Hi folks, I'm new to the forums, looking forward to some good discussion. I hope this is the right forum for this topic. I picked it since it mostly relates to my love of the coupe.

Anyways, I'm 21, live in Key West, FL and I help run my family's business (a dairy queen). As a Bonus my parents are going to help me get a new car, and the three that I'm looking at are the three in the topic. I have roughly a 30,000 sticker price limit to work with. With that Money I can get a pretty well equipped RX-8 or G35 sedan, or I can get a barebones G35 coupe (willow cloth, and twighlight blue). I'm very very partial to the coupe as my stepfather has a maxed out AT silver coupe. he has every option but the Navigation, and I am absolutely in love with the car. I just love the ability to pass people on the highway with minimal effort and i think it's a gorgeous car.

I also like the sedan and the RX-8 quite a bit also. I know they don't have the power of the Coupe, especially the RX-8, but from what I've read and seen they're both great cars, albeit very different from each other. The fact that I could get them with a few options and creature comforts makes them even more enticing.

If I got the coupe, I would then have to save up some cash to get some 18 inch wheels since they're not available with the base coupe, and i would promptly try and replace the sound system. I'm a newb to modding autos so this would all be kind of a challenge at first, and I'm also unsure about the quality of infiniti's cloth interior (never seen it). So i'm wondering if it would be worth the extra trouble just to have that smooth 280hp V6.

Keep in mind that i don't plan on doing any performance mods any time soon if ever, so please don't suggest getting an RX-8 and modding the engine.

I'll probably get somewhat biased opinons on this particular forum, and maybe that's what i want subcounciously [img]/w3timages/icons/wink.gif[/img], but try and be objective and offer some opinions on what might be the best way to go for me. thanks, folks!

 

I kno many of my fellow Gcoupe drivers would totally disagree BUT...

If you're going to get a base coupe with no leather or anything .. Check out the 350z and some of the options it comes with. Juss a thot..

Boo on RX8! =)

Black / Black 2004 GcoupeMT. Premium. Splash Guardz.

 

If you like the G35 Sedan, go for it. There really isn't a tremendous difference in performance between the coupe and sedan. Go for the 6MT if you want a slight edge in performance.

<font color=green>GG</font color=green>

 

these were the 3 choices I was pondering when I was deciding what car to get into this fall. I have 2 young children, and although this vehicle would mainly be for me to get around in, I needed the extra 2 seats in the back just in case - thus eliminating the 350Z as a choice.
In the end I chose the G35 Coupe 6MT. It provided the most luxury + sport combo I could afford with 4 seats. it also looked the best IMO and had enough stock goodies to stop me from wanting to constantly mod it after I drove it off the lot.
The RX-8 was intriguing but the lack of information/support from Mazda dealerships was staggering. I also liked the fact that the Gs had already won MT's Car of the Year and any immediate kinks in the first year of production would most likely be ironed out by the '04 models. It also became a question of status and Infiniti is no doubt held in higher regards than a Mazda - even if it is the 8. The look/performance of the Coupe was just too irrisistable.
The G Sedan has it's own appeal and fits many people's needs but the Coupe is just more desirable IMO especially if you go with the 6MT w/ 18s and Brembos. Side by side the Coupe seems to stand out more.

Hope this helps a bit - good luck! You can't go too wrong with what you end up choosing but I think the Coupe is your surest bet.

'04 6MT - silverstone

 

to be honest with you i'd hold out for a g35c with everything you want on it...so that way you won't regret anything and besides you maybe able to find a used one thats still in good condition for around that maybe a little more, good luck.

John H.
2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe 5AT-Ivory Pearl-Premium Pkg-Performance Pkg.

 

I agree with Nismoboy. Wait a few months and get a loaded coupe. You won't be spending the next few years saying "I wish I had gotten this and that".


Russ

Black w/willow, 6MT Coupe, nav, aero, V1, PS2, & TVs all up in the headrests.
Jax, FL

 

thanks to everyone for your replies.

the one thing i forgot to mention is that we're going to be selling my 4runner by the end of the year, so i don't really have time to hold out for something better.

as for the coupe, does anyone have one with the willow cloth? how is the quality of this interior?

and what does everyone think of the RX-8?

 

I was looking at:
WRX Sti - bare bones race car. 6spd, brembos, turbo and no radio
RX-8 - sport compact - race car feel
350z - two seater sport coupe - leather or 6spd and brembos
G35 coupe - luxury sport coupe - Mmmm leather, 6spd and brembos
G35 sedan - didn't even notice it when I was looking at the coupe

I was planning on completly replacing the stereo but in the G you have to get new AC controls from Japan to do this. an extra 300-400 on top of everything else.

Of all of these cars, i think the G is the best looking, most stylish and most mature. And judging from the compliments I receive I'd say I picked the right one. Kids to grandparents love my car. people stop me all the time to check it out. heads are always turning where ever I go.

I waited 12 weeks for the Sti only to walk away when it finally came in (dealership problems). I was told I would have to wait 8-12 weeks for an RX-8. The 350z only has two seats so it was out. And the G, well I went to the dealership took a test drive and drove it away that weekend. Of all of the cars, the Infiniti also has the best customer service.

My limit was going to be 32,000 but my wife talked me into going a little higher. One way to look at it is for every $1000 it's about $20 a month to finance. So an extra $6000-$8000 would only be $150-$200 more a month.

I'd say test drive all of them, and see if they can get you what you want when you want it. And go from there.

good luck

2003 G35 Coupe 6MT/Black/Graphite/15% tint

 

Decisions Decisions... never easy is it. Couple questions for you before I give you my $0.02, When you trade in your 4runner are your folks paying for the remainder on the car or will it be a cosigning deal between you and your folks for the remainder? If you are looking at spending 30K what are the chances you could squeak another 6K out of them? Let them take it for a test drive and show them that the G35 Coupe is the way to go. I personally think the RX8 is a nice looking car and your right that with your price range you can get some good options BUT the RX8 is beginning to show up everywhere. I can promise you that if you got the Coupe you would never drive by an RX8 or G35 sedan and wish you had gotten it instead, whereas everytime a coupe passes you, you'll drool. If you cannot get the extra money to get what you wnat in the coupe did you look into buying a left over of a used with low miles? Like many people have said the worst thing is spending 30K+ on a car and then sit there wishing you gt this or that. so if you want the 18"s or the leather and nav find a way or stick with the 4runner.

 

I think he should go for it (the base coupe). I think the point of the base coupe is basically bait and switch...draw you in with a low base price and temp you into spending up to 10k more. If he buys a base coupe he's taking advantage of that situaltion...and more power to him. I mean, it won't have some of the goodies but it's still a g35 and it still has 280 hp so what's the big deal? Look at it this way:

For the price of a loaded altima he had can have a g35.

How can you argue with THAT logic???

 

If you're thinking base Coupe, that means you're thinking AT, correct? Because you pay a premium for the MT.

If you're considering all cars in AT only, I would disregard the RX-8 because the AT version doesn't let you rev up to the engine's sweet spot. I don't see much point in buying a rotary engine you can't rev. Sedan vs. Coupe is a tough choice when you're limited to exactly $30k. The AT on the Sedan is not as good as the Coupe's, and you do lose a few horses. More importantly, the shallow people among us would say the Sedan is not nearly as good looking. On the other hand, the interior of the Sedan is going to be much better than the Coupe's if you go base on the Coupe. I've never even seen a cloth Coupe. You may have a difficult time getting them to order one, and probably won't be able to negotiate below sticker. On the other hand, they've got Sedans sitting on the lot with all the extra packages that they'll gladly offer you a deal on, so the Sedan is going to be a much, much better value. So if you just can't quite scrape up the extra few thousand to outfit the Coupe, and want AT, I'd say go Sedan.

If, on the other hand, you're interested in an MT, I'm going to diverge from the crowd and say go with the RX-8 in that price range. It's not as straight line powerful, but you're going to have more fun in an MT RX-8 than in an AT Sedan. I'm not sure if the MT Sedan fits your price point. If it does, that's a tough call. Test drive them both, and choose the one that makes the better impression with you. Otherwise, I order them as:

1. MT RX-8
2. AT well-equipped Sedan
3. AT base Coupe
4. AT RX-8

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532

 

Man, this is a tough decision, and everyone's brought up some good points.

regarding AT vs. MT, if i get the RX-8 it'll be MT, no doubt. If i got the coupe i might go with AT even if i could afford a well equipped one, just because my father's coupe has all the power i need and it's an auto. the manu-matic is a plus too.

if i got the sedan, however i might go with MT just for that extra bit of performance. the problem with the sedan for me is that it's by far the worst looking of the three. it's a nice looking car for a sedan, but i like the aggressive looks of the coupe and the 8 much better.

as for the 4runner, i'm making payments in excess of 500 bucks on it right now, which is what prompted me to want something else. it was a hand-me-down, and it's in perfect shape, but i never really liked it to begin with, so i figure why pay that much for a car i don't really want. we took out a loan for me to buy it from my stepfather, and he cosigned to get his rate on it, and in the process i'm establishing credit. we're going to sell it to his brother now, and he'll make smaller payments to my stepfather and he'll continue to make the payments. in the meantime, that 500+ that i've been paying will go to my stepfather to help pay for my new car and the rest of the 4runner. what we're probably going to do is finance 10,000 and then put down 20 in cash (we have a home equity line of credit), and i also have 3 grand to throw in right now. so that's why i have the approximate 33,000 limit, which is basically a sticker price of 30,000 (sales tax/dealer fees make up the rest).

anyways, i'm still undecided, but whichever way i go i'll be lucky to be 21 and have a nice car with no payments when i decide to go back to school.

 

If I were you, I'd do anything to get into a coupe. Frankly you won't be missing much by getting a base coupe; and it will cost you a lot less replacing the 17' tires when its time! Nobody will know what kind of seat covering you have when you drive by either!!
The biggest problem you may have is that a base coupe will probably have to be ordered. How long can you wait?
Another alternative is to look for a used coupe equipped as you want, or as mentioned, a Z.

 

Watch out with the RX-8's fragile tranny, my freindly already blew 2 6MT tranny hes on his 3rd one lets see how long that last

 

oh and if your looking for something with back seats the rx-8 is not a good choice, dont know why they even have them there, theres no type of leg room whats so ever, even with the front passenger seat up all the way with there knee hitting the dash