I'm kind of at a crossroads. I currently own an early 2003 5AT Emerald Mist sedan, and I love this damned car....except for the transmission and gas mileage. It'll be paid off in a few months, and I've gotta decide what I'm going to do. I hate that it gets driven a few times a month because of its gas mileage. Unless I'm driving extremely conservatively on the highway, it typically sees 14-17 MPG. Part of this has to do with my aggressive driving, which I have no intention of stopping. That being said, I love everything else about the car.

In a few months, my rent will become 1/4 of what it is now, and the G35 will be paid off. This will free up a metric ****ton of mod money.

Of course, the logical question is "Ghetto Jack, what will you be using the car for?" Well, I'll be driving it every day until winter hits. Next summer I plan to move to the San Francisco Bay area, so foul weather won't be a concern. It'll be used for daily driving, road trips, and dangerous shenanigans on rural roads. I have an immaculate, bone stock Datsun 510 four-door fastback that can handle any hauling of people and things, so space isn't a factor. I drive a LOT. I've put 13k on the 510 alone since February 2012.

Here are my three choices:

1. Keep the G35 and pay a reputable Z/G specialist shop to convert it to 6MT. Yes, I know it's cheaper and easier to just sell it and buy a manual sedan. I just don't care. Emerald Mist is pretty, and I think the likelihood of a reputable Z/G specialist successfully completing this swap is better than a body shop getting such a unique color right. Plus, I've had a lot of memories in this car, and it holds a ton of sentimental value. My hesitation stems from two questions: will the gas mileage get any better with a 6MT? And do I really want to risk putting the car down for such a project? When I was in the DSM world, I had terrible experiences at the most respected DSM shop on earth...how do I know I won't have the same experience?

2. Sell the G35 and get a Mazdaspeed Miata. I love convertibles, I love Miatas, and to me, the MSM is the ultimate expression of a Miata. I've owned several Miatas, and loved them. I've only sold them because of past financial hardships. I'm only hesitant because I don't know if it'll get any better mileage than the G35, and the MSM only revs to 6500 RPM.

3. Sell the G35 and get an AP1 S2000. I absolutely love the look of these cars, and they seem like a good "middle ground" between a G/Z and a Miata. The interiors are nicer, they rev to 9K, make a lot more power than the Miata, and the trunk is significantly more useful. However, they have a tail-happy personality (compared to the wonderfully neutral personality of my G35 and a Miata), they seem less reliable (there are always S2K's for sale cheaply with bad engines), they have no low-end power or torque, and insurance is higher. And frankly, the Hondas I've had always run terribly at higher mileage. I've had several 200k+ mile Hondas, which all burned more oil than a rotary, and had eleventy billion nagging nickel-and-dime problems. I know it's silly to compare $1000 cars to $10,000 cars, but the average 200k Nissan, Mazda, or Infiniti I've owned has been a "change the oil and never have to fix anything" car, whereas the average 200k Honda I've owned has been a more obscene money pit than even my DSMs.

The weirdest thing: they all get almost exactly the same gas mileage: 19-20 city, 26-27 highway. That being said, the EPA must have been on hallucinogens to rate a G35 at that MPG. Anyone know what an S2000 or MSM gets in the real world?

Thanks.

 

Whats the mileage on the G? And 14 mpg? That must be some really aggressive driving...

 

105k. Bone stock, oil changed every 3k with Mobil 1 and an OEM Nissan filter. No oil consumption or other issues. And it's very, very aggressive. The way I see it, if we wanted to drive sensibly, we'd have all bought Lexus ES's instead, right?

 

Hmm...if you drive extremely aggressively I would think your MPG won't be much better...I haven't had any real world experience with their MPGs though...maybe a civic Si? That should be fun and give you ample mpg.

 

I'd never drive a Civic unless it was to flip for a profit. I hate those damned cars. I'm very picky about FWD cars.

 

If you drive extremely aggressively you'd probably never be at ideal MPG anyway

 

Of course. All I really want is mid 20's in combined driving. No matter how hard I beat on my old Miatas, they always got 28-32 combined. 22-28 would be acceptable to me.

 

One of my good buddies has an ap2 s2000, stock except for an exhaust. He hovers right around the 20mpg mark with mixed hwy/city driving (aggressive at rare open road moments). With this car, you won't see great mpg because you need to keep the revs higher (relatively) to get the car moving since there is limited low end torque. So even when you're not gunning it or meaning to drive aggressive, your searching for power which lands you in the higher rpms anyway

 

I drive a 2005 g35 6mt sedan, and I've driven my brother's s2k some. I don't think the s2k is that much more tail happy than the g35. The s2k is more balanced to the rear, so I think it is true it is easier to get it to over rotate on breaking and corner entry, but I feel like since it's such a lighter car, and such a good chasis, it's easier to keep under control than the g35. A quick flick on the steering and squeeze the gas and the car drives like a go-kart. And it doesn't have too much torque, so it's easier to control throttle over too. The g35 (or maybe it's my worn out suspension), does understeer quite a bit more under corner entry, but i feel like the rear can snap out on you much quicker if you don't get on the gas right or if you lift.

I would say if you really are concerned about it being tail happy, why not consider the ap2 and leave the traction control on?

 

That's a very valid point.

What sort of MPG do you get from the 6MT sedan?

 

I normally get around 18-20. Drive somewhat aggressively, but not too bad and i don't like wearing my clutch. Now that my break fluid is dangerously low i'm getting like 22 mpg.

 

keep the G find some 1 local who's has a parts or wreck a 6mt and everything cheap off of him. Thats what i did spend 850 for everything i need and labor runs around 1500-2200 where im at the moment .... s2000's are fun but feel like a go cart they about just as fast a g35 gas is a lil better if you dont drive to hard

 

also if you have bad gas milage try see foaming it out some in the vaccum lines ,gas tank and oil 500miles before you change it and drving a lil less hard i drive spirted and i get 17-19 when i drive regular i get 19-21

 

My choice w/b the S2K, that's a major fun car to drive but would it survive the Ghetto?
Gary