Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

rjprjp

If I get the Winter Package, will I need to purchase the full size spare also?

Do I need to purchase anything alse in order to get the Winter Package?

stsurbrook

gandhim3 - As far as I can tell, the wood is the real thing. I haven't tried cutting it to make sure, but it feels real. Also, for the price they charge for it, it had better be real...

rjprjp - If you get the Winter package, it comes with the full-size spare. The only time you need to order it separately is if you DON'T order the winter package.

Scott

maxcat1

Yes, it's real birdseye maple. I don't know whether all of the aftermarket kits are--they probably are but are probably a thin veneer.

kmei72

My brother just ordered a G35 yesterday. We spoke with the sales person briefly. Once he learned that we've done a lot of research on the net, he decided to be very straight forward with us. He asked us to give him an offer and if he can do it, he will. Anyway, without too many trouble, we knocked off $2000 over MSRP.

g35driver

Corkfish-regarding your message (#4402), like I said, I purchased the car for $28,690. I meet with the finance person tomorrow and we'll see if they try to add a bunch of stuff that adds the price. I purchased the wood kit, but will fh4 k33aboutmight frive to M mkomething to the lead iy

blinker

It doesn't take long (about 30 minutes) for the trim to be changed from one to the other. I had them change the wood to the brushed. Personal preference--but for me the wood was too light (needed some depth and warmth) for the graphite interior and looked cheaper than the brushed plastic or whatever it is. There also wasn't enough of it--to me it looks lost and has the appearance of an afterthought. I saw one of the kits to add more (some of it outlandish) and what I saw in person looked like contact paper.

boomer23

Oh My Gosh! g35, what happened? Did you get so excited about your new car, or so anxious about meeting the finance person that you lost your mind? I can't imagine what "k33aboutmight frive to M mkomething" might mean, but its pretty scary. Write again soon and let us know that you are okay!

stanny1

10-30 Mobil 1 is available at Costco for $21.72 for 6 bottles. That's about $3.61 per quart at Costco OR Wal-Mart. In SoCal, I think 5 weight is unneccesary but it won't hurt anything. It will never get cold enough here to thin out the oil to 5w or 10w.

i006129

Put down my deposit on a Desert Platinum Premium with Wood. Should pick it up next week. As info, I was talking with one of the sales guys while I was waiting on my wife to get back from the test drive. He said Infiniti is cutting back on production over the next few months and changing the configurations. He said they thought the cars with fewer options would be in demand but turns out it's the Premium package and Nav that everyone wants. Sounds like deals are to be had now on the non-premiums. Less so on the premiums.

i006129

So I've been coveting my Uncle's 1983 380SL convertible for several years. He is the original owner and babies it. This weekend I go to put my deposit down on the G35 and when I get home there is a message on my voicemail from my Uncle telling me he wants to sell me the Merc. (No kidding, and he only wants $12,500). So now my decision is whether to buy both cars and run the 380 on the weekends or just go with the Mercedes. Just doesn't seem like a 19 year old car would be the best thing for your every day drive. Besides, I'd like the car to have only two owners for a long time. Any comments or suggestions?

no1trust

IMHO you should go w/whatever puts the smile on your face. And it's not like there won't be G's to choose from later. Just my 2 cents. G35 pricing might even be more favorable if you wait a few months, especially in this brutally competitive car market.

heatmiser1

i006129 - The line the sales guy told you about cutting back production on the G35 sounds like a bunch of (you know what). It sounds like a tactic to get you to purchase the car right now.

I know the fleet sales manager at my local dealership rather well and he stated that Infiniti will be producing quite a large amount of the G35's throughout the year. For those of you out there waiting to purchase the G35, I wouldn't worry that the inventory will be getting much more slim resulting in the prices going higher.

Then again, you never know...

tiger8

Where did you get such a good deal?

kmei72

Here is the spec of the car:
G35 Luxury Leather
Twlight Blue
Graphite Interior
Premium Package
Sunroof
Xenon Headlights
Woodtrim
Total - $31500 + tax

stsurbrook

i006129 - if it were me (and I had the money), I'd get both. The G35 is a great driving car and is the one you would want to put the milage on.

As for the MB, in another 6 years it will be an antique and you will not want to put many miles on it because it will kill the value. Weekend drives would be the BEST possible use for it, IMO...

Scott

purwin

Can someone tell me where the oil filter is? I wanted to change the oil and filter, but it is not obvious where the filter is and the owners manual says to see the dealer to have it changed.

rpawlak98

Has anyone purchased or seen the cloth interior on the G35. How does it look?

wgr

In the Chicago area, MotorWeek is on PBS (Channel 20) tonight (4/22/02) at 7 pm. Reviews of the G35 and the 2003 Corolla are scheduled.

qx4

i've heard people complain about it but 5 different family members drove in the G35 including me without anyone complaining.

When i read about it and sat in the car at the autoshow, i saw trouble and felt uncomftable when sitting with that buldge hitting my leg. BUT......

Once you drive, it will not be in the way. At least not for me and the rest of the family members (different sizes and sexes).

I found that if it was to be an issue, then the seat controls will be an issue too. For the buldge to be annoying me, means my leg would be over the controls or the high cushining on the sides of the seats. Its almost like precision design coordination between the seats and buldge location.

all in all:
BULDGE IS NO PROBLEM AT ALL FOR ME

gator37

I am one week old G owner. I absolutely love the car. I recommend Infiniti of Tampa. Specifically, ask for Abe. I was an out-of-market buyer and he was extremely dilligent in pursuing the deal that I was looking for. Got the desert platinum/ graphite/ premium/ xenon/ wood package. Great car!! If you are a buyer in the Tampa area email me and I will give you more info.

gator37

I wanted this to be separate from my previous post. I read a number of posts ago of a couple people having problems with their outside temperature reading. My outside temperature sporadically reads in error. Any one else experienced this problem? If so, what was the fix? Any info would be appreciated. I know it is minor but it is annoying.

rshaw11

To Kmei72, what part of the country to you live in? Can you give us the dealer name the you got the great price from? Thanks.

dane4

I just dropped off my G35 for its first scheduled maintenance, and is it just me, or will everyone have this "Take care of my baby" mindset when they all take theirs in? *laughing*

It looks like the Infiniti service reputation is no lie either My service rep was effecient, pleasant, and attentive without seeming "rushed" or in any other way, hurried...

The loaner car (a new I35) was sitting in front of the service office even before all the paperwork was finished

and I was on my way in record time. All in all, the best maintenance dropoff for a vehicle I've ever had.

And now to the meat of it! I can now more completely appreciate the handling and power of the G35 compared to driving the I35... the I is most definetly a cruiser, and the ride is lightyears smoother, but compared to the G it wallows a bit and doesn't nearly feel as "planted" and "sure"...

It's most definitely a fine car, and feels very solid and is spacious to boot, but you can very easily tell the difference between the two in actual driving Which is ok by me

Faenor/Dane4

kmei72

My brother got this price from North Shore Infiniti at Great Neck, NY. I got another price quote from Competitive Infiniti of Smithtown for $1500 off MSRP. If you're interested, you can contact North Shore Infiniti directly and ask for Kevin. He sure will give you a good deal, but you'll have to be straight forward to him.

pearsond

Three time Infiniti owner here, and I can vouch 100% on customer service. They are absolutely the best..."HANDS DOWN"!

First scheduled maintenance...must have been what an oil change? I typically do all the oil stuff myself, and only go in for the 60K. I still have the 15/30/45K services completed elsewhere for less money. I just call them when it's done...fax the receipt, and they enter it into the computer system. That way you don't pay a fortune, and your warranty is still valid.

Can you tell me what they charged you for the service, and exactly what they did. Thx DP

pdrumans1

I just bought a Ivory pearl with willow leather, with Sunroof and Bose and I have to say "I love it". It does suck the gas, however the only thing I wish was different is the low fuel warning light. It is a little amber dot that blends in with everything else. If you are low on fuel, you want something to stand out. Especially with how fast it drinks the gas.

speedracer3

The I35 is a really nice car. It is the Maxima's tamed down luxo brother. I test drove the I35 recently and got a Palm100 from Infiniti for doing so. Gotta love that...

Speed <--- free loader

eped

The deal I received was in the Hartford, CT area. I don't like what I hear about the mpg, especially since coming off a 30+mpg car that used regular gas.

dane4

I was hoping that all the hype about their service was not just hype, and it turned out that it was for real I've been a Toyota-man for decades, but am now a pretty strong convert to Infiniti. I wonder if they realize how strongly being treated well influences a customers loyalty I think they might...

I used to do all the oil and light maintenance stuff myself, but now I am more than happy to pay a little bit for that, I tend to have a shortage of time, and this is just the ticket, especially when its pretty certain that it will be a good experience bringing it in, and I'll get to drive different cars on occasion

You were right on the money, this is the 3750 mile service actually my G has 3650 on it but if I had waited a day or two longer it would have gone over, so I thought "What the heck?"

The price estimate on the receipt is for $50.37 and that includes the oil and filter change, top off all fluids (no biggie), visual inspection (underbody, tire wear, suspension, engine etc...)

And they are also going to look into a slight rattling in the right rear deck that really only happens when I run over a fairly large bump in the road (I would normally think that that was completely acceptable, but the service rep said "Can you think of anything at all you want us to look into? no matter how small") so that is what I came up with under pressure *laughing*

Since I've had the car, my biggest problems are 1) keeping my foot out of it, and 2) curbing the desire to drive all over the place!

The service rep said that my G35 was the first one that has come in for any kind of service at all, and so I am hoping that is a good thing, hah!

Dane4

dane4

A palm100? for a test drive? that's great!

It became more than apparent that the I and G 35's are tailored for vastly different impressions... The I is definetly on the luxo side compared to the G and seemed like it would be far more comfortable for a really long haul... Particularly with 3 other normal sized people with you... The G still does admirably well in this regard, but the I felt much larger, and more spacious, but it kind of drove that way as well...

Who knows what the car market will be like when it is time for me to replace the 4Runner I have now in addition to the G, but all things remaining relatively equal, the Q45 will definitely be the first thing I look at...

Cheers!

Dane4

maybeg35

That seems like wierd marketing especially now that so many people are bitching about the gas mileage.

blueguydotcom

Don't buy a performance sedan and then complain about the gas mileage! That's beyond ludicrous. If you want a miserly car, go pick up a Prius or Insight. You've got a 260 HP/260 lb-ft of torque powerplant in that car that begs to be flogged and you all do it. If you're slowly getting up to a cruising speed of 65 mph (and then steadily maintaining it) and still not getting 25-26 MPG, complain. But can any of you REALLY say you don't punch it? That you're zipping along at 65 or less?

Do the people who buy 98 M3's complain about their gas mileage?

happyg35

Zone setting procedure in the manual does not work. Here is what I did. With the ignition key set to OFF, I pressed and hold the compass button, and then turned ignition to ON. The zone number come up. I changed the zone following the procedure in the manual. After zone change the compass will come up in few seconds. If the compass does not come up, you will see something like --:--:--. Start the car again and drive slowly few complete circles as described in the manual to re-calibrate the compass. Be warned, do this on your own risk.

heatmiser1

BTW - the G35 is not an M3 so there is no comparison. The 330i is the comparable vehicle to the G35 and does get better gas mileage. I don't think people expect 30+ mpg on a sprot sedan but mid 20's is quite realistic for v6's. Why not ask for the best of both worlds???

dane4

I was wondering when someone was going to pipe up about how you don't get "stellar gas mileage" and "Stellar engine power" in the same sentence

I tried to drive the G-car around in a stately Lincoln Towne Car fashion, but the slow steady acceleration to freeway speeds and the gentle launches from traffic lights seemed almost obscene, as if I was torturing the car *laughing*

To be honest, I don't slam down the accelerator with reckless abandon, but I do launch the car with "briskness" (sounds like Iced tea) and I am certain that that hurts me in the mileage department... funny though, I still get about 24 mpg combined total... but then again, my driving is about 95% freeway...

you know that saying? "better to keep silent and be thought of as a fool, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt" Well... the G35 has the goods, and when it opens its mouth, the only doubt I think that is manifested is when people try to read your rear license plate as it rapidly diminishes over the horizon

Sure the 330i gets a solid 30mpg freeway, but you have all that extra gas money for getting the G35

Dane4

blueguydotcom

Heatmiser1 wrote: "BTW - the G35 is not an M3 so there is no comparison. The 330i is the comparable vehicle to the G35 and does get better gas mileage"

I wrote: "Do the people who buy 98 M3's complain about their gas mileage? "

See the key word in there? 98. Good grief, not 02. 98. In 98 you could buy an M3 sedan. And it sported an almost G-like 240 HP. Currently BMW doesn't make an M3 sedan (a loss IMO) so I picked the last version that they did.

dane4

I think that that might have been a marketing and psychological move on Infiniti's part. Its hard to believe that a detail like that could go unnoticed when there is so much at stake and when people can be fickle based on the most superficial of occurences...

If you think about it... someone was probably thinking... If we peg the needle on full, people are equally apt to think that you need a full tank of gas to get anywhere significant and the car is a gas guzzler. Whereas, with the cascade of emotion invoked by people looking at an image of a car they already find attractive, you're just as apt to think "Hey, not much gas in the thing but still ok to get everywhere as the car does well in the mileage department..."

I have owned Toyota's for years, and just about all of them were very miserly on gas... if I jumped into a Corolla on my way to downtown SF and the gauge was 1/4 I would say "no problem" great gas mileage... If I had jumped into my parent's cadillac, it wouldn't even be a question even at 3/4's full... "Refuelling operations!" *laughing*

Geez, is that some wicked psych stuff or what! I wonder if Infiniti has a psy-ops division... or is that called "advertising"? Maybe it was an appeal to "value"... When I fill up the tank on th parents aircraft carrier cadillac, I think it doubles the value of the car...

Dane4

maybeg35

That should take care of most peoples view of the situation. I personally think their marketing screwed it up.

bjbird2

I was drummed out of the Audi A6 forum for suggesting that the G35 would be a worthy competitor to the Audi A6, They suggested that I start a comparison forum, which I did "Audi A6 vs. Infiniti G35". I was told that the Audis have "soul" and are driver's cars, while the Japanese cars are merely transportation. I didn't see the G-35 as just transportation, and I know Infiniti has had extensive experience in the IRL. Has anyone driven both cars enough to shed an unbiased opinion on this comparison?

kd6aw1

Thanks for the fix, it worked fine. Wonder how you figured it out.

Paul

kdshapiro

I think the compasses just like the Homelink transmitters are standard patented components. The compass adjustment works exactly the same way as the one on my Jeep. Like all the cars that have the Homelink transmitter all of them work exactly the same, even the Bimmer uses Homelink.

Ken

gandhim3

BJBird2-

By an Audi soul you mean that they cost a lot more for a comparably equipped model and then have a lot of repair costs - then yes, Audi's have plenty of soul/sole. LOL!

I will keep the extra $10K and take Japanese reliability any day. On for those who simply insist that Audi's are superior simply because of the nameplate deserve to have cars with such a sole.

eaweg

Funny you should comment on the Audi "soul"

I just recently got an A4 3.0 quattro...over the G35. Why? Because the car appealed to me more. As for reliability...are you now predicting the future? I mean two cars that just came out this year? It's funny, I read these posts and people thrash each other over who has the better or faster car. Truth is, it all comes down to opinion and matter of taste. My taste was such that I simply did not like the interior of the G35 or the back end of the vehicle. Now the coupe is a another story but I could not get a coupe. Is the car better than the A4 3.0? maybe quicker 0-60 and a bit cheaper...but overall, not in my opinion. I don't rag on people who get G35's...it suits their tastes. It just doesn't suit mine. But to say that your call will be more reliable...come on...Oh and last I checked...the options on the G35 quickly add up. So $10K difference really isn't true.

gschultz3

After 3 years and only 20,000 miles my Audi is showing it's age. A couple of plastic tabs are broken, the ash tray sticks, the coin tray jams all the time, the plastic dash needs too much care, the steering is getting sloppy, the engine is noisy (not inside), the transmission slips?, I only used half of the odd compartments, the leather looks 10 years old and it's as slow as when I bought it. I ordered a G35 and it was almost $10,000 less!

I hate taking my car in for recalls! The gas gauge only worked for half of the time I owned the car. I ran out of gas 4 times, once in a blizzard. I do wish the G35 had AWD.

faenor

Well, who'd have thought it would happen! I missed a message from the service rep at the Infiniti dealer, and showed up at the previously apointed hour of about 5...

He seemed surprise to see me and said "Did you get my message?" and I said "no" feeling a little concerned...

He informed me that they found out what the noise was in the rear deck of the car, it seems that a seal in the very corner of rear window pillar was not "isolating" properly and when the car went over a bump the seal material rubbed together and "squeaked" I was talking to the mechanic who worked on the car and he said that he looked at every single nut and bolt and joint and fastner in the back till he finally found it!

They had to keep it for another day so they could fix the seal properly... and the whole time I was thinking... "Christ! at the other car dealerships they wouldn't even have put in 1/10th of this effort even if I had brandished a weapon! and here at the Infiniti dealership it was just something I mentioned in casual passing and they were knocking themselves out to get it right!

Dang!

When I bought the 4Runner, at its first maintenance appointment I told them that there was a weird "loose metal" sound somewhere in the left rear suspension area... the service guy's response to that was "Hey, cars have lots of parts, and the roads are really bad, something is always going to make weird noises" and his tone was like I was 10 years old and not understanding a basic math problem or something... Instant turn off, and I was a bit angry too...

Dang!

So now, in the meantime I am driving the brand new I35 "Loaner" Best damned loaner I've EVER had and Infiniti just keeps adding points to their already stellar score in my book.

I mentioned if it was a big deal to get to the seal and if there was a chance that things might get messed up if they tried to fix the already small problem... The service rep looked at me like I was from mars "This is an Infiniti, it doesn't go out unless its perfect" and he said it with such an aire of genuiness that I have never felt before from any car dealership...

Now my only fear is that I'm going to become a spoiled brat car buyer... *laughing*

Faenor/Dane4

blinker

Congrats on your new Audi. I just traded a 98 A4Q on a G35. I liked my Audi until it got past warranty and I had to start paying for the repairs which at 35000 miles when I got rid of it, I felt should not happen--the last blow being an oil leak which would have required removing the heads and welding a boring hole ($1500-2500) which started leaking. I am not an abuser of cars either and have them serviced on schedule. I felt AoA was totally unconcerned about the problems that should not to a $34000 car (eg. tie rod ends ,control arms, seat rails, etc.). It was a beautiful car but I won't miss the problems. If I was to get another and was planning to keep it past the warranty period, I would add the extended warranty.

faenor

A person at my office had an A6 (it was a 2000) I believe... he didn't mention that there was anything wrong with it (personally I thought it was a gorgeous car!) but he ended up trading it in only 3 months later for something else because he said that it had absolutely no get up and "go"... If I remember correctly, he said something about it being really sluggish when you put your foot into it at 70mph...

I think they might have rectified that with the later model of the a6 with the T-charger... but as far as reliability concerns and his particular car 3 months may not have been long enough... One thing I can note though was that the interior was one of the nicest I've ever seen!

Faenor/Dane4

no1trust

Our Lexus dealer has treated us the same way (note how highly owners rate Infiniti & Le×us customer service @ JD Power). Their service is far superior IMHO to the likes of the lower rated Honda, Toyota, etc. Hope the rest of you G35 owners will describe your Infiniti service (good or bad) when you take your cars in. Excellent service would be another plus for buying a G35. I never even got a bus token from any other dealers when my car was serviced, let alone a new model year loaner (like at Infiniti or Lexus).

gandhim3

The original question was about a comparision with the A6, not te A4. If you go and spec out the options, you will realize that there IS about a $10K difference.

As for reliability, I admit it is an assumption that the G35 will be more reliable than the Audi. But looking at past reliability statistics for cars made by both companies, chances are higher that the G35 will be more reliable than the Aud A4/6. The two immediate posts right after your are some indication that this will bear out.

As for the A4, congrat on your purchase. Hope you enjoy it. But come back to me after the warranty is up and tell me how much better it is over the G35. Then we will see.

johnjorg

In all fun! Classic battle of car choice has thus far been won: I get the new car, the G35 (me: Tarzan; her: Interior Decorator ). This is more of a Car Talk NPR type question: Now that I've got the "option," she holds strong on the Emerald Mist because all my "wardrobe and eyes" matches the color!" HA. I want the Desert Platinum because it looks like a sports car...

We agreed to put it to a vote here on this forum based on what people really feel about the color of a car...

Can of worms (yea, right) and I certainly do not wish to detract discussion from REAL issues!

Just wanted some other input to buy the DAMN CAR!