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Comments
the graphite interior will last longer and look new longer.
I made the mistake of buying one car with a light interior...that taught me forever.
Right?
JW
I've been comparing the auto 2003.5 G35 with the auto 2003 Maxima SE and I need help making a decision and with some questions.
I think I can get the Maxima (with everything the G35 has, plus heated seats/steering wheel/side mirrors, a Bose stereo, and moonroof) for about $3000 less than a leather G35 with no options. I drove the G35 about a year ago, and the Maxima a few weeks ago, and the Max felt faster in a straight line(push you into your seat faster), but more bulky and sloppy around corners. Then again I was driving the G35 with a salesperson that literally weighed about 175 pounds more than the Maxima salesman. So..
1) For someone who doesn't have money to burn, is the G35 really worth the extra $3000 (including fewer features)?
2) Is the G35 auto faster than the Maxima auto and can you tell? Does handle much better?
3) Does the G35 without sport-tuned suspension handle bumps any better then a Maxima SE (which seemed a little rough to me)?
4) Has anyone else noticed the strange visual effect of the G35's instrument panel? I guess it's just the reflectivity of the clear plastic and the distance of the speedometer and tachometer rings, but every time I get into the car, my eyes totally bug out. It sort of feels like when you are looking at one of those Magic Eye prints and your eyes relax and the 3D image begins to pop out at you. LOL! I am not usually bothered by stuff like this, but I'm surprised that no one else noticed it.
5) I know about the additional features of the 2003.5 model, but does it have any fixes to the problems with the 2003 models and are the fixes significant or just stuff that the dealer can easily fix on a 2003?
Thanks for the help!
Viche
If you don't recognize the difference, perhaps the Maxima is a better choice.
2) They have basically the same engine. In a straight-line drag, there's not going to be much of a difference. The Maxima weights about 50-100lbs more than the G35. The G35 will definately handle better, it's a well-balanced RWD platform designed for performance. The Maxima is FWD, front-heavy, and won't handle the twisties as well (but not badly).
3) Don't know. Haven't driven a Maxima. The G35's sport suspension is a bit rougher than the non-sport, but I like the sport.
4) Haven't noticed. Seems fine to me.
5) Things like the noisy A/C compressor were fixed. However, they're all things that will be covered under warranty, easy or not. (And you get a loaner if they're not.)
You should go test drive both cars on the same day if you're seriously considering one or the other.
It costs and is worth $3,000 more to get RWD, especially if you plan to keep the car a while and want to service the car yourself.
RWD is what expensive luxury cars have.
FWD is what appliances have.
If you're more interested in the sport/performance side of the car, get the G35. It hangs with the BMW 330i in terms of driving pleasure.
If you want more creature comforts for a lower price, and handling isn't that important, go with the Maxima, or maybe even an Altima 3.5. That's assuming you're limiting yourself to the Nissan/Infiniti clan. If you're not that limited, there's the Accord, Camry, ES300, and TL to look at. Some of these are sporty, some are not. None of them is a sports sedan. Then there's the new Mazda 6 thrown in to confuse things.
6 G35
Front Headroom 38.7 in. 40.1 in.
Rear Headroom 37.1 in. 37.9 in.
Front Shoulder Room 56.1 in. 53.7 in.
Rear Shoulder Room 54.9 in. 52.7 in.
Front Hip Room 54.7 in. 53.6 in.
Rear Hip Room 54.1 in. 48 in.
Front Leg Room 42.3 in. 43.8 in.
Rear Leg Room 36.5 in. 31.4 in.
Max Luggage Capacity 15.2 cu.ft. 15.0 cu.ft.
Bigorange30 - I had to take my QX4 in yesterday to fix the driver side seat motor. The seat motor started making noises and the adjustment periodically did not move.
See the conjunction? Both elements. If you want interior volume and performance, the Mazda6 falls woefully short. Especially with the automatic it can't compete. It may have the same specs of aG35 interior wise (though that doesn't approach how closed in it feels in comparison) but in terms of performance the 6 is obliterated. Compared to the Max the 6 doesn't have nearly the volume or power, only besting the 04 Max in terms of handling prowess. It's easy to increase a car's handling abilities (say on the Max), increasing power is a whole different and more expensive proposition (say on the 6).
Why include the interior dimesions, then, if they are essentially the same?
Say it can't match the performance, fine, but I don't see how the interior dimensions are relevant. Maybe the dimension numbers are deciving, and since I haven't driven a G35, I can't be sure. But I'm a pretty big guy and the M6 feels great. Not too tight, not too big. As Goldilocks said, "just right."
I'm buying in about 9 months, and right now am targeting the 6. If I can spend the extra 5 grand, I may be looking at the G35 too. The two coolest sedans around, IMO (under 32K, anyway)
And forgive me if I've excluded the Maxima in this equation. But the thing is just too ugly for me to even discuss.
Here are a couple of extra credit questions for any one who's interested:
1. Are the repairs on an G35 really that much more then on a Max. I mean they are the same maker more or less. I use a trusted independent garage. Couldn't I just take it to them instead of a dealer? Wouldn't parts be about the same cost then?
2. How does the standard stereo in the G35 compare to the Bose stereo in the Max? I thought the Bose in the Max was way to boomy. I don't need huge bass. I prefer a full, rich, crisp sound. Will the G35's standard stereo suit my needs? I know I need to go listen to it myself, just wondering what you guys think.
3. Are the G35's seat really that uncomfortable with the controls embedded into them? How long until you noticed that it bothered you?
4. Have they improved auto transmissions enough by now that you don't lose too much power over the manual G35? I've read 0-60 of anywhere from 6.1-6.7 for the auto...how about the manual? Also is the older model G35 actually faster then the 2003.5's??
5. Is that free car wash with oil change at the dealer a touchless wash
Thanks!
Viche
4: Urban legend
JW
2. Go try it.
3. Doesn't bother me. Most people that it does bother, find a position where it doesn't. Makes it convenient for the driver to adjust the passenger seat, too.
4. Huh? They didn't change the engine or the transmission for 2003.5.
5. Probably depends on the dealership. Mine hand washes the cars. Ask. (Or walk around back and look.)
The controls on the seats have never bothered me and the seat cushions themselves will break in within a few weeks. Formed a custom mold around my butt!
Hopefully more manufacturers will start making tires in 215/55R17 soon.
Oh, one other point I forgot to mention. "Officially" Infiniti says you shouldn't go wider than 225 in the front on the sedan. Unofficially, it seems several people are running 235's without problems. You could also look at 225/50R17 or 225/55R17 -- those sizes will cause your speedometer to be off by a small amount, but it's less than 2% and within generally accepted limits (+/- 3%).
Don
All of the other functions work great. I can drive for 15 to 20 minutes and the map never shows on the screen. In turn this prevents me from programing any destinations when I am at a standstill .
The way around this is for me to eject the disc and pop it back in again. This resets the system and it works fine. I looked at the the disc and there are no scratches or finger prints. Once I shut off the car, it acts up again.
One message that appears on the screen as the disc is being ejected is "CD-DVD ROM is the wrong version" What's up with that? The copy write date on the disc is 2002. Maybe there is an update I do not know about?
1. Could it be the DVD reader?
2. This might be a longshot....could it be because of the war and the GPS satellites are being interrupted?
3. Could it be the GPS transponder?
I haven't contacted Infiniti service yet. I just want to see if anyone else is having problems with their units. Thanks for your help.
Also, since you're up in snow country, any reason why you don't get snow tires for your car?
Tires... I'm glad I could help. I scuffed one of my rims and was going to buy one from someone that replaced their rims w/ aftermarket ones. I remembered at the last minute that I had the full size spare, so I swapped w/ the one in my trunk and saved a few bucks too. A word to the wise, you may need to get that wheel from your trunk balanced. My trunk wheel was not balanced right. Also, when you get new tires this fall, make sure you put a good tire back in the trunk. That way you are not stuck with that "out of round" tire. The Bridgestones are good, but you can never go wrong w/ Michelins, they are the best
1. I have't seen a G35 without a moonroof. Anyone have an opinion as to how they look compared to a G35 with one? Anyone having problems with theirs or just have any good reasons not to get a moonroof?
2. What exactly is a trunk mat and why do I need one?
That's it for now. Thanks for your continued support!
Viche
When I was shopping for my G35 (bought this month), I insisted on the car without the moonroof. That means rejecting the $3k premium package. The car still looks fantastic without it. And it is quieter, roomier, and cheaper.
The drawback to not wanting the moonroof is a lack of auto headlight feature that only comes with the premium package. I wanted to add that one feature only but so far nobody came up with a way to do it.
I was just worried that I would regret not having one down the road or that it would make the car look cheaper without one.
I'm not worried about the premium package since I'm not considering it.
Hey, does anyone see any problems or pitfalls with having a dealer transfer a car from another dealership?
Thanks,
Viche
Also, although I rarely open the roof, I always have the shade open, day and night...it makes the cabin feel much more airy and open. I also periodically crack the roof (rear vent) to clear the air or when I'm cruising with the windows rolled down.
Finally, although it costs about $1000, premium cars without a moonroof are harder to sell on the private market, and worth less at trade-in time. Why do you think dealers require a deposit when you order one? It's because they'll have a tough time unloading it if you bail out of the deal.
Unless you absolutely need the extra inch or two of headroom, I can't think of a single reason not to get a moonroof. If given the option, I'll always get one.
Moonroof: The moonroof is noisier, not mostly becuase noise is transmitted through the glass (unless its raining, then the glass is fairly loud) but because noise in the car bounces off the glass panel overhead straight into your ears, my car is considerably quieter when i close the fabric-lined shutter on the moonroof. This car does by far have the best in-glass shading that i've ever seen, even on full sunny days when the sun is beating straight down, it is barely transmitted through the heavily tinted glass. Much better tinting than the I35 loaner car i had to drive for 3 weeks. The only reason i ever shut the moonroof slide panel is when i want a quieter highway ride.
BUT, if the premium package is not of particular intrest to you, and you need, or your passenger might appreciate the extra headroom afforded by no moonroof, by all means order one without the roof and prm pkg. I can only imagine how many miles worth of gasoline $3200 could buy. Resale value might take a bit of a hit, but im guessing you have better things to do with a few grand than spend it on something you really don't want. If you get the urge for some wind in the hair and fun in the sun, crack the window, if thats not enough, im sure $3200 can still get you a hell of a week away in Hawaii:)
Envoydrives: Do you think the car is as quiet as one without a moonroof when you have the fabric shade closed?
Also, when I mentioned transfering I meant doing business with a dealer who has a lower quote but doesn't have the car on his lot(ie. he has to transfer it from another dealer). Is this what caused you all the headaches? If not what happened, and how could you have known the dealer was sketchy?
Finally, been reading some nightmare stories about G35 in the snow at FreshAlloy. I was think about getting the dealer to give me the Bridgstones for quietness/ride, but I was wondering if anyone knew how they handled snow compared to Goodyears. Tirerack's customer reviews seem to suggets the Goodyears are better all around (handling, snow, sound), but the discussion boards are almost unanimous about the Bridgstones being better (handling and soundwise...no word on snow).
What would I do without your collective knowledge
Viche
Its been a while since i drove one without the roof but i would have to say there is a difference between no roof and a moonroof with the liner shut, albeit a very small one. The headroom gained, however, is not small, youll notice a big difference. In other words, it's a nice, well tinted, very quiet roof, and those who choose it sacrifice little in the noise department but more in the headroom dept.
I have goodyears and i dont like them because of the tire noise and one of them is defective. I drove on the bridgestones and found them to be quieter (especialy on cement) and a bit more smooth. I cannot compare the performance of the tires as far as agile handling, and i dont know which one has better traction in the snow. I guess i should find out before next winter, as i live in Michigan, but i plan on replacing them with all season michelins or a straight winter tire come next fall.
And always check with the better business bureau and Chamber of commerce before handing over that check or signing your name in the amount of 30 some big ones. Had I done so, i would have discovered that the dealer i purchased from had over a dozen unresolved complaints between the two bureaus in town that year alone. I can't think of insurance as cheap as a local phone call to the BBB or Chamber, and i'll be absolutely sure to do it before ever making another substantial purchase.
how much more is a g35 worth resale wise with a moonroof vis a vis a g35 without one? 1200? 1300 1500? Maybe $600 or 700 is realistic. Look at KBB and what happens when you add or remove a sunroof to cars. The price doesn't change much.
I once had a moron salesperson try to get me into an automatic equipped car. The 5 speed was $1200 cheaper. He told me the car would be worth more at resale with the auto. I asked how much more. he hemmed and hawed and then finally picked a number from mid-air. Even if it raised my resale $1500, i told him, that would make the car undriveable for me and a total waste of my money. I'm still confused by his logic...sell me a more expensive car equipped in a fashion i detest, so i can make $500-600 more on resale 4 years later. What? Weighing in the expense to return, I'm paying $700 extra to be miserable??!
Envoydrives: Excellent point! I've added your comments to my growing list of car buying tips! But I guess as long as I take the car to a reputable repair facility, I can buy it from just about any dealer. The question I had though was about having a dealer actually have to obtain the car you want from another dealer. Are there any inherent problems associated with this? Should I not give the dealer any downpayment or sign anything until he has the car on his lot?
Viche