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Comments
my sedan , the sales people at three of the
Los Angeles area Infiniti dealers were just
brain dead when it came to customer service.
I then happen to be in Palm Springs and visited
the Infiniti dealer, Boy what a difference, they
were just so helpful and totally knowlegable about
the G35, and as "stemily" said they handed me the
keys and said "Enjoy".
When all was said and done, I told the salesman what I wanted (including options), and he called the next day with a deal on exactly the model and color I was interested in. Could not have been more pleased.
Desert Platinum G35 auto with premium, winter, and wood. Wonderful car
Anyway, on to the test drive. This was a stripped MT G35 with basically only a moonroof. Unlike in the last one I quickly found a comfy position and took off. The stick feels like a typical nissan - sorta long throws - but still familiar.
Once out of the dealership the salesman joked that I can get onto the freeway by turning left. We went right. And he led me on a very nice course that allowed me to feel the car on corners, twists, undulations, rolling hills, etc.
First thing, this car needs to be pushed. It begs for it and when you do and you slap through the gear's it's an absolute blast. Screw FWD and everything associated with it. Screw 4 cylinder cars. This little beast screams to be beaten and asks for more. I can get in a lot of trouble with this car.
Is it perfect? well this was a non-sport model and I did think the tail was a tad squirrely. But compared to my freeway jaunt this weekend, the G35 has now rocketed to the top of the list. Extreme fun.
The stick still doesn't feel just right but that may come with time.
Regardless I had a tremendous time exercising the G35 and I really think this is my next car. Unless the 330i pulls one helluva a rabbit (or Tyra Banks) out of its bag of tricks, I can't see the 330i winning this race for my sale.
After the drive we discussed price briefly and colors. He mentioned that they're dealing on G's right now and I can expect a good deal off MSRP without a struggle. Nice to know. On the downside it was at this moment I discovered the G sedan doesn't come in diamond graphite. Not sure I want a silver car and I definitely don't want black. He understood that and understood my need to still try the 330i manual.
On the upside I just read from DFW_Infinti (at Freshalloy.com) that the 2004s will come with Diamond Graphite paint as an option. Can I wait 3-4 months? If it's for that price, you betcha. Even with a $500 bump I'm good.
I'm still gonna give the 330i its fair shake but it has so much to prove now.
One car mag said the shifter is "notchy". Maybe a little break-in and some Redline or Amsoil Synthetic Lube could make a difference. It sure did in My Lincoln LS with the Getrag.
Most sticks today take engine oil or auto tranny fluid. No more 80-140 weight lube.
The characteristic I look for is "speed of shift". My Getrag wants to shift at it's own pace. No pushin this baby.
My two 64 GTOs with Muncies were stripped of their "dogs" or detents for faster shifting.
My 83 Toyota Cressida was the best I've experienced. The same tranny as the Supra, and had exceptional feel and fast shifting.
So did the G tranny seem to resist fast shifting?
Also, the reports I have read on the forums have indicated that the G Manuals are in short supply and are selling at MSRP.
Maybe the economy is weak enough to get these guys motivated.
I have just one need on the G and that it has the Sport option and it comes in a very light color like white or Ivory. I don't care about the sound system or Nav since I never drive out of town and I listen to talk shows all the time.
All I want is the leanest, meanest sedan I can find. My LS has no upgraded sound system, not even a sunroof. I did change the speakers, the intake and exhaust to Borla.
No 20-24" chrome-laden pimpmobile wheels that actually slow you down.
Since the G is rather undertired, I will investigate a set of 18" forged wheels in the widest, non-interfering size I can get. The goal is mainly to reduce unsprung weight and retain the stock offset. Most wheel buyers only go for looks and it's downhill from there.
As for the shift action it seemed like you could rush it if you wanted to. Because the engine's got so much pull for so long if you keep it up to 6k in each gear you're well above the legal limit by 3rd gear. But downshifts seemed to come quite crisply.
I'm still trying to figure out when you'd use 6th. Maybe cruising on the freeway? I was clipping along at 75 or so on backstreets in 4th and the engine still was not even near redline.
If you're serious about a G manual, I'd say call Peter. He's a no nonsense guy and I'm sure he can make a trade with another dealer for a totally stripped leather MT G35 - the sport suspension comes on the car automatically. You're looking 27,500 or so.
I'm probably going to hold out for the 04 premium package version with a diamond graphite paint job. I really like that color quite a bit. plus in 04 the sedan gets the winter package standard - heated mirrors, seats, etc. probably more expensive too. though i can hold out hope for 2004 they'll add a telescoping steering wheel.
All manual trans models come with sport suspension standard.
Later...AH
Basically it seems I may need to mod the car a bit. Another thing I realized later - i was pushing the G far harder than any other car I've driven.
I hope the old Maxima keeps chugging away.
Later...AH
Diamond Graphite - I haven't heard this color is coming to the sedan. I heard Twilight Blue is coming back for 2004, though. DG would have been my first color choice if it was available, but I'm happy with my Desert Platinum.
I have driven about 400 miles so far and I am very happy with its performance. It gave about 25 mpg on the first tank of gas (mostly highway). The shifter is good, firm and short-throw. The clutch seemed to have too much travel but I am now getting used to it. The seats are very comfortable but you have to fiddle with quite a few controls to get it just right. The car felt very stable in rain (I drove through a couple of serious thunderstorms). I am hoping that the G35 will handle snow as well -- with TCS, VDC, and snow tires! Some people on various boards reassured me that I would be ok with snow tires. It was concern with winter driving that led to my decision to lease the vehicle rather than buy it. I do have my 1998 Maxima SE (5 speed MT with all available options) with its dedicated set of snow tires, just in case!:-)
Raj
- Diamond Graphite will be available for the Sedan
- Winter Package Standard on the Sedan (heated mirrors, seats and all season tire)
- Dark Blue available on Coupe
An 18" wheel option would be nice.
Can't wait to order my '04 Diamond Graphite 6-Speed Sedan with Premium Package!
Enjoy!
Neil
'99 Solara SLE
Red/Gray; 47k
Why in the world would they do that? I have no use for heated mirrors and seats and would have to throw out four brand new tires and get some decent ones on there.
No, not really. I'm in southern California.
And the heated mirrors are nice -- morning dew fogs up my mirrors.
knr5: According to some BMW guys here on Edmund's, RWD + snow tires is as good as or better than AWD + all-seasons. You might want to consider getting a set of 16" rims for the winter - makes the winter tires a lot cheaper.
blueguydotcom: The 330i should impress you as much as the G35. My final decision between the two came down to things like rear seat space, in-dash cd changer & Nav unit co-existing, etc. The BMW's auto tranny is better, but you're looking at a stick. If only I could get a G35 in Steel Blue Metallic....
Either way, yippie for Diamond Graphite on the Sedan
Later...AH
amen to that. why is it only bmw has nice colors? infiniti's got some dowdy freaking colors in my opinion. at least the DG coming to the car. still, what i wouldn't give for bmw's color selection on the G - at least the extra $500 BMW charges.
A telescoping steering wheel would be darn nice too.
Oh, and I live in socal and think seat heaters and definitely outside mirrors with heaters is a darn good idea. bun-warmers are quite nice even on brisk nights when you want to open all the windows and sunroof while zipping down the coast at hyper-legal speeds. yum.
The MTX G must do close to 5.7 seconds, although I have not seen a road test on the MTX sedan yet (must be the Bimmer folks trying to suppress this).
I like the new 330i Sport with the 6 speed from the M3, the upgraded Sport interior and 10 hp more, but I'm afraid what the price will be.
A lease at $27,500 should cost about $440 a month. I will try to reach Peter at Hoehn Infiniti. Thanks.
KNR5 did not mention in an earlier post what his MTX cost and the lease is per month. I would like to know if you are out there guy.
At 46k, I would be looking at an M3 and you are also close to the 540i MTX, which in the Automatic form is almost as fast as the G35 Auto.
Too bad there has not been a mag test on the new 330i Performance Edition or a fairly recent 540i MTX for comparison purposes.
Teh G35 MTX Sedan has got to be the Performance Car of the year, especially at it's price point.
So the BMW 540i with the 8-cylinder engine and Automatic trans, is only "almost as fast" (= slightly slower) as the G35 Auto ??
Later...AH
Of course, the 540 is 500 lbs heavier and much more sumptuous. To even it up a bit we should put in 500 lbs of bricks into the G35 and then do a 0-60 with both vehicles.
Instead, they test exotics that no one can afford, and you may never see in your lifetime.
It takes power to move weight, and the 540i is no lightweight.
I think another interesting road test would be the FX45 vs the 540i Auto vs the new Lincoln LS V-8. I would especially like to see the slolom and roadholding figures on the FX45.
These 3 are all in the 50k range, except the LS can be had for a substantial discount. My local dealer has 53 03 LSes sitting on the lot!
Of course, the resale/residual is poor on the LS and the FX, and maybe kd can give us the numbers on the 540i.
My 2000 MTX LS is going for less than it's residual of 17,600, so unless Ford Credit wants to reduce the price, they are getting it back on July 1. And there is very little chance that they will reduce the buy out price.
So it's Infiniti shopping for me. And they have two hot models which are stand-out values - the FX and the G35. It's a hard choice - keep shifting with the G or give in to my 11 and 13 year-old boys and get an SUV type vehicle. Maybe I can fake it with the FX. It's really a AWD to 13 mph G35 with a V-8 and strut front suspension that looks kinda like some appliance SUV. Can you imagine an FX45 at Solo 2???
stanny1: It would be interesting to see an FX at Solo2. Bring it on, I'll bring a camera.
stanny - lets wait on that comparo for the arrival of the 545i. I'm sure the mags will have plenty to say about all the cars, hopefully positive, once they get their hands on it. I would think the FXs weight would play a huge detriment in the slolam, but I could be wrong. Weight is one reason the new 760 probably won't be put to the test through the slalom.
Especially when they don't sell that many !! I remember Acura had equipped the 3.2CL-s with the 6-speed manual and the Torque-sensing helical front LSD, while the TL-s (4-door) which was almost always more desirable with the said 6-speed etc., never got anything more than an Automatic. Now Acura is stopping the production of the CL-s, due to lack of demand !! If only they had spent more effort on the 4-door versions than the lower selling 2-doors.
Later...AH
(all in my opinion, of course)
Anyway, just took our G35 sedan in for an oil change (among other things) and was told that the AWD would only be available in automatic and in September. Apparently Infiniti is having some trouble getting things squared away with the manual transmission.
Haven't had time to see if anyone had posted this before, but thought I'd drop in and mention it.
Oh, I have tried the front seat "fix" (for the controls poking in the hip) and think it is a worthwhile (and under warranty) attempt. Would still prefer the controls by the shifter, but it DOES seem better.
Oh, and thanks for those who posted answers to my Bridgestone S-03 (245/45-18) questions about a month or two ago. Was able to read them, but just haven't had time to respond with all the computer problems I've been having (THREE hard drives died in less than a month, UGH!).
Scott
Later...AH
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/ly/03g356mt.htm