Infiniti G35 Coupe

erickpl

I have been researching cars for a while for my new one. I currently own a Japanese car, a Honda Civic Si. It is a great car. It is reliable and quick. But there are issues I have with it - namely noise. But for what it was designed for, it is perfect.

I also own an American Jeep Grand Cherokee and have had typical SUV issues with it due to its weight. But my family is shrinking (going off to college) so I really don't need the SUV any more. My BMW 325xi has AWD and actually handles the snow I have to deal with very well.

As for reliability, kdshapiro is right - the latest BMW's, in general, are VERY reliable, and I've only been to my dealer for one problem, and they bent over backwards to help me and they fixed it immediately. The 5 is just as, if not more reliable than the 3. The new 5 may be a different story with all the electronics involved: active steering, adaptive lighting, active role stabilization, i-Drive... we'll see.

Until the 2004 5 Series is available, which my wife really likes, I'm not deciding one way or the other. I have told her I want to drive the G35 sedan (we want 4 doors) before we commit to any car. My short list includes sport luxury sedans from several vendors: Infiniti, BMW, and Lincoln. All are excellent cars. The price range varies a bit I agree, and I am very much a fan of BMW's inline 6's. There are very few engines smoother.

Is there a premium attached to BMW's? Yep. It is up to each individual buyer to decide if that premium is worth it to them. When I bought my 3er, I paid less for it (with AWD) than I would have for a G35. The bigger premiums will be found on the higher end BMW's, though the 330 will have a bigger premium attached than the 325.

This is not totally uncommon or unique to BMW. Look at the new RX-8. You will pay more for the 247 HP version than you will for the lower HP version. You also get more standard, as do you with the 330. I'm not sure how Infiniti does it with the G35c auto vs the 6MT, but the 6MT does come with more sport tuning standard.

I'm not knocking the G in any way, especially since it is an excellent car that I may be adding to my garage in the next 6 months or so.

-Paul

habitat1

Either of these cars is a potential replacement for my current Maxima when its time is up.

However, I would never consider these cars directly comparable. The G35 sedan, with all of it's virtues, is closer to my Maxima in interior fit, finish and materials than it is to the 5-series.

As far as resale value - that may not mean much to me given that I have 9 years / 143k miles under the belt of my Maxima. However, anyone with a 3 year old Q45 that is worth about 30% less than an initially less expensive 3 year old 5 series knows that you buy Infiniti for life or get crushed on resale. I made that call when I bought my Maxima and haven't regretted it.

My point is that a 2004 530i is likely to be $10k +/- more expensive than a 2004 G35 sedan for good reason. Given the opportunity to get a 5-series for under US invoice through European Delivery, I consider BMW to be a pretty good deal. The "premium" attached to BMW over Infiniti is directly propotional to what you get, in my opinion. The same cannot be said for the E-class pemium over the 5-series. That's probably where I would draw the line.

stebu

The last model Q45 is a poor prognosticator of the new Q's or any other new Infiniti's resale value moving forward. I know Edmunds can be a poor source at times for such information, but, it doesn't appear that an '02 Q is devaluing at anywhere near the rate of it's predecessor.

At any rate, used G35's have, so far, been going for strong money according to some of the people here that know about this kind of stuff. I don't see anything about the G to indicate that this situation is going to change substantially in the near future.

daschtick

Poor resale actually works to my benefit as a used car shopper! There is nothing like the great feeling you get buying a currently available model with 3 years and 36,000 miles under its belt for half the price of new! Throw in one of those "CPO program" warrantees to 100,000 miles, and now we're really talkin!

habitat1

You are absolutely right. An architect I work with drives a Q45, his wife drives a I30 and his daughter drives a J30. All bought used with low miles for about 40-50% of what they sold for new. The J30 in particular has been a workhorse, having been handed down twice and now at over 150k miles with no trouble.

His only complaint is that dealer maintenance and repairs run 50% higher than for similar services at Nissan. Example, a 30,000 mile interval "B" service on the I30 is $330. On my mechanically idential Maxima it's $220. But the amount he saved in depreciation buying a 2001 Q45 Touring for $24,000 this spring over a 2001 $40,000 E430 more than makes up for a little extra service.

jwilson1

...on Infinitis seems to run in an amazingly wide range. You might suggest to your friend that he could save quite a bit, maybe, if he tries another dealer. Maybe. J

supra880

Hey, I'm considering a G35C purchase (6MT), and was wondering if this car has the passenger grab handles (or OS handles as they're sometimes referred to) in the headliner. Also, are there heater/air vents in the rear for back-seat passengers?

Thanks in advance for saving me a trip to my local Infiniti dealer!

supra880

PS -- Looking forward to owning the car if I do get it!

redline65

Did you see Edmunds long-term road test article:

Best Fuel Economy: 15.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg

habitat1

I agree with your suggesstion, but I myself only have 1 convenient and 2 remotely convenient Infiniti dealers to choose from in the DC area. Theare are at least a dozen Nissan dealers to choose from. That competition seems to keep pricing honest. If I ever got a G35, I would prefer taking it to my current Nissan dealer (VOB) for service. I'd rather save 30% on cost, give up the loaner, and be more confident of integrity and professional service. Sad commentary, but several of my colleagues feel the same way about the local Infinit dealer. They always smile, hand you a coffee and keys to a loaner while they stick it to you or do shoddy work.

wibble

There is one passenger grab handle for the front seat passenger. There are none in the back.
the G35C doesn't have rear air vents in any form. The only G35 that does is the auto sedan with premium package. HTH.

wibble

Kelley Blue Book in an article on their website has the G35 as one of their 10 choices to best hold its value over the coming years.

robmarch

must be a freudian slip. I'm sure it was a lot more fun to get the 15.9 than the 19.9.

rayainsw

I test drove a G35 Coupe on Saturday morning. My impressions are very favorable (FWIW) – and I have a couple of questions.

First my questions:

1 – RPM - I do not see the final drive ratio listed in the brochure - if it is also 3.357, the RPM at 60 seemed rather higher than I expected in 5th – I seem to recall ~ 2,400 or so???? I expected something closer to 2,100 . . . Thanks to rx8zoomster for posting the gearing information (below) – and now I clearly need to try this again, as the Coupe, with the same 5th gear and final drive ought to be turning 2,100 according to what I have seen. . .

2 – MPG – owners out there – what do you see for gas mileage in extended highway cruise mode – say 65 – 75 mph? For example, if one fills the tank and drives a couple of hundred interstate miles with only a brief (coffee / bathroom type) stop or 2, can you exceed the EPA highway rating of 26 mpg?

3 – Engagement of 5th gear in manual mode – I had some trouble understanding the algorithm here. I tried to upshift into 5th at 40 – 45 mph several times. Sometimes it took 2 or 3 tries, then it engaged. At the (roughly) same vehicle speed. What am I missing here? I believe that I was above a (road) speed that would have allowed over 1500 rpm (engine) speed in 5th each time . . .

4 – Automatic upshifting in man-u-matic mode. I believe that I read somewhere that the trans. will stay in a gear and bounce off the rev limiter – as opposed to upshifting at the redline if one forgets (?) to tap the shifter in manual mode – true?

Thanks for any information anyone can provide!

Brief background: I had driven a couple of G35 sedans shortly after their introduction. I decided to buy a different car partly because I did not like the way the man-u-matic feature of the automatic trans. worked. Not in line with my expectations. I recently read somewhere (here?) that the coupe worked differently – and more in line with my preferences. And it now does perform much more to my liking.

Overall, my impression is that Infiniti has done a terrific job on the coupe.

I certainly enjoyed the responsive engine and the exhaust note at lower (below 3000 rpm or so) is nicely aggressive, yet fades at highway rpm. Well done. Not the deep, heterodyne beat of a V8, but enjoyable.

I did not test the cornering limits, but the feel is natural and comfortable for me. OTOH, the OEM Goodyear RS-As are clearly NOT ultra high performance tires . . .

The sun / moonroof takes a critical few inches of headroom for me – but I think it would be worth it to me to have both the glass and additional light as well as the ventilation / fresh air – but I am still debating that one. . .

The front seats are an improvement for me – I am one that objected to the placement of the seat adjustment controls on the sedan. And they are very comfortable. And the adjustment control positioning is much less intrusive.

Again – it is a fun car to drive. It behaves in a generally refined and sporty manner - and performs very well. I think that Infiniti did an excellent job here.

Just my $0.02 worth

Cheers,
- Ray
Looking at coupes seriously for the first time in many years . . .

 = = =

from rx8zoomster . . .

---------5 A/T----6 M/T
1st------3.540----3.794
2nd------2.264----2.324
3rd------1.471----2.324
4th------1.000----1.271
5th------0.834----1.000
6th---------------0.794
reverse--2.370----3.446

Final----3.357----3.538

g35 coupe ratios
a/t 6 spd
final 3.357 3.538
top gear 0.834 0.794

overall: 2.799738 2.809172

ethan777

hi there i think i can answer some of you questions that i noticed from driving my coupe..

1.rpm, try to turn the vdc off it lower the
  rpm a bit

2.mpg, well full tank highway cruise speed around 80, the best i can do is about 400 but i heard it will improve after 5k

3.never drove the manual so...

4.Automatic upshifting in man-u-matic mode; yes it does bounce off the rev limiter when it reach about 7000rpm

supra880

Hello, I own a G35 Coupe (with premium package) and am having trouble with the HomeLink system. My subdivision is gated and requires a gate-opener to open the gate. First off, I had trouble programming HomeLink; finally, I got it to accept my gate-opener's code. Now it works, but I have to pull right up to the gate receiver in order for it to work. My gate-opener works within about a 50ft radius; it seems like the HomeLink system's radius is about 5ft. Is anybody else having this problem?

Thanks,
supra880

mbednorz

I have the G35 coupe with 5spd auto.

- Almost none of the coupe owners are meeting or exceeding the EPA mileage estimates. Usually 2 mpg under that.

- As for the "sunroof or not" question, I decided against the sunroof due to headroom issues. I've been very glad that I did. I miss having a sunroof, but I really like the extra 2 inches of headroom. I'm pretty sure that the "crowded" feeling would have really put a damper on my love of the coupe.

Good luck with your decision.

gpwatfrd

I have a G35 coupe and I would take the sunroof. I am 6'0 and while I would like a little more headroom I would give it up for the sunroof. It just gives the car a more open feel to it and with the sunroof on tilt you can get some fresh air without it being a little too much fresh air if you know what I mean. Now if you are 6'5 or above you might want to reconsider. BTW my brother is 6'4 and he has no problem sitting in the passenger seat.

maverfck

i'm 6'4 and my head sticks a full 2 inches through the sunroof. the only way to really tell is to sit in the car for yourself

gee35coupe

g35coupeinmass

First-time poster here. Thanks to all who add insight, knowledge, experience, etc. I've read most if not all of the posts from the last month or so. Good info!

FWIW, I was in negotiations with a dealer over an '04 G35 C w/PP, and he said that the '04 price lists at $450 more than the '03. I guess that would make a coupe with PP run $35,445 MSRP.

I've put my purchase decision on hold until I can get the price I want. I'm in MA, where there are about 4 to 5 Infiniti dealers within 40 miles, all of whom say "This car's going at right around sticker. There's no room to work on the price." The fact is that there's plenty of room to work on the price; it's simply a question of whether the dealer wants to.

The '03 MSRP on the aforementioned configuration is $31,641, which still leaves a decent $2,000 profit if they were to sell it to you for $33,641, which they won't (ethan777 notwithstanding. BTW, I'd like to talk to HIS dealer). Admittedly, they don't need to give you that price because the demand is high enough for them to justify waiting until the next guy walks in and pays sticker or above. Can't blame 'em if they can get it, but I wonder how much longer it will last.

I'd be interested in hearing any anecdotal evidence on recent pricing trends from those of you who have purchased recently or know of others who have. Thanks in advance!

jwilson1

I don't know where you're located, but you might think to try Norwood, Inskip (40 mi. S on 95 in RI), or the one (name escapes me) in Maine (believe it or not). Each of these have great sales reputations. There's also a new one in Nashua NH with a whole lot full of coupes -- I was able to see all the coupe colors there at once.

The others have fairly negative reputations.

As far as price trends are concerned, I've seen and heard the same thing as you, pretty much nationwide if evidence from other boards is to be believed.

My guess is that the automatics, which seem to be pretty plentiful, will start to discount well before the manuals which still sell as they hit the lots ... I have an appointment for (another) test drive in one when it arrives (!!!) next week ... the drive will be fun and a refresher but it is mostly an excuse to keep the dealer on his toes should I decide to buy a 6MT this winter.

Best in your search. Please update here on your Boston experiences! JW

ethan777

as you all know the nyc had a huge black out, so i will get back to u guys next week(whoever sent me e mail)

gpwatfrd

I live in central NJ and somehow the black out has not affected my area, thank God. I called up some family in north jersey to ask if they had power and they responded " No, nobody has power" I guess our area was lucky

mercurymike

Am trying to decide between G35 coupe and 330i BMW. After driving G, I find front seats feel too narrow and confining. I weight 170 and am 5'10'. I wonder if others have noticed the same. I have never tried the BMW sport seats, maybe they feel the same.

rqc

I loved the coupe seats. I wish the coupe seats were in the sedan. The BMW sport seats are excellent as well.

kdshapiro

Drive them both until you form an opinion. Nobody on this board can tell you, what will feel most comfortable to you. See what fits you, emotionally, financially and physically.

texanbratt

Is anyone experiencing a problem like this; the seat belts in the coupe are a tight fit by the seat/door and they are scratching the black paneling on the door. It's driving me craz since i'm so anal and I want the car to stay looking nice. Also what should I use to clean the doors and leather? (Any hints)

jwilson1

I'm 6'2" and 210#: the GC seats are among the best I've ever used; good support from knees to shoulders and good lateral support for cornering ... no fatigue with these. The only seats I know of that are on a par are in the Porsche 911.

But obviously, that is a personal decision! JW

mbednorz

I'm 6'0", 190 lbs. Love the coupe seats. Like you, when I first sat in them, they felt like they were squeezing me in, especially in the hips. Probably due to the very flat seats in my previous car. That turned out to be a false impression, and it faded quickly. They have been very comfortable for long trips (4-5 hours at a stretch), and they hold me in place beautifully in aggressive driving.

I find the seat control module a little annoying, and I plan to have the Infiniti TSB fix for that done during my upcoming 3750 mile service (they remove a brace and a plate to allow the seat control module to "give" more.

mauricel

Probably buying an Infinity G 35 this weekend. What do you recommend for snow tires? We get enough snow here. Do you recommend that we go for the extra Simonize $299.00 and Auto Bond $449 or are they just more $$$$? Are you happy with your car? This is a big stretch for us.

pscheid

I also live in MA and am just starting my search for the G35C 5A. I thought '03 prices would be coming down now that the '04s are arriving. Prices are coming down if you push back. I got the dealer to give me $1500 off sticker for a black/graphite with the premium, wheel and aero packages. Problem is when I look at the depreciation and know I can get an '04 for $500 off sticker I wonder if it is worth it or if I should just go for the '04. I am in no rush to get the car - wasn't planning on buying until the end of the year anyway. Any thoughts on this appreciated.

jwilson1

Tire Rack ( see link, probably on this page) recommends Blizzak LM-22. On the phone, they also suggested going to a smaller wheel: 17" for a better ride and to save the OEM 7-spoke if you have the 18" package. Easier to change, too.

The idea of waiting to the end of the year is a good one, I think, for purchase. Prices are just beginning to flex and in winter sales soften so the best discounts should be available then. Obviously, I have no inside info, just a feeling. I'm waiting for Feb. myself. JW

habitat1

For only a $1,000 difference, I would get a 2004 over a 2003. Perhaps if you are sure you will keep the car 6-7+ years and 100k+ miles, the resale or trade in value of the 2003 won't be that much less than the 2004. But in any less time or mileage, the one model year newer car will likely sell for at least $1k more than the older one, probably more.

rdo

The Blizzak's are the way to go but I would save my money on the paint sealant etc. as it is a super high dealer profit margin item. I sold Lexus for 7 years and had a hard time recommending it even when it put money in my pocket.

odonto

I haven't made the time to read all 82 pages of this discussion...but I have read the 2003 coupe manual and frankly it left me wanting. As a contrast: my 1990 Honda prelude had a great manual that even described the quickest, most efficient way to cool the interior when getting in after it sits in the sun. Don't you think that the calibre and cost of the coupe demands a little customer service. Maybe I just love to read and "the 'econ' button puts the a/c in economy mode" just isn't sufficient to satiate my hunger for knowledge! PS: it's hot in central Arizona!

jq3

I really like the G35C, but I'm hesitant to purchase because the closest dealership is so far away. I'd have to take it to the Nissan dealership for minor service, the place I take my '97 Maxima This kind of kills the allure of having an Infiniti. Of course, on major services I'd drive 2 hours and that can add up over time. Then again, my father and mother make the same trip for their Jaguar, it doesn't seem to bother him. He even drives that far for oil changes!

What do you all think??

fruto

Hi all,

Anyone bought coupe 6MT recently in VA/DC/MD area? any recommendation? sales person from Passport/Alexandria said that there might be negotiation room for 03 model, but MSRP for 04. Is that true?

I am welling to drive up and down the coast (200 miles radius).

Thanks,

Mr_Shiftright

Great to help one another out here but a reminder---you aren't allowed to mention a salesperson's name on this board. If you wish, e-mail each other with personal info of this sort IF...they request the information online. Thanks!

Shiftright the Host

fruto

Hi guys,

get a quote for 550 below MSRP. Anyone has a better offer than this? dimond graphite, willow, coupe, 6MT, premium.

masmind1

Am considering the g35c with auto. Drove the sedan and the brakes seemed better then the coupe.
Could I get opinions from those who have the auto,
on the g35c, about their brakes.

spring42

Hi All,

 Just climbing down from cloud nine for a second to make a post. I just bought my G35 Coupe and am loving life. This is my first sports car and I never knew that driving could be so darn fun. I am asking the option of other owners as to their thoughts on the protective bra for the front of the vehicle. I do a lot of highway driving and I want to protect the car from debris. Has anyone out there already got the bra on and can you share your thoughts? Pros and Cons of purchasing one? Also, does anyone know of after market racing pedals for the G35? I can't believe that they would sell the FX with them and not the G35's??? Well, I am back to the road, any input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

mbednorz

I have the auto coupe. Brakes are great! Believe it or not, the sedan, the auto coupe, and the 6MT coupe with Brembos have pretty much the same stopping specs. The differences in the tests fall "in the noise" (=/-4%). The main advantages of the Brembos is more consistent caliper engagement and much better resistance to fade... not more stopping power.

In my test drives, the coupe had a little less nose dive than the sedan. Both had brake pedals that were more sensitive than most other cars.

mbednorz

There's a wealth of info on the clear bras in some of the other forums here at Edmunds. Try the search. If you want more, there are hundreds of threads about this at freshalloy and my350z.

My take on all the posts: two of the options stand out, and cost about the same. One, get the clear bra. It does exactly what it's supposed to do. The vast majority who have them, swear by them. Two, live with the chips until you can't take it, then get the front bumper repainted by a very good shop. A lot of people who did this report that the paints used aftermarket DON'T chip, so after the repainting the chipping problem goes away.

I don't have the clear bra. I've decided to live with the chips (8 of them in 4000 miles, mostly city). I'll go with a repaint if it gets too bad.

For what it's worth, this exact same problem is a major topic on several Acura and Mercedes forums. Really sad.

castiglione

Hey gang, I am shopping for a new G35 coupe with aero, perf wheel and sunroof (no premium). This requires ordering 90% of the time. I am really frustrated with the dealers here in austin, dallas and houston. I am talking to 8 of them for the past 3 months and none will come down from MSRP. Any hints? I am yelling about invoice prices and dealer holdback and none of them are offering what I would consider a fair price. Looking for something below or at $34,000 (drive out). HELP!

centraljersey

I found this message board quite informative while I was searching for a 2004 G35, so I am posting some information about the "bottom line" on a purchase I made today in the hope that it might help others in their search. My contract is for a diamond graphite, black interior, coup, 6mt, premium and aero at $33,980 before tax ($2039), registration fee ($96) and documentary fees ($168); the total came to $36,282 to "drive out the door". I could have paid $200 less if I was willing to take a silver G35 with willow interior that was on the lot. I passed on it because I did not like the "interplay" between what amounted to 2 shades of tan and silver interior trim

The dealer suggested that I also purchase mud guards, protective trim, lojack, and glass etching (anti-theft). I am considering adding these to the deal and was wondering what others thought of these, particularly the protective trim. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

dan183

What was MSRP? I come up with $36,435 on Edmunds, but that seems like a lot off of MSRP!!

Let me know.

centraljersey

dan183, you wanted a mention of MSRP. Well, I am not so interested in MSRP; I am interested in the bottom line cost to me. In any case, at one website, I think it was Consumer Magazine or some magazine with a name similar to Consumer Reports, I found the invoice amounts (confirmed by dealer), but no mention of a $900 holdback that Consumer Reports mentioned. I never discussed that with the dealer, by the way. The Consumer Magazine invoice information was free, while Consumer Reports charged a fee. Except for the holdback information they were essentially the same.

I believe that MSRP for a 2004 coupe 6MT with premium and aero (the cheaper one) packages is $35,795 exclusive of the destination charge ($545 here in NJ). Again, my "take it out the door cost" (that is, all costs included) was $36,282.

fruto123

Centraljersey, thank you very much for the info. I am going to sign a deal at Ray Catena at Edison, NJ next Saturday to get the exact same car as you did.

Could you email me the sale person you had worked with and the dealership number? Thanks again for helping us saving some money!

My email is fruto123@yahoo.com

oldprofessor

Sorry to respond so late to your posting. The best mileage I've gotten for strictly highway driving was 26.9; I have the nav system so checked the mileage when we got to our destination. Anyway, that's a little better than EPA estimates. Having said that, surely you wouldn't be buying or looking to buy a G35c for the gas mileage.

gpwatfrd

I leased my G35 coupe from Ray Catena in Edison. I received the most competitive numbers that I have heard of for a lease on this vehicle. The whole entire experience was extremely positive. Unfortunately, my sales person moved to Florida so I do not have a contact for you. Best Wishes on your G35coupe.