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Infiniti G35 Coupe

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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I'm glad you finally got to give it a try. Sorry it didn't work out for you, but I understand exactly what you mean. The same let down occurred for me when I drove the BMW 3 series in '01.

    A suggestion: I know it's fwd but have you tried the CL-S? Bigger feeling by far, quieter ... nice car.

    Good luck. Even if you don't hang here so often, I'd like to hear what you decide.
    JW
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    markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    For the poster who thought the G35c was a little too rough around the edges, the ultimate cruise missle sports coupe still is the last generation (pre-convertible) SC400/SC430. Wow, what a smooth ride. These cars are dead reliable, drop dead gorgeous, and are extremely smooth and quiet. They are a bit heavy and a little numb in the steering, but super-sharp/crisp handling and smooth/quiet are always a compromise. And you can pick up a few-year-old, mint condition, 100K warranty one for <$25K. For a luxurous sports coupe with lots of thrust and high limits, these are hard to beat.

    And I still think the best overall compromise between luxury and sport in this class is the BMW 330ci. BMW simply manages the ride/handling/noise compromise better than anybody else. The G35c is a superior car in many ways, and certainly holds the promise to be more reliable and less fussy, but I still think it falls short on managing this compromise as well as the BMW.

    The Acura CL-S is a nice car, but FWD. Personally, I'd rather spend less and get a more recent design in the new Accord Coupe if I wanted a smooth, V6, FWD car. Or wait for the new Acura TSX which while a 4-cylinder, sounds like a very, very good car. Honda can built a 4-cylinder which is every bit as satisfying to drive as a six and in the process usually comes up with a car that is lighter and more nimble.

    Lots of great choices - keep looking.

    - Mark
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    gambit293gambit293 Member Posts: 406
    I'm sure you mentioned this before already, but what is your ride right now?

    Perceptions are always relative. I remember when I first got my 2000 celica and traded in my 95 Neon.

    "Wow!" I thought, cruising with my celica. "Such a smooth ride, like a magic carpet! And such a luxurious interior. So quiet!"

    (Neons had a very stiff suspension back then, and had somewhat crude interiors... at speeds over 70mph, the inside sounded like a launching space shuttle ...)
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    blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Kd...my perception of BMW is clouded by everyone I personally know with them. I consider it an anomally if one or two people count of major problems but when every person I personally know relates huge bills for electrical, tranny, brake or other repairs I'm fairly certain it's not because my sampling's skewed. Some act like that's the price of a fun car; others really complain. Both are just like most of the VW owners I know.

    Oh and I'd rather have a knife shoved into my heart than ever own an Acura or Honda. I do not like a single thing about their cars - styling, interiors, reliance on VTEC, handling characteristics, FWD setups, or the illusion of feeling totally unsafe, etc.

    jwilson: I've driven a CL. It's really not the car for me at all. At this point I'm leaning hard toward a G35 sedan or maybe just cheap out and go for a more banal Mazda6.

    Markjenn: agreed about BMW's basically outclassing everything. As for the lexus, I like the styling but I've found the car's handling with the V8 to be off the mark (plus the 4 speed auto is unresponsive) and the V6 to me lacks the punch required for such a huge car.

    Gambit: I drive a 2001 Jetta 1.8T - it's visited the shop 8 times in 19 months! Any wonder I need to get away from it? I'm used to the luxurious feel VW provides and the tight, safe feeling the cars cocoon drivers with. I've modded my car some so it handles far better than the standard setup. Too bad it's unreliable. My criteria remains: fun, nice handling, somewhat luxurious, safe, reliable and somewhat roomy. As a car fiend I find that a pretty tall order that's near impossible to fill...

    All that said guys, I still think the G35c is a fantastic car for someone who doesn't put a premium on space and has the chance to really open it up often. Above 80 mph that car was a blast.
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    taxman77taxman77 Member Posts: 1
    Has any one see the base model (i.e. no leather)? I went to the infiniti dealer and they did not have one and did not expect to have one anytime soon. I am not sure how it will look and feel without leather.

    What is the going price for the coupe? Any room for negotiation?
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    8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    the 6MT will change your mind for about an extra $1000 (without the premium package) about its driving dynamics
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    daschtickdaschtick Member Posts: 63
    "Some act like that's the price of a fun car; others really complain. Both are just like most of the VW owners I know."

    I know exactly where your coming from....

    "Oh and I'd rather have a knife shoved into my heart than ever own an Acura or Honda. I do not like a single thing about their cars - styling, interiors, reliance on VTEC, handling characteristics, FWD setups, or the illusion of feeling totally unsafe, etc."

    ...or is it just all of the kids in Civics with neon revving at you. :) VW message boards REALLY seem to dislike the Japanese models I think more for it's consumer than the car itself, similar to why many people dislike BMW. Both BMWs and Honda are excellent cars, but perhaps over-popular.

    Please don't take me the wrong way, I'm with you. I like my car to be a little more unique than what everyone else is driving.

    "..or maybe just cheap out and go for a more banal Mazda6."

    I like the idea of the Mazda 6 too, but I am concerned about the feel of heavy Ford Taurus Duratec V6 under the hood. I should reserve judgement until driving one, but right now, I imagine it has to feel somewhat nose heavy. The 4 cyliner handles well, but it's only a 4 cylinder!
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    kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    "Kd...my perception of BMW is clouded by everyone I personally know with them. I consider it an anomally if one or two people count of major problems but when every person I personally know relates huge bills for electrical, tranny, brake or other repairs I'm fairly certain it's not because my sampling's skewed."

    I got that, and that was my reality of the car in the late 80's early 90's. To date the people I know that have bought later model BMWs have had what I call a normal ownership experience. (As differentiated than what you described). However, I know people that have had less than stellar Honda experiences. So what does this all mean? Nothing.

    CR seems to bear out the reliabiity of the BMWs. But we've discussed this before, I'm not changing your mind and you're not changing mine. Good luck with your future purchase.
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    superleggerasuperleggera Member Posts: 74
    I had very similar comments after test-driving the G35C. I tried to find the post, but couldn't. Basically I felt crazy because everyone was raving about this car, and I was shocked by the NVH. The high performance tires and disposition are responsible for the "roughness", but I felt that it was more than I could handle on a daily commute, as this would be my only car. I completely agree that this was a buzz-kill.
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    birdman579birdman579 Member Posts: 151
    For those of you interested in the center armrest on 6MT models, check out the pics from the NAIAS at freshalloy.com. It looks pretty good to me! The sliding door is a little odd, but much better than the black plastic thing in current models. The only remaining feature I'd want to see is the LSD in the 6MT sedan.
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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    So you don't get everyone hot under the collar, you need to add that the armrest pic is from the sedan 6M/T, not in the coupe (yet?)

    JW
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    birdman579birdman579 Member Posts: 151
    True, the pictures are of the sedan, but it should still apply to the coupe. The Canadian brochure lists the center armrest as late availability in the 6MT coupe so it should be coming. Its strange that Infiniti didn't list the armrest as one of the midyear updates. Perhaps they didn't want to discourage early coupe sales.
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    gwhiz1gwhiz1 Member Posts: 4
    nissan is no more infiniti then chrysler is mercedes. let the facts speak for themselves. per jd powers, bmw ranks 9th in fewest customer complaints over the LAST 5 years. infiniti ranks 2nd in fewest customer complaints just slightly below lexus.

    i'm happy for you that you've had few problems with your bmw, but let's not paint with a broad brush here. the most thorough and reliable survey info. available suggests something far different then your experiences.

    please note jd powers survey is for last 5 years and not the 80's and early 90's. problems still very much exist with bmw's.

    unbelievably, consider jd powers survey in Germany. the Germans rated 7 classes of cars for reliability, Japanese led in 6 of the classes.

    the gavel has fallen. adjourned! have a nice day.
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    kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Yes and as a note BMW sales are up unbelievable in Japan. A 20% gain in one year. So what conclusion can you draw between your statement and mine.

    In addition, my experience with BMWs seem to be in line with the magazines and the people I know who have them. That is to say BMW has improved their act over the last many years. Given the amount of cars they sell they are every bit as reliable as Japanese cars.

    So I'm not debating Infiniti or BMW I'm raising the question of perception vs. reality.
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    gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    BMW sales come nowhere near those of the top ranked Japanese brands in this country.
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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    For all those whose arms will fall off without armrests, I hope it comes to pass. But Nissan/Infiniti is very slow to make changes and their design of the coupe is very insistent that this is a sport coupe (with emphasis on sport in the manual version). Apparently a part of that perception on their part is that the sportiest model shouldn't have an armrest. Some consumers disagree. Clearly, and reasonably, the decision they are making for the sedan, and the automatic version of the coupe, are geared more toward luxury concerns.

    Somewhere along the line, I agree, it will become clear to them that they can sell more coupes if they add an armrest. But right now they seem to be selling quite well and many people don't care, or don't want it.

    What I'm wondering is if the rest can be removed from the sedan parts bin and bolted onto the coupe. If not that, then I'd think an eager aftermarket supplier might step into the breach.

    JW
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    caramocaramo Member Posts: 93
    Whether it does or doesn't have one is of no real interest to me, and I don't understand the big deal. Guess I'm living without one now, so I wouldn't miss it. OTOH, I wouldn't settle for an automatic. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but if someone would allow an armrest to dictate the transmission, seems like the priorities are not that of an auto enthusiast. . .
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    esbrockesbrock Member Posts: 88
    What are we a bunch of lazy Americans? I can't believe that the lack of an armrest can cause such a commotion. Are you not supposed to keep 2 hands on the wheel?
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    blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Are you not supposed to keep 2 hands on the wheel?

    As if. On long drives or in traffic I don't put any hands on the wheel. That's why God invented the knee.
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    43810774381077 Member Posts: 31
    As a rule of thumb German cars will come at a 20% premium to the couterparts from Japan. In the instant case you'll pay $6000 more for the BMW. The Infiniti will be faster, more reliable. The BMW will handle better and have a slightly high quality of interior components. In the end they balance out and you're paying extra principally for the badge. Take any Infiniti or Lexus and stack it up with the comparible Benz or BMW and the same holds true. Lexus gets 5 or 10% so above Infinity on a car for car basis. Benz about the same over BMW give or take a couple of points. The cars from Japan are the better buys, but you do get some value from the German upcharge, mostly ego based. If you didn't there'd be no BMW or Benz.
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    esbrockesbrock Member Posts: 88
    Is that why God invented liability insurance, as well?
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    blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Is that why God invented liability insurance, as well?

    Huh...wouldn't know. Never had a claim. My only altercation came when I was a teen and I met a tree on a curvy, hilly one lane road. I think my car was down to about 35 mph when we all met. :) Even that never went to the insurance company. Dad towed it home, I paid for the repairs and suffered through 10 years of constant barbs about trees.
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    mgh_1mgh_1 Member Posts: 22
    Funny thing about those trees.... they tend not to move. I'll let you guess how I know....
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    kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    That's the old perceived reality/generalization. But the same type of outdated generalization holds true for Infiniti: "The upscale car division of Nissan". Why would someone buy an "upscale" car, if not for ego? When a perfectly good car can be had for thousands less.
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    greddygtrgreddygtr Member Posts: 54
    I was a little surprised to see the glowing new review of the G35C from Edmunds. The author briefly mentions the downscale quality of the interior materials but other than that the review is full of praise. I found it interesting that they were able to get a 0-60 time of 6.2s with the 5AT equipped coupe. Early tests of the G35 sedan all had low 6s 0-60 times, but more recent reviews of the sedan all seem to show times of closer to 7s. We'll see if the quicker times hold up for the coupe.
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    leekvaleekva Member Posts: 5
    Sorry if this question has been posted previously. I've recently been looking at purchasing the G35 Coupe and noticed that when I went to test drive there was a considerable amount of brake dust built up on the wheels. The car had less than 500 miles. Can any owner provide their insight or comment on this experience. While I realize that brake dust is going to happen it just seems funny that it should happen with such low miles.
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    riffsterriffster Member Posts: 2
    The accumulation of large amounts of brake dust is to be expected with new brakes/pads on the G coupe. I bought my Coupe in early December and until about 1000 miles it shed quite a bit of brake dust.

    However, now I no longer have significant brake dust as I have passed 2800 miles already (do you think I like driving my coupe?)

    The brake dust comes off easily enough with the pressure sprayer at your local do-it-yourself car wash. I would make sure to clean it off every couple of days or so when you first buy car or after changing brake pads. Allowing the dust to accumulate can cause corrosion on your wheel rims, not to mention making them look lousy and dirty!
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    riffsterriffster Member Posts: 2
    One reason to buy the Infiniti up-scale brand instead of Nissan is the warranty and policies like loaner cars and generally much better customer service. This is not to say that there are not sub-standard Infiniti dealers and outstanding Nissan dealers, but my experiences in owning cars for 30 years is that Infiniti treats me much better than Nissan. I think that is worth paying more money - not to mention the fact that Infinitis are more reliable, have nicer interiors and are generally better vehicles!
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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Telephone poles, unlike trees, actually move ... at least according to my son who, shortly after he got his license, swore the damn thing jumped right in front of his fender! (He's still living it down.)

    I, too, was surprised at the unequivocal praise of the Coupe in Edmund's review. I thought sure they'd find more than the one opportunity (interior quality) to take shots and boost the Bimmer. And what surprised me even more was their choice of the A/T ... I thought they'd be all over the M/T and the Brembos.

    JW
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    birdman579birdman579 Member Posts: 151
    It seems strange that Edmunds had such high praise of the coupe, but rated the sedan so poorly in the comparison test. It seems to be somewhat of a common theme among the auto publications. The coupe is the best-in-class, the BMW Beater, or whatever. The sedan is merely a solid second place. Is the coupe a much better car? Or is the G35 platform more tailored towards the typical traits in a sports coupe?
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    clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    In the words of my 4 yr old daughter at the time "if you cut them down"
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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Although my own choice would be the coupe, I sure don't think it's a "better" car. It's just different, right now, and sets new styling directions. IMO, the sedan is the same car in any discussion of mechanicals. If you want to discuss features, the preference could go either way, depending on what's important to you. It's only if you talk about styling that the coupe is "better," or at least significantly different from the more typical cars on the road and different in a good way.

    And I disagree that the sedan is playing second fiddle. Right now the coupe is still new (since Sept., right?). If you recall last May & summer, the sedan was really hot.

    JW
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    martylawmartylaw Member Posts: 51
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    martylawmartylaw Member Posts: 51
    I thought MarkJenn's comments were pretty comprehensive. The last generation Lexus SC400 was nice, but if you want a new car, look at the Accord V6 Coupe.I just took delivery of one this week, and happened to be parked next to an older SC400 tonight, and noted the somewhat similar lines and size. The Accord has 240 hp, and a very nice interior, with lots of features. I did drive the G35 Coupe and 350 Z, and just wanted something leaning a little more toward luxury than sport. I would say that the interior design is comparable to my current Lexus, the car is very quite, and the ride is firm, but pleasant. Just my opinion.
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    mariner7mariner7 Member Posts: 509
    I noticed that too. G35s came out, and the reviewers said 'nice try, but you're short of 3 series.' G35c came out, and it's much closer to 330Ci, it's kind of a tossup. The FX comes out, and every reviewer I've read say it's better than X5. Lienert's review:

    http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosconsumer/0301/15/g01-59888.htm
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    greddygtrgreddygtr Member Posts: 54
    A poster from freshalloy recently had his G35C dyno tested and it made 223hp and 217lb/ft at the wheels. This suggests that the car actually puts out about 260 flywheel hp and not the advertised 280. For comparison the poster noted that a BMW 330 normally makes about 205 hp at the wheels. Considering that the BMW is lighter, it now makes sense as to why the two cars have such similar acceleration performances.
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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I'm not sure those figures mean anything at the moment. Of course they might, but in my experience bhp can lose anywhere from 10% to 25% depending on powertrain loss, tire pressure, temp and humidity and so on. If it is a very high loss (i.e., 25%) a 280hp engine would measure 210bhp.

    To say the engine is 260 at the block is to make an awful lot of assumptions about the engine, and about the coupe, based on very little fact.

    Without bench testing we won't know if the 280hp numbers come from the engineers or the marketing department. In the meantime, we do know that the engine is capable of accelerating a 3400lb car to 60mph in 6 seconds ... which seems to indicate power on the order of 280 (though as you'll no doubt tell me, it's not guarantee).

    On the other hand, you're right about BMW as they have been shown many times in the past to understate their horsepower ratings. That, too, makes sense given the current numbers: if the bimmer is actually at 10 or 20 or so hp higher than its stated 220, and 300-400 lbs lighter, the times *should* be very close.

    This is an interesting argument easily settled by the first people who choose to bench test a well-tuned and broken in engine. This will happen when mods start showing up on the market. Meanwhile, rumors will continue to show up and are only rumors until someone offers controlled evidence.

    JW
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    markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I think something is fishy. The performance of the G35c doesn't support the rated 280-hp. And there have been several high-profile cases recently of marketing depts inventing hp numbers out of thin air - the Miata and the Ford Cobra are the most recent two and in both cases, the companies were forced to offer some compensation for the problem.

    It sure appears that this car should be rated for about 265-hp.

    - Mark
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    kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    According to the BMW website, the 330ci clocks in at 3362. The weight for the G35 coupe does not seem to be listed on Infinitis' web site, but autos.msn.com has it weighing 3435.
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    habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    I've gone on record in other forums that I think Nissan/Infiniti uses Shetland ponies and BMW uses Clydesdales in measuring their engine output.

    The G35c rating of 280 horsepower and 270 ft.lb of torque should be able to produce world class results. It was not that long ago, that anything over 200 horsepower was rarified air. Now anything under 240 horsepower is considered weak. But the "new" ratings are not coinciding with performance.

    The G35c has 2 less horsepower and 20 more ft. lbs of torque than a 1998 Porsche 911. It weighs roughly 250 lbs more, but that is comparable in percentage terms to its torque advantage. Yet, instead of offering Porsche like results, it barely outaccelerates my 1995 190 horsepower FWD Maxima SE. Anybody who has driven a 340 horsepower Q45 and compared it to the 282 horsepower 540i and 400 horsepower M5 knows that the Infiniti isn't midway between these two - it can't even keep up with the former.

    Arguably, all of these cars are "fast enough". But this insistence on the part of Nissan and Infiniti to put so much hype into high horsepower ratings and then under-deliver on performance is insulting to consumer intelligence. At least those of us who are smart enough to distinguish between 282 Porsche/BMW horsepower and 280 Infiniti horsepower. What a bloody joke.

    P.S. Acura isn't any better with their 260 horsepower TL-S.
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    sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    Could it be that the peak horsepower ratings are correct, and differences in power curve and gearing account for the differences?
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    mariner7mariner7 Member Posts: 509
    G35c doesn't feel like 280 horses? Well, just as long as it feels like a 330Ci beater!

    "... Nicely weighted, but without a false, over-boosted feeling. Overall, the G coupe is impressive. Exterior styling is exquisite, performance is spectacular and the price is right. I never thought it would happen, but the 3 Series is beaten...."

    autoweek review
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    birdman579birdman579 Member Posts: 151
    An easy comparison to see if the coupe is actually 280 hp would be to compare it with the 260 hp sedan. Assuming both are automatics, the only difference would be the engine. I believe gear ratios, drive shaft lengths, etc are all the same so it'd be a fair comparison. They should also be tested at the same facility to eliminate error. This means we need a coupe and sedan owner to volunteer their cars for the test. Who's in?
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    jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    so someone can put a coupe on a dyno bench?

    JW
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    kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Regardless of the verbage in the reviews, to which the G35c has had some very good press, the performance comparo in the November '02 (MT comparo?) had interesting performance results.

    You can delve into that review further if you wish and see if there is any further merit to this.
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    gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    In the CL-S. I think it holds its own quite nicely for a FWD coupe with too much HP.
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    8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    A certain forum (which I cannot mention) has done it.

    Shoot me an email: tnguyen@pica.army.mil

    Back to the armrest....it's a comfort thing on long relaxed drives.

    When I'm driving hard....it's 3 and 9 o'clock on the steering wheel, instead of the 2:30 and 9:30 from the bulges of the wheel.

    speaking of MT comparo....especially the 30-70 mph acceleration test....it's understandable why it's horrible....since at 30 mph, it's near idle...any moron would downshift to 3rd or 4th to get moving real quick.
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    blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    speaking of MT comparo....especially the 30-70 mph acceleration test....it's understandable why it's horrible....since at 30 mph, it's near idle...any moron would downshift to 3rd or 4th to get moving real quick.

    MT doesn't do a 30-70 test that I can recall. I think that's car and driver. And yes, it's beyond stupid that somebody would try to accelerate a 6 speed in top gear from 30 mph.
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    robmarchrobmarch Member Posts: 482
    I think you can mention or even link to other forums, just not "promote" them. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong here.
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    g_carg_car Member Posts: 46
    With all the new computer technology going into cars (see attached) Blue Screen of Death may have a whole new meaning....

    http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000120654.cfm
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