Hey All,

I'm currently looking for a car and have fallen in lust with the 07 G35 coupe I have a few concerns tho....

-bad paint job, easily chips, fades, etc. esp in the front.
-brakes pads warping/wearing out
-poor wear on tires
-poor fuel economy
- (and i know this is random, but i read it several places) the 6MT is "tricky" or not as "smooth and forgiving"

i'm not saying this isnt an awesome car, because i know it is, and i want it (very badly). i would like to know how serious, or "real" these problems are. for example, are the brake pads (and clutch, tires, etc) okay once you stop using OEM materials? or are they going to continue to need to be replaced every 12000-15000 mi. if i change tire size, will it decrease the wear on my tires (i will not be racing the car ---unless you count me trying to get to work on time, and beating some ***** next to me at the light ---) i dont have a grarge for my car, so how much will i have to wax it to keep the paint form falling off??? things like that...

oh yeah, and...

the 2 cars i have my eye on are :

07 G35 Coupe $23,900. Ext coloriamond Graphite Int color: Graphite
30,631 mi.
[URL="http://www.infinitiofedison.com/other-vehicles/JNKCV54E27M909053.aspx"]

and a (very similar)

07 G35 Coupe $20,999 Black on Black
37,671 mi.

[URL="http://www.bridgewateracura.com/used/Infiniti/2007-Infiniti-G35-860679ac0a0a006401482747916c17b7.htm"]

on a side bar.. I'm upgrading from a 1993(!!!) Honda Accord EX MT, which i have had since 1999 and 230,000 mi. and love and adore. So obviously my other choice right now is the Accd EX V6 Coupe. Which, though overpriced initially, and not as cool, in the long run will save me money.


but i want something awesome...

i look forward to any input and advice.

thanks

-j

 

Ininiti/Nissan paint has never gotten really great reviews, but it's not as bad as you've probably heard. My '05 G35 spent most of a year (including a winter) being parked outside and I don't have any paint fading or falling off. One spot was chipped by someong opening their door too close to my car, but it was easy to touch up.

I think most of the brake problems for quick wear or warping were from the earlier Brembo models, but don't quote me on that. I haven't any complaints wtih the brakes on mine. I drove on them for about 18k miles and have no idea how recently they had been replaced by the previous owner but got good life out of them with my driving style. Aftermarket pads with different compounds will give you different results, sometimes better, sometimes not.

Tire wear is an issue if you're running excessive camber or drive it hard but for daily driving and not going to crazy I don't think this'll be much of an issue either. Tires do have ratings for longevity so make sure when you do have to replace yours you find a set that will work for you.

The 6MT is probably less forgiving than your Honda's clutch/trans, but I don't consider it to be difficult to drive. It's ceratinly easier than an old spring clutch Porsche, for example, but less forgiving than a Toyota truck manual. It's going to take a day to get used to but it has a pretty direct and solid feel to it which you may or may not like. Definitely test drive it and see what you think. Clutch wear isn't a big problem either, I've got a bit over 70k on my factory clutch/flywheel and have no idea how the previous owner drove it but apparently they were good to it.

Fuel economy does suck. You can drive it like an old woman and probably do ok, but the damn car is addicting. You'll get on it and waste gas, part of the price for fun I guess.

I've been very happy with my coupe, I have never regretted or second guessed my purchase. It's not a perfect car for all situations of course, but it's been a helluva lot of fun and I still look forward to driving it whenever possible. Good luck on your decision either way, hope to see you around the boards with pics if you decide to go for it

 

thanks. that helps a lot, i figured i was screwed with the gas mileage going from a 4 cylinder to a 6. and i'm willing to make that sacrifice for the power.

i'm still worried about the tires tho, one of the dealers (the infiniti dealer who doesnt sell certified cars, but sells a "certified warantee" for $895) is trying to get me to buy wheel and tire insurance for $1,595/5yrs. the rims are $1,170, tires $340 each... of course its unlimited services& visits except for normal wear and tear...so that means nothing will be covered, when it comes down to it... the fact that they even offer this makes me nervous. i cant tell if its BS or not.

what is the diference b/w 19" rims compared to 18" or 17"? i know 18" actually gets beter gas mileage, theres a pro/con for all sizes. but there are a Lot of potholes where i live...

 

Do not buy that bs insurance.. you can buy another set of rims/wheels for 1,595. Either way who knows you may decide to sell your call next year.

 

To answer the title of the thread. Yes.

 

+1 on the insurance.

Just enjoy it and get some aftermarket wheels and tires later down the line. You can do anything from a cheap set of wheels and tires for about 1500 (prepare to get flamed if you don't get the fitment right on here tho) or go pro with a nice set of works or volks for about double. Completely up to you.

Hopefully you pull the trigger. I personally love Black on Black but the DG's are also a thing of beauty. Definitely get carfax reports on everything too.

 

thanks for your input..

Do the prices seem reasonable?

The Diamond Graphite ($23,900 w/30631 mi) is high, I think. It was priced at $27,900 2 weeks ago (the infiniti dealer. go figure) I dont think theyre going to advertise much lower than that.

KBB Trade-In Values-Fair: 17,775 Good: 19,825 Excellent: 21,025 & Retail $25,310

Nada Guides-Rough: 19,425 Avg: 21,025 Cln: 22,350 & Cln Retail $25,975

The KBB PPV values are much closer to the NADA prices

The Black on Black $20,999 (down from 21,999 2 wks ago) w/37,671 mi.


KBB Trade-In Values-Fair: 17,175 Good: 19,225 Excellent: 20,425 & Retail $24,810

Nada Guides-Rough: 19,025 Avg: 20,625 Cln: 21,950 & Cln Retail $25,575

Again, the KBB PPV and CPO values are much closer.

I dont see huge differences b/w the cars. Clean Carfax, both look and drive fine.

The DG has more power features, like a power telescopic steering wheel, verses one with a lever, and an automatic dimming rearview (which I hate)

There are also some differences with the radio, I tried to post pics, but ... lets just say I could barely post a link so I couldn't figure out how to post the pics.

 

Do you really want to go the dealer route? Of course the dealer route would be safer in most cases but the price that you have to pay for that those cars are so crazy. Especially since most dealers advertise their lowest prices online to beat the competition so people would even take a look at their advertisements; they won't lower the price by much. But if you have the money and want to go the safer route, then go ahead and pull the trigger. It's a safe bet.

If you could, spend a little more time looking, try craigslist or forum sales to look for a private seller. Of course you are going to have to work harder like making sure the car looks clean, drives good, check the owner's maintenance records, carfax it and even do a pre-buy inspection but the extra time could save you a lot of money. I found a clean 06' fully loaded with some mods with 61k miles and talked the seller down to $14,500. Took me countless nights of searching but it was worth it.

 

do a thorough research because you could find a TT or even supercharged G35 coupe.

 

I dont know If I'm old school or what, but for some reason I prefer dealers, not that I like them, because they treat you like dirt. Maybe because it's easier. And I dont have much time, I work over 50 hours a week and I'm not sure how long my car is going to last. I dont know how many more all-nighters I can pull searching & researching cars.

About the TT/supercharged G...a friend advised me against buying a car with mods because it was most likely raced in its former life. I'm looking for an 07, I think it was the G35 Coupe's best year, did they make them in Turbo? I thouht the G35s was only for the sedan.


oh, and i read the thread sticky 'ATTENTION: All Newbiees' once i finally realized that the posts started with the oldest and ended with the newest... some funny s*it. it was like they made it just for me! lol. so sorry for starting a new thread, and thanks for all our help
j

 

I would go the dealer route too if I had the money. And I agree, modded cars are more of a risk to buy because they are almost always driven a LOT harder. That's why they say the best is to find cars with a girl or an older person as the last owner. And G35s only came with naturally aspirated engines. All turbos or supercharged Gs are modded.

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infiniti_G You guys would be surprised on how much you can learn about a car just by reading the wiki.

Also if you are going to buy soon, go in soon and give them a low offer and walk out if they don't accept it. This way you will have time to pretend that you are not interested unless they take your offer. Right now is a great time to haggle for a car since a lot of people are doing their Christmas shopping; not much people are buying cars. Except for those rich people you see on those commercials who surprise their spouses with a Lexus for Christmas.

 

i don't know if you're right about the rim size better mileage thing. because the 19 in. forged wheels are the lightest the G35 has to offer weighing in at about 19.2 lbs. less weight on the wheels means less rotational mass.

 

I got my 07 6MT and the last owner was a girl. It was in prestine condition. Get to know this history of the car and if it has good maintenance checks. My car had almost 1G maintenance done on it by the dealer before it was handed to me.