I had my g35 full stock since 17... 19 now and im still loving the ride.. except for the part it has become a money pit. BCM went bad, rear differential bushing, valve cover replacement, spark plugs, new rotors and brake pads after them being warped.. those are just general maintenance. Spent WAY more on mods but yeah, every maintenance that i listed you will most likely go through owning a g with around 80-100k miles on it

 

OP is your money. Buy what you like/want. My 06 Coupe 6smt has been very good to me.. All the things everyone keeps bringing up is regular maintenance. I drive 40+ miles a day for work so I spend about $50 or so on fuel per week. So what if fuel was such a concern I woul drive a civic or something like it. But trust me it won't be the same.. There is something about changing gear at higher RPM. The G likes to be pushed hard...

 

It will come down to this

Are you mechanically inclined. can you tear the heads off the block with the shop pdf and have a full toolset and a GOOD scan tool that can reset codes?

Are you going to spend a little more than 14+k$ ?

If one and two are 'NO' .. to be really honest ... do NOT buy one. They are great cars but they are a bit high strung and have things that need attention and semi frequent maintenance or tinkering.

If the 1st answer is 'NO' .. and number 2 is 'YES' I would buy a third gen unit (2008-2009 with the vq35hr), but you will pay around 14-16k and I would only buy one from the Infinity dealership and get a silver plan parts warranty. my #1 Reason for 2008-2009 : major fixes to the engine, while keeping the vq35hr and not the vq37hr (that will be out of price range)

If 1st answer is ''well duh I have a shop in my garage...'' then buy away but be ready to replace a few things like rings or do a rebuild (strongly recommend a new long block to get the updated larger oil passages), grease the clicky axels, diagnose bad solder joints in the center console .

they are great cars. But of you can afford it, the third gen car with the vq35hr is your best safe bet. if your a shop guy... second gen is also good but you will be rolling some dice on the block, rings, center console and a few other cabin electronics.

welcome to the forums!

 

You're getting ripped off if you're paying those prices. Shopping around for parts and finding a good independent mechanic goes along way. I have 104K miles on clock. Other than maintenance items, I have not had a mechanical issue. She starts up everyday, everytime and has never left me stranded.

 

1200$ tries !? sure if you on 60 series stickies with a 150 wear rating. but who on earth is putting 10k mile tires on a daily driver ...

headlights ... ugh spot on. so #$%^ing spendy *IF* you go oem. but after markets are reasonable.

the clutch though is tough. that's the one thing I would not skimp on or resurface. in all honesty if the OP gets a manual I would start saving for the inevitable OEM new clutch from the dealership with a infinity warranty.

 

His prices really are not bad. Also you have to remember this is OPs first ever car. He most likely doesnt plan on doing any work himself and would have most done at dealership or other chain shop. Rare to find local quality mechanics that will do the work as cheap as you are thinking.

Dealer will easily charge 2k for clutch replacement, going to aamco or similar will still be in the 1k range. Philips bulbs will run about 100 bucks. Again OP wont know where to get cheaper quality, probably just go to autozone and grab a set. Brakes run 800-1k depending on where you get them done. It is not a cheap car, unless you can do work yourself or know cheap mechanics.

 

Exactly. I'm talking about what the OP would most likely end up doing for those maintenance points because its his first car.

Honestly, I have my original bulbs and clutch in my 04, but i bought mine awhile ago, so i know the majority of whats been done to it. Buying one now it is likely to have been driven hard, and it would be hard to trust a clutch, unless the seller has a reciept for a fairly new one. and I get a set of tires for about $440, but it still costs around $575 with mounting, balancing, tax, disposal fees, etc. (I have a lifetime alignment). Anyone getting it more cost effectively than that in SoCal, let me know.

 

Dont go to a dealer bad move. Don't go to a chain repair shop bad move. Clutch costs $222 on amazon, and an indy shop will charge about $450 in labor. Amortize that one time $672 cost over 100K miles, its not that much. Same goes for the brakes. You have to shop around and not be lazy. Good indy mechanics take some effort to find, but I wouldn't call them rare.

 

Talk to Donald at Tire Central. The best prices in SoCal.

 

You forgot about flywheel. You can claim rare quality cheap mechanics all you want. His point still stands, the G is a far from cheap car for maintenance.

Especially considering replacement clutch, tires and headlights would total an 04 G35.

 

If the flywheel needs to be replaced, he can opt for a single mass fly, or a dealer like OC Infiniti can resurface the the OEM one. But again thats a one time replacement part over the course of a 100k miles. Also a clutch replacement is about 10-15% more than a honda, but significantly less than a european counterpart.

 

The original message he was conveying that these cars are not "low maintenance" when comparing to say... the rest of the North American fleet: The 'other two' Japanese marques are typically the benchmark of low maintenance (Honda and Toyota). Nissan has always been a little fussy, IMO.

You are correct that these cars are reliable. They use an engine design that's been refined for a long time, and the transmission can take much more abuse in this application than it's given.

I bought my coupe at 25, and regret that it rides so roughly. After four years, I'm ready to step into something more plush. TN roads aren't that bad, I'd hate to imagine this thing in the city (I have the sport package). The gas mileage is horrible and it uses premium gas.

I put about 2k into my car when I got it, knowing these things on the frontend cause I was a forum member pre-purchase. I replaced compression and transverse link bushing, tires, brakes (and a caliper - common for the rears), trans drain, coolant flush, and repainted some cosmetic items. The last few items aren't required, but just tires and suspension maintenance are annoying if you drive a lot. I have a beater, but my beater is becoming unreliable so I drive the G daily again.

Just my opinion: don't do this in NY. I think it's a horrible idea. My uncle had one in Albany, it only lasted a year or two. Also be prepared to replace window motors and lock motors a lot. I just live with the dead lock motors. You will need dedicated snow setup, and I think a v6 accord or camry is a way better option. Better mpg, better comfort, and less stuff to break.