I see where these posts are coming from concerning the interior (as I pointed out a few weeks back when I visited the Infiniti dealer and they had a demo). I loved the outside, but the inside was just not so great. I was hoping it was just a "demo car" thing, but I guess not.
Yes, I do believe my 02 Maxima SE has a better interior IMHO.
Edmund's review of the M-roadster admires everything about it (of course) and observes: "you'll appreciate the M roadster's simple, yet purposeful, interior design that foregoes the excess clutter found in all too many modern cars." Instead they admire it's performance qualities. Gosh, that's familiar;-)
Maybe the RX-8 or the new Supra will have what all of you are looking for. Meanwhile, I'll get better pricing. I like it.
Well, the M roadster has always had a Camaro-like reputation. "It has a lot of torque, and it doesn't kiss back."
On the G35 interior, I bet it'll play out a lot like another interior-horror-story of our age, the Lexus IS300. If you recall, when the car was introduced it had a nasty interior. The ergonomics weren't great, the quality was pretty poor, everything was schizophrenic, and so on. "Amazing dynamics but a sorry interior," said the journalists. Quietly, Lexus redid the interior, and two years later the IS300 has a relatively desirable interior, having shed the quirkiness and quality issues of the debuting model.
I'll bet the G35 will play out the same. Great car with a few achilles heels, but twelve months from now most of the interior maladies will be remedied, quietly.
I think the Z350 interior looks better than the G35Coup.
What Nissan and Infiniti doing is they decided to build a common base, that is the engine. They then tune the engine differently for different performance. So the Z350 to the G35Coupe, Maxima to the I30, and the floor-runner to the QX4. So you really buying the similar car with the exception of looks. The Infiniti suppose to be a luxury car, and bottom line the G35 interior looks cheaper than all Nissan. After market dash upgrade will look out of place. As you can see in some sedan on the lot. If the G35coupe interior looks like the Audi TT, I'm all over it even it's at MSRP.
All and all, the G35coupe should be at the $2k under MSRP plus option. Option is where the dealer makes their high profit.
But people are line up to purchase it at MSRP. That credit to all the hype from auto magazine. I found it surprising that Edmunds' editor choice of the year was not the G.
Is as bad as the Altima's. Talk about basic. The doors are devoid of any trim at all. I can't agree with the 350"s interior being better than a Sentra let alone a Gee.
"There are? Maybe a used 330ci, but that's about it."
Maybe in your world, but not mine. Can get a new Acure CL S-type for less than $35k. Have access to dealer auctions and can easily get a used 330ci (or a used M3) or CLK for about $35k. Could buy a new Mustang Cobra for less than $35k and have some real HP under the hood, granted it isn't a "luxury" coupe. Used Corvette.
My wife and I currently have an Audi A4 and a BMW 323iT. I bought the BMW (used) after test drove G35 Sedan. Loved the shape and handling of the car, but couldn't look pass the interior. It really felt cheap comparing to Audi and BMW. I love the G35C even more, and would be more than happy to trade in my BMW and pay MSRP, if not for that same interior!!!! The orange colored dash reminds me of Pontiacs. What can I do?
BTW, the local Infiniti dealer here in Portland, OR, has the balls to add $1500 for rust proofing on each and every car they sell, and tells me this is not a dealer markup, but providing "real" value to customers. Rust proofing a car when it never snows here? Are they out of their fricking minds?
I don't know if anyone else has noticed or even cares besides me, but the armrest on the G35 coupe's center console has been removed from the manual transmission model. The dealer told me this was done because the shifter's mechanics required more room and something had to go in order to relocate the cupholders(!!) further back. This leaves your right elbow hanging in midair with no place to rest it while you're driving at cruising speed. What were they thinking? Just wanted to alert any potential buyers who may purchase the 6 speed manual model sight unseen thinking that the interior is identical to the automatic. It isn't, it's worse...
I'm no longer interested in the G35c, not because of the interior, which will be fine, but because the potential buyers for the car don't want cars, they want living rooms! With this kind of audience, the car's going to end up with the same image problems the propeller cars have.
Everyone whines for six years: they want Nissan to go back to making some performance cars. Now you get two: the Z and the coupe. ANd now that's a problem. These are performance cars, folks, not cruisers. Try the sedan or the Maxima: nice cruisers.
Maybe in your world, but not mine. Can get a new Acure CL S-type for less than $35k. Have access to dealer auctions and can easily get a used 330ci (or a used M3) or CLK for about $35k. Could buy a new Mustang Cobra for less than $35k and have some real HP under the hood, granted it isn't a "luxury" coupe. Used Corvette.
Muhahaha, CL?! Mustang, rofl. Corvette? LMAO. You named two sports cars (not luxury coupes) and a fwd two door sedan.
A used M3...hmmm. M3s (current style) are imho the sexiest cars on the road but a used one...good heavens no. BMWs are scary enough with their quality problems (and in the M3's case: engine explosions) but mix in a used performance car and you're begging for issues. A CPO M3 or 330ci sounds nice but I already pointed to the 330ci. That's the G35's only competition right now...the only RWD entry level lux sports coupe out there to compete against.
But I do love soft touch plastics like my Lexus has and my 300zx Turbo had. All that hard plastic makes me think "cheap". Even the upper part of a pre 2000 Civic had soft touch on it.
I mean for $34,000 they coulda put some nice soft leather looking plastic on the dash and doors. It doesn't have to be real.
I initially had reservations about the interior quality as well. But, at least for me, the visual perception was the killer. The plastic titanium looked cheap against the black interior, and magnified my concerns about material quality. Then I drove a G35 Coupe with the Willow (beige) interior. All of a sudden, it didn't look so cheap. Didn't feel so cheap either. No question, the material quality could be better. But before condemning it to death, take a look at an interior other than black. You might be surprised. I was. I bought one the next day.
I will only speak for myself. I am completely happy with the lack of amenities in my S2000. But it shows that simple can be done with quality materials and attractive aesthetics (digital instruments notwithstanding).
The problem with the 350Z as I have elaborated in the 325ci vs. 350Z forum is that it WASN'T designed as a pure sports car from the ground up. It's an overweight, component sharing engineering compromise. If they were going to make a two seat fixed roof coupe that weighs 250 lbs more than my 1995 Maxima SE, the least they could have a comparable quality interior.
The 350Z is no Audi TT. That's O.K. by me. But it's not exactly in the spirit of the old 240Z. That's not.
Never mind nit picking the interior;the G35 Coupe is,tooo noisy both exhaust and road noise from tires and a lack of rear seat headroom,unless youre a midget.What Nissan should introduce is a GT {gentle touring) option with a kinder exhaust note,sensible spring rates,revalved dampers,and less agressive tires.I"d give up super fast turn in for a GT35 coupe, with my option "gentle touring"!
I agree with all of your points actually. You and I have posted on many of the same boards in the past years and I've always found your comments well thought out. I didn't plan to catch your earlier comments up in my rant.
I'm probably less patient than maybe I should be with posters who complain the car is cheap & then list, as evidence, the lack of an armrest with a manual, or the size of the rear seat, or .... the aspects expected, and traditional, in a 2+2 *sport* coupe.
I don't even have a problem with posters being disappointed that it's not a Solara or ES300 or Acura CL or Benz because they prefer a *luxury* coupe, but confusing the lack of luxury features as evidence of 'cheap' distracts us from trying to find out more about the performance characteristics and competence of the car Nissan is *trying* to build.
You want to compare that to a car that is unproven and is in it's first year? LOL, you are a funny man. If the Acura CL S-type is a 2 door sedan to you then I guess the G35 is nothing more than one too. Since, it is a knock off of the G35 4 door sedan. Or, is it only semantics you to? LMAO@U
Oh, and the Mustang would be a coupe too, not a luxury coupe but it is a coupe. Just one that would destroy the G35 in any acceleration contest. Think I will wait for the turbo version (GT-R?) to be released in the US in a couple years from Infiniti before I go that route.
I think the tone is getting a little childish here guys. These message boards are supposed to be about discussing cars, specifically the G35C, NOT trying to insult each other's intelligence.
A Pony car. I is not a luxury coupe nor a sports car. In it's basic form a Mustang is a straight line car. Sure for $40K they'll build you a better one but then that's beyond the Gee's price.
The CL is front drive. Not gonna give the true RWD "feel" that true luxury should have. It may be for you but most people equate luxury with RWD. It may compete in price but that's about it for the CL.
To me the G is a entry level GT in the vein of Maserati, Aston and that ilk. It has the low slung body of a sports car except in a much larger package. All they had to do was give us an interior that looked the part. It didn't have to be swathed completely in leather but durn they coulda done a little better.
Not listed as a future model, but as a model that you can now play with the "build your own" feature. On, top of that the website will let you search dealer inventories for G35s that they currently have including a break down of the options on the car(the interface has some issues, so don't be surprised if you pick a color and colors not the one you picked show up)! And has specs and details about the car. There is even a movie of the commercial for it that you can check out.
checked out the RX8 and don't care much for it's front-end look. Or the way the quarter panels flair out around the wheels.
habitat1 - "The problem with the 350Z as I have elaborated in the 325ci vs. 350Z forum is that it WASN'T designed as a pure sports car from the ground up. It's an overweight, component sharing engineering compromise. "
Of course, the benchmark 3-series coupe was spec'd similarly from the sedan. The current generation 3 series and M3 weigh significantly more than their predecessors, but are still the benchmarks for sport luxury coupes.
Nissan is clearly trying to split the market for sport coupes with VQ into two camps: one looking for a shorter wheelbase, higher sport less luxury feel, and one looking for a slightly compromised sport feel with the significant space, seating, and comfort accomodations that a longer wheelbase can provide. And, all cars are getting heavier to meet crash test requirements. The S2000 is a great car that is fun an tossable, but is still relatively heavy. Most of this weight helps provide a very stiff and predictable ride, so it's not a huge tradeoff, in my opinion.
GT35 - Have you driven the car without the sport package? This might be more to your liking. Or check out the sedan. One of these may be your GT35 already! You could just have an extra letter put on the trunk
As a car can't be all things to all people, I would also suggest looking into the CL (not type s) and the Solara, as well as the accord coupe, and a 325ci without sport package. The G35's sharp turn-in, audible exhaust note, and balanced performance are exactly what was promised for this vehicle. Also, if rear seat headroom is a priority, try the sedan version of the previously mentioned coupes. I personally would never buy a 2 door that I relied on having rear head room in, so I think it's a relatively unimportant stat. I also think the 4 door 3 series is just as nice looking as the 2 door, so I'm not a big coupe fan in general.
I do think the G35 coupe is significantly better looking than the sedan, though.
There are lots of cars out there with luxury appointments and (often useless) gizmos. If anything, I think Nissan should have been truer to the spirit of the 240Z and escorted anyone who wanted to be bathed in luxury over to the Audi showroom. The TT has a beautiful interior but is NOT a sports car.
Have a good day.
Rob,
For me personally, the difference between a coupe derived from a sedan (G, 3-series, etc.) and a fixed roof two seater (350Z) is a significant one. I can (with some compromises) replace my Maxima with an M3 or G35c, since we still have an SUV for longer family trips. Not so with the 350Z. It would be a third car and, as such, it does not compare favorably to the ground up, pure sports cars like the S2000 or Boxster S. Not to mention that they are both roadsters with the much higher fun factor in nice weather. At the risk of repeating myself, a "coupe" is by definition a bit of a compromise between utility and sport. I accept that. I am not as forgiving of engineering and other compromises in a fixed roof two seater like the 3,250 pound 350Z. If I'm going to give up utility, I want sport: agility, precise handling, etc.. And I want it uncompromised by Nissan's business plan to shove relatively heavy low-revving, seden-derived engines and other chassis components into every model they make. That's O.K. for a "performance coupe", not for a "sports car", IMHO.
Over the last months I've read a number of posts that have criticized the Z and the g35c for their weight and made comparisons with other cars perceived to be more svelte, and faster by implication. So I looked up some of the comparos that have been made, and some I was curious about, using Edmunds specs. I tried, in all cases where it was possible, to use the fixed roof coupe or 2+2 version -- of course some of the cars in the list don't come that way.
Probably the only thing the list proves is that I didn't feel like working this morning:
Of course even less than the thousand pound difference (Miata) would make a significant change. But a difference of a few pounds, as many of these are, probably is not as significant as tires, alignment, and driving technique.
The day Nissan/Infiniti builds a softer G35c with a kinder exhaust note, sensible spring rates, revalved dampers, and less agressive tires is the day I'll be leaving the Nissan/Infiniti camp. G35c is not what you're looking for. No offense, but please shop elsewhere instead of telling Infiniti to soften the G35c.
You want to compare that to a car that is unproven and is in it's first year?
Well, we know the 3 series (plus each current BMW line) is plagued by weird electrical bugaboos. The infiniti line? no major problems.
If the Acura CL S-type is a 2 door sedan to you then I guess the G35 is nothing more than one too. Since, it is a knock off of the G35 4 door sedan.
Oh, you should really keep your mouth shut if you don't know the facts. The CL is a Front Wheel Drive car built on the same chassis as the TL and Accord. The G35 coupe is built on a Rear Wheel Drive FM platform (front-midship design so there's a near equal weight distribution, something the Accord/CL lacks) shared by the G35 and 350Z. Huh, near ideal weight distribution, all performance oriented vehicles and RWD. Yeah, that pedigree sure is lacking. lol
Oh, and the Mustang would be a coupe too, not a luxury coupe but it is a coupe. Just one that would destroy the G35 in any acceleration contest.
The mustang? we're talking about entry level luxury sports coupes, not American made "sports" cars. There exists only two entry level lux sports coupes on the market currently: the 3 series and G series. The CL doesn't qualify with its FWD and the Mercedes CLK is far too pricey to be considered entry-level.
ppower, btw, I find it interesting that you'd use a rather jejune tactic like mocking my name. Says quite a bit about your debate style.
The day Nissan/Infiniti builds a softer G35c with a kinder exhaust note, sensible spring rates, revalved dampers, and less agressive tires is the day I'll be leaving the Nissan/Infiniti camp. G35c is not what you're looking for. No offense, but please shop elsewhere instead of telling Infiniti to soften the G35c.
Nissan makes a 4 door version of that, it's called an i35. LOL sounds to me like they may want a CLK.
personally I was hoping that the g had some noise with it. I think it sounds great. And for the weight, the car moves like the wind. While infiniti didn't hit a home run with the G coupe, surely they hit a triple. But their is a way to get what you want, you could get the coupe and take it to a after market shop and get changes you want. if the only problem is the ride and exhaust noise.
I35 and QX4 will both be history soon. So the Infiniti lineup will be G35, G35Coupe, M45, FX45 and Q45. These cars are all biased toward the sporty side.
I think the G35C is a great car -- fast and good-looking for a very reasonable price -- but Nissan may have a marketing problem...
People who want a high-performance sports car are going to buy the 350Z. People who want a sporty luxury car are probably going to buy an Audi/BMW/Lexus. The former group will likely find the G35C too soft, too large, and insufficiently aggressive in style. The latter group will likely find the G35C's interior too cheap and take issue with the ride quality.
So, the question isn't so much whether the G35C is a good car (it certainly is), but how many buyers will put it at the top of their list...
Neat webname, but I have to disagree. There's a long history of famous sports cars that sprout a 2+2 version (not necessarily the same as a coupe, by the way) to boost their revenues from a market of people who are interested in the 2seat version but want/need the extra space. I agree with your idea that some people may prefer the Audi/Lexus thing but I think you'll see the demographic for the Z and the 35c breaking along single/married lines more than likely. The G35 sedan will do battle pretty well, I think, with the likes of Audi and lexus.
My only problem is with the interior on a $35,000 car. I'm still gonna buy one. Just gonna wait until they are giving better deals on em. I gotta have one of these cars.
I have read a lot of complaints about the interior from people in this group. Initially when I saw the interior in the sedan a few months ago I didn't have a problem with it at all. I like it alot better than most of the Mercedes. Yes, they may use softer plastics but it says nothing about style. I have driven my friends CLK and I find the interior very boring. As I read more of the complaints from this group I started to think that the interior was terrible until I test drove the coupe yesterday. To me, the design all fit in nicely, the body has a great clean and futuristic look to it which blends well with the interior design and color combination. I sat in the coupe for a while and study the interior and find the design to be straight forward and quite elegant. It is very distinctive, I prefer this over the wood-grain look any day. The car key was placed on top of the plastic silver console and I purposely pushed down and slid it over the plastic surface to see if it would scratch easily. I was pleasantly surprised that it held up well and did not show any markings. So...unless you're going to place hand tools on this surface on a daily basis, I think that the material over-all is fairly robust. Once I pushed my foot on the pedal going up a hill and around a sharp I was grinning ear to ear. This is the best handling car that I have ever driven. This is a fun, solid car with enough luxury for me and the price is still reasonable, even at MSRP.
I35 and QX4 will both be history soon. So the Infiniti lineup will be G35, G35Coupe, M45, FX45 and Q45. These cars are all biased toward the sporty side.
I've read the I35 is shifting to an AWD design when the new Max hits in 2004. They're not gonna do away with a money making blvd cruiser like the I35. Have you seen something else?
For starters the CL being front wheel drive is old news. Like I didn't know that and you are stating something new. Zzzz...
"BMW electrical problems", LOL and you own a Jetta? They more bug and flaw riden then anything made. www.myvwlemon.com. Might do you some good reading.
Let's see by your argument FWD 2-door with 4 seats no matter what it is = sedan. 2 door RWD with 4 seats = coupe. dah.
The G35 is 53/47 weight ratio that isn't near ideal to me, maybe in your world. The RX8 is going to be 50/50 that is near ideal in mine. It seems RWD is end to all ends for you. Don't like AWD either do you? Actually the G35 is a split between the 350z and the sedan G35. The G35 coupe is much longer than the 350z.
"we're talking about entry level luxury sports coupes, not American made "sports" cars."
NO, we where not! You are, I was talking about other cars for $35k that I would seriously consider over the G35. I made no association that they HAD to be a "entry level luxury sports coupe". In the future try to comprehend what is being said and not make it into your own discussion.
I mock your handle because I have no respect for you. You can chalk that up to your attack like posts.
Ppower ps you can reply if you feel the need to, but I am not going to bother reading it. You have proven through you attitude that your opinion doesn't matter and is not worth reading. Have a wonderful day.
The Gee does not compete with the CL in no way other than price. I know I am looking at it for its RWD layout. The only real competition is the 330i. I know there are other vehicles that can be had for $35k but they aren't in the this class of car. that's why we are all here. 53/47 IS very close to 50/50 especially compared to a FWD vehicle. Infiniti is ranked one of the best long term reliability vehicles in this market. In closing I'm sure there are a lot of people who would agree that if you don't like the car that's fine. Just keep the debate constructive though instead of a going STS on everyone.
He was the one coping an attitude (same one he flexs on the Jetta forum). I didn't turn it into a competetion, just stated there are many other cars available at the $35k price that I would consider buying instead.
Hey, there's a diet problem with the Z. Nissan should take a page out of the Honda type R, put it on a strict diet, take out sound deadening, a/c, reduce it by 200 lbs, and sell it as Z track.
The Z has a weight problem. Nissan should take a page out of the Honda-R playbook, reduce it by 200 lbs and sell it a Z track.
The G is the only Infiniti model w/o wood interior. When Nissan designs it & Alty, it was in financial distress (since gone way), so it was trying to shave pennies. They correctly made a decision to take it out of the interiors, and not the chassis. If the pic I've seen is right, the new Max (maybe 2/03) is going to have a super interior. Every review so far likes the Murano interior.
So G, Z & Alty have problems. My guess is Nissan won't have time to address them because they'll be busy coming out with new models (fx, max, full size trucks, suv).
I saw the Murano interior at the auto show last weekend, and it really was very nice. Now that Nissan is in the black, they can afford to do high-quality interiors again.
For starters the CL being front wheel drive is old news. Like I didn't know that and you are stating something new. Zzzz...
Well, if you're aware don't bring it up as an alternative. Sheesh...
"BMW electrical problems", LOL and you own a Jetta? They more bug and flaw riden then anything made.
Never said they weren't. You logic baffles me. My current atrocious vehicle has nothing to do with a BMW.
The G35 is 53/47 weight ratio that isn't near ideal to me, maybe in your world. The RX8 is going to be 50/50 that is near ideal in mine.
I'd like the RX-8 if it weren't for the rotary engine. Until they can prove it works long-term...
NO, we where not! You are, I was talking about other cars for $35k that I would seriously consider over the G35. I made no association that they HAD to be a "entry level luxury sports coupe". In the future try to comprehend what is being said and not make it into your own discussion.
I'm only discussing actual competitors to the G35 coupe. That'd be one car: 3ci series. Including every vehicle that runs 35k. Gee, throw in the tahoe, t-bird, MDX too.
I mock your handle because I have no respect for you. You can chalk that up to your attack like posts.
How mature. Don't like what others write, resort to playground tactics.
ps you can reply if you feel the need to, but I am not going to bother reading it. You have proven through you attitude that your opinion doesn't matter and is not worth reading. Have a wonderful day.
I know you'll read it. It's all cool. Just accept people have different points of view, no need to be jejune about it. and have an excellent weekend.
Are the death knell for many topics. Could you guys argue in e-mail land. I'm the first one for a good debate but when it is an argument due to personal friction there is usually nothing added to the forum.
I've been following this board since I had initial interest in some of Infiniti's new offerings. I am not going to rehash what I said before, but I'd like to add a few comments. I originally went to the dealer trying to get information on the FX45. I know it looks weird, but it has an interesting look to it. I saw the G35c and it looked AWESOME. For someone who does not care about road noise, classy interiors etc, this is the coupe for them. I definitely think list price is WAY TOO MUCH to pay for this car. I also think Infiniti is 2 inches above Nissan on the customer service scale. HELLO!! PAINT PROTECTION $695 added to the sticker? If you sincerely want this car, WAIT, you should be able to get them for $500 over dealer invoice in a few months. I am sure that attractive lease deals will have to be subsidized since residuals will be LOW. Infinitis depreciate like Chevy's. If anyone has read this far, I'll tell you what I have now:
MB C320 Sport (2002) <--Yawn (can't wait till the lease is up) Subura WRX '02 Auto <<-- trading on 11-09-02 for an '02 Audi allroad (Subie was nice but needs to be at 4000 RPM to get decent power) Jeep Liberty ('02) <-- Great around town and going to the mall.
You may want to check back up about 10 posts or so concerning weight issues. The car is, as you say, heavy ... but no heavier than the street version of many other vehicles in the list .... except the Miata.
Of course people who run the car in the modified version will do the same as you suggest: strip the extra weight. But for most consumers all the weight gain is full of goodies which they will not do without, or safety devices, which they will not do without. Or maybe you'd be the buyer who'd buy a car without a radio or an airbag? The Brembo system, too, weighs more than the standard brakes, but you may want those.
If you sincerely want this car, WAIT, you should be able to get them for $500 over dealer invoice in a few months
People said the same about the G35 sedan. 8 months later you're pulling off a nice coup if you get the car for 1 grand under msrp. The coupe will be much more limited in numbers...
Your probably right on getting them for only $500 over invoice in 8 months. My local dealer just got 8 in and only 3 are sold. That is another unfortunate true point to. That they depreciate bad, just look at what used Q45s sell for. Probably find used ones in 6-8 months cheap too.
We have now confirmed the G35 owners/orderees event at Texas Motor Speedway for Saturday December 7. We will start will breakfast at 8:30 am and allow plenty of time for everyone to get acquainted. There is absolutely no cost to you.
Infiniti Technical personnel will be available to you as well as the Dealer Operations and Dealer Parts/Service Managers for North Texas. In addition we will have our Infiniti Master Certified Technicians there as well to answer all of you questions.
If you live in the North Texas area and currently own a G35 Sedan or Coupe or have one on order we would love to have you attend. But space is limited to the first 100 people. If you would like to attend please email me dmayer@grubbs.com your name, address, phone number and email address. Also let us know if you will be attending by yourself or if you will be bringing someone with you. Sorry but we must limit you to one guest.
It will be a great time for everyone and we look forward to seeing all of those great cars in one location.
I see several posts saying the G35 is likely to have very bad depreciation. As far as I can tell, the G35 Sedan (I can't find ALG numbers on the coupe) are not out of line with similar cars.
According to that source, the 2003 G35 Sedan has a 55-56% residual for 3yr/45k lease. It lists a BMW 330Ci with a 54% residual, so according to this with a 3-year horizon, the G35 depreciates slightly less than the 3-series. The lowest 3-year depreciate I found in this 'class' of car is the CLK with > 60% residual.
Maybe the posts were talking more about long-term depreciation? Or maybe I'm mis-interpreting these figures?
Has little to do with depreciation as the price for a private sale of a car after three years probably is different than the residual. The price can be determined by sites such as kbb.com. Residual is a combination of incentives and decpreciation.
Comments
Yes, I do believe my 02 Maxima SE has a better interior IMHO.
Obi
Maybe the RX-8 or the new Supra will have what all of you are looking for. Meanwhile, I'll get better pricing. I like it.
JW
On the G35 interior, I bet it'll play out a lot like another interior-horror-story of our age, the Lexus IS300. If you recall, when the car was introduced it had a nasty interior. The ergonomics weren't great, the quality was pretty poor, everything was schizophrenic, and so on. "Amazing dynamics but a sorry interior," said the journalists. Quietly, Lexus redid the interior, and two years later the IS300 has a relatively desirable interior, having shed the quirkiness and quality issues of the debuting model.
I'll bet the G35 will play out the same. Great car with a few achilles heels, but twelve months from now most of the interior maladies will be remedied, quietly.
What Nissan and Infiniti doing is they decided to build a common base, that is the engine. They then tune the engine differently for different performance. So the Z350 to the G35Coupe, Maxima to the I30, and the floor-runner to the QX4. So you really buying the similar car with the exception of looks. The Infiniti suppose to be a luxury car, and bottom line the G35 interior looks cheaper than all Nissan. After market dash upgrade will look out of place. As you can see in some sedan on the lot. If the G35coupe interior looks like the Audi TT, I'm all over it even it's at MSRP.
All and all, the G35coupe should be at the $2k under MSRP plus option. Option is where the dealer makes their high profit.
But people are line up to purchase it at MSRP. That credit to all the hype from auto magazine. I found it surprising that Edmunds' editor choice of the year was not the G.
Maybe in your world, but not mine. Can get a new Acure CL S-type for less than $35k. Have access to dealer auctions and can easily get a used 330ci (or a used M3) or CLK for about $35k. Could buy a new Mustang Cobra for less than $35k and have some real HP under the hood, granted it isn't a "luxury" coupe. Used Corvette.
Ppower
Everyone whines for six years: they want Nissan to go back to making some performance cars. Now you get two: the Z and the coupe. ANd now that's a problem. These are performance cars, folks, not cruisers. Try the sedan or the Maxima: nice cruisers.
Breathing in. Breathing out.
JW
Muhahaha, CL?! Mustang, rofl. Corvette? LMAO. You named two sports cars (not luxury coupes) and a fwd two door sedan.
A used M3...hmmm. M3s (current style) are imho the sexiest cars on the road but a used one...good heavens no. BMWs are scary enough with their quality problems (and in the M3's case: engine explosions) but mix in a used performance car and you're begging for issues. A CPO M3 or 330ci sounds nice but I already pointed to the 330ci. That's the G35's only competition right now...the only RWD entry level lux sports coupe out there to compete against.
Just my opinion of course.
I mean for $34,000 they coulda put some nice soft leather looking plastic on the dash and doors. It doesn't have to be real.
The problem with the 350Z as I have elaborated in the 325ci vs. 350Z forum is that it WASN'T designed as a pure sports car from the ground up. It's an overweight, component sharing engineering compromise. If they were going to make a two seat fixed roof coupe that weighs 250 lbs more than my 1995 Maxima SE, the least they could have a comparable quality interior.
The 350Z is no Audi TT. That's O.K. by me. But it's not exactly in the spirit of the old 240Z. That's not.
I'm probably less patient than maybe I should be with posters who complain the car is cheap & then list, as evidence, the lack of an armrest with a manual, or the size of the rear seat, or .... the aspects expected, and traditional, in a 2+2 *sport* coupe.
I don't even have a problem with posters being disappointed that it's not a Solara or ES300 or Acura CL or Benz because they prefer a *luxury* coupe, but confusing the lack of luxury features as evidence of 'cheap' distracts us from trying to find out more about the performance characteristics and competence of the car Nissan is *trying* to build.
Take care.
JW
Oh, and the Mustang would be a coupe too, not a luxury coupe but it is a coupe. Just one that would destroy the G35 in any acceleration contest. Think I will wait for the turbo version (GT-R?) to be released in the US in a couple years from Infiniti before I go that route.
Ppower
The CL is front drive. Not gonna give the true RWD "feel" that true luxury should have. It may be for you but most people equate luxury with RWD. It may compete in price but that's about it for the CL.
To me the G is a entry level GT in the vein of Maserati, Aston and that ilk. It has the low slung body of a sports car except in a much larger package. All they had to do was give us an interior that looked the part. It didn't have to be swathed completely in leather but durn they coulda done a little better.
checked out the RX8 and don't care much for it's front-end look. Or the way the quarter panels flair out around the wheels.
Ppower
Of course, the benchmark 3-series coupe was spec'd similarly from the sedan. The current generation 3 series and M3 weigh significantly more than their predecessors, but are still the benchmarks for sport luxury coupes.
Nissan is clearly trying to split the market for sport coupes with VQ into two camps: one looking for a shorter wheelbase, higher sport less luxury feel, and one looking for a slightly compromised sport feel with the significant space, seating, and comfort accomodations that a longer wheelbase can provide. And, all cars are getting heavier to meet crash test requirements. The S2000 is a great car that is fun an tossable, but is still relatively heavy. Most of this weight helps provide a very stiff and predictable ride, so it's not a huge tradeoff, in my opinion.
GT35 - Have you driven the car without the sport package? This might be more to your liking. Or check out the sedan. One of these may be your GT35 already! You could just have an extra letter put on the trunk
As a car can't be all things to all people, I would also suggest looking into the CL (not type s) and the Solara, as well as the accord coupe, and a 325ci without sport package. The G35's sharp turn-in, audible exhaust note, and balanced performance are exactly what was promised for this vehicle. Also, if rear seat headroom is a priority, try the sedan version of the previously mentioned coupes. I personally would never buy a 2 door that I relied on having rear head room in, so I think it's a relatively unimportant stat. I also think the 4 door 3 series is just as nice looking as the 2 door, so I'm not a big coupe fan in general.
I do think the G35 coupe is significantly better looking than the sedan, though.
And I agree with your points.
There are lots of cars out there with luxury appointments and (often useless) gizmos. If anything, I think Nissan should have been truer to the spirit of the 240Z and escorted anyone who wanted to be bathed in luxury over to the Audi showroom. The TT has a beautiful interior but is NOT a sports car.
Have a good day.
Rob,
For me personally, the difference between a coupe derived from a sedan (G, 3-series, etc.) and a fixed roof two seater (350Z) is a significant one. I can (with some compromises) replace my Maxima with an M3 or G35c, since we still have an SUV for longer family trips. Not so with the 350Z. It would be a third car and, as such, it does not compare favorably to the ground up, pure sports cars like the S2000 or Boxster S. Not to mention that they are both roadsters with the much higher fun factor in nice weather. At the risk of repeating myself, a "coupe" is by definition a bit of a compromise between utility and sport. I accept that. I am not as forgiving of engineering and other compromises in a fixed roof two seater like the 3,250 pound 350Z. If I'm going to give up utility, I want sport: agility, precise handling, etc.. And I want it uncompromised by Nissan's business plan to shove relatively heavy low-revving, seden-derived engines and other chassis components into every model they make. That's O.K. for a "performance coupe", not for a "sports car", IMHO.
Also, have a good day.
Probably the only thing the list proves is that I didn't feel like working this morning:
350Z Touring 3247 lbs (Base = 3188)
g35c 3435 (6mt)
g35s 3369 (leather)
330ci 3285
911 2959
Boxster 2911
TT 3274
S2000 2809
Z3 2943
Z4 2998
Miata 2387
'96 300ZXt 2+2 3401
'95 RX-7 2826
'97 Supra 3445
Of course even less than the thousand pound difference (Miata) would make a significant change. But a difference of a few pounds, as many of these are, probably is not as significant as tires, alignment, and driving technique.
FWIW.
JW
Well, we know the 3 series (plus each current BMW line) is plagued by weird electrical bugaboos. The infiniti line? no major problems.
If the Acura CL S-type is a 2 door sedan to you then I guess the G35 is nothing more than one too. Since, it is a knock off of the G35 4 door sedan.
Oh, you should really keep your mouth shut if you don't know the facts. The CL is a Front Wheel Drive car built on the same chassis as the TL and Accord. The G35 coupe is built on a Rear Wheel Drive FM platform (front-midship design so there's a near equal weight distribution, something the Accord/CL lacks) shared by the G35 and 350Z. Huh, near ideal weight distribution, all performance oriented vehicles and RWD. Yeah, that pedigree sure is lacking. lol
Oh, and the Mustang would be a coupe too, not a luxury coupe but it is a coupe. Just one that would destroy the G35 in any acceleration contest.
The mustang? we're talking about entry level luxury sports coupes, not American made "sports" cars. There exists only two entry level lux sports coupes on the market currently: the 3 series and G series. The CL doesn't qualify with its FWD and the Mercedes CLK is far too pricey to be considered entry-level.
ppower, btw, I find it interesting that you'd use a rather jejune tactic like mocking my name. Says quite a bit about your debate style.
Nissan makes a 4 door version of that, it's called an i35. LOL sounds to me like they may want a CLK.
People who want a high-performance sports car are going to buy the 350Z. People who want a sporty luxury car are probably going to buy an Audi/BMW/Lexus. The former group will likely find the G35C too soft, too large, and insufficiently aggressive in style. The latter group will likely find the G35C's interior too cheap and take issue with the ride quality.
So, the question isn't so much whether the G35C is a good car (it certainly is), but how many buyers will put it at the top of their list...
JW
My only problem is with the interior on a $35,000 car. I'm still gonna buy one. Just gonna wait until they are giving better deals on em. I gotta have one of these cars.
I've read the I35 is shifting to an AWD design when the new Max hits in 2004. They're not gonna do away with a money making blvd cruiser like the I35. Have you seen something else?
"BMW electrical problems", LOL and you own a Jetta? They more bug and flaw riden then anything made. www.myvwlemon.com. Might do you some good reading.
Let's see by your argument FWD 2-door with 4 seats no matter what it is = sedan. 2 door RWD with 4 seats = coupe. dah.
The G35 is 53/47 weight ratio that isn't near ideal to me, maybe in your world. The RX8 is going to be 50/50 that is near ideal in mine. It seems RWD is end to all ends for you. Don't like AWD either do you? Actually the G35 is a split between the 350z and the sedan G35. The G35 coupe is much longer than the 350z.
"we're talking about entry level luxury sports coupes, not American made "sports" cars."
NO, we where not! You are, I was talking about other cars for $35k that I would seriously consider over the G35. I made no association that they HAD to be a "entry level luxury sports coupe". In the future try to comprehend what is being said and not make it into your own discussion.
I mock your handle because I have no respect for you. You can chalk that up to your attack like posts.
Ppower
ps you can reply if you feel the need to, but I am not going to bother reading it. You have proven through you attitude that your opinion doesn't matter and is not worth reading. Have a wonderful day.
53/47 IS very close to 50/50 especially compared to a FWD vehicle.
Infiniti is ranked one of the best long term reliability vehicles in this market.
In closing I'm sure there are a lot of people who would agree that if you don't like the car that's fine. Just keep the debate constructive though instead of a going STS on everyone.
Ppower
The G is the only Infiniti model w/o wood interior. When Nissan designs it & Alty, it was in financial distress (since gone way), so it was trying to shave pennies. They correctly made a decision to take it out of the interiors, and not the chassis. If the pic I've seen is right, the new Max (maybe 2/03) is going to have a super interior. Every review so far likes the Murano interior.
So G, Z & Alty have problems. My guess is Nissan won't have time to address them because they'll be busy coming out with new models (fx, max, full size trucks, suv).
Well, if you're aware don't bring it up as an alternative. Sheesh...
"BMW electrical problems", LOL and you own a Jetta? They more bug and flaw riden then anything made.
Never said they weren't. You logic baffles me. My current atrocious vehicle has nothing to do with a BMW.
The G35 is 53/47 weight ratio that isn't near ideal to me, maybe in your world. The RX8 is going to be 50/50 that is near ideal in mine.
I'd like the RX-8 if it weren't for the rotary engine. Until they can prove it works long-term...
NO, we where not! You are, I was talking about other cars for $35k that I would seriously consider over the G35. I made no association that they HAD to be a "entry level luxury sports coupe". In the future try to comprehend what is being said and not make it into your own discussion.
I'm only discussing actual competitors to the G35 coupe. That'd be one car: 3ci series. Including every vehicle that runs 35k. Gee, throw in the tahoe, t-bird, MDX too.
I mock your handle because I have no respect for you. You can chalk that up to your attack like posts.
How mature. Don't like what others write, resort to playground tactics.
ps you can reply if you feel the need to, but I am not going to bother reading it. You have proven through you attitude that your opinion doesn't matter and is not worth reading. Have a wonderful day.
I know you'll read it. It's all cool. Just accept people have different points of view, no need to be jejune about it. and have an excellent weekend.
MB C320 Sport (2002) <--Yawn (can't wait till the lease is up)
Subura WRX '02 Auto <<-- trading on 11-09-02 for an '02 Audi allroad (Subie was nice but needs to be at 4000 RPM to get decent power)
Jeep Liberty ('02) <-- Great around town and going to the mall.
Wish car is the new S4 with the V8!!
Good luck to all!!
Of course people who run the car in the modified version will do the same as you suggest: strip the extra weight. But for most consumers all the weight gain is full of goodies which they will not do without, or safety devices, which they will not do without. Or maybe you'd be the buyer who'd buy a car without a radio or an airbag? The Brembo system, too, weighs more than the standard brakes, but you may want those.
djasonw: an Infiniti *is* a Nissan.
JW
People said the same about the G35 sedan. 8 months later you're pulling off a nice coup if you get the car for 1 grand under msrp. The coupe will be much more limited in numbers...
My wish car is a RS6. LOL
Ppower
Infiniti Technical personnel will be available to you as well as the Dealer Operations and Dealer Parts/Service Managers for North Texas. In addition we will have our Infiniti Master Certified Technicians there as well to answer all of you questions.
If you live in the North Texas area and currently own a G35 Sedan or Coupe or have one on order we would love to have you attend. But space is limited to the first 100 people. If you would like to attend please email me dmayer@grubbs.com your name, address, phone number and email address. Also let us know if you will be attending by yourself or if you will be bringing someone with you. Sorry but we must limit you to one guest.
It will be a great time for everyone and we look forward to seeing all of those great cars in one location.
According to that source, the 2003 G35 Sedan has a 55-56% residual for 3yr/45k lease. It lists a BMW 330Ci with a 54% residual, so according to this with a 3-year horizon, the G35 depreciates slightly less than the 3-series. The lowest 3-year depreciate I found in this 'class' of car is the CLK with > 60% residual.
Maybe the posts were talking more about long-term depreciation? Or maybe I'm mis-interpreting these figures?