My G Experience
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Joined: Feb 2012
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From: Nevada, USA
My G Experience
The following is intended to help newer members who are not sure if a G is a good car for them. It contains a little bit of my background as well as my experience and personal inputs on daily driving a G35.
My background
My dad owned an ’85 Beige Ram 1500 since I could remember. At four years old we would drive down the street, him telling me “Put it in 2nd, put it in 3rd, shift into 4th” and I put it in perfect position every time.
We worked on a ’67 Manx style buggy from the bottom up around the time I was eight years old and that same year I did my first burn out in a car with a manual transmission in the backyard. The clutch had been mastered.
At 16 I had my driver’s license and drove around in my mother’s 02 Isuzu Rodeo all the way through high school and a bit beyond.
Deciding on the G
At the tender age of 19 years old I had been through three semesters of IT courses at the local community college and was able to land an entry level job with a local company. The entry level wage, $15.00/hr.
“A house!” my mother insisted, “A family friendly or at least more spacious vehicle” my father suggested. “A car for, four tiny people?” my then girlfriend now wife questioned.
With a yearly wage of $31,200 – nearly no debts other than a few student loans and my parents not thrashing my paychecks for silly things such as rent and food, I could have purchased whatever I would have liked.
A dealer in town had a 2006 G35 6MT in the graphite grey (WV2 paint code) I lived for with a black interior. The car had what I felt was whopping 85,XXX miles alongside a few dents and scratches.
I drove down the dealership with my father to look at the thing; the asking price back in January 2012 was around $17,500. Not too shabby considering the level of payment I wanted, despite it being for six a year loan term on a car that was already six years old.
I did what I thought was smart; I drove the car and walked away. Two days later, before I could get back to the dealership to make the purchase, it was gone.
That moment hurt so bad as only a man itching for his first car could understand, a spoiled man that is.
I scoured high and low and found CarMax had quite a few models which matched my criteria: RWD, close to or at least 300hp, manual transmission, classy. My answer finally came in the form of a 2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT in WV2, like I wanted with 59K miles and a brand spanking new set of tires. The only option missing was the black interior, instead it is greyish/beige color.
The payment is upwards of $380 a month, which was what I absolutely did not want. The insurance cost? It started at $190 a month for full coverage with All-State while on my parent’s insurance. Over the course of three years, it had dropped down to $160 because I am still only 22 years old. The ironic thing is that the insurance companies have tried to raise my insurance premiums on a claim that since I have not been pulled over a single time in 7 years, I am now much more likely to.
Lesson learned: you may be able to calculate costs on paper or in your mind, but it’s different when you are actually looking to living with the expenses on a day to day basis.
Do I regret it for the month to month cost? I regret not putting down a bigger down payment, this is something that happens on every single you ever finance. I am a bit underwater now, like you are with every car you ever finance. Calculate this when you look to make your purchase.
I know Gs have depreciated quite a bit, so this may no longer be a factor, but take it into account.
What problems has my G given me?
Within 40 days of driving my G as a DD the clutch started to slip… this is a wear and tear item. Thankfully CarMax showed accountability and they took care of the issue for me.
While I took my car into the shop to have clutch checked on, the oil pan seal was bad and it was replaced under CarMax’s warranty. So were the tie rod bushings (very common problem).
The engine burns about 1 quart of oil per 5,000 miles. Simple fix: change the oil more often; I now do it at 3,500 miles.
What is routine maintenance on my G?
A set of windshield wipers. I live where the summer temperatures are easily upwards of 110 degrees.
I’ve gone through a set of brake pads and rotors (after three years I sit at 86,XXX miles). I went for the AutoZone Duralast Gold rotors and pads as they come with lifetime warranty, just take the old ones back and get a new set whenever your brakes go bad.
I just placed an order for a new set of Bridgestone Potenza 970AS Pole Position tires. The original equipment tires (Bridgestone Potenza RE050A) are very expensive and wear out very quickly due to their ultra-high performance rating. For day to day driver who has never seen the track, these aren’t necessary. If your car does come with these, keep an eye on the inside of your tires as our cars are known for feathering and wearing out the inside of the tire. I thought mine were fine but found that there were pretty big missing chunks of rubber on the inside. Expect to buy new tires about every 30,000 miles on this beast.
I’m going to get a new windshield today. I drove to see some friends over the weekend in 13 degree weather and was hit by a rock chip which put a pretty good crack in my windshield.
What are annoyances with my G?
The seat belts are pretty bad. They tend to twist and get all messy in the guider-majig.
The driver’s side window’s motor tends to act quirky at time times and refuses to hold the window up all the way. This usually can be fixed by cleaning some components but I’ve never quite gotten around to it and it usually fixes itself.
There is always a tear on the driver’s seat on the side towards the back, very annoying.
The trunk sometimes refuses to open and I need to turn the car on then off for the trunk to open. I am sure there is a fix, but it has only done it a couple of times so I am not sure what happened.
When going through the carwash water always gets caught up in the both the rear spoiler and the mirror so even after you towel dry and it looks great, water will eventually drip. GRRR!!!
You have to yank the e-brake up to the heavens for you not to feel like if your car will go sliding down a hill.
I can fit exactly 1 case of beer in my trunk… not literally but come on, it’s tiny compared to even a Mustang or a 325i.
What do I love about my G?
It looks awesome.
It sounds awesome. The exhaust note is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard, even stock.
It has an awesome A/C for the summer and better heater for the winter.
It has never failed to start or just flat out said no.
No electrical or sensor issues that I’ve encountered like what buddies in 325i’s or even A4s have experienced (dude the A4 can’t even do donuts)
The traction control can save your life.
Removing the traction control can give you life.
My buddy bought a Dodge Dart and tried to keep up with me in light to light driving (not drag racing, but I tend to not play around at red lights when it turns green until I reach the speed limit) and it was not even close.
He told me his dart gets 24mpg in city driving.... I get 19.4mpg city…. And I could do donuts.
I once was in 6th gear on a road trip and simply squeezed the gas gently and went from 65mph to 135mph and it felt as if nothing was happening around me.. I did eventually notice that the few cars on the road doing 65mph+ looked like they were standing still so I decided to slow down and never ever do that again… Don’t do it, not worth your car, your safety, safety of others a ticket and/or insurance increase…. Seriously…
There are faster cars out there, especially for the younger generation who look at Subbys or Evos, but for the balance of power, economy and luxury, this is your match.
Although it is a coupe, the back seat is quite “usable”. I’ve had a 5’10 adult (not too hefty) sit in the back for smaller trips and they were fine (like to the gas station). I wouldn’t recommend for anyone bigger or
The bottom line:
At times I question the decision to having bought this particular vehicle. I now am a very active person, but at the time the sedentary lifestyle of a HelpDesk job and life full of online classes, I found myself hitting drive-thru after drive thru. My clothes fit me every time a bit tighter. I gained 60+lbs and when I realized it I started to make changes in my lifestyle.
Lifestyle changes meant more sports, more hiking, more camping. I’ve now got a dirtbike, mountain bike and a few other toys which require room to transport them. I’m at the mercy of either my father’s pickup truck or my wife’s XJ. So if you’re looking to be very active and don’t have a second car to do those things in, think twice or maybe even think sedan for the more usable trunk…. Or be stubborn like I was and buy it anyways.
These have been my experiences with my G however, overall a great one. I’ve owned and driven my dream car for about three years now. I cannot say anything overly negative about it. They say don’t meet your heroes because they let you down, but the G has always been there when I needed her most and she had never said no.
My background
My dad owned an ’85 Beige Ram 1500 since I could remember. At four years old we would drive down the street, him telling me “Put it in 2nd, put it in 3rd, shift into 4th” and I put it in perfect position every time.
We worked on a ’67 Manx style buggy from the bottom up around the time I was eight years old and that same year I did my first burn out in a car with a manual transmission in the backyard. The clutch had been mastered.
At 16 I had my driver’s license and drove around in my mother’s 02 Isuzu Rodeo all the way through high school and a bit beyond.
Deciding on the G
At the tender age of 19 years old I had been through three semesters of IT courses at the local community college and was able to land an entry level job with a local company. The entry level wage, $15.00/hr.
“A house!” my mother insisted, “A family friendly or at least more spacious vehicle” my father suggested. “A car for, four tiny people?” my then girlfriend now wife questioned.
With a yearly wage of $31,200 – nearly no debts other than a few student loans and my parents not thrashing my paychecks for silly things such as rent and food, I could have purchased whatever I would have liked.
A dealer in town had a 2006 G35 6MT in the graphite grey (WV2 paint code) I lived for with a black interior. The car had what I felt was whopping 85,XXX miles alongside a few dents and scratches.
I drove down the dealership with my father to look at the thing; the asking price back in January 2012 was around $17,500. Not too shabby considering the level of payment I wanted, despite it being for six a year loan term on a car that was already six years old.
I did what I thought was smart; I drove the car and walked away. Two days later, before I could get back to the dealership to make the purchase, it was gone.
That moment hurt so bad as only a man itching for his first car could understand, a spoiled man that is.
I scoured high and low and found CarMax had quite a few models which matched my criteria: RWD, close to or at least 300hp, manual transmission, classy. My answer finally came in the form of a 2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT in WV2, like I wanted with 59K miles and a brand spanking new set of tires. The only option missing was the black interior, instead it is greyish/beige color.
The payment is upwards of $380 a month, which was what I absolutely did not want. The insurance cost? It started at $190 a month for full coverage with All-State while on my parent’s insurance. Over the course of three years, it had dropped down to $160 because I am still only 22 years old. The ironic thing is that the insurance companies have tried to raise my insurance premiums on a claim that since I have not been pulled over a single time in 7 years, I am now much more likely to.
Lesson learned: you may be able to calculate costs on paper or in your mind, but it’s different when you are actually looking to living with the expenses on a day to day basis.
Do I regret it for the month to month cost? I regret not putting down a bigger down payment, this is something that happens on every single you ever finance. I am a bit underwater now, like you are with every car you ever finance. Calculate this when you look to make your purchase.
I know Gs have depreciated quite a bit, so this may no longer be a factor, but take it into account.
What problems has my G given me?
Within 40 days of driving my G as a DD the clutch started to slip… this is a wear and tear item. Thankfully CarMax showed accountability and they took care of the issue for me.
While I took my car into the shop to have clutch checked on, the oil pan seal was bad and it was replaced under CarMax’s warranty. So were the tie rod bushings (very common problem).
The engine burns about 1 quart of oil per 5,000 miles. Simple fix: change the oil more often; I now do it at 3,500 miles.
What is routine maintenance on my G?
A set of windshield wipers. I live where the summer temperatures are easily upwards of 110 degrees.
I’ve gone through a set of brake pads and rotors (after three years I sit at 86,XXX miles). I went for the AutoZone Duralast Gold rotors and pads as they come with lifetime warranty, just take the old ones back and get a new set whenever your brakes go bad.
I just placed an order for a new set of Bridgestone Potenza 970AS Pole Position tires. The original equipment tires (Bridgestone Potenza RE050A) are very expensive and wear out very quickly due to their ultra-high performance rating. For day to day driver who has never seen the track, these aren’t necessary. If your car does come with these, keep an eye on the inside of your tires as our cars are known for feathering and wearing out the inside of the tire. I thought mine were fine but found that there were pretty big missing chunks of rubber on the inside. Expect to buy new tires about every 30,000 miles on this beast.
I’m going to get a new windshield today. I drove to see some friends over the weekend in 13 degree weather and was hit by a rock chip which put a pretty good crack in my windshield.
What are annoyances with my G?
The seat belts are pretty bad. They tend to twist and get all messy in the guider-majig.
The driver’s side window’s motor tends to act quirky at time times and refuses to hold the window up all the way. This usually can be fixed by cleaning some components but I’ve never quite gotten around to it and it usually fixes itself.
There is always a tear on the driver’s seat on the side towards the back, very annoying.
The trunk sometimes refuses to open and I need to turn the car on then off for the trunk to open. I am sure there is a fix, but it has only done it a couple of times so I am not sure what happened.
When going through the carwash water always gets caught up in the both the rear spoiler and the mirror so even after you towel dry and it looks great, water will eventually drip. GRRR!!!
You have to yank the e-brake up to the heavens for you not to feel like if your car will go sliding down a hill.
I can fit exactly 1 case of beer in my trunk… not literally but come on, it’s tiny compared to even a Mustang or a 325i.
What do I love about my G?
It looks awesome.
It sounds awesome. The exhaust note is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard, even stock.
It has an awesome A/C for the summer and better heater for the winter.
It has never failed to start or just flat out said no.
No electrical or sensor issues that I’ve encountered like what buddies in 325i’s or even A4s have experienced (dude the A4 can’t even do donuts)
The traction control can save your life.
Removing the traction control can give you life.
My buddy bought a Dodge Dart and tried to keep up with me in light to light driving (not drag racing, but I tend to not play around at red lights when it turns green until I reach the speed limit) and it was not even close.
He told me his dart gets 24mpg in city driving.... I get 19.4mpg city…. And I could do donuts.
I once was in 6th gear on a road trip and simply squeezed the gas gently and went from 65mph to 135mph and it felt as if nothing was happening around me.. I did eventually notice that the few cars on the road doing 65mph+ looked like they were standing still so I decided to slow down and never ever do that again… Don’t do it, not worth your car, your safety, safety of others a ticket and/or insurance increase…. Seriously…
There are faster cars out there, especially for the younger generation who look at Subbys or Evos, but for the balance of power, economy and luxury, this is your match.
Although it is a coupe, the back seat is quite “usable”. I’ve had a 5’10 adult (not too hefty) sit in the back for smaller trips and they were fine (like to the gas station). I wouldn’t recommend for anyone bigger or
The bottom line:
At times I question the decision to having bought this particular vehicle. I now am a very active person, but at the time the sedentary lifestyle of a HelpDesk job and life full of online classes, I found myself hitting drive-thru after drive thru. My clothes fit me every time a bit tighter. I gained 60+lbs and when I realized it I started to make changes in my lifestyle.
Lifestyle changes meant more sports, more hiking, more camping. I’ve now got a dirtbike, mountain bike and a few other toys which require room to transport them. I’m at the mercy of either my father’s pickup truck or my wife’s XJ. So if you’re looking to be very active and don’t have a second car to do those things in, think twice or maybe even think sedan for the more usable trunk…. Or be stubborn like I was and buy it anyways.
These have been my experiences with my G however, overall a great one. I’ve owned and driven my dream car for about three years now. I cannot say anything overly negative about it. They say don’t meet your heroes because they let you down, but the G has always been there when I needed her most and she had never said no.
Last edited by cmaster; Nov 19, 2014 at 03:55 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 45
Likes: 9
From: Nevada, USA
Yeah I figure'd it be a short somewhere. I found how to lower my back seats from the inside of the vehicle on G35driver actually, a time when I had to get my work equipment out of the trunk but it refused to open. Thank goodness for the iPhone. I've been a member for some time but have just never really gotten around to posting much.
Yeah I figure'd it be a short somewhere. I found how to lower my back seats from the inside of the vehicle on G35driver actually, a time when I had to get my work equipment out of the trunk but it refused to open. Thank goodness for the iPhone. I've been a member for some time but have just never really gotten around to posting much.
.
Good read. I think you could've saved yourself a few thousand dollars if you went with an 05 instead. Not much changes really from an 05 to 06.
I think you're definitely paying a lot monthly for the financing and insurance. But that is due to the price and also your younger age. I pay about $140 to insure my 2 cars (a 04 Toyota Camry and 05 G35coupe full coverage on both including Uninsured Motorist). But Infiniti's are not cheap cars so you gotta pay to play..
I feel your pain for sure with the expensive maintenance cost on this car. But I thought of it this way: its a nice and sporty luxury car. Not a Corolla or Dart or other cheaper vehicle. I think the G35 is even nicer than some of the BMW 3 Series cars out there, and it the styling is timeless on the G. I almost bought a BMW 328i before finding the G35. And now looking back on the BMW, the G35 is definitely a better car.
The way I see it, its the closest you can get to having a Skyline GTR without having to pay $80k for one
Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience!
I think you're definitely paying a lot monthly for the financing and insurance. But that is due to the price and also your younger age. I pay about $140 to insure my 2 cars (a 04 Toyota Camry and 05 G35coupe full coverage on both including Uninsured Motorist). But Infiniti's are not cheap cars so you gotta pay to play..
I feel your pain for sure with the expensive maintenance cost on this car. But I thought of it this way: its a nice and sporty luxury car. Not a Corolla or Dart or other cheaper vehicle. I think the G35 is even nicer than some of the BMW 3 Series cars out there, and it the styling is timeless on the G. I almost bought a BMW 328i before finding the G35. And now looking back on the BMW, the G35 is definitely a better car.
The way I see it, its the closest you can get to having a Skyline GTR without having to pay $80k for one
Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience!
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From: Nevada, USA
That's right we have to pay to play. However, since I do my own maintenance the only painful thing was really the unexpected tires I had to buy last week. This is definitely a reliable car, a Nissan at its core.
*edit*
Make sure you periodically check your tires for feathering as it is not only common, but a pain when you didn't realize your inner tire was completely worn down. It's also an inconvenience because most shops don't stock the staggered 225/40/19 fronts and 245/40/19 rears and if they do its usually some crap you know nothing about. So keep that in the back of your mind.
*edit*
Make sure you periodically check your tires for feathering as it is not only common, but a pain when you didn't realize your inner tire was completely worn down. It's also an inconvenience because most shops don't stock the staggered 225/40/19 fronts and 245/40/19 rears and if they do its usually some crap you know nothing about. So keep that in the back of your mind.
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From: Nevada, USA
Well I'm not sure if feathering is the right term, I did get (do math of 86-59 here) almost 30k out of the potenza re050's which is pretty good for such sticky tires. Just annoying that mostly the inner tire gets worn.
And about my bumper.... That's part of why I got the '06.... That and the reverse lights look sleeker to me.
And about my bumper.... That's part of why I got the '06.... That and the reverse lights look sleeker to me.
Feathering is the right term. With bad camber, you're still gonna be getting the same life out of the tires. Its bad toe that eats tires. However, with that extreme camber, you're really only riding on that 2-3 inches of tire. We all have/had this prob and I'll tell you what, when its corrected and you're finally getting full use of the tire...wow. Its night and day. It feels like a much higher end car.
Spc, SPL and kinetix (v2) all make great front kits. My favorite is the kinetix v2. Its the most cost effective, has the most adjustment, easiest to adjust, cheapest replacement ball joints, and its a set it and forget it piece. Once you dial in the camber, it can't move. However, if you're lowered too much the adjustment lugs look like they could hit the tire. I'm on eibach pro kit with no probs.
For the rear, eibach or spc are the only way to go, and spc toe bolts are necessary. Not sure of a single thread that would cover all this, but just googling the parts and visiting a few threads should clear things up.
For the rear, eibach or spc are the only way to go, and spc toe bolts are necessary. Not sure of a single thread that would cover all this, but just googling the parts and visiting a few threads should clear things up.
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From: Nevada, USA
I think I'll pass on the kit, my car isn't lowered nor do I plan to lower it so I think that'll be likely be an extreme. If Nissan rolled them off the lot like this and never issued a recall then it'll be good enough for me.
The flipping is an interesting idea though.
The flipping is an interesting idea though.
