Well I am an Audi driver right now, A4 1.8T B6 (new body style). Anyways I am considering a change to the G35C for several reasons.
1) 6spd vs. 5
2) it's much quicker
3) looks great (coupe)
4) reliability

The things I am concerned about would be the loss of 4 doors and the convenience of that. I'm not sure what kind of deal I can work out, so money is a concern and drowning from the exhaust on the highway.

This is a nice car so I imagine I already know the answer to this but how is this car on the highway? My Audi is fantastic, plenty of power, stability, handling and smooth as silk.

 

Well these cars are pretty different. If you look at the Coupe, then be ready for a lot of road noise. It may sound like you're in a windtunnel on the highway because of the tires (especially the Pilot Sports wear fast and sound bad on the highway) but again, as far as driving on the highway I love it. Put down your window and let the exhaust drown out everything or just crank up your music. Acceleration isg reat and cruising 75-80 with such a great throttle response you cant beat it!

 

This car never wants to slow down. Highway driving is great. Mileage is not very good on the car, but not bad on the freeway.

As far as room, the G Coupe is probably roomier than you think. I used to have a Jetta
and I think the back seat in this car is about the same size as it was in the Jetta, but
there is no back door, no middle seat. Go check it out in person if you have not already. I was surprised at the size of the back seat. Not a big family car by all means,
but way way roomier than say a TT. Not much of a trunk to make up for the back seat.

As for reliability, I would get out of that Audi. I always liked the Audi especially the S4,
but decided against buying one after having the Jetta. There are just too many problems on these cars and they are all with the exception of the Passat rated very low in Consumer Reports. I never had to fork over cash with my Jetta because of the warranty, but having a car in the shop is an inconvenience. I won't list my problems, but I will tell you that the engine was reringed when it had 60,000 miles on it. I had the first year of the new body style(never again)

Infiniti ranks number one in cars 3 and 5 years old in consumer reports and 2nd to Lexus in cars 6 months old. These cars are not cheap. Expect to pay atleast $35,000 plus charges. I'd recommend selling you car and not trading it in. You will have to wait longer say 3 months to sell your car. Car lots do not give much on trade ins. If you sell I would think you can get an extra $2-3000 to work with.

Good Luck

 

Thanks for the replies guys, keep 'em coming. TIA

 

You'll definitely notice a dramatic increase in power from the 1.8t, The VQ makes good power/torque early on in the rev range (2-3k). I have the Michelin 18" Pilot Sports on my Coupe, they a little noisey on the highway, but something that can easily be drowned out with moderate volume on the stereo, around town it is not noticeable. Engine noise isn't bad when cruising around 2-3k rpm(~60-85 mph), when you want to give it some stick it will let you know all 280/298 horses are there. The quality of the interior is not quite up to Audi standards (I am a big fan of Audi interiors) but the car feels very tight and the controls are well placed. The back seats in the coupe aren't terrible to fit into, just as long as the people that go back there aren't much taller than 6'. While the A4 is a very good looking car, the G Coupe IMO is stunning. In addition you get a good warrantee and Japanese reliability. Handling is very good and the steering is precise. Best thing to do would be to test one out, let us know how it goes.

 

This is all good information as I am looking to purchase an A4 or a G35 Coupe... Hard decision.. To be honest and this may sound stupid to some but I am concerned about the G35 sound system and have heard its not that great. I dont want to have to change it as I like the stock look. I now have a 2003 Maxima and I think the Bose system is horrible. I know the Audi radio sounds really good but the car is pretty slow...

 

Audiophiles correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you can keep the head unit and just replace the amp and speakers. That way, the interior will look stock.

 

You can change out the stock or Bose Amp with one that you prefer using Line output converters to keep the stock deck. The speakers can also be changed.

 

Audi also uses Bose as their sound system. As far as I know, Mercedes/BMW/Lexus are the only ones that do not use Bose.

 

From an Audi driver. Yes my car is slow, something I am either going to modify to change or switch cars. However, Audi offers class and ammenities like very few other cars especially for the $. I absolutely love the interior of my car, couldn't ask for anything else ACCEPT a better stereo. Audi premium is Bose and it is lame. I upgraded that within 1 month of owning my car. It is a tough choice. Also, my A4 with quattro handles very well, precise at any speed and very solid, feels very "sporty" and I love the sound of a turbo spooling. That said it isn't as reliable (at least that is the stereotype I personally have only had very minor things to take in for warranty work). Good luck in your decision. I am going to drive a G35 C this weekend so I will report back.

 

The power of the 1.8T is a joke vs the VQ unless you have extensive mods.

My coupe is pretty darn quiet on the expressway.

 

Very different cars. I actually own both, a 2002 A4 (new body style) 1.8T & a 2003 G35C 6MT which I recently picked up used.

The A4 is a very nice car, no question. Interior quality & design are among the best out there and the exterior is very nice looking as well. From personal experience I can tell you that reliability has never been a problem. My A4 (which is now my wife's A4) has been a workhorse, with only a small number of minor problems fixed under warranty.

As far as the G35C is concerned, it too is a great car. The interior is not quite as nice as the A4's, but its not bad either. I was actually surprised with the amount of room you get with this car. You can easily fit 2 passengers on the back seats, as long as they aren't over 6ft tall, and trunk size is not bad at all for a 2Dr coupe. Reliability wise, I've only had my G35C for a couple of months and so far 0 problems (knock on wood).

The biggest difference I find is in the ride & of course power. The A4 sport suspension is not as rigid as the G35C's. So the ride on the G35C is less forgiving. The 18" tires on the coupe are loud too. But when it comes to sporty/aggressive driving, the G35C wins hands down.

My biggest beef (and only really) with the A4 was the lack of power, specially at the low end. Somehow >180hp just doesn't cut it for my tastes. Even if chipped, the gain isn't all that big. The G35C's 280hp definitely took care of that issue.

The G35C is my new daily driver and I like it more and more every day. The gain in "fun to drive" factor easily outweighs the harsher ride.
I guess the only thing I do miss from the A4 is the Quattro AWD, specially here in MI. Snow tires on the G help quite a bit though.

In the end I'd say they're both great cars. My suggestion to you would be to test drive both and buy according to your needs and wants. Don't think you'll be disappointed with either.

 

I had a B5 S4 for around a yr and now I'm getting a G35C (as soon as I can find one I like...). A big consideration is awd. The Audi is great in the snow esp w/ my Nokians. I loved passing the soccer moms in their suvs . If you live in a bad snow location, you may want to keep the Audi or possibly get another car. I'm keeping my 98 Jeep GC 5.9 for winter months and plan on using the G35C for summer/nice days. reliability is no question. Infiniti is great and Audi sucks. That's the bottom line. I've had both in the past (P10 G20 and B5 S4) and can attest to those opinions being correct. Another thing is the 2dr vs 4dr. I'm fine with it, but I rarely have more than one person w/ me. If you have a lot of people w/ you, then the Audi is your best bet unless your friends are mini people and can fit in the back of the G35C.

Good luck in your search!

Are you on AW?

 

That is great to hear from someone who has both. Thank you very much.

 

Yep same hater from AWOT