Infiniti G35 Coupe

Price Paid:  $37000.00 from Infiniti of Norwood

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 G35 Coupe 6MT

Summary:
I would have loved to rate this vehicle highly for what it provides in the way of styling and price. I can't find another vehicle that looks and feels like the G does for the price (exception being the Z). The fit and finish of the vehicle's interior is fantastic and the car's exterior lines catches people's eyes. People taller than 6' beware, it's tight in the drivers seat - my heads sits in the sunroof opening and I'm almost 6'2".

There is a dark lining on this cloud I'm describing however, read on...

I have to say that I found out too late that cars based on the VQ35DE engine (REV-UP) motors can be prone to engine knock and/or oil consumption. I don't believe there was too much data out back in 8/06, but I am now seeing many ’06 G35 as well as Z owners complaing of both. Nissan is refusing to stand behind its product and only replacing engines when the owner presses their issues through the BBB or legal action. Given what transpired with the 2006 Altimas, I am not surprised that our engines are defective. The pistons and the rings are the suspects for the G and Z. I will be pursuing this matter with whomever I have to in order to get my G fixed. Recommend pass on Nissan products.

Strengths:
Style, fit and finish, the car feels and looks like it's worth so much more than it is.

Weaknesses:
Engine is defective; owners of vehicles with this engine have already had them replaced. Nissan support is deplorable.

Similar Products Used:
2001 BMW 330i

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.89 of 5, 9.00 votes

Price Paid:  $35500.00 from US Military Mart

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 G35 Coupe 6MT

Summary:
I have had a 2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT (what a mouthful) for the a little more than 12 months. I'm currently stationed in Germany and I have been able to run notoriously twisty B-roads, no-speed-limit autobahns, and the Nurburgring, as well as dry, wet, and snow environments. Here's what I've noticed:

The Interior.
This car is really comfortable to drive in (although it took me a while to figure out how exactly to sit in the seats without my lower back hurting, I now have no pain with hours of driving.) The driving position is good, with plenty of ways for you to orient yourself in the cabin. And the gear leaver falls perfectly into your hand.

If I have a gripe it would be with the quality and fitment of some of the materials and some of the plastics scratch easily. A less serious irritation is that I am also not a big fan of the peculiar stereo/HVAC button section, which seems like a sea of buttons (the 350Z’s layout seems simpler.) However, they are logically laid out and easy to operate.

Driving Impressions.
At low speeds (below 70 MPH) the G35 has an incredible amount of grip! Turn-in is pretty good and in dry weather it is really, really hard to get the car to spin uncontrollably. In the wet, however, it is really, really easy to kick the butt out and the VDC should be kept on. The snow isn’t too difficult for the G35 Coupe, but its low ride height makes it easy to get stuck in deep snow. In very deep snow you might find that the VDC is so intrusive that you cannot get the car moving up some uphill sections of road (with your butt constantly trying to shoot out.) But this experience is with ultra high performance all-season tires and dedicated winter tires will probably do better.

On the famed Nurburgring I was able to set a “safe” lap time of 9:49 seconds. I can tell you that I lost my nerve before the car did. Certain sections allowed me to do 100+ MPH speeds with little problem, but the world goes by very quickly at that speed on a twisty two-lane B-Road. Overall the car was predictable, agile, fairly neutral (with some under-steer at the edge of the handling envelope), with incredible grunt, and transmitted tons of useful feedback. In other words it was A LOT of fun. (You can see my video at G35Place.com.)

Heel-toe shifting is stupidly simple and really fun in this car.

At high speeds the G35 6MT’s less aggressive suspension (when compared to the 350Z Track) makes the car float a bit when executing tight turns at 120+ MPH (while straight-line cruising is rock solid.) But this suspension also makes bad roads much more tolerable.

The 3.5L V6 engine has no problem accelerating the car out of corners with real addictive authority and can easily propel the car up to its electronically-limited top speed of 155 MPH. Fuel economy is pretty bad (18 MPH average in city driving), but that is because of the way I drive (aggressively all the time.) If I’m really good I can get about 20 MPG average on the autobahn (driving at about 90-100 MPH.)

The VDC sucks in dry weather and really takes all the fun out of driving the car spiritedly (better tires reduce this problem.) When the VDC is turned off, on a dry surface the G35 is fairly neutral and either slightly under- or over-steer. When the roads get wet, you should just leave the VDC on.

The Problems
This car is not without its problems. Shortly after I purchased the car I found that the gas tank wouldn’t fill all the way when it was cold. I later found out that there was a service bulletin for an overly sensitive fuel flow valve.

I also found that the radio would skip spontaneously for about 10 minutes the first time I started the car when the outside temperature was below 50 degrees. This problem was followed by the loss of the sound that came out of my driver’s side tweeter. Both of these problems were fixed with the replacement of the head unit and was accomplished under warranty.

Finally, I noticed that there was an odd clicking coming from the back of my car when I was accelerating from a dead stop and the windows were open. With some research I found that there was another service bulletin that identified this as a problem with the rear axel bolts. This problem was also fixed under warranty.

Is it Worth Buying?
I spent $35,500 for my used G35 Coupe 6MT, which is twice as much as I have spent on any car in my life and I do not regret it at all. Despite the few annoying problems I’ve had with it I still feel like I lucked out and won the lottery. Fun-to-drive is the most important factor that I value in the cars I buy and I still look for excuses to drive this car. I am always looking to do a milk-run or eat out for dinner so that I can experience driving my G35 Coupe. When I get to actually race it, and I do frequently, it stands up to my abuse without a hint of objection (actually just the opposite.) Most importantly, this car still puts a very big grin on my face EVERY TIME I drive it.

Strengths:
Power, handling, performance character, looks, Infiniti support for overseas military

Weaknesses:
Cheap interior, buggy radio, fast tire wear, overactive VDC

Similar Products Used:
2004 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V

Price Paid:  $0.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 G35 Coupe Perf Pack

Summary:
This is my third post - first was in 2004 when I test drove and then in 2005. Still enjoy the car !!! Haven't grown bored of the fun factor or power. There are a lot of nice cars out there now that compete with the power and looks of the G. Infiniti is coming out with the new G in 2008 which should be interesting. I may look at trading up at some point....

Strengths:
Solid car. No major problems. Good warranty coverage (brakes included!). Holds it's value very well.

Weaknesses:
Little annoying things about the car - gas tank problems, gas cap, creaks and clunks from unusual areas.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $32000.00 from King Infiniti

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe Automatic

Summary:
I posted a review on this car on May 23, 2005. It was 11 months old and had 8,000 miles on it. It is now 2 1/2 years old and has 20,000 miles on it. Approximately 65% of my miles is city driving and the remaining 35% is highway.

I take it without fail to Jiffy Lube every 3,750 miles for an oil change and took it to the dealer at 15,000 miles for premium service as recommended in the owners manual (these are the intervals recommended for high city use). Other than these visits, I have not had any other reason to see an Inifinti technician. At the 15,000 mile service King Infiniti performed all the required checks and replaced the brake pads & rotors (no charge for the brake job as they covered it under warranty). These new pads feel better in that they are a little more forgiving than the old ones but still stop the car on a dime without any break fade on hard driving. I have only good comments about the quality & dependibility of my G35 as well as the dealership.

My job requires me to fly 5 times a year and get rental cars at these locations. Many of the rental cars are brand new or have less than 10,000 miles on them. I normally rent mid-size to premium cars of all different makes & models. Experiencing all these other cars makes me truly appreciate the feel, acceleration, handling and ride of my G35. It's always a pleasure to get home & drive my car. To the Infiniti G35 engineers, Job Well Done!

Even after 20,000 miles the car is still tight. There are no rattles; windows, doors, seats, CD/Radio all work great. Suspension still feels firm, handling and accleration has not dropped off at all.

Strengths:
Feel, acceleration, handling, looks and comfortable drivers seat. Sports car sexiness and qualities with a forgiving ride. Trust me, women love it.

Weaknesses:
16 miles to the gallon average on premium gas, but I knew that going in as majority of my driving is city and this car has 280hp.

Similar Products Used:
Corvette, Celica, Camaro, Maxima, Grand Prix, Mustang, Malibu, Charger

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
2.60 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $28000.00

Summary:
I love the way the car drive and looks. It is so fun to drive.This is the most expensive car I've ever owned...and it's been the one with the most problems, not significant engine problems, just quirky things like the gas door breaking,noise from the brakes, a belt needing to be replaced, the windows malfunctioning, and now the stereo is holding my cds captive.

Strengths:
appearance, driving, service department

Weaknesses:
stereo, brakes, windows