See my message above. I really did not notice any significant driving difference between our AWD car and the RWD car we had test driven 3 times. The ride was basically the same, maybe even slightly less harsh, as the added 300 lbs. settles the car down a little more. But if there was a difference there, it is minimal. The driving feel is completely the same. Same tight steering, same great reflexes, same great throttle response.
The only real difference is when you hit the "snow" button on the dash. That puts the car into 50/50 AWD from a start and also greatly diminishes the throttle response, to help you avoid spinning the tires. Hitting that button makes the throttle feel like molassas, but that is exactly what it is supposed to do.
It's supposed to snow here tomorrow, so I'll tell you how it actually works out. I'm afraid the Goodyear Eagles that come standard aren't good snowy weather tires.
I tested a G35X, immediately followed by a run over the same course in a regular G35 non-sport. This is not a completely fair comparison, because I had a 200 lb. salesman in the back seat with the X, and not with the other.
Handling: Very similar. Both had the same feel accelerating out of a tight corner.
Ride: The G35X feels slightly harder riding at the front wheels. I assume it has heavier springs to deal with the added weight and unsprung weight. The difference is fairly minor, along the lines of adding 3 psi to the front tires. Nowhere near as harsh as the sport package.
Acceleration: Both cars feel powerful, of course. The G35X is missing a little spring in its step when pulling away from a stop - the RWD car shifts sooner at part throttle and feels more effortless. This is the biggest difference between the two cars.
I took my wife's G35X out in the snow this afternoon when she got home from work.
The road conditions were: snow covered with a packed snow. The roads had not been plowed, but had been driven on over and over, so it was well packed down. It was still snowing. We went to pick up Chinese food. I found the AWD system very capable and the car pulled away from a stop with amazing grip. The "snow" button really helped for a smooth start. I did find that once going 30 mph, it still felt the slightest bit twitchy. I suspect that is because the system occassionally tried to revert to RWD and began to slip. I wish there was a way to turn it on full time. Pulling into an unpaved parking lot with 4" of powder snow and up a moderate hill was no trouble at all.
I also noticed that the VDC (or whatever the stability control is called) did not help much with understeer. I took a corner a little faster than normal just to see if I could kick it in, and the car just tried to plow ahead. On the other hand I also tried to throw it into a hard fishtail and VDC did a fantastic job of controling the car. It took a half second to kick in, but once it did, it would not let the car spin. Pushing the throttle hard brought in the traction control quickly with little drama. The ABS halted the car great.
In sum, I'd say the G35X is a great AWD car in desperate need of true snow tires. The standard Goodyear Eagles, in my opinion, are "adequate" to get you through the snow, but throw a set of Blizzacks on this puppy, and you've got a nearly unstoppable snow car.
We're supposed to get another 6-8" of snow through tomorrow, I'll try it again in deeper snow.
klayfish, thanks for posting this, and please keep us up to date. I'm still trying to decide whether to get the G35X, or get a G35 and run Blizzaks, or wait for the '05 Legacy GT.
I've read about the '05 Legacy GT, and it sounds and looks like a great car. It probably won't be up to the "luxury" and "status" of the G35, but I'm sure it'll be an awesome handler, especially in bad weather.
From what I've read, I wouldn't recommend going with the non-AWD G35 and Blizzacks if you live in a snowy area. Not that it won't go anywhere, but it won't be nearly as good as the X. If you can swing it, buy the G35X and get a set of Blizzacks, then you'll have a true snow capable car. Only ground clearance will stop you. That's what we're going to do. We'll get by this winter on the Goodyears, since they are brand new and have great tread. But next winter, we'll get a set of Blizzacks for Dec-Feb.
Has anyone tried installing the in-cabin air filter themselves? How difficult was it? What problems did you run into? I have one on order, so any help would be appreciated.
Was disappointed to learn that the new G35x only comes with the non-sport package interior - meaning no titanium trim on the dash. While I'm not a huge fan of the titanium dash in the first place (very plastic looking compared to the FX or new Acura TL), without it, the interior looks even cheaper than it did before. The interior either needs real alumimum trim or real wood in important areas. Just my opinion.
Happy to report that my G35 Sedan (RWD) did well in the snow. I live in central New Jersey and we have a major snow storm last weekend.
When I was driving home last Friday, there was about 2 inch of snow on the ground already. I drove in the 1st gear of manual mode and I had zero problem driving home. Of course, I drove slowly. Then last Sunday, I drove to supermarket without any problem neither.
From my personal experience, RWD G should be fine in snow, as long as you have at least all-season tires on and drive responsibly.
Happy to report that my G35 Sedan (RWD) did well in the snow. I live in central New Jersey and we have a major snow storm last weekend.
When I was driving home last Friday, there was about 2 inch of snow on the ground already. I drove in the 1st gear of manual mode and I had zero problem driving home. Of course, I drove slowly. Then last Sunday, I drove to supermarket without any problem neither.
From my personal experience, RWD G should be fine in snow, as long as you have at least all-season tires on and drive responsibly.
I'm 99% sure I want the G35 but the seat controls discomfort issue keeps making me think twice. I'm sure 99% of all owners experiencing this problem DID NOT notice it when test driving...and I haven't either.
I feel like telling the dealer I want to test drive the car for a week but I know that won't happen.
When I drive my present car I notice that I angle my body slightly to the left and I'm barely even touching the right side seat bolster. So I THINK it wouldn't be a problem. But again that 1% keeps asking what if it is a problem that only rears its ugly head after I've written the $30K check...YIKES!!
It's either going to be G35 or the Acura TL but as much as the TLs interior woos me, I still like the G35 better. The TL looks like a lot of other cars. It looks like a Beamer from some angles, it looks like a Camry from some angles, and it even looks like a Dodge Stratus from some angles. On the road the TL can be mistaken for a number of cars.
On the other hand the G35 styling is quite unique and very distinct...I like it. But it's just those seat controls that have me wondering.
I already have two herniated disks in my back and every now and then I have shooting pain down the back of my right leg...all I need is a drivers seat that makes this pain chronic instead of periodic.
Not having owned one and owning the G35, all I can say is that the TL looks like a lot more car for the money. The materials look far superior in the TL, while the G is wearing poorly with time. I've not driven the TL so I don't know if it is as much fun as the G. Back to looks, they are of course subjective.
You can purchase foam from a mattress and futon store to place between your leg and the seat controls. I did this and it worked well. However, the foam kept slipping away. I am now stuffing the foam under the seat leather (between the seat and the controls) because the seat TSB did not solve much.
Maybe I'll just keep my jalopy another year and pray they move the seat controls down to the side of seat like most cars on the 2005 model.
It would kill me if I bought another car or 2004 G35 and they corrected this in 2005. With all the complaints about this feature, it's hard to imagine they would keep it another year...I was hoping they would moved the controls for 2004 but that didn't happen.
I can deal with the brakes, I can deal with paint chips, but I don't know if I could deal with pain in my leg, which I get already from a bad back, from poorly designed and placed seat controls.
Infiniti needs to re-design the seat controls and move them to the side on the 2005 G35. Then they need to offer 2003-2004 G35 owners the option to replace the seats w/ the 2005 models at a nominal cost...say $100-$200 per seat.
Isn't this a great idea? Wonder is anyone from Infiniti is taking notice.
Nice pipe dream. If not pressed by the government for a potential safety issue, they will do nothing for the consumer.
It is a great idea and Infiniti does read these boards. In fact, Nissan/Infiniti pays Edmunds.com a fortune in advertising revenue. For now, I would just stuff the seats with foam. It really works and is far cheaper than ordering custom seats.
Look at all the Nissan/Infiniti advertisements on Edmunds.com! Do you think the editors will give a bad review to a manufacturer that contributes to profit quarter over quarter? That is simply bad business and Edmunds.com is out to make a profit, right?
Are you saying that Edmunds.com is non-profit?
What about a long-term review for the G35 with all of its problems? Do you see that anywhere? Why did they rate the Jaguar X-Type so poorly when it is one of the most trouble-free and safest automobiles on the road? Lack of advertising revenue? You don't say!
Nissan/Infiniti monitors this board to ascertain public opinion more then they do other services. Edmunds.com is quickly becoming the forum of choice for many with good reason. Edmunds.com allows freedom of speech and does not monitor and negate opinion like other boards.
One of the employees at Infiniti Consumer Affairs said they read this board daily.
Edmunds is not the only publication that says the G35 has very few problems and is a high quality car. The G35 has won numerous comparisons and is rated as very good for reliability from Consumer Reports. The X-type has never won a comparison test and received the worst ratings for reliability from Consumer Reports. Please check your facts before posting. Personally, I find that Edmunds is one of the few automotive publications that will blast a car that performs poorly. And the G35 placed 4th in the Edmunds comparison, not exactly biased opinions from a money hungry company.
been pretty consistent with the Nissan/Infiniti complaints almost from the beginning on this and other G35 boards.
On the other hand, msiseng has great stories to tell about the reliability and tremendous service available from the Jaguar??????????
Take the comments for what they're worth and understand the point of view is apparently extremely biased as are most people on Edmunds (myself included).
Some folks have more experience over a larger amount of time and a larger number of vehicles, manufacturers brands and models. This, rather than a terrible experience with one particular vehicle or dealer that forever clouds their ability to step back and see the big picture.
"This, rather than a terrible experience with one particular vehicle or dealer that forever clouds their ability to step back and see the big picture."
There is no bigger picture when it comes to a horrible $35,000 spent that you are not happy with.
Wow, you are very confused, Msiseng. Like any online advertiser, Nissan advertises with Edmunds because of the high internet traffic that comes to Edmunds.com. I'm quite sure they are not "rewarding" Nissan for thier somewhat favorable reviews. Without the high "hit rate" at Edmunds.com, Nissan would spend their ad dollars somewhere else - regardless of how they review their cars. Period.
Msiseng, also please note that Kennedy was killed by a single gunman.
Actually, one of the things Edmunds is most known for is writing unbiased articles and reviews. The editors call it like THEY see it. Many times they have written a sub-par review on a vehicle no matter what the relationship or size the business/sales team might have with the manufacturer. I can tell you that they don't hold back on reviews. Edmunds has always been very clear about being for the consumer. Their opinions are not "for sale" to the manufacturers.
If you disagree with the article/review, by all means you have the ability to email our editors at editor@edmunds.com. See the list of letters that others have sent: http://www.edmunds.com/news/column/letters/#
FYI, anyone worried about how the G35 sedan is in the snow, really shouldn't worry. I drove my car all weekend through a three day storm that dumped 26 inches of snow. Mine has the premium, sport, and aero package with all seasons on it. I did not get stuck or have any problems. When deciding on what car to buy, my only fear was how bad it will be when the white stuff is falling. A little bit of smart driving made for no problems. Although the only problem is that the car never seems happy unless its going 85 mph.
Looking into the purchase of a 6MT. This will be my first winter in Norfolk, VA. The idea of having a full size spare that matches in case of a flat so that I don't have to get the flat fixed ASAP is appealing to me. What are peoples experiences with the performance vs the all season tires? I don't expect much snow, but rain could turn to ice here. How do the RWD cars do in the rain with the sport tires vs the all season?
Also, any input on if Satelite Radio is worth it? XM vs. Sirius?
Finally, Charles Barker in VA Beach vs. Infiniti Richmond. Are 2004 6MT's going for a premium on the East Coast like they are on the West Coast?
Full-sized spares look nice, no doubt, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Tires nowadays are far more durable than they used to be (my last flat was four years ago), and I don't think a full-sized spare will fit in the bay of the coupe (not sure about the sedan). Besides, the 6MT has staggered tires, so a temp really should be replaced ASAP.
Summer/performance tires usually perform as well or better than all-seasons in the rain, since their low-drag designs help channel water. I've driven through pretty hard rain at brisk highway speeds and the car was steady as a rock. Ice is another story, however, and only dedicated winter tires make much difference there. Over icy patches last week, my 6MT was very nervous. ABS and VDC were battling the laws of physics with little success.
Satellite radio is, in my opinion, the best thing to happen to broadcast music...ever. I've had XM for nearly two years now, and every time I'm in a rental car I'm reminded how awesome the programming range, sonic quality, and lack of advertising are. Sirius is a couple bucks more a month, with zero advertising, but as a company XM is in far better financial shape. I'd recommend buying the receiver from your dealer and installing it yourself, since you can place the antenna on the front or rear shelf without spoiling the car's lines.
much better than the CTS, no matter what they say. Posts on the CTS board have people saying that the CTS is better than the G35. Hmm, guess they didn't look at the reviews!
Well, it seems that the G35 offers more bang for the buck and solid quality build. It also offers more HP and looks just great. The CTS is also good, but flounders when compared to the G35.
When I got my G35, the CTS only had the 3.2L engine. I would have agreed with these assessments. However, I think the new 3.6L engine makes it a serious contender, and the CTS-V makes me want to drool. I'm still not quite a fan of the new edgy Cadillac styling, though.
The G35 is definately the best bang-for-your-buck performance-wise. If you're looking for a luxury-sport sedan, though, you might find it falling a little short of the mark. I guess it depends where you're coming from and what you want. I personally don't care about not having rain-sensing windshield wipers or driver-memory side mirrors, and I like the titanium center console that many people call cheap-looking.
Oh, and here's a shock.. people on the G35 forum say the G35 is best, people on the CTS forum say the CTS is best, and I bet if you look in the BMW 3-series forum they'll be tauting the superiority of the 330i. Who would have guessed? If you're going to spend this much money on the car, the only thing I'd recommend is go test drive each and every one, and make up your own mind.
You are right about the BMW forum. I have a 3er, but we are toying with the idea of having another lux/sport sedan. My condenters: BMW 5 Series Infiniti G35 Cadillac STS or STS-V (due next year)
While Infiniti has an excellent car in the G, Cadillac does deserve some kudos and consideration in what they have been doing over there. The CTS-V expected to be a hot car. There is some video on the next of a CTS-V running almost 200 MPH at Bonneville. Only a few mods were done, but I can't remember what they were and some of them dealt with safety (roll cage, drag chute, etc).
The upcoming STS and STS-V are supposed to continue this trend Cadillac has going on. Regardless of which car I choose, it is DEFINITELY a good time to be a car enthusiast (much to my wife's chagrin!)
There are more and more quality RWD lux/sport sedans available all the time.
and quality of fit/finish. Caddy does have a rep, like the rest of GM for using cheap plastics where more solid plastics and woods would do wonders for their perceived image.
My requirement is still a sporty car. I haven't read about the M35... maybe I'll check it out and confuse myself more. hehe
Consumer Reports a while back criticized the G35, even with stability control, as lacking the at-the-limit handling of other sports sedans in its class. Anyone know if the new G35X with AWD overcomes those shortcomings?
THe AWD will be heavier by 200# or so and the AWD I would think should reduce the likihood of oversteer since the front wheel will be pulling the car at the same time the rear is fighting for traction possibly eliminating the slide factor at all.
I have the sedan RWD and was doing 55-65 today around a cloverleaf off ramp circle with 2 open lanes and no one in sight. I was able to easily keep the car balanced and manage oversteer with the thottle while allowing the understeer to creep in at the sime time - finding the very traction edge for both axles, so to speak. THat report is BS if I ever heard it.
Adding weight never improves emergency handling. Not to mention the added componentry (not just in this vehicle) probably throws the cars balance off slightly. Different sources seems to have noted the same vehicle characteristics.
Consumer Reports always criticizes a product. Since the G35 is in my words "PERFECT", they decide to criticize the handling. "Oh no! It only gets 0.87G instead of 0.9^!" Big whoop. The G35 is better in terms of handling than every other sedan in its class besides the 330i.
I was reading over on the 5 series boards, and someone mentioned that they were going to have their navigation installed as an after thought by the dealorship... my question is, can I do this as well, have the dealor install the nav system as an after thought, I don't know if it would be hard, everythings still there harness and bracket wise, they'd just have to put in the screen and set up the navigaion program box. any comments, this would be great if I could do this on the G, I've heard great things about infinitis and nissans navigation systems, especially with the birds eye views. thankx
The only car I know of where you can get this done is chrysler. Because the nav/radio is one unit. It is not possible to retrofit nissan/infiniti vehicles with the factory nave system.
I'd heard a while back that that OEM unit could be bought but the cost was around $6000 or so forget if that was installed or just the unit. Either way would be cheaper to trade in you vehicle to get factory nav. Also for that price there are some really good after market units that can be installed.
I have my G35X on order (Diamong Graphite wth Graphite Interior). I do not like the appearance of the back center console with the black leather. I think the titanium (which is part of the sport package but not available for the G35X) looks very sharp.
I have spoken with several dealers and I am planning to purchase the individual titanium trim parts which will cost me about $650.
In addition, the part for the shifter will not have a hole for the snow mode button. I will need to make this myself.
I think Infiniti should have made the titanium interior an option for the G35x.
In addition, I like the 5 spoke wheels which come with the sport package but this package is not availabe on the G35X. It costs too much to buy the wheels separately.
Does anyone else agree and share my pain?
Has anyone changed their center console with aftermarket products? I have seen some advertisements for aluminum stick-on stuff but I have reservations as to how it will look. Has anyone done this? Any pictures you can share?
Love my 03G sedan, hated the terrible brake dust. Put on some Morse ceramic pads,(part #526C) were less than $150.00 installed. The old pads had about 8000 miles on them, they were nasty, the grooves were gummed up. Wheels stay CLEAN now. Brakes work much more evenly now, not the sudden grab.
I'm new to the boards and I'm looking into leasing a new G35 with leather. I was wondering what people are paying monthly on there leases of the G, (only options;premium package). if you don't want to say the monthly payment feal free to email me @... Dstrange183@aol.com thanks I'm looking to get it in january, I really would like to know what some others have been paying. thankx
I am of aware of a lease deal on an '04 sedan with premium pkg. (sticker approx. $34000). For 24 months would be $299+tax/mo. It would be $9000 down at closing. Altogether, this would be $16K to drive for two years! I'm NOT impressed.
Comments
The only real difference is when you hit the "snow" button on the dash. That puts the car into 50/50 AWD from a start and also greatly diminishes the throttle response, to help you avoid spinning the tires. Hitting that button makes the throttle feel like molassas, but that is exactly what it is supposed to do.
It's supposed to snow here tomorrow, so I'll tell you how it actually works out. I'm afraid the Goodyear Eagles that come standard aren't good snowy weather tires.
Personally I thought Edmunds road testers should have tested an automatic bimmer and a automatic Audi.
Then we would have been comparing apples to apples.
The TLS in my opinion would have retained its first place victory from the previous year.
Just my opinion.
Handling: Very similar. Both had the same feel accelerating out of a tight corner.
Ride: The G35X feels slightly harder riding at the front wheels. I assume it has heavier springs to deal with the added weight and unsprung weight. The difference is fairly minor, along the lines of adding 3 psi to the front tires. Nowhere near as harsh as the sport package.
Acceleration: Both cars feel powerful, of course. The G35X is missing a little spring in its step when pulling away from a stop - the RWD car shifts sooner at part throttle and feels more effortless. This is the biggest difference between the two cars.
The road conditions were: snow covered with a packed snow. The roads had not been plowed, but had been driven on over and over, so it was well packed down. It was still snowing. We went to pick up Chinese food. I found the AWD system very capable and the car pulled away from a stop with amazing grip. The "snow" button really helped for a smooth start. I did find that once going 30 mph, it still felt the slightest bit twitchy. I suspect that is because the system occassionally tried to revert to RWD and began to slip. I wish there was a way to turn it on full time. Pulling into an unpaved parking lot with 4" of powder snow and up a moderate hill was no trouble at all.
I also noticed that the VDC (or whatever the stability control is called) did not help much with understeer. I took a corner a little faster than normal just to see if I could kick it in, and the car just tried to plow ahead. On the other hand I also tried to throw it into a hard fishtail and VDC did a fantastic job of controling the car. It took a half second to kick in, but once it did, it would not let the car spin. Pushing the throttle hard brought in the traction control quickly with little drama. The ABS halted the car great.
In sum, I'd say the G35X is a great AWD car in desperate need of true snow tires. The standard Goodyear Eagles, in my opinion, are "adequate" to get you through the snow, but throw a set of Blizzacks on this puppy, and you've got a nearly unstoppable snow car.
We're supposed to get another 6-8" of snow through tomorrow, I'll try it again in deeper snow.
Steve
From what I've read, I wouldn't recommend going with the non-AWD G35 and Blizzacks if you live in a snowy area. Not that it won't go anywhere, but it won't be nearly as good as the X. If you can swing it, buy the G35X and get a set of Blizzacks, then you'll have a true snow capable car. Only ground clearance will stop you. That's what we're going to do. We'll get by this winter on the Goodyears, since they are brand new and have great tread. But next winter, we'll get a set of Blizzacks for Dec-Feb.
When I was driving home last Friday, there was about 2 inch of snow on the ground already. I drove in the 1st gear of manual mode and I had zero problem driving home. Of course, I drove slowly. Then last Sunday, I drove to supermarket without any problem neither.
From my personal experience, RWD G should be fine in snow, as long as you have at least all-season tires on and drive responsibly.
When I was driving home last Friday, there was about 2 inch of snow on the ground already. I drove in the 1st gear of manual mode and I had zero problem driving home. Of course, I drove slowly. Then last Sunday, I drove to supermarket without any problem neither.
From my personal experience, RWD G should be fine in snow, as long as you have at least all-season tires on and drive responsibly.
I feel like telling the dealer I want to test drive the car for a week but I know that won't happen.
When I drive my present car I notice that I angle my body slightly to the left and I'm barely even touching the right side seat bolster. So I THINK it wouldn't be a problem. But again that 1% keeps asking what if it is a problem that only rears its ugly head after I've written the $30K check...YIKES!!
It's either going to be G35 or the Acura TL but as much as the TLs interior woos me, I still like the G35 better. The TL looks like a lot of other cars. It looks like a Beamer from some angles, it looks like a Camry from some angles, and it even looks like a Dodge Stratus from some angles. On the road the TL can be mistaken for a number of cars.
On the other hand the G35 styling is quite unique and very distinct...I like it. But it's just those seat controls that have me wondering.
I already have two herniated disks in my back and every now and then I have shooting pain down the back of my right leg...all I need is a drivers seat that makes this pain chronic instead of periodic.
It would kill me if I bought another car or 2004 G35 and they corrected this in 2005. With all the complaints about this feature, it's hard to imagine they would keep it another year...I was hoping they would moved the controls for 2004 but that didn't happen.
I can deal with the brakes, I can deal with paint chips, but I don't know if I could deal with pain in my leg, which I get already from a bad back, from poorly designed and placed seat controls.
Isn't this a great idea? Wonder is anyone from Infiniti is taking notice.
It is a great idea and Infiniti does read these boards. In fact, Nissan/Infiniti pays Edmunds.com a fortune in advertising revenue. For now, I would just stuff the seats with foam. It really works and is far cheaper than ordering custom seats.
Errr, huh?? Why on earth would you say that? And even if it were true, what does that have to do with this conversation?
Are you saying that Edmunds.com is non-profit?
What about a long-term review for the G35 with all of its problems? Do you see that anywhere? Why did they rate the Jaguar X-Type so poorly when it is one of the most trouble-free and safest automobiles on the road? Lack of advertising revenue? You don't say!
Nissan/Infiniti monitors this board to ascertain public opinion more then they do other services. Edmunds.com is quickly becoming the forum of choice for many with good reason. Edmunds.com allows freedom of speech and does not monitor and negate opinion like other boards.
One of the employees at Infiniti Consumer Affairs said they read this board daily.
On the other hand, msiseng has great stories to tell about the reliability and tremendous service available from the Jaguar??????????
Take the comments for what they're worth and understand the point of view is apparently extremely biased as are most people on Edmunds (myself included).
Some folks have more experience over a larger amount of time and a larger number of vehicles, manufacturers brands and models. This, rather than a terrible experience with one particular vehicle or dealer that forever clouds their ability to step back and see the big picture.
There is no bigger picture when it comes to a horrible $35,000 spent that you are not happy with.
Msiseng, also please note that Kennedy was killed by a single gunman.
If you disagree with the article/review, by all means you have the ability to email our editors at editor@edmunds.com. See the list of letters that others have sent: http://www.edmunds.com/news/column/letters/#
What are peoples experiences with the performance vs the all season tires? I don't expect much snow, but rain could turn to ice here. How do the RWD cars do in the rain with the sport tires vs the all season?
Also, any input on if Satelite Radio is worth it? XM vs. Sirius?
Finally, Charles Barker in VA Beach vs. Infiniti Richmond. Are 2004 6MT's going for a premium on the East Coast like they are on the West Coast?
Thanks.
Summer/performance tires usually perform as well or better than all-seasons in the rain, since their low-drag designs help channel water. I've driven through pretty hard rain at brisk highway speeds and the car was steady as a rock. Ice is another story, however, and only dedicated winter tires make much difference there. Over icy patches last week, my 6MT was very nervous. ABS and VDC were battling the laws of physics with little success.
Satellite radio is, in my opinion, the best thing to happen to broadcast music...ever. I've had XM for nearly two years now, and every time I'm in a rental car I'm reminded how awesome the programming range, sonic quality, and lack of advertising are. Sirius is a couple bucks more a month, with zero advertising, but as a company XM is in far better financial shape. I'd recommend buying the receiver from your dealer and installing it yourself, since you can place the antenna on the front or rear shelf without spoiling the car's lines.
One thing I like about the Imp is it's roomy, and I'm 6'3", 300lbs.
The G35 is definately the best bang-for-your-buck performance-wise. If you're looking for a luxury-sport sedan, though, you might find it falling a little short of the mark. I guess it depends where you're coming from and what you want. I personally don't care about not having rain-sensing windshield wipers or driver-memory side mirrors, and I like the titanium center console that many people call cheap-looking.
Oh, and here's a shock.. people on the G35 forum say the G35 is best, people on the CTS forum say the CTS is best, and I bet if you look in the BMW 3-series forum they'll be tauting the superiority of the 330i. Who would have guessed?
BMW 5 Series
Infiniti G35
Cadillac STS or STS-V (due next year)
While Infiniti has an excellent car in the G, Cadillac does deserve some kudos and consideration in what they have been doing over there. The CTS-V expected to be a hot car. There is some video on the next of a CTS-V running almost 200 MPH at Bonneville. Only a few mods were done, but I can't remember what they were and some of them dealt with safety (roll cage, drag chute, etc).
The upcoming STS and STS-V are supposed to continue this trend Cadillac has going on. Regardless of which car I choose, it is DEFINITELY a good time to be a car enthusiast (much to my wife's chagrin!)
There are more and more quality RWD lux/sport sedans available all the time.
-Paul
My requirement is still a sporty car. I haven't read about the M35... maybe I'll check it out and confuse myself more.
-Paul
I have the sedan RWD and was doing 55-65 today around a cloverleaf off ramp circle with 2 open lanes and no one in sight. I was able to easily keep the car balanced and manage oversteer with the thottle while allowing the understeer to creep in at the sime time - finding the very traction edge for both axles, so to speak. THat report is BS if I ever heard it.
I have spoken with several dealers and I am planning to purchase the individual titanium trim parts which will cost me about $650.
In addition, the part for the shifter will not have a hole for the snow mode button. I will need to make this myself.
I think Infiniti should have made the titanium interior an option for the G35x.
In addition, I like the 5 spoke wheels which come with the sport package but this package is not availabe on the G35X. It costs too much to buy the wheels separately.
Does anyone else agree and share my pain?
Has anyone changed their center console with aftermarket products? I have seen some advertisements for aluminum stick-on stuff but I have reservations as to how it will look. Has anyone done this? Any pictures you can share?