G35 vs C5 (Corvette)

[jmX]

Got a new 06 G35 Coupe this past weekend, 6MT model, to use as a daily driver and all around nice car. My "fun" car is a 99 Corvette with a few mods to bring it to 475hp or so (at the engine).

This weekend I took the new G out to the local twisty roads and threw it around in the corners to get a feel for it. I was pleasantly suprised that it was not all that bad.

First there's the handling....benchmarking it against my C5 (which has Z06 suspension parts) I'd say it was about 90% as good....like I said, I was impressed. Felt fairly stable....didn't feel confident enough with it yet to get the corner out or really see if it understeered when pushed hard. Give me another week Definitly could tell this car is a little heaver and a little higher up, but hey, its a luxury coupe right?

Then there's the acceleration, which I do say is pretty uninspired. This is probably the slowest car acceleration-wise I've had in 5-6 years, but its ok. I didn't buy the car for drag racing, so its not a big deal to me. Doubt i'll mod it either, seems like it'd take way too many mods to make it at all fast, and I want to keep the warranty.

The interior I'm a bit torn on...people say american interiors are crap, and to some extent that is true, but the G35 interior is certainly nothing to write home about either. We all agree this is on the low end price-wise in the luxury scale, so again, no complaints. Probably on par with the C5, maybe a tad nicer.

Features and toys...hrm, the C5 has a HUD, a targa roof, active handling, active steering. The G35 has HID lighting (right? I'm new to this car...dunno the new lingo), sunroof, NAV, some sort of active handing/braking, and stock 19's. I say its a tie, although I'd kill to have a hud and targa top on the G35.

Transmission/engine feel, the C5 blows the G35 away. I feel like I'm playing with some sort of toy shifter connected to the tranny with rubber bands...is there a fix for this? Last time I felt a shifter this bad it was in a bone stock WRX....the WRX community has poly bushings they put in to replace the stock rubber ones...maybe we've got something similar? The throw of the 6 speed shifter is fine, I just want more of a feel to it. Its very sloppy. The clutch is also super light, the brake pedal is super light.....getting into my C5 now feels like a tank when I use the brakes, clutch, and shifter....much more industrial race-car feeling I guess.

Finally, there's the looks. This is something everybody will judge for themselves. Me, I'm 100% torn between the two and I'll just have love them both the same for now.



Overall, I love both cars and am happy with each. For being 10k cheaper than a C5 and being more of a luxury-sports coupe rather than a sports car, the G35 holds its own.

[JDM 350GT]

nice cars there.
starting 06 model, it comes with projectors compare to previous models which is good
how much you pushing to the wheels? (corvette)

[Houston G]

I just got a blk 06' 6MT G35c because of the back seat for my 1 yr. old girl. Really wanted the C6 and C5 (the leather quality really sucks and no back seat) or the M3 (waiting for the next generation model).

Very sweat- having both the G and C5. However, I used to own 2 cars and didn't work out esp. if it is an older model. You will tend to favor 1 more than the other; thus, neglect and insufficient driving milage will ruin the vehicle.

[giddyup69]

nice write up. i also used to own a c5 (i actually owned a '98 and an '01). the '01 i had had some work done to it as well. i agree with most of your post except the features part. i think the corvette blows this car away. i have an '05 with no navi.. and the dash computer system on the vette alone blows anything on my G's dash. one thing i've been missing heavily is the hud. i think every car should have this as an option. i absolutely loved that thing. also to be perfectly honest, i like the shifter on my G a lot more then my vette's. it's fairly crisp and has a short throw compared to the vette's tractor like long throws. otherwise i agree that the vette's tranny and clutch felt much more stable and sturdy. enjoy the rides... overall they're both great for their respective uses!

[Z06ified]

I agree - nice writeup.

I had almost the EXACT same observation on the handling when I got my G 2.5 years ago and compared it to my Z06. About 90% of the handling. Would probably be 100% if it weighed 400 lbs. less and had the same tires as the Z06.

Oh, and the G definitely understeers at the limit. Take it to the track like I did, and you'll see it plows like a pig. It's no big deal though - nothing that couldn't be dialed out with some suspension modifications like adjustable sway bars.

I agree with giddyup though on the shifter - I like the feel of the G35's shifter much better than the Vette's. Feel is subjective though. The clutch on the Vette is much better, and the durability of the tranny has also proven to be much better in the Vette.

Two other observations I've noticed: steering feel is better in the G35 (more feedback, better weighting), and the ride in the Vette is surprisingly better and more compliant even though it handles better.

Two different types of cars, but both great in their respective segments, and arguably best in class, and certainly best bang for the buck in each of their segments.

[Deang35c6]

Features and toys...hrm, the C5 has a HUD, a targa roof, active handling, active steering. The G35 has HID lighting (right? I'm new to this car...dunno the new lingo), sunroof, NAV, some sort of active handing/braking, and stock 19's. I say its a tie, although I'd kill to have a hud and targa top on the G35.

A tie? I would take the sunroof, MP3, SAT, projector HIDs, Bluetooth, Nav, and 6 cd in dash over the hud anyday, but that's just me. I would give up performance over luxury anyday. I guess I want my cake and to eat it too. That's why I'm going FI.

[AVJunkie]

Nice writeup. I owned three different C5s ('01 Coupe, '00 Convertible & '04 Convertible) before buying my '05 G35 Coupe. I hated to see the Vette go but I needed a back seat for my 2.5 year old. I'm very happy with the G but will definitely own another Vette in the future when I can have one as a second car.

The thing that I probably miss most from my Vettes is the HUD. I agree that every car should have one.

[Z06ified]

Originally Posted by Deang35c6

A tie? I would take the sunroof, MP3, SAT, projector HIDs, Bluetooth, Nav, and 6 cd in dash over the hud anyday, but that's just me. I would give up performance over luxury anyday. I guess I want my cake and to eat it too. That's why I'm going FI.

All of those features you mentioned can be easily added to a C5 (or pretty much any car for that matter) with aftermarket accessories. Adding a HUD to a G35 (or any car) would be extremely difficult to impossible.

But you said it yourself: you would rather have luxury over performance, and that's you. I'm the opposite: I would rather have performance over luxury.

When you experience the HUD in person, especially on the track, you might appreciate it more as a really nice feature.