In all seriousness... Why not an S2000 then? They are similar to your Miata but quick and looks great!

 

I missed the part in your original post where you said you can't drive a manual. Based on some of the other stuff you said wanted to be able to do though: "Do burnouts", "Drift", "Fishtailing for kicks".... I'm seriously going to suggest that you learn to drive stick. It's very easy and fun to learn, and even more fun to master. Plus.... manual transmissions don't usually just wear out like automatics do(at least not at as low of a mileage level), they require less maintenance, and can't really overheat.

I think too many people are scared off by the fact that they don't know how to drive a stick already. You can learn to drive manual proficiently enough to navigate the streets safely in about a half hour to 2 hours, depending on how quick of a learner you are. It will take you longer to master it and do some of the more advanced techniques (none of which are really necessary for typical street driving).

Doing burnouts, drifts, and fishtailing is primarily for the manual transmission cars. G35's don't put out a $hit-ton of power, so it's just easier to break traction with the aid of a clutch and slightly shorter gears that you get with a 6MT vs a 5-AT.

There's absolutely no shame at all in buying a car that's a stick if you can't drive it. I have a good friend who bought a brand new Firehawk Trans Am back in 2000 and had never driven a stick in his life. He stalled it pulling out of the dealership about 10 times, and finally just dumped the clutch and laid a smokey, dark patch for like 30 feet down the street right in front of the dealership. The guys at the dealership were giving him a hell of a good pat on the back a few days later when he came back in the car to pick up the floor mats that they forgot to give him initially.... and he was already very proficient in it by that second visit to the dealership.

My suggestion would be that you have a friend who can drive stick pick the car up with you that first day, and then immediately take it to an empty parking lot and learn to drive it. If you don't have a buddy to do it, I'm sure someone at the dealership would drive it over to a nearby lot for you and give you a few tips on driving stick if it meant the difference between them making a sale or not after you've already signed the papers and made payment.

 

The door lock/window motor problem won't be hard to fix... lots of people buy replacements for those with no problems. My G is at 84k and I don't have any of the common issues I hear about although I wouldn't be surprised if they came up soon. Also now that you mention it the driver seat is also notorious for ripping. And half of my power seat controls don't work lol but I could care less. I'm comfortable where I sit.

The G is pretty heavy, and contrary to what you may think the coupe is actually a few pounds heavier than the sedan (although the weight difference is near negligible). It feels slow....at least mine does....when you first step on the gas but when you get into second and third gear the thing pulls hard. Mind you, I drive fairly conservatively but I can tell you I have no problems keeping up with people and accelerating when I need to. Plus, the sound of the exhaust when you get going on the gas is music to any ear. The stock note is something you can't even compare between any car.

 

@partyman & henrylee like i said dont mention it, i have a disability and its not a choice. S2K's are manual only. It annoys me when car companies dont take people who are disabled/paralyzed into consideration, and people on youtube saying things like oh this car shouldnt even have an automatic etc. Thats a different subject however.

And yes, my pros about the g are: should handle well, exhaust note is godlike (imo some dont agree though), fast enough, rear seats are a kind of plus, mainly reliable, sexy as hell, needs little modification, has badass factor to it
cons: less reliable but shouldnt be by much than miata, rattley interior (damn it), gas mileage, heavy
also, i think i heard something about not being able to rotate tires? im not sure. all id do most likely is maybe a sway bar or springs and intake or w/e.

pros of miata: light as hell, handles amazing, amazing cabin imo, looks good (only to me however), 6 speed great automatic, reliable
cons: not a lot of room for subwoofer, automatically gay, stock suspension blows, stock power isnt enough, probably be at least 3k in mods for suspension/exhaust/tune 5k+ for turbo.

hmmm. keep the opinions and comments coming, if you have anything to argue on my list also go for it. ill also note that my dream car is a bmw m3, but the reason i didnt like my grand prix and went back to an integra is because it felt way to heavy and not nimble. but then again, its fwd and not built to handle like a g is.

 

I'm not sure how bad of a disability you have, but I'd suggest you go sit in a G Coupe and Miata first before you consider either. It's been a while since I've sat in a Miata, so I can't remember exactly how comfortable they were, but I personally think my G35 is a bit uncomfortable for long rides. It's probably that your legs are almost in a very straight position with little leg bend when you drive a car with a low seating position, or it could be that the seats just aren't that cushy and the seating position makes your back uncomfortable after a long drive. I've taken my G on a few long trips to Maine ( over 150 miles each way), and done the same thing in my Tacoma a ton of times. My Tacoma is 10x more comfortable than my G35 in terms of seating position and long rides. This could possibly impact your leg circulation or back comfort if that has anything to do with your health situation. The window sills and seat backs on the G35 are also really high/tall, so it makes for more effort and discomfort in looking around both behind you and into the G35's very large blind spots (or at least it does for me at 5-8" tall).

Just something realistic to consider if you plan on doing a lot of seat time in the car rather than just using it for occasional cruises and beat-rides.

 

Im slightly shorter than you, and i will take that into consideration. But actually, with my integra, i did many 200mile trips in it and its not the most comfy of seats, but i did test drive a miata and i did enjoy the low seating position a lot. The straight my legs the better. When my legs arent straight i almost have to continually hold them up. I am a double amputee. I havent sat in a coupe yet and i only drove a sedan for about 5 minutes.

also note i probably wont do very many long trips ever again basically. my longest trips will probably be maybe an hour long.

 

Interesting... this is a subject I've never seen touched upon in any car forum.

Are you able to drive a conventional vehicle by operating the OEM pedals with a prosthetic, or do you have to have the vehicle outfitted with hand controls for the accelerator and brake?

 

No i can operate normally, just not a clutch. Not enough feel to tell if i am even pressing the clutch all the way in, tried two different gens of civics and a talon. Also even if i could work a clutch, id have to use a bunch of effort and it wouldnt be worth it and id probably develop some horrible pain my leg lol.

 

Just buy a GTR. Done.

 

I didn't know Integras had oil consumption issues like newer gen Nissans do.

You want fun and respectability, the Miata is not the way to go - its fun, but not really respectable unless you are on a track. The G is fun and respectable, but I wouldn't say it is more fun, respectable, or reliable than an M3.

 

No real comparison between the two,G35 is a luxury coupe! Miata is fun to drive if it has a MT and you keep the revs up, with a AT is would be boring as hell...they're not that reliable either.
Gary

 

Might as well look for an SMG E46 M3.

 

From what I can tell from reading all this, the Miata is mostly fun when it's a MT. My 2003 G35 AT coupe is tons of fun, and you can turn off the VDC if you want to have fun with donughts and some pretty raw launches (better have some $$ for tires!)

Since it's your daily, consider trunk space too and also that the G35 has a rear bench. I was able to bring all my college stuff to and from school all in my G all 4 years (and no, nothing was on the roof).

 

 

Didnt even mention the word oil. Read further and i say seat belt retracting, seat creaking, yada yada. Not even all g's had oil consumption. Thats a bigger problem.

And thats the first time ive ever heard anyone say a g isnt more reliable than an M3. Also i never thought it was more fun or respectable than one.... thats pretty obvious given the price difference.


@above post, yeah low 14's is good enough for me. My grand prix did mid to high 14's and that was quick imo. My integra does.... probably mid to high 16's lmao.. i hate this garbage 4 speed. But i love the car. Thanks for the replies.. keepem coming