I love my 2003 G35 Coupe. It is a 6MT with the Brembo brakes. However, it doesn't seem to be very practical anymore. I find myself complaining about cargo space, the price of gas is high these days, and on top of that, my baby girl was just born. Also, my wife may not be getting a car for a little while, and still needs to obtain her driver's license.

The G35 needs some body work and a paint job, because it was struck in the back and back side a few times, has been keyed pretty bad, and has been egged. The structural damage may be causing the tires to wear out prematurely, as the guys at Tire Kingdom told me I needed new tires already and that the cast is way off when they were doing a re-alignment and could not be adjusted (feel free to chime in on this if you know why this may be and if I am correct about the damage causing this). Tires cost around $200 each to replace. The body work and paint job would probably cost at least $2000. All this is money that could go towards a trade-in.

I am thinking that I should trade it in for a crossover SUV, specifically the Murano because of the good cargo space and it can use regular instead of premium gas. What I don't like is that everybody and their mother has one, especially in silver. I like the FX35, but it is expensive and the cargo space is too small for me. I also would like to check out the Acura RDX, but it is also pricey, new and untested, and uses premium gas and synthetic oil because it is turbocharged.

I am pretty torn with my options. The two front tires need to be replaced ASAP, and if the structural damage is causing the alignment issues, it needs to be fixed. I could then keep it and wait for my wife to eventually get her four-door sedan, and would also be able to pull up in something nice for my wedding this December rather than having to rent something nice. My other choice is to rather than fix it up, trade it in ASAP for a something more practical, roomier, more family-oriented, and possibly uses less expensive gas. Input would be much appreciated.

 

The first paragraph sounds just like me, sans baby. My problem is that I must have a fun car, so no SUVs for me. But I don't know what you should do.

Good luck with your decision making.

 

trade it in for a evo lol, it has more trunk space...and 5 seats...that way you and your wife will be happy!!

 

You need something that is good on gas and has more room, and is realtively cheap. You sound like a perfect candidate for a Toyota Highlander. It's Mid-sized SUV, gets close to 32 MPG Hwy and they cost under $25k new. Now is the absolute BEST time to get a 2006 cause the dealers are all trying to get 2006 cars off of their lot for the 2007s. Plus it's a Toyota, so you know it will be reliable.

Brain21

 

+1 to what brain21 just said actually ...

my mother just purchased a Toyota highlander for really cheap i hear ... not sure of the exact price ... but anyways even my neighbor has it, an airplane mechanical engineer, and he loves that car to death too for its price

 

I always wonder why people always put babies as a reason to get rid of their G's. Other than for the economic reasons, the G has enough space on the rear seats to acccomodate a car seat and enough room in the trunk to carry a backpack type crib, a stroller and plenty other things at the same time. I know 'cuz I have a baby girl. If that's the only car in your house, I can partly understand because it doesnt have too much room for hauling too many grocery bags, etc. But I dunno, that's just me.

 

first, the FX35 is the same size as the Murano, so cargo space is the same.

second, if the Murano has our same VQ engine, how does it use regular 87 gas?..maybe they retarded the timing or something

 

Uh, no, the FX35 and the Murano are not the same size, inside or outside. Where did you get that idea?

Also, the Murano runs on regular fuel because it is based on the Altima FWD platform, whereas the FX is based on the G35 Coupe platform.

My GF has an FX35 that we've parked next to a murano on many occasions. The murano has a short FWD front-end that makes for more interior cargo space mostly at the rear... the FX has a long RWD front-end that eats up some space.

If you want space and practicality above performance and sporty handling (and if you're willing to consider a Highlander, then you do..), get a minivan. They are the ultimate baby-friendly vehicle, hands-down, I speak from experience. Nicer ones like the Honda Odyssey also have plenty of power and reasonable handling for their size. Look into it and test drive them along w/ the "SUVS" that are really just cars on stilts and handle like it..

 

nissan xterra or toyota fj cruiser, or suburu wrx wagon/saab 92x. bmw 3 series will also come in waggon form in 08 model year.

 

The Highlander doesn't look terribly exciting, but I may take a look at it anyway along with the Honda Pilot. I definitely don't think I would like a minivan. With the SUVs I mentioned, the Murano, FX, and RDX, I obviously would want the replacement to still look cool and have decent performance while having four doors and more cargo space. Obviously, it's also very hard to have to downgrade after having the G35.

 

Yeah.. The highlander drives like it looks. The pilot is better in that regard. A little more exciting. The RDX is SMALL.

 

You surely can't be talking about a rear facing child's seat because I know I tried to fit one in a Coupe and there was no way my wife could sit comfortably in the forward passenger seat. Even with my G35 sedan, when my son's seat was rear facing, his seat was touching both front seats. Coupes are sweet rides, but being the dedicated family hauler is not something they're good at and I can understand where this guy is coming from. The trunk on the Coupe is only 60% the size of the sedans and more importantly, the sedan trunk is much taller which allows for stowage of much larger items. I'm married and have a 2 y/o son. On our trip to FL I had a huge suitcase, large duffel bag, tool bag, a case of beer, a set of golf clubs, two laptop bags, two bags of diapers, four bags of groceries, beach toys, a fullsize pillow, and booster chair all placed in the trunk:





I guess you could place articles in the cabin, but in a wreck, they become projectiles which is not something I'm willing to risk. I have a friend that is now mentally disabled because his laptop bag hit him in the head during a wreck. If the bag would have been in the trunk, he would have walked away.

 

RDX gets 23 mpg hwy, max. Thats a lot worse than the G.

You need to decide WHY you want a new car, and do some math. The RDX will also START at $32k+

You want cheap gas, but a high priced car? Others mentioned a 3-series wagon. Thats not cheap, gets worse than G gas mileage, and will likely only want mid or premium grade gas.

The FX is MORE expensivce than the G35 coupe, and gets WORSE gas mileage.

You seem to be at odds with yourself and what you REALLY want (as well as those offering suggestions).

Why want cheaper gas, and then waste away the savings on a pricier car? You want cheaper gas as if it is a budget concern. So you save $40/month or maybe a little more in gas, and then you get a car that is more expensive, and you are spending that $40 and then some on payments for a more expensive car cause the cheaper ones just are not to your liking.

If you want something somewhat stylish & relatively cheap, check out what Mazda has to offer. That new CX-7 is actually realy cool up cose and inside (get leather - Mazda cloth seats SUCK). I only gets 18/24 MPG however. It's Mazda, so it should be at least as reliable as the G35 if not better.

The Mazda3 5-door with the 2.3 liter engine gets 32mpg hwy! It has a realy nice interior, so long as you get leather, and it actually has, IMHO, cooler looking guages than the Infinity, or even many other cars including the BMWs. The Dash/center console is pretty nice too.

If the 2.3 engine isn't peppy enough for you, there is the MazdaSpeed3 which is a turbo-charged version with a few different options. It has 263hp iirc, and it might be a lighter car than the G35. Check them out.

Brain21

 

My wife had a Pilot before we traded it for an Odyssey. I haven't looked at them in a while, but the '03's didn't have enought A/C in the rear (we live in the Palm Springs area though 120 in the summer). Also it was harder for the kids to get in with its higher step in height (this is with most SUV's). It was great other than these problems and got pretty good gas mileage. We found (much to our chagrin) that a minivan is better for a family than an SUV.

 

MazdaSpeed3 FTW! fast! and it is a wagon!