Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

ateixeira · January 2002

Sorry, but anyone who paid $10k over MSRP for an Altima (actually, any car), deserves just that. A fool and his money will soon part.

Altimas are selling near invoice now in a lot of places, just a couple of months after its launch.

But I guess the guy who paid $25k for a New Beetle feels the same way now. Same for anyone who paid $25k for a PT Cruiser. Both can be had for $16k in the DC area now.

-juice

hvan3 · January 2002

I"m not sure why Infiniti is giving away a Visa Debit card worth $500. Why not just offer $500 off for pre-order? Basically, the $500 debit card can be use on a down payment (same as cash). Why not make it simpler and offer $500 off up front? Duh!

Hey norcalmike:
Do you think you can call your Infiniti dealer and have them talk to Infiniti upper management about the styling of the rear trunk lid? Tell them that the majority of the people you are representing on the Edmunds board think the rear styling is bland. It needs some "spicing". Hopefully, they will listen and quickly retool the trunk lid (have license plate in the center of the trunk lid and a nice chrome piece over it). What ya think?

norcalmike2 · January 2002

I'll pass that idea on. Apparently, Thousand Oaks Infiniti is the largest volume dealer on the west coast. They are receiving 53 cars on their first allocation. Perhaps they can bend Infiniti's ear a bit. I decided not to get all worked up about the pricing of the car. It's a 50 - 50 coin toss. If the car takes off with the public, a 27K G35 will never be heard of again. If it's a flop, I immagine I'll still be smiling alot on my commute. Do you know the weight to horse power ratio for a 45K BMW 530 is 18.28 pounds while my little ol' 27K G35 weighs in at 12.69! Sure hope them 530 fella's get the headlight washer option on their cars to spray off the dust trailing from my butt ugly "L" shaped tail lights! ;-)

zeliforp · January 2002

I hope the G35 does great and is well-accepted when it arrives.

Infiniti looks to be in much better shape than it was about 3 years ago... I remember walking into the Infiniti dealership back in '99, seeing the unpopular (underselling) Q45 (Q41, actually) and the "Maxima with an Infiniti badge" I30, and thinking "Geez what happened to these guys".

Nowadays it looks like they are really cranking out some luxo-performance monsters... The I-series is a hit, the new Q, even though not a top-seller, is selling more per month than the last generation sold per YEAR last year with very few discounts/incentives, and there is a lot of buzz about the upcoming G-series and FX45.

Things are looking pretty good...

jjy1 · January 2002

I hope Infiniti really listens to you about the rear, that is the only factor preventing me from buying the car now(plates on trunk). As it stands, I'll probably have to pass. I should not have to dislike the rear of my car that I'm paying 30k+ for (no matter how cool the front is). They also need to bring the CVT to the US as soon as possible. At this point I'll just wait to see what the 2004 g35 has to offer...

lenscap · January 2002

The Q45 has been selling at about 350-400 units per month for the past several months. Surely the old Q sold more than that in one year.

68bullitt · January 2002

QUOTE: "I"m not sure why Infiniti is giving away a Visa Debit card worth $500. Why not just offer $500 off for pre-order? Basically, the $500 debit card can be use on a down payment (same as cash). Why not make it simpler and offer $500 off up front? Duh!"

Perhaps Infiniti is trying to do their part in trying to stimulate our current sad economy. If they gave $500 off sticker, that money you saved would just stay in your bank account. However, with a debit card, you are forced to go out and spend that $500 on other products and services, thereby, helping the economy to recover faster. Just a thought.

rezo00 · January 2002

Both audi and nissan clamed they would bring CVT's to the US. But they adjusted to make them more inifficent because they thought people wouldent be used to driving them...for example a true cvt based car dosent crawl forward if left at a standstill with no breaks or gas, but the adjusted cvt does just like a normal auto, AlSO the cvt's from audi will adjust engine rpm to rise and fall with acceleration more then it should with a true cvt.

canadacraig · January 2002

I'm very interested in the G35. HOWEVER.... I DO have a few questions/concerns. My FIRST concern has to do with the seat. Apparently the driver's seat is shaped differently than the passenger seat. I don't have much luck with seats. In fact - I think Acura/Honda seats are the most UNCOMFORTABLE of all. [far too short of 'seat' and narrow of 'back'] The Acura/Honda seats with the side-impact airbags are especially uncomfortable. Toyota's aren't much better. The new Altima - on the other hand - was quite good. [seat comfort wise] Anyone here [who has been INSIDE of the G35] notice anything special about the driver's seat??

Also - I understand the gauge cluster moves WITH the tilt steering. Should I assume then that [unlike the new Altima] the G35 steering wheel does NOT telescope'?? [move in and out]

My other concern has to do with the transmission. Apparently the Q45 - even WITH 340 h.p. is NOT as quick as the Lexus LS430. [with 290 h.p] The reason WHY the Q45 is slower is BECAUSE of the gear ratio's in the transmission. [so I've read] The G35 - at least on 'paper' - SOUNDS like 'it' SHOULD be as quick as the Acura TL 3.2 Type 'S' - but will it be??

Thanks,
Craig!!

)

b4z · January 2002

Judging from the number of posts here and a general lack of awareness by the public it is clear that Nissan needs to tell people that this car is RWD.

Also that this car is on a completely new platform.

Are you listening Nissan?

b4z · January 2002

I am concerned too. We talked about this a lot several months ago, but gearing has not been discussed recently.

My understanding is that first gear is very tall.
Much taller than you would think in a car of this displacement.
I imagine the six speed will be very quick and the 5speed auto might be a 7 second car or maybe a little quicker.

cdnpinhead · January 2002

While some of us wish for mass transit (in many forms) and others wail about the lack of van pools, the reality is that many people (I'm one) drive to work & back alone. I'm sure we're evil, but that said, there's a lot of merit in making the left front seat more comfortable that the other 3 (or 4, or *** forbid, 5). That's the seat that the person who'll drive the car 98% of the time, especially in the "sport sedan" category, will use.

Seats matter. As do interior quality, paint quality, stuff falling off, noise, and a number of other things that the beancounters may or may not understand.

My experience has been that Nissan folks understand.

Hide and watch.

I'm really wanting this car to be successful.

Keep telling us how it really is.

bobbyknight · January 2002

One question

Is the G35 based upon the same platform as the Altima? I know that the Altima is FWD but I read somewhere that this platform was designed to FWD or RWD or AWD. This would seem to make sense after Nissan said that they would be consolidating platforms a few years ago.

Seems as though people get offended when G35 and Altima are mentioned in the same sentence

corkfish · January 2002

I'm going to wait to see how this car actually performs before committing. The Altima can do 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds. I drove the 6 speed Maxima and although it had impressive acceleration, my gut feeling was that it did not have the thrust that the Altima had ( despite having 15 more horsepower). Sport Compact Car Magazine recently reviewed the 350Z and said acceleration was disapointing ( although, the article acknowleged that it was a tester vehicle and was not up to spec yet). It's a rear wheel drive with 260 horses and a curb weight of around 3300 pounds. It should do 60 in less than 6 seconds with a manual. But I'm going to wait and see.

afty · January 2002

The Altima and the G35 are built on separate platforms. There's a news brief on FreshAlloy about the different platforms Nissan is using. Scroll down to "Technology tidbit" on that page for more info on these two platforms.

http://www2.freshalloy.com/site/lifestyle/events/2002_naias/home_frame.html

68bullitt · January 2002

No, the G35 is NOT based on the Altima platform. It is based on the Skyline, a car that has been a cult car in Japan for over 30 years but never before exported to the U.S. The G35 has a longer wheelbase and a shorter overall length than the Altima, and of course, it's RWD. It is totally performace oriented, whereas, the Altima is more family car oriented. Bottom line is: You put the leather driving gloves on to drive the G35, whereas, you load the kids and the dog in the backseat and the toys in the trunk before you drive the Altima. Think of the G35 as a four door 350Z because that's what it is. They're both based on the same platform. Does the Maxima still use the 4DSC (4 Door Sports Car) designation? If so, Nissan should switch it and put it on the G35.

And yes, we are offended. :-)

bobbyknight · January 2002

afty: Thanks for the info. I was certain that I read that the two cars are loosely based on the same platform. You proved me wrong.

68bullitt: I don't really understand your logic. Because the G35 and the altima are a different wheelbase and lengh means that they are not on the same platform? How do you explain the G35 and the new Z? I don't think they have the same wheelbase. Also, just because one is RWD and the other is FWD doesn't mean that they are not related either. How do you explain the MDX and the ODyssey. or the Mondeo and the X-type?

riez · January 2002

Corkfish... Where do you get the Altima 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds? I've seen published figures in major publications like R&T and Motor Trend. Their Altima 3.5SE's with manual transmissions were about 6.25-6.30 seconds. Great for the segment but still well above 6.00 seconds. Motor Trend tested an I-35 Sport (4-spd) automatic. It was about an even 7.0 seconds. If Nissan uses the extra gear to increase the overall spread, initial acceleration times for G35 auto should be better than I-35 auto.

norcalmike2 · January 2002

Thanks for the Fresh Alloy connection. There is a picture of the standard 16" alloy wheels. I ordered a base luxury with cloth interior that comes with those 16" wheels. This is the first place I have seen a photograph of those wheels. I like the looks of the 16" wheels over the 17". Just a personal preference. This purchase just keeps getting better and better for me. My car should start swimming across the Pacific very soon. Again, thanks.

hvan3 · January 2002

Dang! I can't make up my mind if I want a G35 coupe or the new Z!!

Check out the pricing on the Z!

http://www.freshalloy.com/cars/nissan/z/main_naias.html

68bullitt · January 2002

Yes, you're right. You can have different wheelbases using the same platform. I was merely trying to emphasize that the G35 and the Altima are very different cars and are built on different platforms. The G35 and the 350Z both use the new FM (Front Midship) design in which the engine is placed mostly behind the front axle for more balanced weight distribution and they also share the same basic VQ V6 engine (tuned to each car) and will share the same new 6-speed manual transmission.

I used to spend a lot of time in Japan and know that the Skyline has had a cult following there for many, many years. Nissan has been making the Skyline for decades, well before they even thought about making an Altima. Bottom line is that they are very different cars. Just because they are coming out around the same time does not mean that they are the same car. But I understand where you are coming from. At the auto show the other night, I must have overheard at least 90% of the attendees commenting that the G35 must be the Infiniti version of the Altima. I couldn't help but chuckle inside at their ignorance.

Since this confusion is very common, I think Nissan needs to make a TV commercial with nothing but a picture of the G35 and the words "This car is not based on the Altima" along with a voiceover saying that over and over again. Then show the two cars side by side with a not equal sign between them. They really do need to get this message across.

68bullitt · January 2002

If you're referring to the 5-spoke wheels, I'm pretty sure those are the 17" wheels that come with the Sports Suspension Package (that's what it says in the specs for the option packages). I believe the 6-spoke wheels that you see in most of the photos (and also on the auto show cars) are the standard wheels (not sure if they're 16" or 17"). Better double-check with your dealer.

afty · January 2002

The Altima's 5.9 second 0-60 time was achieved by MotorWeek. Even crazier is the 14.4 sec@100 mph 1/4-mile run they got. You can see the review here:

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2105.shtml

lenscap · January 2002

It's interesting the G35 shares a platform with the new Z. Wasn't that the case when Infiniti first started...that the M30 was also on the old Z platform? I believe so.

ateixeira · January 2002

The Z Enthusiast 6MT and Performance 6MT models seems like the best value. The Track model's price kind of runs away.

-juice

anoonan · January 2002

Called the Columbus, OH dealer...they originally said they wanted a $1k deposit. I called them later in the week and asked if the deposit was $500, they said that's fine. Didn't sound like they'd be dealing much, and the dealer didn't offer any incentive (didn't ask for one though I might when I go in).

Looking at the Emerald Mist exterior color but can't really tell what it will look like exactly (the web site pic just too small); dealer said it was a new color so probably not on a current Infiniti.

storyteller · January 2002

The new Altima has a color called "Mystic Emerald." Same as Infiniti's "Emerald Mist?" Probably not!

steve

bobbyknight · January 2002

again...let me clarify my statements

I never called the G35 Infinitis version of the Alitima and completely understand that the two have very little in common. All I wondered was if the G35 was LOOSELY based on the Altima platform. The reason I say this is because of Nissans commitment to reduce and consolidate the number of platforms of its cars. Thats all.

lenscap: I think that the M30 was based on the Maxima and not the Z. If it was based on the Z it would have been the pre-1990 generation since the M30 has been sold in Japan as the Nissan Leopard long before it was an Infiniti. Can anyone clarify?

afty · January 2002

Not completely sure, but I also thought the M30 was based on the Maxima. The J30 however was based on the Z car platform. It even had the same 3.0L V6 as the normally-aspirated 300ZX.

swsms · January 2002

Does the G35 have traction control? Is it part of the Vehicle Dynamic Control feature on the G35? It wouldn't make sense for a RWD car with 260hp not to have it.

dfd3 · January 2002

Spoke with my dealer yesterday and picked up my order form for the gift card. He told me that this is NOT a national Infiniti program, but a program that my particular dealer is doing. Don't know if that is true or not.

Does anybody know when Motor Trend, C&D, R&T, etc. will be testing the G35? I am interested in knowing true performance numbers. I'm hoping for at least a 6.5 second 0-60 time and don't know what the extra cog in the tranny will do. I will see the car at our auto show on Jan. 31st. Does anyone know about any real-world testing?

gtsugran · January 2002

According to the Inifini site, traction control and stability control are standard. Listed below is a description of the performance features listed under the standard equipment section:

G35 Luxury Model includes the following standard equipment:

PERFORMANCE
260-hp 3.5-liter (3,498cc) DOHC V6 engine, aluminum-alloy block and heads. Low-friction
molybdenum-coated pistons.

Electronically controlled 5-speed automatic transmission. Driver-adaptive learning algorithm
senses driving style and adjusts automatic shifting accordingly. Manual shift mode offers sequentially selected manual gearshifts.

Brake Assist senses emergency-braking situations via how the driver depresses the brake pedal. If emergency-braking is detected, Brake Assist applies maximum brake force until the brake pedal is released.

Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) varies front-to-rear brake proportioning based on vehicle load, for improved braking performance.

Traction Control System (TCS) senses wheelspin while accelerating, and automatically reduces (TCS) engine output, to help regain traction.

Infiniti Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)1 compares the driver's input to the vehicle's response while cornering. By selectively braking individual wheels and/or
reducing engine output, VDC can help the driver maintain control of the vehicle.

Anti-lock Braking System (4-wheel, 4-channel ABS)

I am really looking forward to test driving this car when it arrives.

anoonan · January 2002

storyteller - thanks for the Altima color info...maybe mystic emerald and emerald mist are at least close!

Anyone know or guess if the G35 will have the trip computer with features like miles to empty, avg mpg, avg mph, etc.? Seems like it should but I didn't see any specific mention of it on the website or elsewhere....

ace10 · January 2002

will the g35 have the trunk release on the floor, center console or on the ever-popular dash? If it's on the dash, is it to the left or right of the steering column?

ace

lenscap · January 2002

I'm sure the M30 was based off the Z because the M30 was RWD, not FWD like the Maxima.

I have a special Road & Track magazine from 1990 dedicated exclusively to Infiniti. It talks all about the development of the Q45 and M30. I'll check it out tonight if I remember.

68bullitt · January 2002

norcalmike2:

Actually, I just looked at the option packages again and realized that the 6-spoke wheels we see in most of the photos are probably the 17" wheels that come with the Leather Package. I still tend to believe the 5-spoke wheels are the ones that come with the Sports Suspension Package, however. Don't know what the base, standard 16" wheels on the standard model look like, though. Has anyone seen a photo of the base 16" wheels?

swsms · January 2002

Infiniti must have updated their site late last night because the spec info was not out their yesterday. I too can't wait until the test drive!

totalnet · January 2002

Does anyone else think the rear lights setup looks too much like the current Toyota Avalon? I never like the current Avalon's rear. I hope they do something different for the coupe. Also hope the coupe might be a hatchback like the 350Z.

ucjrh89 · January 2002

Just got back from Infiniti in Cincinnati and have the expectation that there will be no incentives here. It's MSRP or nothing. They told me 0-60 in 5.9 seconds but that seems too fast. Can anybody else confirm? Also, sales guy really discouraged the nav system. I looked at one on an I35 and the Acura/Mercedes version seems easier to use and more complete as far as secondary roads, etc.

afty · January 2002

Just did a little research, and you are right -- the Infiniti M30 was RWD and based on the Z car platform. However, it was not based on the '90-'96 Z car platform but the '84-'89 one, including the same engine. The M30 was outdated by the time it hit our shores and never sold well.

jvv · January 2002

ucjrh89 mentioned that his local dealer was discouraging the Nav system in the G35. Did he give any specific reasons? Has anyone used the system in Q45 or I30?

I am surprised that a salesperson would discourage buying any accessory!! The Nav system is certainly not a requirement, but the pop-up screen is kind of cool.

ucjrh89 · January 2002

Just got back from Infiniti in Cincinnati and have the expectation that there will be no incentives here. It's MSRP or nothing. They told me 0-60 in 5.9 seconds but that seems too fast. Can anybody else confirm? Also, sales guy really discouraged the nav system. I looked at one on an I35 and the Acura/Mercedes version seems easier to use and more complete as far as secondary roads, etc.

jvv · January 2002

ucjrh89 mentioned that his local dealer was discouraging the Nav system in the G35. Did he give any specific reasons? Has anyone used the system in Q45 or I30?

I am surprised that a salesperson would discourage buying any accessory!! The Nav system is certainly not a requirement, but the pop-up screen is kind of cool.

gandhim3 · January 2002

Actually, it is the other way around. The rear suspension of the Altima is based on the G35. Remeber, the new Skyline was released (in Japan) before the Altima (in the US). However, it is just that - based on the Skyline, NOT an exact copy. Also, the V6 engines are pretty much the same for the Altima, G35 and the new Z - just in different states of tuning.

That is where the similarities end. You can think of the G35 as a 4-door version of the new Z, because that is really what it is. Which also explains why the G35 will not get the 6-speed manual right away. Nissan wants the Z to get it first. A big plus though will be that many of the after-market enhancement that inevitably show up for the new Z would probably apply just as well to the G35.

Actually, it is funny that the G35 gets confused with the Altima. On the hard-core Nissan fan forums, the Skyline gets confused with the Skyline GT-R - as in, why the G35 does not have the same power as the GT-R version, when previous generations did. The GT-R is a completely different beast, that in previous generations was based on the Skyline. Kinda like a 5-series compared to the M5. The next GT-R chassis will be based on the new Z chassis - engine config is still unknown however - probably a twin-turbo version of the 3.5 V6.

Anoonan, there is a trip computer function with all the features you are looking for, but it is only available with the DVD navigation system. I do not know why a salesman would DIScourage a customer to by a $2000 option. Either way, I am not interested in those fancy, expensive navigation systems. A $5 paper map will do just fine, thank you.

SWSMS, the G35 comes with Vehicle Dynamic Control (Infiniti's version of electronic stability program), traction control, electronic brake force distribution, electronic brake assist and ABS, all standard. I am waiting to see if the 6-speed manual is also offered with a limited slip differential.

Curiously enough, I have not seen any real-world tests of this car. I am sure they have been done in Japan, but I cannot read Japanese. I am sure you will read about this car in the mainstream American car magazine over the next couple months. It is hard to ignore a $27k 260-HP car, when BMW's offering in that price range only puts out 184-hp - and is smaller to boot!

As for 0-60 times, I would venture to say around 7 seconds for the auto, and a second faster with the manual.

Hope this helps. BTW, if this car is as good on the road as it is on paper, I will get it when the 6-speed manual is available.

ucjrh89 · January 2002

Just got back from Infiniti in Cincinnati and have the expectation that there will be no incentives here. It's MSRP or nothing. They told me 0-60 in 5.9 seconds but that seems too fast. Can anybody else confirm? Also, sales guy really discouraged the nav system. I looked at one on an I35 and the Acura/Mercedes version seems easier to use and more complete as far as secondary roads, etc.

norcalmike2 · January 2002

Looking at the two pictures back to back on FreshAlloy the 5 spoke wheel definately looks smaller in the wheel well compaired to the 6 spoke wheels. The 17" wheels are standard with the leather package. I really don't think a sport suspension package that emphasizes performance and handling would go with a 16" wheel. What do you think? I'm just hoping that the 5 spoke wheel in the picture turns out to be the standard 16" wheel that comes with my "strippy" cloth G35. It's a good looking wheel in my opnion.

Also........A little thought about horsepower. Remember when Mazda got beat up not too long ago for claiming the new Miata had more horsepower than it really did? They had to buy back any Miata with that claim that the consumer wanted replaced. What do you want to bet the 260 horsepower claimed turns out to be a very "conservative" 260 just to avoid that problem. I have a funny feeling that the G35 will do very well in the 0-60 category. Even if it doesn't, I'm still buying one.

jvv · January 2002

ucjrh89 mentioned that his local dealer was discouraging the Nav system in the G35. Did he give any specific reasons? Has anyone used the system in Q45 or I30?

I am surprised that a salesperson would discourage buying any accessory!! The Nav system is certainly not a requirement, but the pop-up screen is kind of cool.

68bullitt · January 2002

You might be right. The 5-spoke wheel looks a little smaller. However, according to the specs for the option packages, the Sports Suspension Package is suppose to get 17" 5-spoke wheels and summer performance tires. Perhaps these are different wheels from the one in the photo. It's anybody's guess. Perhaps you might want to check with your dealer as they may have photos of the different wheel options.

ligart · January 2002

> Does anyone else think the rear lights setup looks too much like the current Toyota Avalon?

Absolutely.

> I hope they do something different for the coupe.

Me too.

> Also hope the coupe might be a hatchback like the 350Z.

Probably not :-( Have you seen the sketch of the coupe at nissannews.com?

cybersol · January 2002

The Acura TL Type-S does 0-60 in 6.6 according to even the Edmunds tests. They both have manual mode 5-speed automatics and 260 hp. But the new G35 28 more lb-ft of torque driving the rear wheels instead of the front wheels while pulling over 200 lbs less weight. Add the rumor that the G35 will have aggressive gear ratios, and the G35 could easily get 0-60 times in the very low 6's.

As for the handling, the Altima handles almost as well as the BMW M3 in Edmunds slalom tests. If the G35 has better feel and slightly better handling then it will handle wonderfully.

There is truly the potential for the G35 to be faster and more nimble than anything it's competing against. Add that it is roomy and well-priced, and I really want one.

Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

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