Hi Gang,

New to the forum and not an owner. I am considering buying a used G35 and have a few questions about options/equipment on different model years and coupe vs. sedan. I currently own an 01 Maxima SE and I loved the car when I bought it about 10 years ago. I wanted a stick, but settled for an automagic when I got antsy and didn;t want to wait for one with a stick with only the options I wanted. I currently have about 165k miles on it and it still looks decent and runs decent. Obviously I am the type that buys a car and keeps it forever.

Some of the other cars on my short list are the Subaru Outback or WRX and the Mazdaspeed 3. I want to spend under $20k and I have 3 kids, so I need some room in the back. I also now have only a 10 mile one way commute to work. I like the fun factor of all of these cars, though I haven't driven any of them.

I have always loved the sportiness and luxury of the G35 since they were first introduced. I had the poster of the red coupe hanging in my office way back when. I really like the years/models that have that spoiler type thing. It makes the car IMO. Is that part of the Aero package or is that just on coupes or certain years? If so, which model/year?

Is there a place where I can see all of the different model years side by side with changes in equipment/options for the year?


Are all of the autos the same or are only certain models equipped with the paddle shifter auto-manual?

How does the auto manual shift? Obviously it is not as fun as the manual, but it seems like many are happy with these transmissions.

I saw that the autos have more HP than the manuals. Is this all years or does the auto always have more juice? Why did Infiniti make the sportier manual coupes with less power?

Are there any model years that are less desirable or have more glitches than others?

What is a good place to shop for a used G? I have been checking cars.com, autotrader, and Fleabay.

Anything else I should know or look out for?

I know I sound like a 3 year old with all of these "Daddy, why is the sky blue" type of questions, but I'd appreciate any help.

Gregg

 

This website will tell you the features for each model year: http://infinitihelp.com/models/2007/g35_coupe/

You could get a rear spoiler on any year coupe, though they did revise the spoiler in 2006. For the 2003 - 2005 model years, the rear spoiler extended past the edges of the trunk and over the rear quarter panels...sometimes referred to as the ironing board or surfboard spoiler on these forums. For the 2006 - 2007 model years, the rear spoiler only went the width of the trunk.

I believe all 5AT coupes come with the automanual. The biggest complaint most people have with the automanual is that it doesn't respond quick enough to driver input; there's a slight delay. Some claim that having a grounding kit installed gave them quicker shifts in automanual mode.

I think you have the power thing reversed between the 5AT and 6MT. The manuals are the ones that had a slightly higher power output compared to the autos.

One of the biggest issues is the oil consumption issue on the Rev-up motors. The Rev-up motor came on 2005 - 2007 6MT models. Search these forums and you'll find tons of information on the oil consumption issue. A good number of owners had to get their engine replaced because of excessive oil consumption. Dealerships *should* do this for you at no charge if the car is still under warranty.

Other things to consider...

The interior was updated in 2005.

Brembo brakes were only an option in 2003 - 2004. They were no longer available in 2005+ models.

2006+ models added an option for the sport front bumper and side skirts...a small aesthetic difference from the previous years.

2006+ came with projector headlamps...2003 - 2005 had reflector headlamps.

2006+ tail lights were slightly different than previous years.

The 19" Rays forged wheels were an option for 2005+ models

I found my coupe on Autotrader. They seemed to have a ton of G35s listed for the LA area.

One more thing you should know is that the rear headroom in the coupe sucks. That might be important to you if you plan on having backseat passengers often.

 

i'm pretty sure all of them are automanual. when i was looking at craigslsit listings, for some reason people were listing them like an option. but I just can't see a car like this without one. the grounding kit... i felt a difference, but that was also before i discovered ecu resetting. so maybe that was it. there's a delay, but there are ways to make it better. like... shift kits and whatnot.

i actually bought my G from craigslist. i found a beaut, and i really lucked out because the seller not only didn't sell me a dud, but he also didn't turn out to be a craigslist murderer or anything. always take it to get checked out. I borrowed a used G from an acura (who said it was fine) and took it to an infiniti a half block down the street for an inspection. said it needed like 5k in repairs.

you probably won't get a coupe if you want people in the back. but if you do, please sit in the back. i didn't before i bought mine, and i never understood why everyone was fighting for shotgun so hard.

BUT! if you do end up getting a coupe, and it does end up being wingless i'll trade ya my wingless trunk :P

 

Thanks guys. I've been looking on Craigslist also. I'm just in the preliminary stages of looking now, but I think if I test drive one I'll get the itch pretty quick. I did stop at a few dealerships today while I was out and saw a few at an Inifiniti dealer, but they werre very new models (07+) that would not be in my price range. I'd like to stay under $20K. I saw the red one that redwillow recently sold and I'd love to get my hands on one in that shape for that price.

 

dealerships will mark it up a LOT. i honestly got mine for a steal. 64k 03 for 13.7k USD. and its definitely not a dud, after all this time.

good place to look is in the marketplace here. a lot of people are leaving the G community, unfortunately. and there is a long paper trail on their progress on forums