Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

jwilson1

is due, if I remember correctly, in '05. I've seen it in several print sources and can look it up if you want -- no mention of it on the BMW boards here?

JW

stanny1

Usually, a manual tranny cuts about a half-second off 0-60 times.
One test had the G35 Auto at 6.2...
BMW claims that the "New" 330i manual cuts a half-second off the "old" 330i manual's 0-60. That's pretty significant for just a few tweaks...

jwilson1

stanny, 'Automobile' and C&D (this month) have the coupe at 6.0 while R&T had it at 6.1. All were MT. I doubt they'd let the sedan turn in times that would be faster, just for marketing purposes.

JW

kdshapiro

BMW reports 0-60 of 6.7 for it's manual transmission. Was it M/T? or R/T? or C/D? that did the comparo in November that had the 330ic at 5.9. I was postulating if BMW claims a .5 second reduction, the mags should see it as 5.5.

Will the G35c still be faster to 120? Probably.

ryoken

The G35 is classified as a "high-performance vehicle" as far as insurance companies are concerned. Oddly, a BMW 330i is not. I wonder who/what determines the "high-performance" rating for insurance purposes. This makes a G35 about $200 more per year to insure than a 330i. The "high-performance" tag tacks on about $400/yr to the insurance bill, at least with my insurance company.

kdshapiro

My guess it has to do with top-end speed. Due to the US insurance market, this may be one of the reasons on some BMW models the US spec is limited to about 130 mph.

ryoken

If that's all it is, I'd rather the G35 be limited to about 130 as well. An engine chip would be cheaper than the extra insurance for one year.

wag515

Looking at purchasing a G35, but wondered how it handles in the snow. We'll be driving in that white stuff for about 6 months out of the year.

cdnpinhead

My guess is that power/weight ratio plays a much bigger role than top-end speed. You can get into a lot of trouble under 60 mph with 280 hp in a relatively light car like the G, and there are many more opportunities to do so than there are to run above 80.

kdshapiro

If that was the case lighter cars with semi-hot engines would all be classified as high performance and I'm not sure that is the case.

birdman579

I have not personally contacted my insurance company regarding the G35, but the "high-performance" designation typically is based solely on horsepower. I would think 250 hp would probably be the cut-off. Any TL-S owners out there paying a premium with 260 hp?

A governed top speed is almost always based on tires. The somewhat common 130 mph mark comes from offering H-rated tires. Some manufacturers will increase the top speed if the car is equipped with performance tires. Others will set the top speed to be the maximum speed rating of the worst tires sold with the car.

ryoken

I don't think it's based on horsepower along. A '98 Mustang GT has "only" 225hp, and it's considered high-performance. (In fact, it's considered one of the four deadliest cars.)

stanny1

Just got off the phone with my insurance co. - 21st Century. Compared a 330i 4 door MTX with an auto G35 (I'll have to try this in February also when the G35 MTX comes out.
Result: six months quote is $401 for the Bimmer and $513 for the G35.
The G35 Sedan is classified as "hipo" and the BMW is not.
Unfair, because it is not based on performance numbers but published hp.
She was hinting at hp/weight ratio but it may be simply above 250 hp.
I should have asked about the new 280 hp Lincoln LS which cuts only 6.7 seconds....
What about some of these high hp trucks - over 300 but weigh over 7000 lbs!
Something is not right here.
I asked here who makes the risk decisions and she said some firm back East that does not take consumer calls.
Maybe we can do some research and find out who these bozos are.
Does anyone have some connections in the insurance industry to find out who these non-car oriented nerds are?
We need to give them a short course on true performance criteria instead of simple hp numbers!

ryoken

Odd. My insurance co is also 21st. I was told by the agent that the G35 would have been almost $100 less than the BMW if it wasn't hi-perf. The agent seemed to believe that it was the auto-makers that decided if their vehicles were hi-perf or not, which I didn't believe.

I started a new discussion in the Insurance category - "Insurance - What is a 'high-performance' vehicle?" We should probably continue this thread over there.

kdshapiro

Good point, and I'm sure you'll get some interesting discussion.

kd6aw1

Just called 21st. Century insurance for a quote because of tv advertising. I now have Nationwide and pay $300. every six months for full coverage. 21st. Century quoted me $500. for the same thing, wow! The $400. per year will sure buy lots of tacos or gas. Sure pays to shop around doesn't it???? I live in the San Diego area.

Paul

dane4

At first I was considering that some type of demographic was being applied by the insurance actuarials to the G35 and BMW330 in order to describe the discrepancy that some have claimed, but then, I reconsidered as Infiniti, I would presume, has a "typical" base of drivers fairly on par with what you might expect for a BMW (professional, above average income, mature driver, etc) That type of thing.

In my case, I have both cars, A G35 and a BMW330Ci, and the BMW costs 360 dollars a year more than the G35 for identical insurance with the same company. I attribute this to characteristics of things like "stealability/vandalism index", primary drivers; male for G35, Female for BMW330Ci, two doors vs 4 doors, and a host of other things that I am sure I have no knowledge of

I was surprised at how high the insurance was for the Infiniti acutally, since it is a largish 4 door sedan as compared to the 2 door BMW, but some of this is due perhaps to the newness of the vehicle and the need to assign a historical pattern for it over time. (more claims - rate goes up; fewer claims - rates go down, etc.) They are probably starting on the high side with the intent to move down, as this would seem like a standard cut-throat corporate insurance tactic :P

My take on the issue is that Infiniti had to cross the no man's land of performance vs insurance cost in order to square themselves solidly against the 330I and chose to accept that pitfall in order to present a worthy challenger to BMW. Car manufacturers probably understand the insurance rules as they apply to performance better than the insurance companies do

Its a bit like competing with someone over salary, and the criteria is Gross pay... You push that limit in order to clear 10k more a year than your adversary, but in the process you push yourself into a higher tax bracket, diminishing your return...

I had a good friend who was a Hartford ITT insurance actuarial, she never talked specifically about her work, but she did mention that the everyone outside the insurance industry would be AMAZED at some of the seemingly outlandish and superficial things they use to calculate risk assessment...

Have a good one!

Faenor/Dane4

sunilb

Actually, a person who performs insurance mathematics is an "Actuary".
(They use "actuarial tables" and take "actuarial exams", but they are not "actuarials").

-Ex-Actuary

kdshapiro

I actuary thought about going into that line of work. However, the two door 330ic is the difference according to my insurance company. Two doors vs. four doors gets you a few dollars more on your bill.

cdnpinhead

This is an excellent point. Those of us who drive LS's are probably benefiting from the blue-haired masses who drive most of the Lincolns.

Even though they have lots of accidents per mile driven, they don't drive many miles. Bottom line would appear to be lower annual cost to the insurers.

dane4

Aha! Thanks for that correction, good info... I had this strange feeling as I was using the term that it wasn't quite "right"

The funny thing about my friend the Actuary is that before she had the job she was very outspoken about insurance costs and how ridiculous the whole notion of "paying for nothing" was... but then after a year or so since she had been working in the field, we hooked up and she went on and on about how insurance is THE most important consideration for any real property owner and almost how the stability of modern society is based on institution of "insurance"

Is their some sort of an intense indoctrination process associated with becoming an actuary? I noted also that she no long liked red wine, which she loved before she became one... Could this somehow be related? *Laughing*

Faenor/Dane4

jwilson1

Another factor: back when the Miata was king (early '90s) and the bull market didn't have everyone thinking big, Mazda explained to a group of journalists who wanted to know why the engine had begun at 1.6 liters and then remained small at 1.8 liters when it was bored ... that if they went over 2.0 liters the insurance would jump dramatically and they would lose many of their core buyers for the car.

So I guess displacement also has a place in whatever sick equation they use.

Three years ago, my 19 yr. old son lived at home. He had his own car and insurance, but I also had a third car (mine, my wife's, plus my autoX Miata for the summer) and had to pay a premium because, it was assumed, he would be the driver on the Miata! When he moved out, my insurance dropped by $300+

JW

kdshapiro

You made a good point above above the 130mph limit. However, I went and checked my tires, and I'm pretty sure I have V-rated tires, if I read the designation correctly, in my garage with a flashlight. The V designation came after the tire size with some other numbers. However, if I didn't look in the right place feel free to correct me.

cheerioboy26

I have Nationwide, and pay more for my 00 Max than my G35. The G is about $340 for 6 months, the Max is about $370.

sanandton

Hi guys. Anyone out there with a sterling silver G35? If so drop me a line Sanandton@prontomail.com.

abc44

Hello,

Many of you G enthusiasts mentioned that it doesn't hurt to travel afar to get a better deal. I wonder if I do so, can I still get the warranty service at my local Infiniti dealers?

Thanks.

cheerioboy26

Any Infiniti dealer must honor warranty service. I bought my G in Maryland, but last night snapped off the windshield wiper spray nozzle when I was cleaning snow off my car. I was in Willow Grove, PA, visitgin family, and got the wiper arm replaced no charge warranty this morning. Actually I did expect to pay, but didn't! The even checked for a mandatory headlight adjustment screw cap that was supposedly installed on my G last week in MD when I was in for my 7500 oil change. But they said it came up on their computer, so they checked for it.

jwilson1

abc44, the reason the dealers are so 'nice' as to honor the warranty wherever you are isn't only because of a contract requirement. They also make a ton of money on warranty work, more I'm told than they do on the car's sale.

JW

fnt

You can take it to any Infiniti dealer and they should be happy to do the work for you, warranty or not. Service work is quite lucrative and it goes on long after the sale. I've even heard that some Nissan dealers will service Infiniti's if there's no Infiniti dealer in the area.

ryoken

Just picked up my G35 last night. The first 1200 miles are going to be tough.... How'd ya'll manage?

bitnoj1

Anyone know when the 2004 g35 will arrive on the scene? Hoping to get a good deal on a 2003.

bhn

I am looking to add am HID kit to my 2003 g35. Does any one have any input. Thank you.

kfhmail

I hope Infiniti will add some new interior color options for 2004 and even for later 2003 models. I would like to see a light to medium gray as an interior color option.

kfhmail

Has anyone seen a G35 sedan with the optional aerodynamic front bumper and do you know where there are any good pictures. I have seen the "one" picture on the Infiniti web site where you can build your own version, but it is not a good picture.

Also, I like the grill/front end on the coupe better than the sedan, but I like the sedan better overall.

kfhmail

The sedan looks great, but it needs improvements in the interior...

The wood option looks cheap and fake.

The titanium finish looks like it would scratch very easily. Has anyone had a problem with the titanium (sport package) finish scratching?

jwilson1

The silver paint on the dash scratches very easily. Unless you know someone who's good with an airbrush, plan to pick up one of the very good dashkits being offered -- be careful of junk, though.

JW

fnt

It didn't take me too long to reach 1,200 miles. I was careful not to floor it too often and vary the speed, but it was still fun to drive. Enjoy the car!

robmarch

kd- you're looking in the right place. the speed limiter is usually set to the minimum tires available on the car, so that they only have one configuration. Some manufacturers get around this by only offering their manual tranny cars with the sport tires, and not limiting them.

blueguydotcom

Anyone know when the 2004 g35 will arrive on the scene? Hoping to get a good deal on a 2003.

Fall 2003 just like all the other 2004 models. Weird question. Just because the 2003 made its debut in march of 2002, that won't keep Nissan from pumping out "2003" models for 18 months. This is quite common in the auto industry.

I am looking to add am HID kit to my 2003 g35. Does any one have any input. Thank you.

Try freshalloy.com, but rest assured it would have been far cheaper to buy the HID option when you got the G35. Adding it is gonna cost substantially more aftermarket.

ryoken

Anyone else notice that there's not even a handful of tire choices in a P215/55R17?

There seem to be 3 OEM tire choices... Goodyear Eagle GS-D, Goodyear Eagle RS-A, and Bridgestone Turanza EL42. There also seems to be 3 aftermarket choices: two from Goodyear and one from Bridgestone. Did they invent this tire size specifically for this car?

afty

Nissan uses the same size tires on the Altima SE and the Maxima GLE. Maybe it's a Nissan thing?

rghessel

Some have alluded to "good kits" and "bad kits". Does anyone have actual experience on which of the kits are befitting this otherwise elegant car?

The kits I've seen (primarily at exoticwooddash.com) are not molded kits, so they just sit on top of the existing dash, with the black (or icky titanium) plastic still visible along the sides.

Given the pretty universal condemnation of the dash plastics (especialy the titanium) seems like someone could make a killing if they designed a really classy dash kit.

(I'm in the market for a new car sometime in 2003..I've looked at the G35 multiple times, but the dash plastics really turn me off. I'm sure existing G35 owners, who are otherwise quite satisfied with their car, have learned to overlook (? deny) the plastic issue...)

jwilson1

As blueguy suggested earlier for another poster, I'd suggest you check out many of the posts on this topic at freshalloy. There are kits on the market that don't fit, or don't stick, or peel, or whatever. But there are also companies with a real business, experience, and reputation to uphold -- one of them is exoticwooddash.

The molded kits will take a bit longer to come out, imo. The G is pretty new and all of the kits I've noticed have been flat kits. There are some nice aluminum, carbon fiber, and wood available now, but all flat.

JW

ocuihs

Improperly attached fuel hose could become disconnected when engine is started or car is driven, resulting in engine failure and risk of crash. Also, if hose loosens, fuel could spill and pose fire hazard.

Models: 18,300 cars made 01/02 to 07/02.

What to do: Have dealer inspect and, if necessary, properly attach fuel hose to fuel pump.

palmerg

Alright already - you don't like the icky titanium dash. Unfortunately I am not of your universe so I actually like the look. I have had it since early November and I like it more and more. I have had no problems with wear including scratching and it cleans easily. To each his (or her) own. If you want to believe I am in denial that is your uninformed perogitive.

ryoken

I'm with you. I like the titanium look. I've only had mine since Friday, though, so I can't comment on the durability yet.

rghessel

...didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. Just looking for objective opinions (good and bad) as I investigate a car purchase. Praise untempered by any criticism makes recommendations less useful. I'll shut up now before I get kicked out.

corkfish

Can you get the sport handling package as a separate option? I don't want any options other than that and since the handling package is a $500 option, is it possible to buy a cloth car with sport handling for $27,500?

norcalmike2

Infiniti does not offer ANY options on the base cloth. You can get a leather sedan with the sport package only. I have seen several sedans with sport package and no sun roof. Apparently die hard enthusiasts worry about the body flex with a sunroof as they are tossing their cars around a race track. If you opt for the base cloth, check out the seat comfort very carefully. I bought a base cloth only to find I could not get a comfortable seating position with the manual seats. I sold the the base cloth and got a leather with Bose and sunroof. I really like having the extra doo dads especially the eight way power seats and steering wheel radio controls.

ryoken

You're not going to ruffle my feathers. I like seeing the varying opinions here. Actually, I got the graphite interior, because I thought the willow interior didn't look good with the titanium trim. However, if you go with the 20+ piece wood kits, I think that looks tacky, also. Too much wood up and down the center console. Might be better if it were black or interior colored in some areas of the center console.