Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

birdman579

I have not had the pleasure of driving a 6MT G yet. How does it compare to a Lexus IS300? I found the shifter in the IS to be very nice. It was definitely stiffer than a Honda, but I like that feel better. The throws could have been shorter and of course a 6th gear is better. I'm thinking the G is exactly what I want. Too bad the dealers don't like having people drive the 6MTs.

msiseng

The Acura transmission problems pertain to years 2002 and the first part of 2003 (manufactured in late 2002). My friend drove his 1999 Acura 180,000 miles without a major repair!

pat

wow, that's a heckuva lot of driving!

frenchy2002

Does anyone know when the G35 sedan all wheel drive will be released and if it will be available with a manual transmission? Thank you.

cheerioboy26

there has been no official information on the awd from infiniti, although we know it's coming. a reliable dealer on another website said the introduction has been moved up to late november from mid-december. nothing known about trasmission options. in the new motortrend they have snippets on every 04 car. they mentioned the upcoming availability of awd.

clpurnell

Go to www.nissannews.com

G35 AWD announced today with arrival in december, look out audi and bmw this thing should rock. I think they should pump the output of the awd to 280 to overcome the added weight.

mwhdev

I have about 600 miles on my new sedan and I have a confession.
A Couple of Red-line indiscretions.
For the most part I have been very moderate with my driving. Not babying the car but not going full tilt either. This weekend I put the pedal to the metal a few times and she flew. The Auto Trans took her right to the red-line and then shifted. Nirvana... Now I am concerned that I should not have done it before the 1200 miles suggested in the owners manual.

Anybody else have the same lack of constraint? Did I go too far too soon?

I need some reassurance :-)

Drew

mbednorz

Going to the rev limit during the break-in is probably not a big deal. Consider yourself reassured. In fact, there is a large contingent of gearheads that believe you should drive a car "normally" from the get-go.

smelias

Having just turned in my 2001 Lincoln LS V8 Sport (I couldn't afford the new ones at $44k), I decided to purchase a G35 premium sedan. I generally have good things to say but have concerns over fit and finish, driver's seat comfort, and general road feel on the steering wheel.

For starters this sedan feels very fast, even when trying to remain conservative during the breakin period (I can't wait for mile 1,000). It also handles very well, a little too well for my tastes, but I will learn to live with it. The interior is cool looking and I am very happy with the ergonomics. However, it is taking me forever to find a sweet spot, thus making my commute little uncomfortable. I hope I find it soon. The greatest problem I have is with the road vibration comming thru on the steering wheel, and the car pulling a little to the right. I am wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? The vibration is really noticable at highway speeds.

Also, the wood veneer is peeling off on my shift nob. This was there when I picked up the car and they will replace it, but I wanted see if I should also mentions the road vibration if it is something that is not normal.

Thanks

frenchy2002

Balancing and aligning the wheels should probably do it.

mwhdev

Thanks for the input.
Generally I try to keep it under 4K RPMs but I have let her loose a few times and only really pushed her hard a couple of times back to back last weekend (to rev limiter and AT upshift from 1st to 4th then backed off due to speed in 5th). What a rocket! I will continue to drive 'sensibly' until 1200.

Drew

ssiu

Infiniti to introduce all-wheel-drive G35 sedan

This is a mainstream Canadian site which says its info is from Nissan, so it should be "official". American models may vary.

cheerioboy26

http://129.33.74.73/infiniti/news/products/relmatt2003091194118.s- html

The big news for the 2004 G35 Sport Sedan is the addition, beginning in early December, of the G35 Sedan Leather AWD model. This new model features an advanced all-wheel drive system with an active torque distribution management system with an electro-magnetic clutch (no center differential). The advantage of this system is smooth starts and better traction and maneuverability on snowy roads and minimal compromise of rear-wheel drive performance characteristics on dry roads. Torque distribution front-to-rear is computer controlled and is variable between 0:100 and 50:50 front:rear.

......also....

Enhancements to the 2004 G35 Sport Sedan include:
·New G35 Leather AWD model with ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, including "Snow-Mode" switch which fixes the torque distribution ration at 50:50 to improve performance on slippery roads

frenchy2002

I wish they would tell us if the AWD G35 sedan will be available with a manual transmission.

g35buyer

I bought a '04 last weekend and have noticed a slight pull to the right other then that, it runs great. I will wait and put on about 200 to 300 miles more and then see if things have settled down by then before taking it to the dealer.

cleancars

Take care of the problem now. I had/have the same problem and now I am at 6000 miles; I took it for alignment, it was out of alignment but the alignment adjustment did not fix the problem. Infiniti said it is a tire problem (they tested the car with another set of wheels on, problem corrected). I had/have to deal with Goodyear, Infiniti does not warranty the tires. The Goodyear manager was very helpful and got Goodyear to agree to repalce all tires. They replace all of them because the are directional tires and it is hard to really cover all the possibilites of what may be wrong. The tires are on order (very difficult to locate them); hopefully in a week every things will be resolved.
Hope you just need an aligment.

normalo

I though it was only my G35 sedan. It is now 1 month old and I have noticed that the car tends to go to the right slightly so my steering wheel is not centered on a straight road. Is it a coincidence? Do I have to pay for the alignment to try to fix it? My car has no sport package so I think my tires are Bridgestone, I have to check them out.

normalo

To give everybody a better perspective of my review, my previous vehicle was a 99' Lexus GS300 and the vehicles that I was shopping other than the G35 sedan were BMW 530IA, and 525IA. The 530 payments were too expensive considereing that a totally new model is coming out and the 525 is just plain looks only and no power.
My G35 sedan has premium package, navigation, and a rear spoiler.
The GOOD STUFF:
-Lots of power, feels like a v8 so it is fast.
-Good price for what you get.
-Good handling except it would benefit from wider tires to match its handling.
-The pop-up navigation location is up high.
The BAD STUFF:
-Personally ugly styling, specially when you look at it straight from the front or back. That is why I installed a spoiler to cover some of the uglyness.
-Joystick operated navigation system is friendly to use but it takes too long to enter information letter by letter. Touch screen navigation system should be the norm for all systems.
-Cheap, cheap materials inside. The door armrest/inside handle made from two different colors of hard plastic, the needles in the clock, the ever scratching center console, and the infiniti logos on the front chairs.
-The orange color lighted instrumentation reminds me of 1990's Mitsubishi Eclipse.
-Uncomfortable driver seat, can not find the sweet spot. It feels like a recycled chair with too much cushioning.
-Many times it is hard to tell if I have xenon or regular head lights.
-Either the window power switches are too low or I have short arms. It seems like I am trying to reach for the manual window if you see me from outsiede the vehicle. Please check the FX35/45 back seat power window location. You can not reach it unless you twist your arm and wrist.
-Pooooooooor gas mileage, specially with the gas prices these days. Ouch!
CONCLUSION
Get a G35 for speed and handling only.
Get a Lexus ES300 for luxury comfort and better materials inside the vehicle.
If you want some of both, I think you should wait for the new Acura TL. For me, I could not wait.

chrisboth

If the buyers look at both then they prob dont need RWD...IF you want a terrific interior the Audi is the best bang for buck IMO. The G may not have the accoutrements but as a whole its a lux pacakge well put together. Prem package is nice and i have no scratches..people are always peering into my Willow Leather interior all the time. ES300 is a perfect example of geritol driving with posh insides...for more than G!! What are you paying for with a camry frame that gives you another 15 k in value???

kfhmail

I understand that heated seats and heated side mirrors (plus other items) are now standard (in the base price), but it appears the price of the Premium package or the winter package did not decrease.

Is this correct?

You would think the price would decrease if they remove something from the package.

cjs2002

I don't know about that.... But I love the interior of the G.. granted I'm 19 but it appeals to me and doesn't remind me of anything cheap.. hell any car you look at has plastic buttons... plastic is plastic my good friends (I should know I'm a science major) I looked at the G vs the 3 series as well as MB C class and found I like the G just fine.. now granted you really can't compar the G to the 5 series cause in my book its not only in the same price bracket but the 5 is also a little higher up in the luxery end. frankly I like the orange lights... there better than the simple and rather dull normal white lights... (plus if you really don't like that color change them to blue... thats what my friend did) I love the embroydered seats.. and think there just fine to drive around in... granted I'm short at only 5'6" but I find it comfortable in the car regardles... now my dad of 6'5" has a bit more trouble... which I'm glade cause then he can't take my car and go off hot rodding.. my last car he got himself some speedin tickets cause he wanted to have fun...

clpurnell

cjs2002

nope planning on goin some time this week with my father to go negotiate prices and sign some papers ... hopefully

frayberg

I am considering purchasing out of state.

Does anyone have any advice regarding the cons?

In other words, what am I losing from buying out of state?

Are there any tax advantages?

msgreen

what is everyone's experience changing oil on the G35? How much does your dealer charge? Good/bad? How about do-it-yourselfers? Messy? Hard to reach filters/oil plugs, etc? Any other thoughts/comments? Just read some comments on the Cadillac CTS board that this is a messy job with that car...Thanks....

norcalmike2

I'm one of those guys who does not like technicians working on my car unless absolutely necessary. I have a set of homemade car ramps I made out of 2" x 8" wood that gradually steps my car up 6" (I used to use them on my 300ZX because of the low air dam). Once the car is elevated, it's time consuming but easy. You have to remove 11 bolts to take the front plastic air diffuser (located under the engine) off. Once the bottom of the engine is exposed, the oil filter drops straight down and the oil does not dribble onto the frame. The oil drain bolt is close and the oil from the pan drains without getting on the frame also. Reverse the process and I am back in business. Takes about 45 minutes and costs about $15.00 with a Nissan filter. Hope this helps.

redz06

I bought a used Porsche in Maryland and drove it home to Texas. I did not find any downside to the transaction. One does have to show proof of residence out of the state of purchase and then the transaction is done with no state sales taxes. When you reach your state of residence, you will have to pay the taxes (within a couple of weeks) to get your license tags. The only downside is that you cannot finance the taxes in your car note, if that is what you wish.

I also factory ordered a new Corvette from a dealer in Atlanta for delivery in Texas. When the Corvette was built, it was shipped directly to Texas. The only downside is that you have to pay the dealer that you take delivery from his makeready charge, which may be $250. You do your best to make this up by making a better deal with the out of state dealer (and why not, since he has no make ready cost). In this transaction, you send a check to the ordering dealer without TTL, and then you pay the makeready + the TTL to the local dealer where you take delivery. I saved $1450 on the Corvette in this manner as the local dealers would not discount my Z06 model at that time.

bigorange30

I bought a QX4 last year out of state and the selling dealer charged me the sales tax for my state. He just asked me what state I lived in and looked up the tax for my state. I had understood that doing it this way was a federal law. I guess not based on redz06's experience.

robmarch

I think they can either charge you the tax and pay it to the state, and you don't pay it when you title it, or they don't charge you the tax and you pay it when you title. I just bought a car out of state, and paid the tax when I titled.

stito

I'm seriously considering buying an '04 Infiniti G35. The sales manager at the local Infiniti dealer is the husband of a friend and offered me the car for $200 over invoice. I know this is an incredible deal for such a great car, but I'm worried about how the car handles in the snow since it is rear wheel drive. I haven't driven rear wheel drive in more than 15 years! I'm used to front wheel drive and four wheel drive. Anybody have some insight for me? I should add that I only drive cars with manual transmission and although Infiniti is coming out with an AWD version, the dealer told me AWD will NOT be an option for manual transmission.

mrman_3k3

How about getting the AWD G that will be coming out in a month or two?

cjs2002

I was wondering how everyones insurance has been price wise for the G... its the car I plan on getting I'm just worried about insurance now.

frayberg

I drive a Rear Wheel Drive car (Pontiac Firebird) in Massachuestts during the winter and haven't run into problems (just be cautious). (frayberg@hotmail.com)

cheerioboy26

insurance depends on a lot of things, your driving record, where you live, etc. i pay a bit over $600 per year for my G sedan. However, I pay a bit more (maybe $30/yr) for my wife's 2000 Maxima.

frenchy2002

If this is true that the AWD version of the G35 sedan won't be available with a manual transmission, then that's a real bummer!!! I would have to shop European: great cars but more expensive and not as reliable.

tsxfan19

Does anyone know why when several Nissans (first noticed on the previous generation Maxima/I30/35) are tested in the offset frontal collision into a deformable barrier at 40mph why their side (torso/head) and curtain airbags deploy? Is the an intentional feature, or does the collision accidentally trigger the side airbag sensors?

Thanks for your responses and help!

ppnff

From watching Dateline, they discussed the deployment of the side airbags in frontal collisions. The deployment protects the occupants in case there are any impacts against the sides of the car either upon the initial impact or rebound after the impact.

frenchy2002

PPNFF is correct. As a doc, I can tell you by experience that in these type of collisions, the head of the driver is susceptible to hit the pillar or the window, causing possibly fatal head injuries. People lose their life that way and it can happen to you too. So the deployment of side airbags in offset frontal collisions is definitely a good thing.

vipbarr

I had many problems with my G35, but the brake pads/rotor problem tops them all. I was due for front brakes. Quite early IMO but that is another story. The service representative told me, that my rotors are warped and I need to pay to replace the rotors. According to many sources (dealers and Infiniti customer service), most of the G35 require rotor replacement in addition to costly brake job. Infiniti knows about the problem and IS NOT paying for the rotors. Be prepared to buy yourself a new set of rotors for every brake job. And you will need this quite often, to the delight of your local dealer. Unfortunately, I was one of the early victims (buying early and without proper research) and did not expect that the car will be so bug ridden as it is. I would never buy this POS knowing what I know not, but is too late. It is by far the worst car I ever had. For 16 months I have been to a dealer 12 times. Let prospective buyers be aware.

ficuss

How many miles did you get out of the brakes before they needed to be changed? What did they say caused the rotors to warp? I have not heard of warping rotors here before. If you had the tires rotated and the lug nuts were put on too tight, that may have caused the warping. Did you notice any pulsating when braking, or any other symptom which would indicate warped rotors?

toastiebuns

Just wanted to thank everyone for the help; chrisboth blueguydotcom effinponderous. We bought new G35 sedan. Love it. We are having a blast driving it. Got a good deal. Paid $500 over invoice for 2003,garnet red, sport suspension,performance & aero pkgs. Dealer had to bring it from out of state. Dealer was great to work with. Thanks for the education in 1st time new car buying. Much appreciated.

chrisboth

On the new purchase - check out g35driver.com for some serious fandom.

msiseng

Visit the government website and look at the GROWING number of front rotor and brake complaints filed. If the exact link below does not work, goto: www.nhtsa.dot.gov and search under 2003, G35 complaints.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/results.cfm?s- tart=16&SearchType=DrillDown&type=1&year=2003&mak- e=INFINITI&model=G35&component_id=0

I urge anyone with rotor and brake problems to fila a complaint. Someone mentioned a class action suit. If there is enough interest and people are serious, I can get the wheels turning...

kfhmail

I continued to be amazed that the G35 still only comes with a choice of two interior colors.

I understand that it is easier and cheaper to produce when you have limited combinations...but...if this is the reason why have 8 exterior colors.

You now have a "Graphite - dark gray", "twilight blue" and "black"...relatively speaking these are similar in color (on the same end of the color range - dark). You have to get fairly close, or be under the right light to see that the blue is not black.

Then you have "brilliant silver" and "desert platinum"...there is a difference but depending on the light you may not be able to tell which is which.

Do not get me wrong...I like the choice in exterior colors...but

So...why have "similar" exterior colors but only two interior colors that are both on the extreme...the dark extreme (black) and the light extreme.

Why not at least "ONE" choice in the middle. As I have said before a medium to light gray would be in my opinion a good interior option color.

But...it is up to Infiniti...

The new 2004 Acura TL has at least 4 interior colors to choose from.

ryoken

Then Acura has finally changed. Last year they only had two.. beight and black.. and you couldn't even choose between them depending on the exterior color. It was Blue/Black or Green/Beige.. there was no Green/Black for instance.

Even BMW puts black dashboards and black seatbelts on their beige and gray interiors, so nobody's perfect.

But, a gray interior would be nice.

sjk2575

I just got sick of poor quality of G35 sedan and the way Infiniti (Nissan) dose their business. Especially, it is so, because I have a career goal to work in the automotive industry in the future.

The easy way out of trouble with G35 is Lemon law, if one is available in your state. It's usually free, and the lawyers usually do most of work. I'm NOT trying to advertise anyone,here.

PEOPLE!!! Please, take an action for your own sake. Go to www.lemonlaw.com and check what is the situation with lemonlaw with your state. No matter how small the problems are, you, as owners of luxury vehicle should not be bother by them. The lemonlaw lawyers, most of time, don't charge their clients because they go after the manufacturer for the fee. Also, they usually say no, if they think your case is too weak. All you need to do is give the lawyer all the information (repair history) and maintain update on your car, then wait for avg. 6-9 months. You only have to go to the court once or twice but not most of cases. If you decide to work with lemon law lawyers, make sure you get it in writing how much you have to pay (free or some $)at the settlement. They usually do but If the lawyer says 'can't', Look for someone else.

macman246

I went through the lemon law process with GM for my 2002 GMC Envoy. It was painless and only took 4 1/2 months. I skipped the BBB and arbitration because they are a waste of time, and designed to wear you down.

I bought the G35 as my replacement, and I have to say it's been flawless. Even my lemon law attorney thought highly of Infiniti, based on the relatively few cases he's filed against them.

Sorry to read about all your problems, sjk2575. Good luck and hope you get a good settlement.

chrisboth

And NEVER pay for these attorney's services. Most big firms have pre-lit programs where the bundle cars into a big settlement. My VW was repurchased in 2 months and now i bought the G which the attorney said infiniti was his least seen car along with lexus.

So i got in his ear one day and started asking what he would buy based on all the info he must have accumulated in his head...his answer: Any Japanese luxo plate. He also said his #1 most successful cases are for the 7 series - tons of jettas and lots of SUVS from GM and Ford. He said that the most improved are jaguar but they still have tons of cases out there.

If you have nothing to lose there is every reason to pursue your case. I got ALL my money back after 1.5 years...like putting it in the bank all that time.
2Cents

msiseng

I had many problems with the G35 and would be willing to pursue a class action suit regarding the front brake wear. My friends are all attorneys and they say this is the only part of the G35 that we have a chance of winning a case. There are too many G35s with this same issue.

Hot air, flawed CD players, etc.. will not get anyone far in court. Safety issues raise so many red flags. Would you not agree that the brake components are a safety issue?

Regarding Jaguar, Ford (of all manufacturers) improved this line a great deal. Jaguar usually offers to replace your car so I cannot believe there are too many law suits pending? The customer service is usually outstanding.

My friend had a lemon S-Type and Jaguar replaced it with one phone call. He got more options because that is what the dealership had in stock. The price remained constant.

My Jaguar had a paint chip and Jaguar offered to repaint the entire car with their 12-step paint process. I simply asked them to fill-in the paint with touch-up. One tire could not be balanced and they installed four new tires without my asking (at 6,000 miles). Would Infiniti ever do this? LOL, NO!

Those of you who received a flawless G35 - bless you. I hope you continue to have success and please wish those of us with lemons well!

chrisboth

IT does not seem like a passat nightmare with 1000's of them having numerous problems but all cars have thier bones. Too bad you got a bad one cuz when they are right they are tight. Bet you dont buy a first year car again, I was very concerned too. I patiently waited 4-5 years for the passat redesign as i heard it was needed...got me nothin but pretty car that sat in the dealership service bay. I saw infiniti #2 or 3 in alot of JD power stuff and was sold.