Infiniti G35 Coupe

kdshapiro · January 2003

Interesting stuff, thanks for the link.

g_car · January 2003

Jwill · January 2003

The MT car of the year issue describes the coupe as having a "full dual-exhaust system" that is partly responsible for the different ratings of the sedan and the coupe. They include a picture on page 75. My coupe has a single exhaust system with twin outlets, as do all the coupes I looked under at the dealership after making this unfortunate discovery. Check under your cars, and let us all know what you find.

4381077 · January 2003

The semi-officail explaination is that their cars do not post track times consistent with their stated bench specs is because they lose the power in the drive train. Whatever the cause, you have to discount their specs by 15 to 20% or thereabouts to get them on balance with the german counterparts. Suppose it's possible the germans are understating theirs. Toyota/Lexus has the same issue but to a lesser extent.

fotodad · January 2003

I'm aghast at all the problems G35 owners are having! (read the "problems and solutions" heading) Isn't the Infiniti line suppose to be second only to Lexus in quality? Air conditioner problems, rattles, CD changer error messages and jams, seat belt problems, the list seems to go on and on! Only briefly have I read a message from a happy G35 owner. I've been struggling between the purchase of a G35 coupe and a Nissan 350Z. After hearing all these problems, I'm not sure I want any Nissan product! I'm going to check the 350Z message board to see those owners are experiencing the same number of problems. The nearest Infiniti dealership is 90 miles away from me. So everytime I have an issue, it's a day spent just getting there and back. Looks like I'll have to stick with Toyota. Bummer, I really liked the features and looks of the G35. Certainly I don't expect every car to be perfect, but this message board bears testiment to a poorly constucted Infiniti G35 sport coupe. I wonder what all these car magazines will say about their "Car of the Year" after they do their follow-up tests. They should definitely look to this discussion board for a valuable insight into the quality (or obvious lack of quality) of this vehicle. When I first started reading the postings, I thought I was on a Chevy or Ford discussion board. Yikes!

birdman579 · January 2003

fotodad: I have nearly the same concerns regarding the G35. There have also been some problems with the 6-speed that I'm concerned about. The one redeeming factor is that Infiniti does seem to remedy the situation quickly and provides a free loaner car while yours is in the shop. I think I'll be waiting until the MY'04s come out and hopefully all of the build issues will have been resolved. According to Consumer Reports, the BMW 3-series and Audi A4 both have below average reliability. Does this mean our only choice for a reliable sports sedan is the Lexus IS300?

markjenn · January 2003

I'm not sure what problem posts you're referring to, but the G35 boards here have a few posts about problems, mostly of the very subjective "soft paint", "squeaks", "hesitation", "tires seem to be wearing too fast", etc. variety. I certainly don't see any groundswell of common and epidemic problems like you see on a Grand Cherokee or Jetta board.

If you're looking for a car in which nobody has ever reported a lemon or hasn't had a lot of problems in a particular car, you're going to be walking. I'd go with general reliability trends, and hard data like Consumer Reports. The stuff here is very anecdotal.

I'd also keep your car until the 2004s ship. Every car is more reliable in its 2nd year of production and this gives a chance for the consistent reliability problem to rise to the surface. Finally, you get a better deal. There is little reason to buy a 1st year model except to be first on the block with something new.

- Mark

fotodad · January 2003

Mark, thanks for your comments. I agree, buying a first year production model can be a gamble. The problems I refer to are listed under the "G35 Owners: Problems & Solutions" heading within the G35 category of this discussion group. Once you read the comments I think you'll agree with me. I did check CR, but they have not (at least the issue I read) have a review of the G35 coupe. Too new, apparently. Are you a G35 owner? If so, please comment on its performance and reliability as you see it. You're more of an expert than I am.

kdshapiro · January 2003

CR does in fact report the BMW 3 series for 2003 has a red circle in every category. Why then is the predicted reliability for 2003 a black half circle?

You have to be the judge and read between the lines on this one.

markjenn · January 2003

No, I don't own one. It is on my list of cars that I'm evaluating for probable purchase this coming summer/fall.

My assessment of G35 reliabilty is like everyone else's since the car hasn't been in service very long - just an educated guess. But Nissan has pretty good history of building reliable cars and the G35 is mostly using technology that has been well-proven, especially the engine. And none of the G35/350Z boards I've read show any pattern of consistent issues. So this reads to me like its prospects are good to excellent, especially in the 2nd year of production.

I also don't think you really gain any reliabilty in buying the premium brand of a car mfg. Lexus is a reliable brand, but no moreso than a Toyota. Likewise, Infiniti is about as reliable as any other Nissan. The differences between buying a Nissan and and Infiniti are mostly a nicer sales experience, a little more leading edge technology, and fancier trim and options. Underneath, an Infiniti is definitely a Nissan.

- Mark

fotodad · January 2003

Mark, thanks for the feedback. We probably agree more than we disagree. You're obviously an educated car buyer, so I'd be curious to know what vehicles are on your list for possible purchase later this year?

Michael (fotodad)

markjenn · January 2003

My long "short-list" of cars under consideration.

G35 sedan
BMW 325i sedan or wagon
Mazda 6 wagon or hatch
Acura TSX
Subaru WRX wagon
Mini Cooper S (long shot)

It has to have a manual transmission, be reasonably sporty, and I'd prefer the utility of a hatch or wagon. I don't want to spend more than $30K and would prefer spending $25K or less. I'm ruling out VW/Audi products because I think they're below my miminum bar in both reliabiltiy and customer service. The G35 is more car than I need, but makes my list just because it is such a great value.

- Mark

obiwankenobi1 · January 2003

I have an 02 Maxima SE which was the first year with the 3.5 VQV6 engine in it. The thing is built like a tank!! Plus, it has had no problems with rattles (except in the door panel because of playing music too loud. That's my own fault) or any other build quality issues. Engine and drivetrain are flawless. It has been a superb car.

You are always gonna have a lemon here and there, but I would buy another Nissan because of how well my Maxima is built.

Obi

gambit293 · January 2003

And don't forget that that thread is FOR people with problems and issues.

How often do people stop by the complaints box to insert a "NO COMPLAINTS; EVERYTHING FINE AND DANDY" note?

I guess what I'm saying is that those people with problems could just be a loud minority.

gee35coupe · January 2003

Infinity Service Dept. You'd think they were crap seeing em come in on trucks all day.

g35cprospect · January 2003

I am deciding whether to go for a G35coupe or not. I have test driven couple of times and I liked the fact at its performance stat and its looks. But have some concerns about its reliability, price and how it performs in snow(light to medium). And again, what would be the good price for a G35c with pre.pack. Any comments would be a great help.

blueguydotcom · January 2003

But have some concerns about its reliability,

If you're worried about the reliability of an Infiniti you'll never be satisfied with any car.

price

for equal performance and packaging from BMW you're gonna have to spend at least 4-5k more (even with ED) for a 330ci.

and how it performs in snow(light to medium).

That has more to do with tires and the driver than the car and its stability/traction control system. Throw snow tires on it and it'll be fine. Drive on the snow with summer 18s and you're begging to be in a rental for a month.

And again, what would be the good price for a G35c with pre.pack.

MSRP to maybe 500 under MSRP would be a fine deal at the moment. Depends on your area though. In San Diego the coupes are leaving the lots as fast as they come in. In snowy areas that may not be so.

kdshapiro · January 2003

"for equal performance and packaging from BMW you're gonna have to spend at least 4-5k more (even with ED) for a 330ci"

This statement has been the debate of thousands of posts and opinions. (VBG)

blueguydotcom · January 2003

Personally, I'd go for the a lesser equipped 330ci via ED over a G35c so the prices would probably be close. In the end though, I think I'll just avoid coupes.

halveb · January 2003

I think I can shed some light on the Consumer Reports issue. I too used to struggle with how a highly rated car could receive a black check.

The rating you see is for the performance of the car. I think everyone would agree that the BMW 3 series, for example, does well in braking, accelerating, cornering, etc. The check mark of whether or not it is recommended is based not only on the car's performance but it's reliability.

I have been looking at VW, G35, Acura, and a few others and at first was perplexed by this apparently contradictary rating. The more I read these forums, the more it started to make sense. I found a lot of complaints in the BMW and VW forums about things going wrong on the cars. Most people pointed out that it usually wasn't something that would prevent use of the car but more of an inconvenience.

I have come to the conclusion that in general the German cars are engineered to the limits of the physical world and as such will perform beautifully but at the cost of reliability. The choice is what are you willing to give up in driveability to get reliability, the answer will be different for everyone.

That is a very longwinded way of saying that Consumer Reports is saying that a BMW is an awesome car that will break more often than a more conservative design. I suspect from what I have read that the G35 is in the middle of performance and reliability. I don't know but wouldn't be surprised if they have sacrificed a little reliability to get a little more of the BMW driving feel.

kdshapiro · January 2003

Well thanks for taking the time to respond. I guess there is no one place to go regarding reliability statistics.

For example, the JD Power initial quality survey lists the 3 series ahead of the G35. So how does that tie in to Consumer reports? Seems like the two are at odds.

In addition, it is my opinion, people are more anxious to post on forums when there is some issue or axe to grind. Also, it is my guess a lot of people don't even bother to post anything on automotive forums, good or bad experiences. This results in looking at these forums with the impression these cars are extremely problematic.

afty · January 2003

JD Powers Initial Quality survey measures only the first 90 days. Consumer Reports measures reliability over the life of the car. The results are not necessarily correlated.

kdshapiro · January 2003

So is it being said that BMWs have better initial quality but worse long term quality and G35s have worse initial quality but better long term quality?

markjenn · January 2003

Be sure you're reading the reliability scores correctly.

CR used to "normalize" the results so that individual area (e.g. "engine") black marks were below average and red marks above. No more. Now, all ratings are absolute, thus every car shows a trend where there are more and more problems - and more and more black marks - as the car gets older. At the beginning on the ratings, they include the marks for an "average car" for the model year. It is whether a car is above or below this average that determines whether they give the car an overall reliability verdice. Thus, a car can be below average in reliability in the early years even if it has mostly red marks and few problems.

It doesn't take much to drive a car's rating down in the early years. Cars like Accords will commonly average less than 1 problem in the first year. Thus a car that averages two problems in the first year may rate relatively poorly, even though one extra/minor problem in that first year may not be of much importance to the owner.

I think CR's data is quite good and definitely the only real objective source of good reliability data we have. But it is the lack of any perspective on whether a car's reliability is "good enough" that means you should take things with a grain of salt. If a car is a great car, but suffers a few extra failures in window lifts the first year, then it can be rated poorly and CR would make it "not recommended". Well, I wouldn't think taking it to the dealer one extra time in the first year would be a terrible thing to put up with if otherwise the car drives wonderfully and is the right car for you.

- Mark

blueguydotcom · January 2003

But it is the lack of any perspective on whether a car's reliability is "good enough" that means you should take things with a grain of salt. If a car is a great car, but suffers a few extra failures in window lifts the first year, then it can be rated poorly and CR would make it "not recommended". Well, I wouldn't think taking it to the dealer one extra time in the first year would be a terrible thing to put up with if otherwise the car drives wonderfully and is the right car for you.

What's funny is my logical side concurs with your views but the emotional part gets a little crabby on that 7th trip to the dealer in under 2 years for a "minor" issue (broken interior components, weird electrical problems, etc).

kdshapiro · January 2003

With the exception of my 3 Nissans, trips to the dealer have been minimized. Seems like my Nissans needed to go to the dealer every few months whether I needed the trip or not.

My Bimmer OTOH hasn't seen the dealer since last spring, and I am going to bring it in for an oil change, cause I want the car checked out.

oldprofessor · February 2003

Well, gang, I got home today and tried to eject all my CDs. The second one jammed, which probably means they're lost plus I'll probably have to make two trips to get the thing replaced. That's a total of about 500 miles, as the only dealer in the state and the closest dealership to me is about 125 miles away. This is my first problem in the G35c, and it's a real pain.

habitat1 · February 2003

Sorry to hear your misfortune.

But it brings up another point. Even though there are several Infiniti dealers in the DC area, the two closest ones to me have poor reputations. My Nissan dealer, on the other hand, is superb. Wouldn't it be nice if you could get an Infiniti serviced at a Nissan dealership? Given the high end independent mechanic in my area who services Ferrari, Porsche, BMW "M" and AMG cars, it couldn't be that hard for Nissan to cross train their mechanics to handle their sister cars, especially in areas where Infiniti dealers are limited.

Just a thought, since I would be much more inclined to buy an Infiniti if I could have it serviced at my Nissan dealership.

opimax · February 2003

there are 3 in the DC area (not including Baltimore), which 2 have the rep and do you know anything about the third?

Mark

jwilson1 · February 2003

The flaky CD issue has been discussed before though I don't recall the solution. You might be able to find something out about it if you do a search on the coupe board on freshalloy.

Hope it helps!
JW

habitat1 · February 2003

I think there are now more than three in the DC area, but I have heard horrific things about Rosenthol in Tysons and less than good reports on Jim Coleman in Bethesda. Somebody else posted a positive experience regarding Coleman, so maybe they've improved. I haven't checked out the other Infiniti dealers. VOB Nissan in Rockville, on the other hand, has been very good to deal with over the past 8 years. Doesn't hurt that the car has had almost no problems, but they haven't tried to rip me off for routine service.

FWIW, my worst all time dealer experience was with Fitzgerald Isuzu in Bethesda. Standard 30k service = $1,000!

opimax · February 2003

I know of Rosenlie, Coleman, and Passport as far as Infiniti dealers. Maybe i missed something ,I wasn't speaking of Nissan Dealers. I know of 2 Nationwide (i think that is them) in Baltimore. Any others? I would not walk ito any Rosencrap dealer for any money, I have been insulted too many times, I bought from Coleman (like kissing your sister) I got a nice car and no lies but nothing special(at best), car is there now for service issues, been to Passport to visit and have been impressed w/them and their attitude (except an older Saleman that won't stop talking)

Mark

8u6hfd · February 2003

Were you by any chance using CD-R and CD-RW's?

If so, don't expect your Infiniti dealership to cover the repair. The owner's manual warns not to use CD-R and CD-RW's in the audio system.

blacktalon · February 2003

There's no reason a CD-R or CD-RW should jam in a CD player. At worst, they should just be unplayable...

jaquino · February 2003

Does the base model(non-leather) even exist? It seems that no Infiniti Dealer has any. Can this be ordered from the factory?

oldprofessor · February 2003

I called the Nissan dealer in the next town to see if they would do warranty work. No way!

The offending CD may have been one my son burned for us, so I certainly hope 8u6hfd is not right in his comment. I confess I hadn't seen that warning in the owner's manual.

I did check on another discussion and found someone with the same problem. Another person commented that his service manager had warned against using CDs that had been "home-created."

As a result of my "problem," I got to drive my wife's Acura TL-S a couple of times. Amazing how I used to think that car handled well. Nice to get back to my Infiniti even if I can't use the CD player.

cheerioboy26 · February 2003

I haven's seen anyone say they had a base coupe - I've only seen a few people say they had a base sedan. The sedans are very hard to come across as well - only 5% of the build I think. I guess you can order it if you are willing to wait.

8u6hfd · February 2003

The voiding of the warranty, is if the dealership went by the book. If they want your continued business...they'll have to make a compromise somehow by absorbing the cost.

This seems to be a problem related to the Bose units, as my cousin's 99 Acura 3.2TL's went through 4 headunits before they figured out it was the CD-R's causing it to jam in the loading mechanism (kinda sucks to see a "near-luxury" car sporting a portable CD-player with a tape adapter)

The cheaper CD-R and CD-RW have its construction on the thinner, lighter side. From what I heard the more expensive CD-R's (such as Sony) does seem to work better.

jaquino · February 2003

Thanks for the reply cheerioboy26, I guess I will have to factory order this thing. I dont mind waiting. I wanted something at <= 30k and the G35 Coupe base model and the Nissan 350Z Enthusiast model were my choices in that price range. And I want one sometime in October, as I generally dont like to get the 1st model year of a car. And I think the 2004's should be out by October right?

One thing that gets me worried though is the fact that the base model is only 5% of production... I sure hope they dont discontinue the car for 2004! Quite frankly, I hope I can even get this car!

Another question though, are any of you guys able to get the G35 coupe at below MSRP at the dealers or is it still MSRP or greater?

stickguy · February 2003

For those of you with a 6 speed, how is the clutch in normal use? Is it reasonably light, so it doesn't fry your leg in traffic? Is the take up nice and progressive?

I've only had a chance to try it our in the showroom. Feels reasonable, but just wondering how it works.

birdman579 · February 2003

I finally saw a 6-speed coupe (at the Baltimore auto show). Considering it wasn't my car, I took the opportunity to shift the 6-speed. Talk about a short throw! The gears seemed very easy to find and would be a blast to drive. Perhaps its time for a test drive. Now I just need to decide between the coupe and sedan.

robmarch · February 2003

was it the red one? I didn't take a close look, since everything else was an auto, and it was mobbed at the time, but would have liked to check it out.

8u6hfd · February 2003

I would say it's moderate, not light though. Not heavy, somewhere in between. The take-up is consistent to me.

It will probably fry your leg in traffic.

birdman579 · February 2003

Yes, the red one. I was looking at it right before they closed Friday night so I was able to spend an extended time in the driver's seat without anyone waiting. I'm not normally a fan of red cars, but the G coupe looks particularly good in red.

thomaswhere · February 2003

Does anyone know of any changes that may be made to the 04 coupe? Particularly the interior since most of the reviews have panned the interior quality.

robmarch · February 2003

"this interior is the best the company has produced in quite a while, in quality and design. "

from road and track

esbrock · February 2003

If pressing a clutch "fries your leg", then you really need to consider joining a gym.

gee35coupe · February 2003

Have said the interior leaves a lot to be desired. including Edmunds.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/infiniti/g35/100183722/roadtestar- ticle.html?articleId=83174&tid=edmunds.e.roadtests.rtsearch..- .Infiniti*

jwilson1 · February 2003

Several sources (who claim to be in the know as Infiniti staff members) claim that next year there will be several "evolutionary" upgrades for the coupe, especially in the interior. Brushed aluminum (as in the FX) is mentioned as a likelihood.

Each of them has also mentioned the likelihood that the several upgrades will be attached to an increase in MSRP.

JW

robmarch · February 2003

"Inside, the G35 Sport Coupe offers an adequate level of luxury, but falls short of expectations set by the 3 Series coupe. While the materials and surfaces do have a quality feel, there is a blandness that belies an Infiniti product — straightforward and functional, the interior fails to wow us like the rest of the car. In addition, certain luxury features are lacking. Steering wheel-mounted buttons for the audio system and cruise control are well placed and easy to use, but do not illuminate at night. Such a small thing, but fumbling with buttons in the dark is no fun and shouldn't be necessary on a luxury sport coupe. Also missing inside the G are memory seats, a feature we feel should at least be an available option for the driver.

Even with those few drawbacks inside the car, there's still much to praise about the interior."

"Fails to wow" but "straight forward and functional" and "surfaces do have a quality feel"

they think it's a little bland, but high quality. And, one person's bland is another's understated. As long as they aren't knocking it for feeling cheap or having poor quality, I think it's not fair to say "leaves a lot to be desired."

Infiniti G35 Coupe

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