Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

riez

ligart... Don't laugh too hard. BMW's new 745i uses a steering column shifter. The hi-tech gizmo "idrive" controller eats up the space for the floor shifter. Praying this doesn't catch on and BMW moves shifter back where it belongs, even in an automatic!

dpepper

Lurking around other auto mag forum's and ran across a photo of the G35 with the rear spoiler. Link is:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=7&t=000605

booboo9

The G35 promises to be an exciting car. I plan on thoroughly evaluating it prior to my next purchase. It is definately on my short list. That said I do happen to like the IS300 very much. Say what you will but this is my opinion.

Styling is 100% subjective, with rare exception(Pontiak Aztek). I think the IS is styled very dynamically and is quite asthetic, though I do not care for the tail lense treatment that much. I feel the same about the interior. It is different, funky and fun. Not in everyone's taste, but that is a good thing. It feels more like a sports car inside than a sedan. In my opinion it's shortcomings are slightly downscale interior materials and a little lack of power. It's handling is superb(this is stated in nearly every review, and it's slalom numbers are outstanding). Is it really that loud inside? No. It is somewhat,compared to the other Lexus models with respect to NVH, which is not a fair comparison given it's very different mission from the rest of the Lexus lineup.

Despite my obvious fondness for the IS300, I would not buy one until it has more power. I also would like more luxury amenities, these items will probably not be available until it is redesigned. Hopefully the G35 will force this issue.

As for the G35. It looks like a great car but since no one has driven it yet how can it be compared to anything with respect to handling, power, braking, NVH and durability? It may be outstanding in all these aspects, but no one can say that yet. I did see this car at the Detroit Auto Show. The exterior design is quite nice but not so dynamic in my opinion. Again, solely a matter of personal preference. The interior appears elegant and comfortable, but I can't say much until I am able to sit in and drive it.

Before everyone jumps on my case let me say this. I am very fond of Nissan products. I have a 2001 Maxima GLE and completely love the car(I have not yet updated my profile in case anyone checks). I sincerely hope the G35 turns out to be a marvelous, monster of a car. I certainly like the design enough to purchase one, and at less than $34,000 it would be a tremendous value. My point is that styling is totally subjective and it is not fair to compare vehicles(or anything else)if one of the principles has not even been driven or tested yet.

bobbyknight

I don't see why anyone would jump on your case. You bring up good points

pbhatti

Actually they are going to stop producing GT-Rs in August. The cars couldn't meet the new emissions in Japan but since they were already being produced they were allowed until replacements were made. Right now the top of line Nissan Skyline (excluding GT-R) is an 8-speed CVT with a 3.5L engine producing 280hp.

gandhim3

Nissan is going to seperate the bloodlines for the Skyine and the GT-R.

Previous versions of both models looked very similar (kinda like a 3 series coupe to the M3), but the next gen GT-R is going to have completely different sheet metal compared to the Skyline sedan.

stebu

I can't imagine driving a manual without a tach, like someone else mentioned. Especially when I'm cranking on the stereo. In those instances I can't hear the engine and rely almost totally on the rpm readings to make my shifts.

It's pretty much an unkept secret that the hp rating of the GT-R has been grossly under stated in its home market due to the voluntary 280hp upper limit that the manufacturers have agreed too. The long held rumor is that the R34 GT-R has been making closer to 350hp.

As for the IS300, I agree almost completely with booboo9. Heck, I even like the tail lights. I can see where the IS might not appeal to some of the BMW crowd. But that is OK in my book and I happen to love the looks of the BMW 3 and 5-series. I drove an auto equipped IS300. About the only thing I didn't like with the interior was the really cramped back seat. For a slush box, it was still pretty engaging to drive with the steering mounted button shifters. No doubt, it is one of the sweetest handling sedans out there.

However, the G35 looks... I repeat looks... like it may be a class beater. Given that it's Nissan bred, the cars handling, engine, and reliability should be top notch. Couple that with what appears to be a first class and roomy interior and a competitive price. I just hope Infiniti doesn't blow it with any price gouging or marketing snafus. The latter which has historically been a weak spot for Nissan in general and Infiniti in particular.

azstan

My virus scanning software just picked up a virus in my email. It was from:
Kerris@austin-infiniti.com

Title of the file is:
New photos from my party

Scanning software identified the virus as:
W32/Myparty@MM (ED)

I do not mean to imply that
Kerris@austin-infiniti.com is not legitimate. However, anyone who is surfing and calling around for Infiniti information, may run into this.

I have been stung with a virus once before. Only took one time to make me paranoid and install virus scanning software.

Stan

afty

I got that virus many times yesterday. If you click on the attachment, it automatically sends itself to everyone in your address book and all the return email addresses in your inbox. The person at the Infiniti dealer must have gotten infected, and then it emailed everyone he's corresponded with recently.

gandhim3

Okay, I might be getting off-topic, but here is more info about the virus making the rounds. Probably not the Infiniti dealer's fault - as someone said before, s/he must have gotten it from someone else.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.myparty@mm.html

dl7265

Ok, the G35 is over at Grubbs im gonna head over there , ill post comments later today,

DL

gandhim3

If you can, please:

Find out about the manual and the handbrake/foot brake situation of possible. Also check out that bulge in the footwell area.

And of course, get LOTS of picks, if there are G35s in colors other than the ones already posted.

maybeg35

look for a traction control button. I don't remember seeing one on the car I sat in. That would not be good to try to launch and the system applies the brake to
stop the slip. Check it out please, and your opinion on my "ankle,shin" bulge.
Thanks

dl7265

Ill try to address all the questions.

First , i was informed it is a pre-production so there will be a few changes.

Hood lift: suposed to be gas shocks not the rod on the demo car.

Trunk lid: the grove around the emblem will not be present so a smooth lid with emblem and the handel. Im no so sure if it was the Red or not but i liked the trunk lid, to each his own i guess.

Traction: as i recall there was a button to turn it on and off simular to my 3er, i cant remember if it was on the left or right of the steering wheel.

Console: yup its large i really had the feeling of setting in a GS400 with the large armrest...

I did not have issues with any intrusion from the console on my knees , but im not the biggest guy so that might be subjective also.

Far as a hand brake on the armrest i dont think so due to the A/C plumming that goes there to the rear vents, i could be wrong , if it was redesigned, but the fact that they didnt not even replace the havc and stereo controls on the drivers side for the left hand drive cars i wouldnt count on it.

I ran off and left my camera but i dont think i could have got the resolution of the pics we have seen , it was the same Garrnett Red/Willow car.

Willow Leather, pretty light, lighter that the Grey in my 3er, might be high maintence, this will be my hardest choice, i unsually tend to shy away from black interiors, im just going to have to see both , o also i was told in the non-sport the trim is real wood, Hmmm.

They will get in 3 cars in Feb sometime to drive,
I think it was 2 black and 1 silver, all with willow though agghh..
No base cars have been ordered, at least so far, they might be rare...

The battery is in a little box with lid, up on the passenger side firewall.

Im going to the Tarrant County show next Sunday so ill take some pics and see how its holding up after several thousand people scoot through it.

Chari Oglesby was a pleasure to work with and was very knowlegable, that is rare these days that a sales consultant knows their product. Danny you should give her a raise lol.

DL

keyrow

What happened to your great pics of the RED G35 (post 748)? I went back to take another look and all I could get was the little box with an X in it indicating no picture. Are pics only kept for a limited time?

dpepper

Go to the Yahoo G35 Club. The red photos are posted there by dfw.

stanny1

I'm surprised the battery isn't in the trunk. At least it will be back in the engine compartment on the passenger side. Many Japanese cars have their batteries on the driver's side and they don't bother to move them to the opposite side on the "export to America" models. It should be easy to move the battery to the trunk for better handling. It makes quite a difference in the weight balance to put it as low and as close to the back seat as possible (over the IRS).
The best buy in a battery relocation kit is at www.summitracing.com. Part # sumg1199. Price $42.95. A bargain if you go to your favorite parts store and price just the long cables in the kit. Check it out! This will one of my first G35 projects. Your battery will last longer when protected from temperature extremes.

pat

If the post is still there, please be assured that I DIDN'T DO IT!! :-)

I see the broken links as well - not sure what happened, maybe someone else knows? It's not just on maybeg35's posts, I also see a broken link on one of rezo00's. These links worked the first time I saw them, so it seems to me that the problem must be at the host site(s).

Your hosts cannot edit a post (other than their own within that same 30 minute window you have for editing) - our only option is to delete a problem post.

So... you can accuse me of lots and lots of things, but breaking a picture link within an existing post is beyond my abilities!!

:-)

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

dpepper

Stan,

Checked out summitracing's web site and viewed part number. Has a warning regarding a firewall. Are you adding something to the rear for this protection? Also, would moving it to the rear affect the electronics of the vehicle?

BTW what is the (IRS)? Just trying to learn here.

Thanks

pbhatti

irs: they're the guys who take a good bit of your paycheck and never tell you where it goes :-)
independer rear suspension

dpepper

They are taking a huge chunk this year:o)

Thanks for the reply.

gandhim3

Are you sure you want to move the battery so close to the fuel tank?

Mercedes-Benz just issued a large recall today on 65,000 C-class cars because of exploding batteries.

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/dai/2002/january/20020128_dai_exploding.xml

stanny1

I don't think that an exploding battery would cause enough "bang" to penetrate the trunk shelf and the gas tank. In the case of the Mercedes, the water level was really low, exposing the plates, which shed and shorted. This is not exactly an explosion, although the battery does a melt down of sorts. It looks kinda like an explosion. But millions of cars have trunk mounted batteries. In my car, it sits in the spare tire well, which is a low point in the car. It came that way from the factory. It's way away from the fuel tanks. Yes, there are two, one on each side of the driveshaft, in front of the IRS, and underneath the floor. All this done for optimum handling, along with the aluminum hood, trunk lid, and front quarter panels. That's why it came in first in skidpad results (.84) in the recent 7 sports sedan test in C&D. Can you guess the car? Just think what the G35 could do if you got the battery away from the mass of the front and from a high point in the car to a low point.

keyrow

I did not intend my post to be an accusation/character assassination of anyone. I am a novice when it comes to computers. When I asked what had happened I wanted to know if I was doing something wrong in my attempts to gain access or whether there was some sort of time factor involved which only permitted large memory absorbing pictures to remain a few days before being removed to reclaim that memory. I apologize if I have caused any misgivings.

pat

Frequently folks think the hosts can edit their posts, so I really was just taking that as an opportunity to explain that we can never do that.

It could be that there is some sort of time factor involved on the host site. It appears that maybeg35's pictures have been removed from the site where they were posted. Perhaps maybeg35 can fill us in.

But I neither thought you meant any offense nor did I take offense at your message. :-)

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

stebu

Stanny, no offence, but I can't imagine moving a battery to the truck of any car I own. Unless you plan to race the car (how many new G35 owners will be doing that??), it just isn't worth the hassle and potential dangers for any handling gain you may get. What happens to the warranty if anything goes wrong? Not to mention lost trunk space. Plus, does the G35 have a power truck release without a key slot? If so and the battery goes dead, you wouldn't easily be able to service the faulty part.

I think I understand where your coming from. But, moving the battery almost ranks up there with removing the AC plumbing and rear seats, installing a roll cage and 5 point harness in order to get a racers edge. Thanks, but no thanks.

mvargo1

If thge above post reguarding Base G35 means a cloth interior, no luck. All of the initial allocation were leather cars.

ateixeira

You can post pics if you own the copyright, i.e. you took them yourself or obtained permission to copy and use them.

-juice

stanny1

Millions of cars have their batteries in the trunk from the factory and lots of people move them everyday. I haven't seen any NHTSA advisories on any danger. Actually, your battery is safer and will last longer back in the trunk or in the spare tire well. It's less likely to be shorted out by some mechanic laying a wrench across the terminals. In a frontal accident, less likely to cause an electrical fire (that happened to my last Volvo and the fire totaled the car). Also, you'll get better cold starting and less loss of water. Batteries "fry" on hot days being near that engine mass in today's crowded engine compartments. About the only good thing about engine compartment batteries is the short positive cable that saves the car manufacturer $$$. As far as trunk access is concerned, on my car, they left a key lock on the trunk so one could access a dead battery. I don't know if the G35 has alternate access as well, but you could always energize the car through the 12 volt port to get the trunk solenoid to activate. It's not rocket science.

ateixeira

Most modern batteries have covered terminals, so I doubt a mechanic will short it out.

I don't know about the better cold starting. You really need a good wire connecting the battery to the starter, and the rear trunk is farther away, so more energy is lost.

I have the battery in the trunk of my Miata, and I like it for weight balance. That's the only significant benefit IMHO.

-juice

stanny1

That ONLY benefit is a BIG one. Your engine doesn't care IF the guage of the wire is sufficient for the distance. It's usually only 12 feet or so. Many wires in your car are longer. So are the wires for the power to your house.

rezo00

the wires to your house are only down converted to 110-120AC when they are near that big transformer you will see on the pole near your window...on the line they are like 4000V AC...cars are 12V DC ...DC looses much more power then AC to begin with, never mind at 1/10 the voltage....
But you right running a wire to the battery shouldent loose to much extra current espessialy if its a fat wire.

imarare1

Hello!
We are Shealea Thompson and Elmer Fisher, Internet Sales for Austin Infiniti. We have several 2003 G35's ordered, 5 of which, already sold.
We,the sales staff, are scheduled to drive the Awesome G35 on March 19. But if you want some good news for you- The G35 may be on our show room floor for you to view......
drum roll please......
as early as...February 18&19!

ateixeira

True, but those wires aren't relied on for 600 cold cranking amps at freezing temps.

While I like the idea I wouldn't bother with a conversion. Odds are you won't notice unless you autocross. With most G35s breaking $30 grand, most of them will (unfortunately) never be tossed around those cones.

-juice

magnetophone

imarare1, awesome! I'm from Austin, and my mom bought a Q45 there and we love you guys at Austin Infiniti!

Even though I am not rich enough to afford a G35, my mom is. If I had known they were selling so soon we wouldn't have gotten the S60 T5.

corkfish

I'm waiting for the 6 speed, but how realistic is the $27,000 price for a base model? I really don't want or need the options. I would like the upgraded suspension, but can you get that by itself?

dpepper

I was going to email you to let you know. Glad you saw the post. I'll see you there.

stebu

Regardless of any advantages of having the battery in the trunk, real or imagined, that is not where Infiniti chose to place it. So, you still have potential maintenance and warranty issues if it fails. Like ateixeira said, "I wouldn't bother with a conversion." Nuff said about this subject.

stanny1

Yes, there could be warranty issues, IF the manufacturers rep decides your installation of the battery caused a warranty issue (a long shot). But a protected battery is going to put out more amps than one in an engine compartment thats minus 20 degrees fehrenheit with a chill factor, even with the minimal loss of added cable. As placed in the G35, the battery is right above the passenger side exhaust manifold, in a spot set back so far it will have zilch air flow. In electonics, we call this poor thermal engineering. Batteries in trunk compartments stay cool, clean and last much longer. The battery in my Corolla (moved to the trunk) lasted almost 8 years.

hvan3

In about 1 hour, I'll be at the Infiniti dealership to check out the G35. Since I wasn't allow to sit inside the G35 at the LA Auto Show, here's my chance to touch and feel the interior.

We haven't seen pictures of the trunk, so I'll bring my digital camera and take some pics.

maybeg35

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/mike1650/lst?.dir=/G35&.view=l

By the way these are my pics, taken by me, and stored on Yahoo.

magnetophone

Great pics but why is there none of the car by itself from the side with the doors shut?

jastevenson

To all the fellow Austinites:
If you're looking at the G35, I'd think twice, think three times, and then think again about buying one from Austin Infiniti. There are lots of other Infiniti dealerships in TX and I recommend you look elsewhere.

I am reluctant to post anything on this public board that might violate the Edmunds member's agreement, but email me personally if you want to know my experience with them.

maybeg35

when I was alone in the car I took the int. pic. From that point on it was always being looked at and sat in. I think there are plenty of pics on the web showing the side view. I tried the angle, the int., the hood, and the only trunk pic I have seen anywhere. Sorry.

infinitiseller

In Canada all the Infiniti dealers are meeting in Toronto for a "Ride and Drive" and preview of the G35. I will post observations. Event is occuring on February 9th and 10th. Can hardly wait!

ateixeira

Miatas have batteries in the trunks, and they were certainly not known for lasting long. People are constantly asking about replacement batteries on Miata.net. I'm on my second, which is better than average for a 1993.

-juice

samaustin

Interested in what you have to say. Please email me at samaustin70@hotmail.com

Thanks

stanny1

Batteries in modern cars have shorter lives partly because of "constant drain" (computers, clocks, etc) but mostly because today's cramped, hot engine compartments bake them to death. The average battery life is now about 4 years, plus and minus one year. In many cars, like some GM's and Hondas, they use "mini-batteries" to save space (and probably money), so one has to "upgrade" on the first replacement. So the engine compartment location is now a hostile environment for batteries.

magnetophone

jastevenson, my mother never had problems with Austin Infiniti.. but that was years ago.

The nearest infiniti dealer besides Austin is Gunn Infiniti in San Antonio, 70 miles away.

You can e-mail me at mrutledge@apple.com with what happened...

- Matt

afty

There's a G35 article in the new Motor Trend. They like the car quite a lot. They praise its handling and powerful engine, and they say, "our estimated 0-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds might even be conservative."

People on FreshAlloy are also talking about reviews in Car and Driver and Road & Track (which I haven't read yet):

http://forums.freshalloy.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=000625