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2006 Subaru STI vs. 2006 Infiniti G35 coupe
I'm planning on getting either a 2006 Subaru STI or a 2006 Infiniti G35 coupe. I know those two are kind of in different class where the STI more a teenage performance car, and the G35 is luxury sport car. I like performance car but it's not like I'm going to race it everyday or anything. But then again I don't want a slow car. The G35 would probably a 6MT with Sport-tuned Suspension Package (the MT comes with it), Premium Package, and Aero Package. Just wondering if the G35 have enough power and if anyone got tired of the STI's hard suspension. Thanks.
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Comments
One thing you should do in advance is check with your insurance agent. Neither vehicle will be cheap to insure, but I suspect that the STI will be more than the G35.
Finally, you'll probably find the dealership experience better with the STI, even though you'll have to pay close to sticker as with the G35. The G35 is one of the least expensive Infinitis, while the STI is the most expensive Subbaru, with the possible exception of a top-of-the-line B9 Tribeca. For that reason alone, you'll most likely be treated better at the Subaru dealership, minus the somewhat condescending atmosphere found at many dealerships that sell luxury brands.
You aren't likely to find a "lack of power" in the G35. As for the STI's suspension, all I can say is see how it feels to you after a test drive, and decide if you can live with it.
The cars iam looking at are pontiac gto,g35 coupe 6mt,mitsubishi evolution mr. i dont know which one to decide for. I want a fastest car for under 40k but at the same time i wanted to look nice in the outside any recommendations? thanks for listening
Steve
luxury g35 (ths abt it)
want the best performer (includung fast times) go with the evo or sti (personally i think u cant go wrong with both these cars)
FrEa|<
Someone I considered street smart once said to me, "You have to like what you see when you step out into the garage in the morning. If you feel good about what you see, you have the right car [for you]."
When I open the garage door and see my G35 Coupe I feel good. Its got to be one of the most ascetically pleasing personal motor vehicles on the road today aside from maybe the Boxster or the Cayman both of which have magnificent lines.
And......it will push you back in the seat anytime you hammer it. Perfect.
The Sti may cross the line 3/10's of a second faster but frankly; I can't measure that in real time anyway.
Another thing, no matter what you drive, you get acclimated to the power and acceleration. In time, it will seem the norm to you. When that happens, do you love the car enough for other reasons to still be happy with it? I think this is why you see performance cars on the block; once the thrill of the power curve is passé, the car no longer holds it’s original appeal.
Buy to suit....that's my recommendation (and opinion for what it's worth).
2006 sti ? or evo MR ?
i gotta have 4 door and 4whell drive
i cant get 350z or G35
please help me choose between these 2 cars
should i buy evo Mr or should i buy STI ?
And have you driven either car? What does your butt-o-meter tell ya?
i drive around 50,000 miles per year
i need a strong car
either STI vs evo MR ?
money is not the issue , soo if evo mr is better ( i dont mind spending extra $3000-$6000 )
thanks
Abhi
How do you like to drive vs. just getting someplace?
Oh and when it rains or snows my '06 STI is ready to rip, not waiting in the 3rd bay.
The motor which claims 298 BHP is reputed to be reliable and strong for a 6, but on the road the car is gutless and suffers is glutonous build and from a huge lack of usable torque. There's a good reason you don't often see 0-60's on this as its generally in the 6.3 second range and to get that you have to wind the stupid thing out all the way. The tranny is equally bad with poor feel and a rediculously low 1st gear. The clutch is pure garbage and is the worst I've felt in any quasi sports car. I won't even get started on the traction control system as it is more tuned for a minivan than a coupe and requires deactivation even on the mildest of drives. The brakes ok they're Brembos so the seem to work very well, but unfortunately when you slow this pig down it won't be able to get back up to speed so you are forced to roll (like a boat) through corners to try and carry momentum as again their is absolutely no usable torque to be found.
Alright enough the G35 is pitiful as a sports car if you have any knowledge of driving or any experience wheeling a real car. I guess if I wanted something to wow the neighbors, as most people think it a $40K car, I would be happy with my G.
The Suby on the other hand is a rocket 0-60 easily below 5, and yes there is a huge diffence in feel on the road as the Sti has a wide usable torque curve and pulls all throught the range. The suspension is rock solid and very predictable with go-kart like responsiveness. The short wheelbase allows immediate turn in and perfect responsiveness. The car is as good of a performer as one could ever hope for for under $40k.
As for the rest.... The G35 is so impractical its stupid. The car has pitiful wet weather traction, NO storage space, a moronic (and heavy) backseat, which made Nissan add 17 inches to the car over the Z and yes it matters and yes you can feel the difference, the trunk is tiny and with the raised rear floor and speaker boxes nearly unusable (trust me on this one). The finish and paint are both marginal as I am dealing with Inifinti on oxidation issues already. The Subaru is built solid with a near perfevct eye for quality. It has 4 doors and 4 usable seats (soemthing I normally never would care about, but with it it still kills the G in every performance catagory) and I can take my friends for the ride. The truck is large enough for my skis or bouldering pad so my 15 mpg Grand Cherokee can stay in the garage unlike with the G. The Suby takes a rack beautifully so I can also carry my kayak as I go through the mountain twisties, try that with a G.
Sure the Suby is a 4 door mini sedan and has blue seats. Unlike the G it doesn't pretend to be something its not and doesn't try to hide its inequities under a pretty face. In short if you want something pretty and your not looking for anything resembling an excititng drive or practical buy the G. If you want a quality, versitile, world class performer buy the Sti which I will be doing this week and smiling as I get that bloated hunk of G35 trach out of my garage.
I think the G35 is more of a GT in that sense, the long wheelbase being good for long interstate drives.
-juice
Wow, I have never heard a more ridiculous and obviously biased opinion. First of all, you talk about the "perceived luxury" of the G, and brag about the Subaru. Are you serious? I honestly have a hard time believing you actually wrote that with a straight face. I was recently a valet driver and I am here to tell that no "subie" I EVER got into was as nice and well put together as my G. Both the EVO and WRX put every dime of the purchase price into the performance aspects of the cars. My friend just bought an EVO and tested the WRX extensively, and he laughed at your post. "Neither one even came close to the finish of a Honda..." To argue that the interior on the Subaru is superior to the G is laughable.
As far as the usable torque, I drive my 06 to work everyday and it has gobs of torque. I dont have to shift nearly as much as the subaru because I dont have to get it into the turbo's effective band. If you expect to be yanked back in your seat with every application of the gas, then you must love shifting. For me, there is plenty power for passing, even at 60 mph in 6th gear. PS. Do you DRIVE to work, or RACE to work?
You blame the "Ergonomics" of the buttons because it has taken you two years to remember where the radio buttons are? If you could only hear me laughing. I need not say more... other than the buttons on my steering wheel work just fine, are "ergonomic," and it took me a week to remember their location.
Now, I will admit I have only driven 500 or so manual transmission cars as a valet (and when I say driven, you should know what I mean), so I won't profess to know anything about manuals. But, the G's transmission is one of the notchiest and most sure-feeling shifters I have ever rowed. Granted, it may not be as legendary as some others trannies, but I guarantee its as good as the Subaru ( although I admit I have not driven the most current WRX). My last impression of a Subaru tranny was, in a word, rubbery.
Lastly, yes, you are correct. The G coupe is no "mini sedan." And thank freaking god. If I wanted a sedan I would buy one. And not a dressed up Subaru Legacy with engine and transmission tweaks. Sounds like you traded in a real car for a boy racer. Good luck with that. Must be a big market for used, entry level sports "sedans." You know, BMW, LEXUS, ACURA, SUBARU...!?! Sorry, low blow.
They spruce it up more and more each model year, so it's possible that he owned a first year model and the new ones are a lot nicer.
Having said that, the interior of the WRX is par at best, but that's not the point of the WRX. It's about bang for the buck.
-juice
If you drive 20k, get a Prius!
Or maybe a Lexus GS hybrid, or Accord V6 hybrid, for the performance/economy balance.
The EJ257 has been near bullet-proof. The 6MT is also phenomenal, far-far-FAR better than the 5MT on the base WRX.
-juice
I was drooling over the STI for about three years. Pretty much ever since it came out. That's around the time I ended up with a used 2000 Maxima GXE, which I drove until recently.
Sometime in the last three years, I discovered the G35 Coupe, which I've also drooled over since that time, although the AWD, 4 doors and usable back seat, and somewhat lower price of the STI always tipped the scales slightly.
Recently when I found out my Maxima's extremely-well-worn auto tranny was dying, I took the plunge and bought the STI.
My feelings so far are mixed. The power is, of course, amazing, and this car's ability to whip around corners is legendary. But the reason I never considered the Evo was that I preferred the STI's better interior and liveable demeanor (not to mention cruise control, which for me is a must), and now I find myself wondering if the STI is still too crude.
I never thought of my base-model Maxima as a luxury car, but I now realize I took its comfort and refinement for granted. Here are my main unpleasant discoveries about the STI:
There are several squeaks and rattles triggered by certain road surfaces. You might say "of course a dressed-up econo car with a super-stiff suspension is going to rattle." But it's not even rough roads that cause it; it's just certain surface textures, even on smooth roads. The worst one comes from the dashboard clock assembly. Another one seems to be in the leftmost air vent, and there are a few sporadic ones I haven't been able to locate yet. My Maxima NEVER rattled, and I don't appreciate it in a ~$35k car. I'm going to ask the dealer to look at this, but still, it's disheartening.
When running the air conditioner, the automatic climate control is bizarre. Rather than running at some moderate temperature (like every other car I've seen with auto climate control), it continually turns the compressor on and off, resulting in air that's alternately super-cold and lukewarm, and never particularly comfortable. My Maxima had manual HVAC controls, and I find that I miss that. This might be a defect; Motor Trend had the same problem with a long-term Legacy, and apparently many readers contributed advice. But the STI documentation says the system operates this way in auto mode. For me, it does in manual mode as well. Again, I'm going to ask the dealer to look at it, but either way, it's a hassle.
The sound system is weak, even with the optional subwoofer/amplifier. But it's 120 watts, so what do you expect? The thing is, this car has a lot of interior noise at highway speed (some wind, but especially the tires), and the sound system isn't powerful enough to make up for it; if you crank it up, it doesn't sound good; it just gets uncomfortably loud. As a rule, I hate the appearance and ergonomics of aftermarket head units, so I'll just have to live with it. I thought the subwoofer would help more. To be honest, I wish I could hear it without the subwoofer so I can see just how different it is.
These are the parts I wasn't expecting. I was expecting a stiff ride, expensive insurance, expensive (and short-life) tires, a downgrade from my Maxima in fuel efficiency, rear-window visibility issues (from the wing), and an altogether somewhat crude vehicle. I guess I'm not as tough as I thought, because those things are bothering me more than I anticipated. Although the squeaks/rattles, climate control fluctuations, and weak sound system probably aren't helping my overall impression.
Honestly I miss my Maxima, and I never thought I'd say that after getting behind the wheel of my long-time dream car.
I've come to realize that what I probably really wanted was a nice sporty GT, not a road rocket -- something with the comfort and refinement of my Maxima, but with better power and handling, and maybe some upscale features (navigation, bluetooth, power seats...). I'm pretty sure the G35 Coupe would have fit that bill better, and given me all the power and performance I wanted. But I was too hung up on the AWD, and ultimately, I gave in to my "car lust."
Say what you will about the G35 vs. other luxury brands, but it's obviously more luxurious than the Maxima, to say nothing of the STI. Gas mileage is better than the STI's, albeit slightly (18/24 vs. 18/26 -- in all fairness, my Maxima averaged 22-24, and the STI is averaging 20-22, so the smaller tank and rising gas prices make the difference seem bigger than it is). The G35 also has a kickass sound system, a lot more comfort, and probably no squeaks or rattles. I even miss the ultra-refined VQ engine family shared by my Maxima and the G35. The STI's 2.5 sounds great for a four-banger, but it's loud, rough, and angry.
I even find myself wondering if I would have been happier with the regular WRX (less abusive ride, better fuel efficiency, cheaper/quieter/longer-lasting tires, cheaper insurance, better-looking wheels IMHO, unimpeded rear visibility with the regular spoiler, moonroof and leather in Limited model, and cheaper overall, although still the same sound system and maybe the same squeaks/rattles), or just a newer used Maxima SE (the car of my dreams before the STI was the 2003 Maxima SE, but what Nissan did to it in 2004 killed my interest). The G35 would be an awesome sporty refined GT, but either the WRX or the Maxima SE would give a decent GT impersonation at a lower price.
The STI is damned good at what it does. It is an amazing machine. But the moral of this very long post is, know what you want from a car. The STI and G35 are both excellent performers, but my sense is that the STI is much more of a toy, and the G35 is something you can really live with, yet offers almost as much fun.
Having said that, I'm not about to give up on my new car. I'm still glad I took the STI over the Evo. I'm going to see the dealer about the climate control and the rattles. If they can't do anything about it, at least I can say I tried.
Also, the STI is my first manual transmission car. I've been driving stick off and on for 10 years, but this is the first one I've driven daily, and it's a rather unforgiving clutch if you're relatively inexperienced. Once I'm better with it, I'll probably be more comfortable behind the wheel, and my outlook may improve somewhat.
And I'll take pride (and have fun) knowing I have one of the most capable machines on the road. I'm just not exactly looking forward to my first long road trip!
But I've learned from this experience. Next time I buy a car, I'll probably put a little more emphasis on comfort/refinement. For some people, the uncompromising nature of the STI is perfect, but any potential buyer should definitely consider these issues.
The STI is a street brawler, plain and simple. If you want quiet and refinement, this is not the car for you. I think you would be much happier in a Legacy GT or a Spec. B, both of which are much nicer to "live" with.
Bob
You're right, the Legacy GT (or even Mazdaspeed 6) would also be decent alternatives. I didn't seriously consider those largely because they are midsized cars, and after three years with the Maxima, I wanted the handling advantages of something smaller. But it's too bad that with most car manufacturers, size has to correlate with refinement. (Even with the luxury brands, where "smaller" equals "entry-level.")
Plus the Legacy has the same lame 120 watts of audio power the Impreza has. And with any of those vehicles -- the WRX, Legacy GT, or Mazdaspeed 6, I'd be dealing with a turbocharged 4. After the Maxima (and my surprisingly quick little Buick Skylark before it), I like the torquey but dignified urgency of a powerful V6. Probably the G35 Coupe would have made me the happiest of all those choices (although I know it's bigger than it looks).
Not that the STI is lacking for torque. And I'll admit, there's something fun about punching the throttle and feeling it pull harder and harder as the RPM's climb. Quite a different experience from naturally aspirated V6's with all their grunt in the low end.
Oh well ... for however many years I own it, I will enjoy it for what it is.
Bob
But as we know, one car magazine's opinion is not everybody's truth. If I took comparison reviews as gospel, I might have chosen the Evo over the STI (which I'm glad I didn't).
And unless anything bizarre happens it'll be at least a few years before I am car-shopping again, so who knows what will be on the market by that point. That's one nice thing about any technologically advanced toy -- you can usually count on it to get better over time.
I'm only afraid about styling at this point since a lot of the body styles now being released are making me nauseous...
Brian
It's really hard to find tire reviews in the magazines. The one time I did find a review made it abundantly clear why they're uncommon: it's a royal pain for the magazine to swap tires off a few tester cars over and over and over again.
Anybody know any good sites/publications for tire reviews?
Actually the G35 I test drove felt pretty damn quick and light on its feet. But it was the coupe, which is pretty different from the sedan. And it had the manual and sport suspension.
I'd probably be happy with the power/handling of the WRX or Impreza GT, but it appears all Subarus (downhill of the Tribeca at least) share the same auto climate control system -- a very irritating one if mine is, in fact, working properly. The compressor turns on and off repeatedly, creating an uncomfortably large range of temperature variation.
And Subaru doesn't seem to offer any decently powerful sound systems on any of their cars. Not a problem for those who love to trick out their cars with aftermarket systems or don't listen to much music, but I can't stand aftermarket, and I need a powerful sound system in my car. I'm just not happy without it.
I was with Bob at Zoom Zoom Live and the Speed6 was nice, but there was more turbo lag than I remember with the Legacy GT manual.
I'd be happy with either one, though.
-juice
So probably it comes down to whether you like the "day-to-day" things about the car. I suppose we don't need race-car capability on the street.
Speaking of which, I dropped off my STI today to get some of those issues looked at, and the loaner they gave me is an Outback wagon. Only 175 hp, but I'm actually enjoying the auto tranny and the comfortable ride (plus for some reason the sound system seems better than mine, even though it's supposed to be the same power). My goodness, I must be losing my edge!
Solution - get 3 cars!
I commute in a Miata and use a Forester as a family car.
-juice
The Forester is perfect for my uses, though at times I wish I had the power of the XT (turbo) model.
-juice
I think whenever I drove it, I found myself thinking "I love this vehicle. I just want more power and a less elevated stance." Which seemed to equate to "something from the Impreza line."
But somewhere along the line I went crazy and bought a sports car.
-juice
Now the only question is transmission. I'm having such a foul time mastering the STI's sensitive clutch. The car bucks and lurches if I don't shift with surgically precise perfection. I never thought I'd say this, after years of frustration with auto trannies dampening the fun of my driving experience, but I'm wondering if I need to go back to it (*gasp*).
Is your Forester manual? If so, how user-friendly is it? I'm wondering if maybe the STI's high-strung nature is making the clutch more finicky than most, or if I'm just destined to fail at driving stick with consistent smoothness. (No, I'm not just learning stick on the STI, but it's the first manual I've owned and driven every day.)
Like, you could spend $15k-$20k more and get, say, an Audi S4 which would have all the luxury/refinement of the G35 and most of the performance of the STI. Ah, if only money were no object.
Your car and mine are probably two of the better performance deals in their price range. Apparently they make somewhat different compromises to get there, though.
I imagine your issue is more a function of the rev-happy engine; it's a car that wants to go fast.
-juice
- Squeaks - get them serviced under warrenty. Had plenty of these prior to the warrenty expiring. After I had done this, the car only would have the rare occasional squeak after the warrenty was up.
Tires - go to www.tirerack.com. Good place to get advice and ratings on tires. I ended up with a set of 17" Michellin Pilot Exalto PE-2s Good handling tire, and much more quiet and better riding than other sport tires. Does not handle as well as other sport tires (like the Bridgestones on the STi), but since I put over 20K miles a year on the highway, I was willing to make that compromise.
Stereo - Because your car has a great deal of interior car noise, your stereo has a much tougher time compensating for it. Changing my tires to quieter tires made my factory stereo seem much louder and clearer.
If you still need more power/clarity and are unwilling to swap out the OEM unit, you might be able to get an adapter for your stereo to add an amplifier (I think the retail car-stereo stores sell these). Can also look to update your speakers. These two should drastically improve your stereo.
Cars - There will be an STi limited edition model with more sound insulation and better interior, also a much smaller spoiler. The new G35 looks like a screamer, and the TL and IS350 are not bad either.
Can't go wrong with a Legacy Spec. B either. Thought the MazdaSpeed had too little noise insulation, as this was a problem with the Mazda6. Does anyone know?
Test drove a G35 a couple of years ago, with sport, and had the same feeling, it was dull. Of course this was with an auto. The WRX was much more fun.
In the last couple weeks, I pretty much decided that if I were to keep the STI, I would definitely get quieter tires (maybe even all-seasons) once the originals wore out (which, of course, won't take very long).
But I've decided I want the WRX Limited. My dealer has one '06 left, in the color I want, and they're willing to give me invoice pricing on it. Yeah, I'm gonna lose a ton of money on this, but at this point, I'll end up spending about the same amount in the long run, and I'll be happier overall. (I've had ads up for the past week, trying to avoid the gouge of trade-in value if possible, but even if I trade in, it looks like I'll make out decently.)
I've realized there are three things I like about the STI that the WRX doesn't have: insane power, insane road-holding, and xenon headlights. But the touchy clutch and the power probably go hand-in-hand, as do the firm ride and handling. And I can live with halogen (I'm not a "modder"). I got one rattle fixed already, but I'm beginning to realize the rock-hard suspension on that car is going to generate more rattles over the vehicle's lifetime.
I also discovered I was able to greatly enhance my sound system by unplugging the subwoofer/amplifier! Somehow it was just adding a distorted punchiness that accentuated the hell out of the drums but completely ignored lower-middle (bass guitar, rhythm guitar). I'm much happier without it, and I can crank the bass up much higher now.
On every other count, I prefer the WRX Limited: I like the spoiler, the wheels, the slightly nicer (and substantially quieter) interior, the managable (but still sporty) ride, the mild-manneredness of the engine/shifter/clutch/drivetrain, and even the moonroof. And I really don't think I'll be too disappointed with the power and handling of the WRX, even if I can't embarrass Corvettes and Porsches anymore.
Sounds like you're happy with your WRX. I'm sure some people would call me a wimp for not being able to handle the STI. Oh well, a wimp I am then
Until 2006, the STI was my clear favorite of the Impreza line. But then Subaru confused things by giving the WRX the 2.5 and making it a bit more upscale, still for thousands less. The choice should have been clear, but I foolishly chased a long-time dream instead.
I still think the G35 Coupe 6MT would be my favorite, but with all the options, that's another $5k more than the STI. To hell with that. I'll take my AWD and four doors and be done with it.
With the new 2.5L engine in the WRX, it does change things. Not as much turbo lag and more torque down low.
The STi is a sweet car, but I could not justify it due to my long drives. The first time I went to a summer tire (upsized mine to 17"), the sound, after a while, became annoying. The STi is supposed to be worse, so I completely understand your issues with it.
The new WRX is nice, happy cruising.
Not sure you would have been happy with the G35 Coupe 6MT. Test drove one and was surprised. The car has a chopy and harsh ride, at least compared with my WRX, and felt sluggish. The reason it felt sluggish was probably due to the sound insulation, and the chip not being adjusted to more sporty driving, but still. A 350Z seemed much quicker for some reason. Also, the coupe has no head room. Looks great, but a 5'10" friend of mine who was riding in the back had to slouch all the way down in the seat to keep his head from rubbing against the rear window! Would lean towards the sedan for that reason.
By what measure did the G 35 not achieve sucess in the marketplace? It revived a company that was going nowhere in the entry level luxury market segment.
Exactly.. I hate it when people just talk out of their butt!
Yeah, that's silly. The G35 has been a smash hit for Infiniti. The new version looks even hotter.
That's why this thread appealed to me, even though I had already made my purchase when I saw it. I'm not the only one interested in these two cars, different though they may be.
Both cars offered the performance I was looking for in a price range I was comfortable with, and I consider myself a driving enthusiast. Ah well ... I must not be a "true" enthusiast then