Infiniti G35 Coupe

bocatrip

ezrapon.. Congradulations on your purchase.. I hope you have fun with this great value car. However, as far as the brake dust.. be prepared to deal with it for as long as you have your brake pads.. It goes with the territory of the great stopping power of this car. I can clean my wheels and go a few blocks and there is brake dust.. Go to Freshalloy.com and read everything on the brakes.. good luck. and enjoy

jasond5

How does the G35 auto with all-season tires on 17" wheels fare in snow?

anaviator

Congrats on your new car! I've had my G35SC for about 3 months now and couldn't be happier. Something that'll help with the brake dust (which, I have to agree, is rather ridiculous) - clean the wheels completely and put a coat or 2 of wax on them. The dust still builds up, but its MUCH easier to clean.

Oh yeah, and, although it's about killing me at $2.25 / gal, I am indeed putting premium gas in the car. Still don't see the advertised mileage, though, no matter how I drive. Even if I drive like my grandma, I still only see 21 - 22 mpg...

anaviator

I'd have to agree that, for me, seat memory isn't all that important. One thing that does drive me nuts, though, is the fact that the seat doesn't return to the previous recline position after you move it to access the back seat. Seems like a simple thing, but would make a world of difference.....

perunest

I highly recommend Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires. There is a night and day difference between these tires and even all season tires. I've had about 8 sets of Blizzaks on various front wheel drive (Nissan Maxima, 240 SX), 4 wheel drive (Nissan Frontier, Honda CRV - both of these vehicles came with all season tires, but in the winter I still went to Blizzaks), and rear wheel cars (BMW 325Ci, 2 Mazda Miatas). I drive the Miatas all winter, except during snow storms, when I use an all wheel drive vehicle. I live in the rural hills of western Massachusetts, where 200 inches of seasonal snow is not unusual. Go to Tirerack.com to see test results. There are other excellent winter tires, like Michelin Arctic Alpins, but I haven't personally tried them.
   There isn't much additional cost, at least for the tires. Since you will be driving on winter tires for part of the year, your summer tires will last longer. Whether you get steel wheels or alloys, Get winter tires!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bachfire

I guess that a driver's side memory seat option would not be of any great importance to those who drive their cars by themselves and do not "share" the vehicle from time to time with their "better half". But in our case, my wife and I switch vehicles frequently and adjust the driver's seat totally differently. Hopefully Infinity will get the both the seat memory and seat reclining memory items cleared up in the new 2005 G35 Coupes when they hit our shores later this summer. I understand that industry rumors have it that the 2005 G35's will have a complete re-do of the interiors. Let us hope that they will get rid of both of these annoyances with the new model release. Both of these items are rather "standard issue" on other competitive offerings in this price range.

gambit293

So what's the word on AWD for the coupe? Is it on the way? Just wondering.

shiphro

Where is it?

Obviously the platform supports a topless configuration (350Z Convertible) so why isn't Nissan/Infiniti making a G35 drop-top?

If the pricing ratio holds true, the G35 convertible would probably come in around $6,000US - $8,000US less than a BMW 330 (approx. $40,000US).

At that price, wouldn't it crush the offerings from Audi and BMW?

When I first heard about the G35 a few years ago, I thought that a convertible model would be a first or second year addition to the lineup. This would allow them to compete directly against BMW.

So where's my new convertible?

RichIITF

I am seriously considering buying a G35 Coupe. I test drove a coupe that had 17"s on it and the ride was acceptable. The option of a limited-slip differential is very appealing but I really don't want to compromise on the ride. So, is there a huge difference in the ride between the two?

snagiel

This is like one of those "Is the V8 much faster than the V6?" that attracts endless debate. Best is to try it out for yourself and decide.

Personally, I wanted the manual and the big Brembos, so the 18's weren't a choice. On relatively smooth roads, they're a pleasure, but on sharp pavement bumps and potholes, they transmit a fair amount of recoil. So, I guess it largely depends on where you live and what roads you drive on. Palm Springs, no problem. Detroit, problems.

But, of course, there's a tradeoff to harshness. I can take decreasing-radius highway exit ramps at double the "suggested" speed without any drama, and the handling on smooth roads is excellent. On a recent evening in one of Northwest DC's traffic circles, I was lapping around at a leisurely rate (probably 30mph or so), and on the outside lane a Taurus was trying to accelerate and cut me off. His body leaning hard to the side, I heard his tires squeeling in agony as they tried to hold their composure. It was almost laughable.

dhankx

I love, absolutely love the G35 coupe. But I'm a divorced dad and I regularly have to have room for 2 kids in the back. Has anyone had experience on if there's enough room in the back for kids?

Also - the resale value, if I break down and get a 04, is it likely that the value will hold long enough if the 05 is a must-have? The dealer I spoke to said he knew of the rumor of the redone interior and the M45 v6 300hp that people think will be in the G35, but he didn't know. He seemed leery of the questioning because, after a bit of prodding, they "have to sell whats left of the 04s".

I'm not too picky, this car is a big step up for me, but one thing I cant stand is the top of the line stereo that doesn't play mp3s.

snagiel

I've had two adults (albeit short) in the back of mine and they didn't complain. It's more a headroom than a legroom issue; if your kids are 5'6" or under, they should be OK. Of course, sliding the seats up for passengers to slither back there gets annoying if done all the time, but that goes with any coupe.

I've read somewhere resale value of the coupe in particular has been very strong, as demand at dealers is still high for new models. That may change over the next several years, of course, but for now I wouldn't be worried. Rumors abound of an interior redo for '05, but I don't think the engine choices will vary. And Infiniti has only suggested a "270+ hp" V6 for the M35, so I suspect it'll be tuned either like the G35 or the 350Z, but I doubt they'll crank it up to 300hp.

As for MP3's, that's a somewhat rare feature among factory stereos, I'm guessing for liability concerns more than technical hurdles. You can, of course, just burn regular CD's from your MP3 collection, and with a 6-cd changer, you won't run out of tunes in a hurry. Then again, since I've started listening to XM, I've barely touched the CD's, let alone FM radio...

afty

The rumor going around is that the '05 G35 will have 20 more hp than the '04. That means 280 hp for the sedan and 300 hp for the coupe. I don't know how much stock to put in this rumor, but that is what people on other G35 boards are saying.

gambit293

If you go to kbb.com, and then click on the tab labeled "Review and Ratings," there is a link on that page labeled "Top New Vehicles That Best Hold Their Value." G35 is the tops in its class.

thewildman

Hi, I'm a new owner of a great Sylver G35c M6 ... First thing I noticed was that that clutch padal seems ood?? How high/low should it be... How much should it travel... thx.

mbednorz

I've got an 11 and 13 year old. They both love the back seat of my G35 coupe. We've done several trips of 3 to 6 hours with both of them in the back with no problems. As others have said, the leg room and seating is excellent, but woe to those over 5'8" tall. Short trips only for them.

pdx

I'm hoping to get some advice from someone more savy about car buying. I'm hoping to buy a G35SC 6MT. The dealer in portland won't move from msrp + 2000 dealer mark-up. I found the car in WA via internet. No mark-up but refuses to move off msrp. Fine, I like the car--I ask him to fax the invoice of the vehicle before giving a partially non-refundable deposit. He tells me the actual invoice is not available at this time--he says the invoice is mailed to the dealership about a week after the vehicle arrives. Does this sound reasonable? At the same time, I receive a call from the pdx dealer telling me the WA dealer is frantically looking for my car and trying to arrange a dealer trade. Sounds a bit strange? Advice appreciated. Thanks

kestrel02

Is this a 2005 you're trying to buy? I can't imagine any dealers selling 2004 coupes at 2K markup above sticker. If you are looking at a 2005, they probably don't have the invoices yet since the cars won't arrive for a few months.

pdx

Thanks for the reply. The vehicle is a 2004. The dealer mark-up is for a" NW protection package"--which sounds like a fancy wax job. THe dealer in WA tells me he has the vehicle in stock, is willing to hold it for me until I can pick it up this weekend but needs the deposit. However he doesn't have the actual invoice. To me, it seems a little a strange to have a vehicle in-stock but no available invoice.

kestrel02

Definitely seems a bit strange, and the extra money for the protection package seems even more strange. I'd take a look at some other dealers if you have that option available.

poninfiniti

Seems lile you have a easier problem than I do. Not only is my quarter panel peeling, but also my license tag plate, hood, bumper, and around my doors. Dealer says they are rock chips, HA HA

poninfiniti

Paint protect is a gimmick. I have a 2004 G35I and have over 100 chips in the paint. Infiniti says there is nothing that can be done. They use envirmental safe paint that may not hold up to debris. They should have told me this when I bought the car.

l943973

Source: nissannews.com
--------------------------

2005 Infiniti G35 Offers Significant Enhancements [June 3, 04]

SAN FRANCISCO (June 3, 2004) – Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury division, today announced a number of significant enhancements to its popular G35 sport coupe and G35 sport sedan for the 2005 model year in North America. The changes include the introduction of a new coupe Sport model, a redesigned exterior appearance for the sedan and a redesigned instrument panel and console area with aluminum trim or optional wood trim on both the 2005 G35 coupe and G35 sedan.

Another major enhancement for the new model year is an increase in power for all G35 sedans to 277 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque (from 260 hp/260 lb-ft). The G35 sedan lineup, which added a new all-wheel drive version in the 2004 model year, also receives new exterior styling for 2005 – featuring a new hood, grille, bumpers, side sills, taillights and wheels.

The G35 coupe’s new Sport model will be available in an advanced 5-speed automatic transmission or with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission. The Sport 6MT model receives an additional 15-plus horsepower over automatic-equipped G35 coupe’s standard 280 horsepower, bringing its power to the 295-horsepower range (final figures to be released later).

In addition, the manual transmission design on both coupe and sedan models has been improved to provide a lower shifting effort.
 
The 2005 G35 sedan will be offered in four models, each equipped with a standard 3.5-liter V6, 4-wheel independent suspension and the refined exterior. For 2005, the sport-tuned suspension package has been upgraded with 18-inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels with 235/45R18 tires and drilled aluminum pedals.

The G35 coupe will be offered in three models for 2005, Coupe, Coupe Sport A/T and Coupe Sport 6MT. Both Sport models include a new sport-tuned suspension, Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (V-LSD), 19-inch forged aluminum-alloy wheels and drilled aluminum pedals.

“Infiniti built its reputation on a stunning combination of powerful rear-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles and outstanding customer service,” said Mark Igo, vice president and general manager, Infiniti Division. “The G35 has been a key element in our recent product line expansion and with the enhancements for 2005, our product momentum remains strong.”

The 2005 Infiniti G35 sedan and coupe with automatic transmissions are scheduled to be available at Infiniti dealers in North America beginning in October 2004. Manual transmission equipped models will go on sale in December 2004.

The announcement came during the Nissan 360 news media event, a three-week program in San Francisco featuring the automaker’s current and future worldwide product and business plans. At the event, about 500 reporters had the opportunity to drive nearly 70 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles to familiarize themselves with the breadth of Nissan’s global product lineup.

# # #

snagiel

Due to increasingly stricter environmental regulations in the past couple of decades, all automotive paints (from what I've heard, at least) have had to reformulate and use water-based mixtures which are more prone to bruise. But having owned five cars in the past decade (everything from an '87 Ford Taurus to an '01 BMW 530i), they were all susceptible to rock chip damage. Debris--regardless how small--becomes harmful when your car is flying at 70+ mph on the highway.

For the past couple of cars, therefore, I've applied 3M paint protection kits (aka "invisible bra") to the headlight, fender, bumper, hood, and other frontal areas, and it's helped a great deal. The kits, which are cut to different templates and thicknesses by several companies (including XPel and StonGard) can be installed by yourself or (for best fitment and look) by a pro.

multiplechoice

If you are willing to buy out-of-state, I can give you a dealer in Texas that advetises on other forums. They ship "to anywhere in the US".

wibble

Any dealership worth their salt will ship a car to anyone in the U.S. Watch the shipping cost. It doesn't cost more than $650 to ship a car from California to Maine.

estee

Proud new owner of a Red w/ willow coupe. I opted for the 18's for looks and now I am apprehensive about the winter driving. This car is an attention getter!! (Including the Police) At every red light, you see someone pointing and staring. The car was an excellent choice but not so sure about the color. I had my 1st ever speeding ticket within a week and my husband got one right after me. In both cases, we were singled out from a crowd traveling the same speed. So much for radar detectors!!

I was told the residual on this vehicle is 70%, only being slightly topped by the honda accord in resale value. Gas mileage is stinky but it is all worth it. This car is a blast to drive!!

TIP: If you are a stinky parallel parker like me, learn from my mistake and get the $450 wheel insurance package from Infinity. I hit the curb and chipped up my rims on the 3rd day! The replacement is $800 and the package would have only run me $450!!

sweetc230

It's funny that you mention the wheel chipping. I just bought an '03 Coupe with the areo, premium & nav and I specifically opted for the 17's b/c everyone I know that has the 18's has already scuffed them. Some have had it happen in the treadles at the local car wash, but most have the curb rash that you speak of. I think the 18's look great too, but I didn't want to worry about them so much. There was NOT ONE used coupe with the 18s that had not been scuffed, you are not alone. Good advice on the insurance.

gpwatfrd

I will add myself to that list of owners who scuffed up their 18's. It is not noticeable from a distance but still an annoyance.

pufmbig

does anybody notice a little slip in the transmission, that when you hit the gas its a little hesitant to go. And another thing when turning qucikly the car will always slip

will38

Congrats on the new car. Red with Willow was my first choice. I saw one this color combination at the Infinity dealership. Beautiful color combo. It had 18" wheels and I wanted 17". They did a dealer locate to find one with the 17" wheels. The next day they called back and told me there wasn't one within 1,500 miles. I told them I would take the car with the 18" wheels. Someone had already bought it. Fearing higher interest rates, I decided on Silver with Willow instead of ordering a red one. I've had it 3 months now, no tickets yet!

estee

I am glad I am not the only one out there with chipped up rims!! I stay away from the automatic carwash just for the fact I don't want anyone else in my car. Where I live, things always end up missing from your car so, instead, I go to the the do-it-yourself 3x a week to clean the front wheels and I only have wash the rest of the car 1x a week. I keep PLENTY of quarters. I am having such a good time with this car!! This is the 1st car that I have "bonded" with!! My husband noticed that I have been super eager to run errands...and take the LONG way.

savannah stars

I was wondering if anyone felt it important to get the side mouldings for $140 and whether they have found them useful? I mean, did you have them installed and still get your door dinged? Does anyone find them adding good-looks to the car, or do you think it detracts from the appearance?

snagiel

I considered them when buying my car, but the dealer didn't have them available at the time, so I passed. Since then (14 months), I've seen them on only a single coupe, and--in my opinion--the doors definitely look "cleaner" without them. Of course, if they really did protect against dings, they might be worthwhile, but I suspect the variety of door shapes, sizes, and heights nowadays would conspire to overwhelm any real protection those strips might offer. Best bet is to park carefully.

opimax

yes, like the drive line has play in it or the engine hesitates, maybe a clutch grabbing. i am speaking tot he manual. between that and the excess heat I am not sure i would buy again

Mark

rayainsw

"The Sport 6MT model receives an additional 15-plus horsepower over automatic-equipped G35 coupe’s standard 280 horsepower, bringing its power to the 295-horsepower range (final figures to be released later). "

Does anyone know if this increased power rating is due to outside engine (intake / exhaust) rather than inside (increased compression) changes?

Thanks,
- Ray
Liking the look of the Coupe - a lot . . .

wibble

I believe it's breathing modifications. The compression ratio on the exisiting Coupe is already pretty high. Any higher and it would need more than the 91 octane available in California.

Kirstie_H

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spdyg35

The hesitation you feel when stepping on the gas is the Vehicle Dynamic Control system (VDC). Read about it in your owner's manual. It can be shut off by a switch of the button just to the lower left of the steering wheel. Just be careful when accelorating around corners without it on. I have read about many-an-accident because the driver lost control.

spdyg35

I have owned a twilight blue with willow interior G35 coupe since Jan 2004. I love my car. However, I have had many problems with it. First the nav system went out. The dealer had to replace the sending unit. Then the left speakers went out only when listening to cd's. The dealer had to replace the entire audio unit. My back break pads wore out after only 18K miles. The dealer has a special warranty for this because it is a known issue with the car. They will replace pads for free up to 36K miles. But be careful because I had to find this little special warranty on the internet before the dealer remembered Infiniti has known about this. The 17' Potenza tires that came stock on the car have already been discontinued by Bridgestone. And now the "Service Engine Soon" light has come on. The manual is telling me this light indicates there is an emission problem. I have another appt at the dealer the day after tomorrow.

Please don't get me wrong I love my car very much, its beautiful, incredibly fast, and tight in all aspects of the word. But had I known about these many things before hand.... I would have chosen a different car.

cheerioboy26

Sorry to hear of your problems. I've had my G for two years, but other than the brake issue (which you should have received a letter from Infiniti, it wasn't Internet only, although it was reported there first IIRC) I haven't seen many reports of the items you mentioned as being widespread. However, the early cars (mine included) did have a few issues that were worked out (brake switch, HVAC control board are a couple) and don't occur anymore on the cars that have been built more recently.

BTW, which tires are you saying are no longer made by Bridgestone? Both sizes? The sedan 17s are 215/55.

225/50R17 V-rated all-season front tire
235/50R17 V-rated all-season rear tire

jackman

I am currently contemplating the purchase of 2004 G35 coupe, but I wanted to know how the standard all-season tires hold up in the winter and snow.

gpwatfrd

I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate experiences
I took delivery of my coupe in April 03. The only issue with the vehicle I had was the info I received in the mail regarding the brakes and the tail light needing replacement.

laurasdada

Any northeast owners drive their coupe through the winter? Did you mount snows?

jaydoll

I have friends that own BMWs and they put four blizaks on for winter driving in CT and off they go.

shukin

Hey guys!
I am thinking about getting this beauty...ivory with willow. I have only seen the car but never been in it or driven it...but I know I want it. I am getting a lease for under 500 bucks with 15000 miles...1500 out of pocket? How does that sound and compare with some of you all spent?
I am supposed to pick up the car within a day or two!!! I'm excited
AJ

methodolgical

Sounds like an excellent deal you're getting. Where are you buying the car? I would buy for those terms too.

gpwatfrd

questions

What is the MSRP?

IS the 1,500 cap cost reduction or TOTAL out of pocket?

Does the payment you were quoted include tax?

wibble

Before anyone can advise you on the lease you really need to know the following;

*Lease period
*MSRP of car
*Negotiated price of car (As if you were buying)
*Residual
*Money factor
*Annual mileage

Also, does the $1500 cover the acquisition fee, security deposit, first month payment and title/registration or is it in addition?
You might want to check out the leasing forum here on Edmunds. There's lots of useful information there.

jaydoll

methodological,

Just leased a coupe with prem/trunk mat/splash guards. Dealer took $1500 off the sticker. On a short term lerm/low mile lease, I put down the the bank fee (varies state to state) $550+1st security depo $400. My monthly is is $530.