Greeting everyone! I've decided I want to get a new car in a couple of weeks after owning an Eclipse GT for a while now. It came down to two choices, the Infiniti G35 or the Nissan 350Z...well after a ton of research I decided I would get the G35(base coupe) and I hope i made the right decision! What little that I found was how well the car drive in the snow with its rear-wheel drivetrain, since this is coming from a person that lives in Chicago and I drive my car all year around. I used to own a 97 Supra and it was so bad in the snow b/c of understeering that I had to trade it in for the GT.

I would love to get some opinions from owners that drive this car in the winter. I really hope it does well(traction control)and anything less would probally make me change my mind.

 

they suck, you NEED winter tires. Dont try and drive with summer tires in the winter.

 

They suck miserably in snow/ice/cold with the stock tires on them.

If you get one and live in an area where it snows a lot every year, I'd recommend buying a second beater vehicle for winter that is either a 4x4 or Front Wheel drive. It'll be safer for you and at the same time save your G35 from the dangers of winter driving... mainly salt spray/corrosion, scratches on your paint and rims, and dents from other people skidding into you or from sliding into a snow mound if you were to lose control by mistake.

Also... a nice high 4x4 is good because you can see over those snow banks that the plow guys like to make near intersections at the end of roads, which block your plane of vision so that you can't see if any cars are coming when you go to pull out onto the main road.

 

++1^^^

 

why buy 2 vehicles when u can just get 35x

 

Only if you have the right tires. The sport tires that come on the car are not for winter AT ALL.

 

^^^+1
It handles as well as any other rear wheel drive car as long as you have snow tires.

 

They 2 cars are completely and utterly different. The difference between the 2 is almost like the difference bewteen getting a Nissan 350Z and a Altima 3.5. One is a flashy pretty quick, handling-adept, Rear-wheel drive sports car(or a sports-like car), with a awe-enspiring exhaust note that you can also get in a 6-speed manual transmission and the other is a 4 door sedan that is kinda quick, not-too-flashy, and has to be an auto tranny. Not that I have anything against the G35X.. but it really should be considered a completely different car from the Coupe because their differences are much greater than the similarities.

You'll want to consider that if weighing in the differences between a G Coupe and a G35X when/if you choose to buy from Infiniti's G35 line.

I personally love the appeal of having 2 seperate cars because it lets you keep one of them free from the abuse and inherent danger of driving in the wintery salt/snow environment.

 

I would agree that the G35x is a completely different vehicle (especially if you are coming from a Supra, then a Mustang), and I would also recommend a "beater" 4X4 or similar vehicle if I was in the snow belt. Before I purchased my G35x, I had an Explorer and an M3, and it was nice because the M3 never saw bad weather.

But ... with snow only hitting us about 2-3 weeks a year (if that), plus the addtional cost in Virginia of Personal Property Tax, additional insurance, and registration fees for a 3rd vehicle were starting to add up. I wanted something bigger then the M3 with a real back seat, but with some punch.

Enter the G35x. No, it's not a 350z or G35c. But it's the same engine, better handling then the G35 sedan (Don't believe me? Read Road & Track March 2006 sidebar "Rear Drive vs. AWD. The G35x OUTHANDLED the G35 in both wet and dry conditions) and all weather capable.

The additional bonus out of all this is I no longer have to drive, maintain, or worry about a 3rd "beater" vehicle. The G35x can literally do it all. For those folks who don't see a ton of snow each winter or just don't want the expense of the "beater" vehicle, I would have to recommend the G35x.

 

if you can drive. you can handle it. just dont take it out when its ****ing blizzarding out

 

the G35 sucks big schweaty ballz in the snow for calm, placid driving. For fun, crazy, slide for 50 feet across a large parking lot in a blizzard action... well, you can get that with almost any car that has AWD or RWD, or FWD with a good e-brake.

Just... uhh... don't try to drive with your summer tires.

 

wow a 97 supra to a eclipse GT....I own a eclipse GT and i want to go to a Supra.

 

G35 in the snow is rather interesting. When I used to live in New Jersey I had Pirelli 240 snow sports I believe. I drove it once when I really shouldn't have, had to keep VDC off the whole time as I couldnt even start without VDC bogging the car out going to first gear, and felt like I was blind, we really have no vision over snow banks in this car, as was said. If its for a short trip the day after its snowed, and you happen to have winter tires on, sure its doable, but so not worth what could happen. Just do what I did... move to Arizona.