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Comments
The DVD Nav is superior, the interior is not as over - loaded as my Audi (things are looking old after 3 years and only 20,000 miles) but I really like it, the handling is great, the power is adequate, all the airbags are present, I expect the safety tests to come in OK (Skyline) and I love both the front and back design.
Seems like there are alot of nit-pickers on this site lately. I have had alot of different cars .... Cadillac. Lincoln, Volvo, Odsmobile, Landrover, Buicks, Nissan, Audi .... and never experienced EPA mileage numbers! Design is a function of personal taste. I like the G35! The steering is great .... I hated the steering on my Lincoln Town Car. The Audi is good. If I get 20 mpg at 260 HP I will be thrilled!
I can't wait to get my G35!
Today I had the opportunity to drive a G35 and would like to report on it. I also have to add that I had driven a '99 328iA without sport for the day about a month ago. Also drove the then new 3-series around an autocross track at its introduction outside of Chicago. Hopefully this post will remain unbiased and helf fuel the G35 Vs 3-series fire.
The G35 I drove was a silver/Black premium car with sunroof. It stickered for about $30,500. Keep in mind that this car was equipped without the sport suspension and that I also didn’t drive the G35 any racetrack.
Styling: This is a very attractive car, IMO I would say much more so than the 3-series, which is getting a little bit dated. The G especially looked good in a forest green along with the silver. Overall, the G looks much smaller and aggressive than it really is. I never had any objections about the rear of the car and still do not after seeing the car in person.
Overall: Very attractive looking car with no awkward angles.
Interior: The fit/finish and quality of the interior didn't have any glaring faults. The materials were excellent as well as assembly. The controls are counterintuitive though. Seat controls were goofy and confusing, as were the stereo and climate controls-they were on the wrong side. I didn't care to much for the orange faced gauges. Seats were comfortable and the interior was very roomy. No surprise here-much roomier than the 3-series. Trunk was disappointingly small though.
Overall: Very nice interior with some strange touches.
ride: Remember that the G was not an STS equipped car, as was the 328i. The ride was very supple. It had a very Germanic ride without being overly floaty. In comparison, my parents allroad rides much harsher. Ride was not harsh at all, bigger bumps were easily soaked up by the suspension. The 328 also had a supple ride during my experiences, but it was a little harsher in comparison. You must also take into account that the 328 had 16" wheels and the G had 17". The G35 should have been the harsher riding of the two. I will get back to that in a second...
Overall: Great ride characteristics.
Handling: Here is where I was a tad disappointed with the G35. Handling was solid, but the car felt neither nimble nor very fun. Remember, the G is also quite a bit longer length as well as wheelbase. The car seemed to stick to the road and was fairly composed during a series of winding turns, but there was too much body roll. The 3-series is the more fun to drive car hands down, but the G was still performed fairly well.
Overall: If you want a sporty feeling G, you should check the STS option.
Steering: Compared to the 328, the G's steering was much lighter and had less "feel", whatever that means. There was nothing "weird" about the steering, it just fit the G's ride characteristics perfectly. Enough said.
Overall: About as good as you could expect it.
Noise: I had the car up to about 85, and the car stayed about as planted and quiet as can be. Saying that such a quiet car "ruins the driving experience" means that 3-series owners are just jealous. Directionally, the car was very stable, visibility was excellent, and the only noise reaching the cabin was the sound of some road noise. Engine noise was minimal.
Overall: The G strongest point, high- speed ride and noise as well as stability are though to beat.
Engine/tranny: The engine pulls hard and is quiet doing so. Thought the 328i's six was a little smoother and more eager to rev. Both are pretty sweet. I dislike auto trannys, and the G35's doesn't change that. This car begs for a manual, as the auto seemed to hunt for gears and was slow to downshift.
Overall: No surprise here, this is one POWERFUL car.
I say if handling pleasure is the key, go for the Bimmer. Otherwise, the G35 is tough to beat for the price, my money would go the G35.
Gas mileage is important for more reasons then your pocket book. How far you can go on a tank of gas for one, and yes sorry but adding excess CO2 to the air does concern me just a bit.
Lastly, these forums are watched by the car makers. Its a chance to let them know that some owners and prospective owners want a balanced performance (which includes mileage).
However, while getting to this road, I had this Nissan Maxima riding my tail (<20 feet). Was REALLY getting to be irritating, so I thought I'd leave him (rather far) behind.
Was able to out accelerate him and then hit the curves and left him WAY behind. Was doing almost double the posted "caution (yellow) speed sign" before I realized how fast I was going and looked up and what should I see coming toward me? You guessed it, a police car.
After I passed him, I quickly looked in my rear view mirror to see if he had hit his lights, but hadn't, though DID put on his brakes rather hard. However, there was the Maxima coming on and no good place for him to turn around. Good thing as I'm sure it would have been a nasty ticket.
I had not thought about this particular use for the Nav system, but, in such a situation, the "shortest distance" option does wonders for getting you off the main roads and onto the back roads to get home quickly.
Definitely an adrenaline rush. This was only the third time I'd pushed the car that hard (just over 1000 miles) since we got it and probably won't do it again for quite some time. ("Really, officer, this car DOES look quite a bit like a Nissan Altima, are you SURE it wasn't one of those you saw?)
A shame really as this car just BEGS for some hard driving in the curves. Just doesn't show its stuff unless you push it HARD.
Oh, well. Live and learn...
I think the gas mileage may be quite sensitive to stop-and-go driving, as well as new engines. I've driven it pretty gently during break-in, but my commute has a lot of slow-and-go, So. Cal. freeway driving. I've been filling up around half-tank to do mileage checks (no nav) and most times have gotten about 17 mpg. Today, I filled up at just under half a tank indicated. This was more open road driving than slow-and-go. It took 8.7 gallons and I got 19 mpg. I'm pretty satisfied with that mileage for such a powerful car. Anyone else notice that the 20 gallon tank took less than 10 gallons when it was indicated on the gas guage under half tank?
I know that some posts have pointed out that filling at half-tank might give lower mileage because of the weight of the extra gallons of gas, so that might be involved as well.
A couple of tiny details: This car is full of card holders. Did you notice the one inside the center console arm rest compartment just aft of the coin holder? But my favorite one is the ash tray. My parking garage card and my staff ID fit in there great, its easy to reach, and, since nobody will EVER smoke in my G, it will be an unused spot.
The passenger "thong holder" is a great place to stash my shades in their thin case. Easy to grab whenever the sun comes out.
Love the car more every day. It really shines on long sweeping open roads with hills, "sports car country".
Sorry to ramble.
A Tip: using sandpaper on them will create a roughened surface which means there is a larger surface area for the "aromatics" to emminate from.
Also, any ideas how this might perform in snow/ice?
all help appreciated
thanks
also noise from seat when car goes over highway seams.
just minor issues, i'll have it looked at end of the week. Doesn't seem normal though.
by the way, great car
For a price in the low 30’s this car can out accelerate a BMW 330 with a manual and out break a Porsche 911 turbo(9/00) (CD stats) all while giving a smooth quiet ride with enough back seat room to put child seats in.
My favorite view is from the back just gorgeous. I like the placement of the controls especially the power seats (I hate when manufacturers mess up the interior by putting them on the doors).
Last year I never would have even considered an Infiniti now it’s my top pick.
Going to work out the details with the dealer tomorrow
How often does a Porshe 911 break? And why would you want your G35 to break more often? That could get expensive unless it's all under warantee. Or perhaps you really meant "brake"?
Sorry, pet peve :^) Car enthusiasts, which you must be since you want a G35, ought to know the difference.
Also, what is a "peve"? Or do you mean "peeve"? Don't you just hate it when you try to correct someone and you make a mistake?
Scott
PS. I'm sure I made a couple "missteaks" myself...
Time will tell as far as how well the car holds it's value but I think it will do fine. The G35 is a great car with more great cars in the pipeline. I think Infiniti is definately headed in the right direction.
By noise from the seat, do you mean a kind of squeaking "creak" kind of sound, or is it more like a "clicking". Sound isolation and description of "noise" is one of the hardest things you can do in a car since (unless it is very severe) some people will hear it plain as day, and others won't be able to discern it at all (typically the mechanic *laughing*)
I have the G35 service manuals and one thing about them that I was really pleased with besides their clarity, is that there is a VERY VERY detailed section on isolating squeaks and creaks and describing them for the dealer so they can get rid of them. The introduction to that section is a dissertation on how Infiniti wants you to have the absolute most enjoyable car experience ever and how they are dedicated to make that happen and how squeaks and rattles and unwanted noise inside the car is totally unacceptable.
The section goes on to show detailed drawings of the interior of the car and how to mark areas where you discern noise, what type of noise, and all the procedures for testing before you bring it in for noise (removing all loose items from the interior, making sure you only use the ignition key without a keyring with other keys, making sure the seatbelts are isolated and not "knocking" into the side pillar, moving the rear seats a bit to relieve pressure that might cause "squeaking" as leather rubs together... A whole slew of things!
Since they are the shop/service manuals for the car alot of the mechanic/dealer equipment is shown, and for the problem of noise, they show this really involved piece of equipment that has a control box with about 10 microphones coming out of it... a service person drives aroun presumably with these mics placed all over the car to isolate noises like squeaks and rattles and pops that must show up as "spikes" in the readout over time tape...
It's rather gratifying to see an entire section (actually section"s") of a car manual completely dedicated to interior noise. It makes me feel like they really do take even the little things seriously...
I'm almost ready to go in for my first servce appointment (3500 miles) and I have only one issue, that I would like them to take a look at... I'll post it in a seperate thread for more visibility...
Faenor/Dane4
I'm getting ready for my first service appointment (3500 miles) and thus far I have only one extra issue to discuss with the dealer, and I wanted to air it out here to see if I am showing concern over nothing.
When I first start up the G and pull away, I hear a sound from somewhere forward of the firewall that sounds like a mechnical "whrrr...clunk" It is a faint sound but loud enough to be noticeable, and it always happens in the initial time of pulling away after the car has been sitting for more than an hour or so (only happens once during a continuous drive even with stop and go driving involved)
It seems like the car has to be either cold, or having sat for longer than 30 minutes or so, for it to happen.
It sounds very much like a door, or flap, or gate, closing... and it is always the same "mechanical" sound in a way that it might even be some sort of cold engine, or initial warm up mechanism (in the same vein as a cold start injector etc)
I was wondering if other people have had any experience with this as well. If not, I will definitely mention it to the dealer when I go in...
So far, that's the only thing that I have to report... well, other than the sound of "Slow down!" that I keep hearing, but mysteriously that only happens when my wife is in the car too... strange...
*laughing*
Faenor/Dane4
I prefer dark metallics. The blue seemed too dark to me and not very metallic but maybe it looks better in sunlight - I saw it on an overcast day. (I was hoping for the Majestic Blue like on the Maxima.) With a blue this dark, black would be better but is also non-metallic and high maintenance. Unfortunately, no other dark metallic choices.
So for me, it's down to the Silver and the Emerald Mist which I haven't seen. jww551, I hope I like the green as much as you when I see it.
Choose the G35 and the last one on the list after you scroll should be a base model that will show the 16" wheels for those of you still looking.
Regards
"Cadillac will roll out a 400-horsepower version of its new CTS sedan early next year. The hotted-up CTS will draw power from the same LS6 engine used in the top-of-the-line Corvette Z06, and it will mark the launch of a new generation of high-performance Caddys...Tentatively named CTSi, the vehicle is aimed at a lofty standard: “the goal is to beat the (BMW) M5 in every turn,” says a GM source. "
http://thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4823&sid=173&n=156
Ayecarumba! 400 ponies in that ugly, plastic, pathetic beast? I guess BMW and Infiniti are gonna step up to the plate. I wouldn't mind a massaged Q engine dropped into the G. Probably wouldn't fit. Maybe twin turbos or a supercharger to get to the GT-R level?
Paul
El Cajon, California
(Okay, that was a terribly biased post)
But you will just have to wait for the GT-R to be unleashed by Nissan. Probably twin turbo, sophisticated AWD, similar in design to the G35 coupe, but a LOT more aggressive - just check out the concept Nissan showed at last years Tokyo show.
5 inches of additional length to deal with, which adds up to much more interior comfort. A big plus in my book.
People have been stopping me all over the place checking out the car. Coming out of the theatre on Friday night I had a whole group of Asian [non-permissible content removed] guys checking out the car. Was a bit scared since they looked "gang" related... but after walking up to the car they asked if I was the owner as just started firing away at questions. The guys and gals were actually really nice... changes my view of them a little. After about 40 mins I was finally able to leave.
Similarly on Saturday some guy jumps behind my car as I'm about to back out of my parking spot so that he can chat with me about my car. Yeesh... good thing I was backing out pretty slowly otherwise that guy would have been in some pain.
Love the car... the Nav system work really well... except for the fact that my house address is too new to be located on the map yet. Oh one other item.... this is for people that burn their own music CDs mixes.... is anyone else having problems playing burned music CDs in the Bose system? I continue to get static sounds coming from the speakers when I play my mixed CDs. My previous 2 cars didn't have this problem.
Thanks,
Sawjai
Cadillac however still (obvious, huh) doesn't get it at all and intends to compete with style and raw hp numbers. Should be a big seller in much of America, and a laughingstock everywhere else.
Take care.
Joe W.
I see buyers winning in the end. We're getting a lot of options in a market that until a few years ago was just BMW, Audi and MB.
- importing Holden Monaro coupe with the Corvette engine from Australia
- now the news about Vette-powered Caddy with 400HP
- previews of the next Grand Prix (G-Force) with much better interior design (exterior already looks great in current version), 280HP+280 lbs*ft torque, and much improved handling.
When my TL-S lease is up in 3.5 years, there may be a lot of tempting choices.
That is if the TL-S' tranny survives till then.
Have fun...
I know this is an Infiniti G35 Board, but I would like to know about the bad tranny on the TL-S. What is with it? What is it doing?
I almost bought a TL-S, but instead bought a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE (Which I am EXTREMELY please with!). I love the VQ engine and the car performs VERY admirably even with the solid rear beam axle. Sticks to the road like glue. Also, VERY fast!
See you G35 owners out on the street! I absolutely love it and am trying to get my bro to replace his 97 Jetta GLX with one. I can't wait to race a G35! ;-)
Obi