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Thanks...
I now drive my 02 Acura TL-S with the SportShift on most of the time.
Please stop comparing TL-S to the G35! They both have 260hp, but the similarity ends there. G35 is RWD and will have entirely different driving characteristics.
When you're on ice/snow, maximum G-ability in the corners in the dry ain't much of an issue, avoiding curbs is. ;-)
Some quick math shows 205/65/16's are within 1% of the overall diameter of the factory 17"-ers. Works for me. 205/65 is a bit odd of a size, but I'm sure it's out there. This means, your speedo/odo is spot on, as is your gearing. No need to confuse the already confused automatic's shift points by changing gear ratios, right?
G35Mann
dmmattix - Thanks, you did a better job of explaining the understeer/oversteer than I did. I don't know if you've driven both suspensions but the sports suspension does reduce the understeer to what I would consider very minor. Even with the regular suspension it's not bad. Of course, I'm a geezer who started out in the sports car world with a '59 Austin Healy 100-6 so I'm pretty amazed at the ride and handling of many of today's cars. The G35 is a damn SEDAN and can run circles around some of the "sports cars" I've owned.
A pickup and snow is a similar challenge...I'll just have to remember that.
I have to admit, during the test drive, I was downright surprised at how 'cushy' it was while exhibiting almost no body roll. Remember, current car is an '85 Fleetwood, a RWD model, so I knows me about body roll. I hate to think what that car would be like, the current one, *without* the rear anti-roll bar. Ack!
I've gotta see this desert platinum...the dealer calls..... argh.....checkbook be twitching, again.
G35Mann
If it were linked to the remote, the seats would move to the correct position by the time I walk to the car. That's how my Buick Riviera and Chrysler 300M used to work and it was very convenient. 300M's memory was the best - it included two positions for the driver's seat, two radio stations that played last, and the mirrors. Plus it had the seat moving back a couple of inches when the key was taken out of ignition.
Acura TL's memory is also not quite right. It is linked to the remotes, but the seat only starts moving AFTER you open the driver's door. What the heck is then the remote for?
Now, to have the car know which remote is unlocking it, and have it 'get ready' for you...well, that might just freak me out. ;-)
I thought the G has an entry/exit bit, wherein the seat does move back for entry/exit. Could swear I read that somewhere.
FWIW, on the Cadillac DeVille, the memory goes to *all* radio stations/settings, seats, mirrors, and even the climate control. At what point am I just an 'extra' for the car to take care of?
G35Mann
Wheels and suspension are usually model specific, so don't be surprised if the bolt hole patterns on the Z are different enough so those wheels go on nothing else.
G35Mann
The 5-spoke wheels that come with the Sports Package on the G35 are Rays wheels as well.
Did you see on Japan's Nissan website they have what appears to be... sport springs and stiffer struts with F/R Anti Sway bar's for $185,000 yen... about $1500 USD.. wonder if NISMO will bring that over.
As for all the other goodies, Nissan is supposed to be be bringing over NISMO branded products for Nissan vehicles and R-Spec brand for Infiniti. Supposedly they want to do something like what BMW and Benz do with their respective M and AMG brands.
From what I have read, one of the first kits Infiniti plans to sell for the G35 sedan is to bring it upto the same HP as the G35 coupe.
Desert platinum is as I expected, medium silver instead of screamin' silver. I'd do, I guess.
That Q keeps a'callin' me....
Picked up my car last night from the dealer. I checked the other cars he had received - the milage was similar on all. The shop had driven them all (to make sure everything was ok) :-) I'm sure the guys in the back were fighting for the opportunity.
Love this car. It passed the smile test - what a joy to drive!Took it out on the highway and through some winding country roads.
I'm glad Infiniti doesn't have a major sales campaign going - the dealer received his allotment of nine cars with no owner's manuals. So, for a few days, I'm driving my car as a "loaner".
I've tried to baby this car, but it's hard. THis car is fast. It corners so tight. Taking cloverleaf exits at 20 mph over the posted limit has no effect. Minimal body lean. I want to push it harder, just to find the limits. I find myself wishing for a panic situation, just so I can test the car. Sick, eh?
The car fits me like a glove. 5'-8, 165 lbs. Everything is within arms reach. The steering wheel controls are well placed. It's difficult to locate at night, but I'm sure I'll learn where they are. The amber lights are nice on the interior. But, we really do need an Infiniti flashlight to read the clock. It should have been backlit.
My review would only repeat many of the positive posts above. This is not a BMW wannabee, or even an anti-BMW, but it is a solid alternative at less mony. Depends on what flavor you like. The quirks seem to be very minor.
One interesting point was that the wind noise was minimal with the moonroof open, at least in comparison to other models.
The manumatic transmission was ok. I felt like I needed to learn more about it. But if you're looking for the manual feel, you'll have to wait for a few months. The automatic shifts seemed very fast and right on schedule. It would be nice if 5th gear was higher.
Maybeg35, perhaps it's worth losing a couple of toes? :-) Probably even with surgery, it would be less than 5 series.
Also saw the blue and green cars. Both are good looking. The blue is very dark - almost black. The green is lighter - kind of eucalyptus leaf color.
Trust me, it is really annoying to not have your seat ready for you. My wife is 5'4" and when I have to drive her RX300, it is a major pain to press my #2 button and watch the seat slowly move back before I can get into the car.
P.S. I just checked the G35 brochure and confirmed for myself that G35 does have the easy entry/exit feature that moves the seat back
P.S. #2 I still think that the remotes should be linked to the seat memory. For those who don't like the linkage, it could be disabled - Acura for example allows to disable the remote linkage.
I was really discouraged about BMW's attitude about repairs. During my test drive, the salesman warned me how expensive they were. And BMW owners seem to know their service managers too well. After driving japanese cars for 12 years, I consider a service call a major event.
And I like the philosophy behind the G.
With the VPP, the purchase price is close to invoice price. Of course, until my signature is on the dotted line, nothing is fixed.
Previously, I've always enjoyed negotiation. Finding the right car, pretending that it's not the right car, walking away, playing dealers against each other.
Best advice, drive lots of cars. Scroll back 80 posts or so and read memphisslim1 (sp). He had some good comparisons with BMW.
jww551 - Well, my first car was a 55 Ford ragtop then an MGA with a B motor back in the mid '60s so I guess I fall into the old geezer status myself.
http://www.nissannews.com/infiniti/news/products/reljanel20020318123935.shtml
BTW, does anyone know for sure that the mirrors move with the seat memory? I tried to set it up at the dealership with one of the test cars, but could only get the seats to work. Kind of disappointing if they won't because it can't cost more than a dollar (probably in the cents) to do it and at this level, I kind of expect it.
One thing that surprises me is that no one has mentioned that the car comes with reclining rear seats. I don't know about any competitor's cars that have that...
Anyway, I'm a bit surprised to hear people even mention understeer in the same breath as the G35. I used to be an amateur road track racer (had a '78 RX-7 with mucho suspension work) and this car handles ever bit as well as it did. I tried VERY hard to get it to exhibit anywhere near the same amount of understeer (plowing through corners rather than actually turning) that the Acura (OK, NOT a good comparison) or the Lexus IS300 and couldn't. Well, maybe I could, but the salesman's knuckles were stark white and I was a bit afraid he keel over if I pushed it much harder. Anyway, the other cars just were not as well behaved.
Looks like my wife and I are going to have to wait 10-12 weeks for a special order because it appears we can't get our config. However, if we do order, I'm going to lobby her to also get the aero body kit so the wait will be worthwhile!
Glad to hear that 17% stiffer figure on the sport suspension. Should make it worth the wait.
I'm wondering if I drove the same car as some of you. When I was playing with the manumatic, I thought it was significantly faster than the regular automatic in my informal testing, but I was flat out getting on it.
Hmmm, I just can't get the handling out of my mind. Oh, and it moves pretty well too...
I would think things like whether the lights stay on after you turn the ignition off (and/or how long the stay on) could be programmed. Daytime Running Lights, memory seats, those sorts of things.
Has Nissan ever had such a thing??
Mike
Chapter 1 Rumors Posts _ thru _
Chapter 2 Invoice Prices Posts _ thru _
Chapter 3 Prop Rod Posts _ thru _
Chapter 4 Reclining Seats Posts _ thru _
Chapter 5 Real Estate Prices Posts _ thru _
Chapter 6 Photos Posts _ thru _
etc
:-}
I was conversing with an SCCA instructor on a BMW board last year and he was stating that heel/toe was outdated (but that's another story). The standard cornering theory was to brake into the curve and accelerate through and out of it. The G35 and presumably the BMW 330 is ideally suited to do just that.
About the STS (sport package). You do realize the wheels are the same size (17X7) as the 17" regular wheels are? The tires are the same size also (215/55 x 17). They are just performance variants unless you add the Winter (sport) option, then they put the All seasons back on. Discovering this was the major reason I went ahead with the standard suspension package...
I have been looking and posting to find aftermarket rims (17X8 would be nice) but so far no bites.
Mike
BTW, does anyone know what the G35's top speed is governed to?
However, the better tires, in combination with a stiffer suspension (and hopefully larger anti-sway bars or whatever the equivalent is), can potentially significantly enhance the handling of an already great handling car. If it does so without increasing road noise or by obnoxiously transmitting surface irregularities through to the cockpit, then it might be a real win-win situation. MIGHT...
Scott
I did like the Acura however a few things were bothering me, the main one being that I felt I was settling instead of getting something I REALLY wanted. Other negative features were
A) Sport suspension was real stiff and I really felt all the bumps of the road, was close to the SUV I was commig out of.
C) Was bothered by the fact that the TL was going to be completly redone for 2004 which comes out in Jan 2003. Word is it may be rear wheel drive.
D) Started to read the TL board and was hearing about transmission problems, engine problems and lots of rattles.
E) The outside of the S Type is Identical to the regular TL save the S badge. I was seeing alot of tl's on the road and was starting to see that the there were alot of drivers that had way more grey hairs than I do. ( That did it).
Am a firm believer that things happen for a reason so fortunatly the only reason I have to look back is to look at all the cars in my rear view mirror that I am leaving in the dust.
Happy car hunting
Don't know if your past cars had self dimming mirror but I am very impressed by it. Had it been an option I think I may have passed on it, now I would never get a car without one.
I have been reading some posts about the gauges being unreadable in the sun, funny I have not experienced this, whats your read on it?
ALso I like the manumatic, think it works fine but can't be compared to a normal stick, so perhaps all the complaints I am reading are from true 5 speed manual lovers.
Enjoy, if you need any questions from the manual answered until you get yours, let me know.
I would like to find out myself how exactly the manual mode works myself.
If I’m stopped at a light and I switch to manual mode the read out says 4m, if I’m going 80 MPH on the freeway and switch to manual mode to read out says 4m and the car revs up since it’s going from 5th to 4th speed. Is this the way it supposed to work?
It would be really cool if when you put the car on manual mode the readout would just tell you the current gear the car were at. For example if I was stopped at a light and put the car on manual mode it should say 1m, and as I start moving the readout would change as the gears were changing. Then I could use the + and – buttons only if I wanted to change from that particular gear. I’m not going to use manual mode too often so it’s not a big deal to me but this would be cool. I usually downshift only when I have to make a quick stop anyways and with these brake I don’t see that happening too often anyways.
For those that have asked at 70 MPH my transmission is revving at 2,500 RPM and at 80 MPH it reads 2,800 RPM.
I've driven day and night and the gauges have been visible at all times. I have no problem reading the gauges under bright sunlight.
I am very interested in the G35; but wonder how well it will perform in snowy/cold climate in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada?
Currently I am driving a 99 Maxima (FWD), would there be a big different in handling on
snow and icy road ?
Can anyone share their experience?
Anyways G35 has Traction control which is a help in the winter. I had no problems on monday night however you have to remember that the temperature was not below zero and this does effect tire performance. I came out a big SUV and have to tell you my G behaved better than my SUV when it was not in 4 wheel drive. Strange but the truth.
I think with 4 winter tires you will not have any problem especially in TO, you guys don't get as much snow as us, but then again some of your drivers in TO, oh Oh I better not go there.
Anything else let me know
For the last two days, I have been driving my G in heavy rain and want to share this experience with you, since it is a bit different than the high performance sports prior review and most of what I’ve been reading here. In fact, experiencing the safety features of the G under adverse conditions was a new and completely different experience for me compared to the fun of last weekend. As much as I hated to take my new G out in bad weather, I didn’t have a choice as all family vehicles were being used and I needed to pick up someone and drive the 40 minute commute to work. Then the sky unloaded so much rain that I found myself indeed testing the limits of this car. The G handled extremely well in some very bad weather situations. The safety features of the G were impressive as they kicked in and I couldn’t believe how the car hugged the road maneuvering in rush hour traffic during a downpour as debris flew into the road. I could feel the computer brake system working as I swerved to avoid a rush of water (some minor flooding on some streets here in Memphis) and hit the brakes. The adjustment was unbelievable to me, and the cabin remained serene and the windshield crystal clear from the automatic climate control. After I calmed down (there were some garbage cans moved by the water to the middle of the street) I marveled at the ride. The car went exactly where you pointed it, and handled as well in bad weather (the brakes were completely wet) as it did boosting the gas on a country road on a sunny day. Later, on the drive home after work I fluctuated between no music, and kicking up the Bose system to forget about the terrible weather outside. As I later parked the car in my garage, I found myself wishing for a sunny day to open the moon roof and take the G out on country roads.
It’s still raining here in Memphis but I caught a ride to work today with the guy I drove in yesterday. This guy who drove with me who is normally quiet and reticent was so impressed with the car that he couldn’t stop talking about it the entire drive home.
The rain stopped when I got home and I asked my wife if she wanted to take it out. She did, and came back awed. I just can’t bear at this time to see the black paint specked with mud from the drive yesterday, so I went out and bought a lambs wool mitt and a new car shampoo safest for clear coat finishes, and can’t wait to suds up the G in couple of days and restore the shine. This car just keeps growing on me and it is such a blast to drive.
One last comment can’t tell you how much I enjoy this forum, and the information and insights shared. I remember as I gathered information for a year how valuable checking out Edmunds and the consumer reviews were to me, and so I’m glad to be able to contribute. As G35man said, we seem to be forged from the same block of aluminum.
Like I mentioned earlier, the TL-S has no flash, and is FWD. At age 37 I want some sport and fun from my new car. I am now between I believe to be a 36K G35 and a 44K BMW 530! To some of us 8k is a lot of $$.
Thanks
I can't believe a car as well thought out as everyone here is relating could behave that poorly. The Acura, the Audi and BMW all act the way you (and I) assume is correct and I can only think that yours must be malfunctioning for some reason. Unless I've misunderstood you, I'd get it back to the dealer post-haste!
Take care.
Joe W.
Am jealous,as I cannot wash my car myself as weather is not condusive, I made the guys at the car wash use new mitts and chamois. They have a habit of scratching cars, and you know black shows all
take care
BTW, I don't know which car shampoo you purchased but I have found Sonax Gloss shampoo works better than any others, and I have tried them ALL. The lamb's wool mitt is definitely the way to go. I use two at a time, one for the top half and one for the bottom.