in a Japanese car.
Would you mind telling me what kind of car you had that had 265HP hooked up to the front wheels? The most powerful FWD car I know of is the Acura 3.2TL, Type-S and it has 260HP.
Okay, I fudged a bit. It was a 268 HP Volvo S80 T6. Wonderful car in terms of safety, long drive comfort, solid feel, response when putting your foot down when you are already going 65, etc. I also had very good reliability. The torque steer when I punched it hard going below 65 and the turbos kicked in was something to be very aware of.
Does anyone know if Nissan gives employees and family members discounts below invoice on its cars, similar to the American makes? And does it apply to Infinitis as well? If so, I may have to contact a relative in TN for the G35.
Test drove today, and was instantly sold. Brings back memories of my old Mustang GT's, but unlike them, this car handles! Cant wait to pick it up sat. Got a fairly basic car, Luxury, Midnight Blue, Graphite and sunroof. $1,000 off sticker, and overbook for my current ride. So not too bad. The graphite by the way is sweet!. Most of that ugly chrome is gone..just nice and black
ecarmack: I mentioned VPP to the dealer, he says no one does it on the G35. He has had calls from several hundred miles away trying to get one under the plan.
I have a few questions for those of you that own the G35. As a background on my needs, I'm married and have a 5 month old and a 5 year old. It's safe to assume whatever I get WILL have two carseats in the back for at least the first year and then one for the following 5 years. I currently lease a QX4 but the lease ends in January 2003. I've enjoyed the QX4 but I'm ready to get back to something MUCH quieter, quicker and more fun to drive on a daily basis.
The G35 is at the very top of my radar screen for January. However, I'd appreciate your perspectives on it's ability to comfortably transport 2 adults and 2 kids. I'm tall (6' 3")so the front seat will likely be all the way back. This worries me a little in terms of a cramped backseat on long trips. However, specs say the G35 has much better rear-seat legroom than the QX4 and I've managed to make that work. Do any of you have compelling reasons to avoid the G35 for everyday family use? Also, I've read that the interior noise is quiet at highway speeds. Do any of you disagree with this? I realize it's not an LS430 but I'd prefer it to be closer to the LS430 than a Taurus. Lastly, I'm a nut about tight cars...build quality is everything. Squeaks and rattles drive me crazy. What are you experiencing so far?
Not a G35 owner but a good friend is and I ride in his car often. First of all, I don't have much range of motion in my legs and I fit comfortably in the backseat of the G35 (not a big guy though, I'm 5'7" about 145).
The G35's quiet too, except under hard acceleration. Stomp on the gas and the exhaust roars to life. Otherwise it's a sedate driver about town and on the freeway. It loafs along smoothly and quietly at 85-90 mph.
Build quality is rock solid. Like all Infiniti's it's assembled well and will last.
I bought the G35 back in april, I'm 6'3", and have two small boys, 3.5 yrs and 2 months. Two car seats fit just fine in the back, the car is not relly a big car, just a well thought out one. The rear doors swing open a full 80 degrees, making the install of car seats very easy. Even with the driver's seat adjusted for me, I can sit in the back comfortably, a little cramped in head room in back, but plenty of knee room. The car is very quite for hwy cruising. I have a few small rattles, all of which have been fixed.
I'm same height and I can adjust the drivers seat and still have my wife sit behind me.
Also an infant seat fits well behind there. The head room is tight for a 6'3" frame, but if you get the option, you can tilt the rear seats.
I had a couple little squeaks...they attempted to fix one...and now they're both gone. You really notice the squeaks because once you're at cruising speed the interior is very quiet.
I also has that issue with armrest even sit far back in the G, I can't really find a good position to make use of the armrest while driving. I really wish it had the kind of "extendable" armrest like the one on the new Altima or the I35...
My first weekend driving the G, so I though Id give my impressions.
First, boy is it fast! Even tho the engine is still tight and I didnt push it at all, passing and acceleration is amazing.
Handling is first rate. I took familiar turns on the highway at much higher speeds then Im used too with perfect control.
Got roughly 20 mpg with a/c too!
Interior is good, armrest is great, huge cupholders, excellent base stereo, strong a/c.
Suspension is good, smooth ride in normal traffic. Suprisingly, more "float" over some bumps than my Accord V6.
The only negative is the drivers seat. I test drove the car several times, and it really didnt bother me. After driving all day yeaterday, my opinion has changed. The problem is not only the power seat controls, which intrude into your thigh, but the seat is for the lack of a better term "mushy" (in my opinion - Im sure some will not agree). If you are a larger person, you MUST spend a good deal of time in this seat before buying.
Overall, a great car - Im just going to get a piece of foam and put it under my thigh!
I just purchased a nose mask for my G35, and I think someone had mentioned here they had installed one on their G35. Question: On the Instruction sheet it states "Insert (2) plastic flaps between the grill and the bumper fascia, you may need to loosen the headlamp assembly." I hope this isn't necessary, as I really don't want to have to mess with the headlight. Anyone had experience with the nose mask ?
Wally, I installed the nose mask a few weeks ago. I did not have to do anything to the headlight assembly. It was a little weird having to jam the plastic tabs in between the body parts of my new car, but it worked quite well.
I will tell you, though, that I worked up a sweat putting the thing on. I really had to pull and tug to get the plastic hooks into place around the wheel wells. As you have read, you also have to remove two screws at the wheel wells and screw in two special screws that have pop-tabs on them.
I also accidentally pulled off one of the tabs that was designed to hold the front edge of the hood piece tightly down. I may try to sew it back in place.
The good news is that the second time you put it on, it goes much more quickly. This is partly because you know what you are doing, and partly because the mask is stretched somewhat.
I bought the mask for long trips, to keep gravel and other stuff off the paint on the front end. I used it on a two week trip and it worked great. No bugs or dings on the front of the car, and the mask didn't leave any scratches or anything on the finish. Around town, though, I'll be leaving the mask off.
Boomer, thanks for the info on the Nose Mask. I'll be installing it for my trip this week-end, and yes I also bought the mask for long trips. I was glad to hear of the protection it gave you. The dealer parts guy told me to leave the mask out in the sun for a short time before installing and it should help with the installation.
Someone may have already mentioned this, but the August issue of MOTOR TREND has a FACE OFF article between the G35, BMW 330i, and several others in the pack. Picked up the issue and read the article while in the airport, and it struck me that yet another round of independent performance sport sedan comparisons again picked the G35 as the top choice (and the manual transmission isn't even available yet). Beginning to look like a pattern. The G35 sure seems to me to be the best bang for the performance buck in its class of sports sedans.
Yep, when the manual tranny arrives, this will be an undeniable sports sedan performance bargin. If you are interested in an automatic transmission, you're set to go. and, the coupe is right around the corner.
Don't get too hung up on the comparisons that have manual vs auto, etc. If the price savings sounds good to you, go test drive one. I think the manual version will compare well with the manual versions of the cars it has been compared to so far.
I finally went for a test drive of the G35 sedan last night after hearing of the Feb availability of the 6-speed manual tranny. What a great car! Unfortunately, after the test drive the salesman informed me that the G35 with manual transmission won't be available in Canada for 1.5-2 YEARS!! I'm hoping that his information isn't correct, but so far I haven't been able to find any info specific to Canada about the manual tranny availability. Now I'm wishing I hadn't taken the test drive :-(
If the manual will not be available in Canada for a few years, then I'm going to buy an IS300.
Any additional info on the manual tranny availability in Canada would be greatly appreciated.
Moved to a new town in the Bay Area and if that doesn't sound horrendous to anyone, throw into that that escrow closed in world record time, sometimes that's what you have to do in this area to buy a house
So now Moving is almost complete, and one thing I have been wanting to do is program the garage door opener with the G35 Homelink system
I was reading thru the instructions and I'm fairly certain that the opener is later than 96 (therefore rolling security codes) but I can't find the "learn" button they talk about in the instructions that allows the remote to give the homelink the proper signals.
Also there are strange anomalies that don't match what they say in the instructions i.e. Hold down the two furthest opener buttons on the homelink till the red light flashes slowly. I do this and instead of flashing slowly, after about 20 seconds the light flashes once or twice slowly and then rapidly immediately after... do I release the buttons in that window of about a second where it flashes slowly? is something else wrong?
Anyhow... fighting of some weird virus at the moment, any help would be appreciated for those that have dealt with this already...
The opener looks like a fairly new Sears Craftsman 1/2 horsepower with a screw drive... I can post the model number after I get home in a few hours if that will help anyone, but I'm hoping that the setup and config is fairly generic...
Comments
Thanks for your response! I think I like the idea of sport/luxury over the other way around...life is too short and I can get all the luxury I want on my leather sofa in the family room!
I didn't see any report of the damage to your G, though. How did it fare and what has your experience been with repair?
By the way, the only G that I saw in San Francisco or the East Bay was a silver one with Mission Viejo plate holders (Southern Cal), though I did see a green one being driven quite quickly in San Jose.
Best Wishes, Boomer.
Enjoy!
http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e46/forum.php?postid=855315&page=1
Sweet! This is the car I'm waiting for.
The car performed flawlessly the entire trip, with one tiny exception: a speedometer malfunction that I thought had fixed itself showed up briefly and then disappeared again.
Cruise control was excellent and maintained the pre-set speed effortlessly, though my wife said that the adjustments that I made with the Accel, Decel controls produced surges that she found quite noticeable from the passenger seat.
Ride and high speed handling were great. Steering was so solid and predictable that I found winding roads much more fun to drive. The car just went where I pointed it with no squealing of tires or the torque steer that we are all used to in fwd cars. The famous Route 1 (southbound, hanging on the edge of the continent) was much more relaxing to drive in the G than in any car I have driven there.
Gas mileage was not great, but I got a new high of 24 mpg on the Route 1 drive, no A/C, very little traffic, fairly constant speeds below 60 mph.
Trunk capacity was very good and the trunk swallowed all of our bags and stuff nicely.
The only disappointment was in seat comfort. I noticed that I tend to sit with my feet pointing a bit to the left in the G, possibly to avoid the hump in the center tunnel caused by the transmission being set so far back in the chassis. This causes me to rest my back mostly on the right-hand part of the seat back, which is tiring on my right shoulder blade. In addition, my left knee was often in contact with the door armrest and window control panel. It was better when I consciously tried to sit facing directly forward, but that felt less natural. I must mention that I have a kink in my upper spine, which may contribute to the long term comfort problem, but I haven't had this problem in other cars.
My wife drove for a few hours and she found that the seat controls pressed uncomfortably on her thigh. She doesn't notice this on the power passenger seat.
Also, I needed to use the cruise control because I found that my right ankle got tired holding the accellerator at the correct angle for cruising after an hour or so.
All in all, the car was an excellent sedan for touring. The high speed stability, ride and handling, the quiet and smooth noise control plus the power to pass effortlessly make the G a highly competent highway machine. I would like to see better, more supportive and sport-designed seats and more room for the driver's legs, but the overall package was excellent.
no1trust: Did you get the new StreetPilot III Deluxe or just the StreetPilot III? How do you like it?
Thanks all.
I'd say the section on Hwy 1 thru Big Sur was one of my favorite drives ever, but the wife won the coin toss and had a blast chasing a 540i 6 speed through all those tight curves!
Sorry to hear about the seating comfort problems. We didn't have any discomfort ourselves and after 5400 miles still haven't any complaints to file.
I'm still filling out my JD Powers questionaire and the G scores a 10 in my book.
Stacey R
Greetings!
I'm one of those who opted not to get the NAV system and now regret it.
In the interim, I purchased a Garmin Street Pilot III... Its a fantastic system and it fits right in the opening when you have the center bin lid up (It sort of nestles right in the opening) and the plastic of the very sturdy unit is almost a perfect match for the graphite interior so many people who don't know assume that it is part of the car
The unit tracks 12 satellites and consistently has an accuracy of less than 16 feet. It uses a lighter adapter for power, and has the full voice prompting...
It has a tremendous database of points of interests as well as even the most obscure of roads.
I always get a kick out of setting it to display the nearest McDonald's and seeing the list of the twelve closest, their relative direction and distance all constantly being updated every second as I drive Did you know that it is virtually impossible to be further than 3 miles from a McDonald's in even a suburban area?
The display is no where as large as the Infiniti NAV screen, but I have no problems reading the streetnames and any info that is critical like the name of the street you are on or the name of the street you are turning onto are displayed in text large enough to read even if you were in another car alongside on the freeway
It doesn't of course do the monitoring of the car's systems like the manufacturer's NAV, but it does everything else and does it well.
I was able to get my Streetpilot for $985.00 including tax and shipping from www.gpsdiscount.com (I have NO affiliation with them, and they are great to deal with!) and this includes the largest RAM chip (256Meg) which allows you to load detailed info for almost half the US... For me it is everything from about Colorado, west to the pacific... You have to buy regions by unlocking the maps that come on the CD with the unit, and you get one region free... I opted for region 1 which is all of California, washington, Oregon, Parts of Arizona and Nevada, and bought region 2 jsut to be a bit more complete even though it will probably be very rare to drive further east than Colorado.
Even if you didn't buy any regions you could still use the unit with the included Base maps which include most major thoroughfares and all highways and freeways, but doesn;t go down to specific address and street level.
One thing that the Garmin unit can do that the Infiniti unit can't is go into another car! Its COMPLETELY portable and I bought a little camera bag to carry it around in and to just generally protect it when I'm not using it. SO that's a big plus.
I'm looking currently for a home to purchase, and talking to my new real estate agent the other day, she asked how many houses I looked at yesterday and I told her 14... Her jaw dropped, and then I told her I had a NAV system in my car and she said "Ohhh! tha makes sense then"
You can punch in addresses, Points of interests, intersections, cities... all manner of things and this thing just spits out the directions for you Its incredible! try finding a particular house in the dead of night using an old fashioned paper map (Yes, it tells you not only what street you;re currently on, but the name of the cross streets coming up, and even the ADDRESSES of the houses as you are driving by them!
Dang, I've written too much! LoL! But I love this thing, and generally mobile NAV altogether.
One thing I have my eye on, is that in Japan, Clarion, Panasonic, and I think JVC are all making aftermarket retrofit NAV systems for the V35 Skyline including the large format screen, DVD player and molded piece that fits right into the upper bin to enclose the screen,a nd looks very very clean...
Only a matter of time before it ends up here, if it isn;t already available somewhere...
Faenor
I can get $24k easy for the TL and buy the car of my choice later.
INKY
Over the 4th, we went to my in-laws (~300 miles each way) and noticed no unusual discomfort... As I said, you get numb.
Scott
Did I see you leaving Davies Plantation this morning? (Did you notice a guy driving a white G35 wave at you?)
Finally got it away from the wife...
Scott
Lately, I have become slightly annoyed with the tendency for some portion of the seat to rock and slide when accelerating or braking hard. This is a small but noticeable movement.
I consider these issues pretty small, and I've really enjoyed the car. It handles beautifully, really moves, is stylish, and has had plenty of room for my family and other passengers.
I presently drive a TL-S and it's time for something new hence my test driving the G. The G handles a lot better, about the same power (I find), is quieter, is smaller outside but larger inside (good)etc., the seat controls are the only thing making me think twice. Also, great navigation system but that prop rod has to go. Enjoy your cars. Wayne.
Drove a round trip to Kansas City a couple of weeks ago (to pick up my daughter from her summer ballet program), and the G35 was fantastically comfortable on cruise control, with my mind on vacation with a few good CDs plugged in (however, I just hated those bugs hitting the car). I think the extra money for the Bose 200 watt audio system is well worth it! That trip was the first long drive where my back did not hurt after driving for a full two days, back-to-back. It's amazing how comfortable that drivers seat is on a long trip, and also the passenger seat, as my teenage daughter told me she now actually prefers me over her mother to take her on a long trip, IF I pick her up in my G-35 :>)
Tom
Does anyone have pics of an interior *without* the titanium extra bits you get with these packages?
thx
Power seat controls on the seat? Not my preference, but after 3 months and 6k miles I rarely notice them there. My first week of ownership was spent on a 1600 mile road trip with long stints behind the wheel...no complaints, and I'm a larger than average guy.
Hey, I don't love EVERYTHING about the G35 either. Just don't let such small issues get blown out of proportion enough to miss out on owning such a spectatular automobile!
Stacey
Now the questions...
1) The burglar alarm does not have a motion detector, making the car vulnerable to being taken by towing. Has anyone put a motion detector in? If so, I'd appreciate details.
2) I am a little person, so the left footrest is too low for me. No, I am not sitting on a phone book to see over the dash. Has anyone found the same issue and has anyone found any way or aftermarket product to raise the footrest?
Know what you mean about the ride on the G35. Just wish my rear was a bit narrower (or the seat controls were on the center console by the auto trans shifter)...
Next time you see me, please feel free to wave me down. However, I'd avoid doing that with my wife. She'd probably freak.
Scott
The only caveat was that the armrest wasn't long enough for my wife to use it with both hands on the wheel. Anyone else find that to be an issue? Seems a bit strange to find that in a Japanese car.
Thanks.
Scott
Thanks.
ecarmack: I mentioned VPP to the dealer, he says no one does it on the G35. He has had calls from several hundred miles away trying to get one under the plan.
The G35 is at the very top of my radar screen for January. However, I'd appreciate your perspectives on it's ability to comfortably transport 2 adults and 2 kids. I'm tall (6' 3")so the front seat will likely be all the way back. This worries me a little in terms of a cramped backseat on long trips. However, specs say the G35 has much better rear-seat legroom than the QX4 and I've managed to make that work. Do any of you have compelling reasons to avoid the G35 for everyday family use? Also, I've read that the interior noise is quiet at highway speeds. Do any of you disagree with this? I realize it's not an LS430 but I'd prefer it to be closer to the LS430 than a Taurus. Lastly, I'm a nut about tight cars...build quality is everything. Squeaks and rattles drive me crazy. What are you experiencing so far?
Thanks for your time.
Paul
The G35's quiet too, except under hard acceleration. Stomp on the gas and the exhaust roars to life. Otherwise it's a sedate driver about town and on the freeway. It loafs along smoothly and quietly at 85-90 mph.
Build quality is rock solid. Like all Infiniti's it's assembled well and will last.
My wife's Cadillac STS with its 300 HP Northstar V8 has more HP than any other FWD car I can think of...
Thanks again...Paul
Scott
Also an infant seat fits well behind there. The head room is tight for a 6'3" frame, but if you get the option, you can tilt the rear seats.
I had a couple little squeaks...they attempted to fix one...and now they're both gone. You really notice the squeaks because once you're at cruising speed the interior is very quiet.
First, boy is it fast! Even tho the engine is still tight and I didnt push it at all, passing and acceleration is amazing.
Handling is first rate. I took familiar turns on the highway at much higher speeds then Im used too with perfect control.
Got roughly 20 mpg with a/c too!
Interior is good, armrest is great, huge cupholders, excellent base stereo, strong a/c.
Suspension is good, smooth ride in normal traffic. Suprisingly, more "float" over some bumps than my Accord V6.
The only negative is the drivers seat. I test drove the car several times, and it really didnt bother me. After driving all day yeaterday, my opinion has changed. The problem is not only the power seat controls, which intrude into your thigh, but the seat is for the lack of a better term "mushy" (in my opinion - Im sure some will not agree). If you are a larger person, you MUST spend a good deal of time in this seat before buying.
Overall, a great car - Im just going to get a piece of foam and put it under my thigh!
I think someone had mentioned here they had
installed one on their G35. Question: On the
Instruction sheet it states "Insert (2) plastic
flaps between the grill and the bumper fascia,
you may need to loosen the headlamp assembly."
I hope this isn't necessary, as I really don't
want to have to mess with the headlight. Anyone
had experience with the nose mask ?
I will tell you, though, that I worked up a sweat putting the thing on. I really had to pull and tug to get the plastic hooks into place around the wheel wells. As you have read, you also have to remove two screws at the wheel wells and screw in two special screws that have pop-tabs on them.
I also accidentally pulled off one of the tabs that was designed to hold the front edge of the hood piece tightly down. I may try to sew it back in place.
The good news is that the second time you put it on, it goes much more quickly. This is partly because you know what you are doing, and partly because the mask is stretched somewhat.
I bought the mask for long trips, to keep gravel and other stuff off the paint on the front end. I used it on a two week trip and it worked great. No bugs or dings on the front of the car, and the mask didn't leave any scratches or anything on the finish. Around town, though, I'll be leaving the mask off.
Best wishes. Go install that thing!
I'll be installing it for my trip this week-end, and yes I also bought the mask for long trips.
I was glad to hear of the protection it gave you.
The dealer parts guy told me to leave the mask out in the sun for a short time before installing
and it should help with the installation.
Don't get too hung up on the comparisons that have manual vs auto, etc. If the price savings sounds good to you, go test drive one. I think the manual version will compare well with the manual versions of the cars it has been compared to so far.
If the manual will not be available in Canada for a few years, then I'm going to buy an IS300.
Any additional info on the manual tranny availability in Canada would be greatly appreciated.
http://san.diego.diningguide.net/data/d100365.htm
Go to Mapquest and input the address below for directions. Edmunds won't accept long links
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/
531 South Pacific Coast Highway
Encinitas, CA 92024
Telephone: 760-632-0919
If you have not yet RSVP'd, please RSVP to me at jvalenty@san.rr.com
so I can get a good headcount.
So now Moving is almost complete, and one thing I have been wanting to do is program the garage door opener with the G35 Homelink system
I was reading thru the instructions and I'm fairly certain that the opener is later than 96 (therefore rolling security codes) but I can't find the "learn" button they talk about in the instructions that allows the remote to give the homelink the proper signals.
Also there are strange anomalies that don't match what they say in the instructions i.e. Hold down the two furthest opener buttons on the homelink till the red light flashes slowly. I do this and instead of flashing slowly, after about 20 seconds the light flashes once or twice slowly and then rapidly immediately after... do I release the buttons in that window of about a second where it flashes slowly? is something else wrong?
Anyhow... fighting of some weird virus at the moment, any help would be appreciated for those that have dealt with this already...
The opener looks like a fairly new Sears Craftsman 1/2 horsepower with a screw drive... I can post the model number after I get home in a few hours if that will help anyone, but I'm hoping that the setup and config is fairly generic...
Thanks in Advance!
Faenor/Dane4
I thought the red button on the panel of the opener was a release, my mistake
Faenor/Dane4