damn....u wanna downgrade to a g35. !! not that a g35 isnt nice but an M3 is too sick!!!!

 

It's not a downgrade to me, just a car with a different purpose. M3 is a lot of fun but it's also a lot of work and money to keep it running properly. It's also pretty quirky and the multiple recalls on the rod/bearings don't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about the long term. I can go and extend the warranty for 2/50K at a cost of $3500 at my dealer. Then I'll be 3500 poorer and still have a car that my wife can't drive. I don't need to be told that the there is a performance difference between these cars...I'm looking for a happy medium.

 

To me judging by your responses, it seems like money may be a difference maker. If thats the case, then i'd go with the G. It will be comparitively cheaper and the car LOOKS great. Yes the interior will not be as nice, but I will say if you get an '05, the interior is a step in the right direction.

The one thing I can say I DO miss about the BMW was the fact it had no rattles, even with a JL sub it would sound okay but in the Infiniti, rattles come up. I guess that could also be the difference of me going from a 4 door to a Sports Coupe.

I'd test drive the G35 Auto and play around with the manumatic mode and see how you like it. You'll get some sort of thrill of being able to change gears like a stick and your wife can still drive the car too.

 

3500 Bucks ~ dam. Even tho it's a german car, you would perhaps be better off keeping the 3500 bucks in a savings account for future repairs. THe 5AT is one of the best parts of the car IMO and I come from a stick world. OF the two tranny options, one has been pretty much problem free...the auto. Enjoy your G.

 

While money is a factor, aggrevation is a much bigger one. I need something that runs well, for a long time, without issues. I don't want to totally sacrifice fun and performance, but they just can't be the only considerations anymore.

 

I totally agree with you. I had to make the same choice coming from an S4. My friends were telling me the same thing about "downgrading". But everyone has a utility function, and that does not always involve just money.

 

$3500 are you kidding me ? 7 year extended warranty on an Infiniti costs less than half as much. What do those europeans do with their cars after warranty expires? Recycle?

 

get the stillen stage 2 supercharger with factory warranty......that way you will gain performance over the m3...(and still be less$$$ than an m3)...and the the wife can drive it.....(i'd never let my wife drive it unless i was in the passenger seat though )

 

I think you're making a very wise move getting rid of the M3 before the warranty runs out. I was thinking of buying a new one in 2002 (had an order for one for 8 months), before changing my mind and going with the Z06 instead. One of the biggest deciding factors for me was the large amount of maintenance and repair expense of the M3. It seemed to be a high strung, tempermental high maintenance car. And this was before the rod bearing/catastrophic engine failure problem cropped up. I wanted a sports car that was low maintenance and easy and inexpensive to repair, and that's how I decided on the Z06.

You definitely don't want to be with that M3 without a warranty. German car repair expense can be nightmarish.

As for the G35, I can't comment too much on your questions because I have an '03 6MT with the 18's. I can say the car definitely rides on the stiff side with the 18's, and I would imagine the 19's are at least as stiff if not more so. However, I've heard the M3s ride kind of stiff too, so it may not be much different ride quality. It's not harsh or teeth rattling, but definitely very firm. Firmer than my Z06.

The AT's I've driven as loaner cars seemed to be quite good for autos. Crisp shifts right at redline under WOT, quick downshifts, etc. I haven't heard of many problems with the AT's. The manumatic mode sux though - I wouldn't bother using it. It's more a gimmick than anything else. But I'm a die hard manual tranny guy so manumatics don't impress me to begin with.

As for quality, I can say my G35 has been completely reliable and very low maintenance (although I only have 19k miles). However there are a lot of little quality annoyances and cheapy things that bug me about the car. For instance, there are quite a bit of rattles inside and outside of the car. Nothing major - all minor stuff. But if things like little rattles and stuff bother you, you may not like this car. FWIW.

 

I am in the same boat right now and it doesn't seem like there are too many options for me.

I want a car that is pretty fast stock (less than 5s 0-60 and quarter mile 12.5-13s) and also have a decent utility. (Rear seats and trunk space) So far the M3 fits the criteria but it is pretty tempermental like you guys stated. I am not sure if the quirks have been fixed on 05 models but the repair bill on an european car can be quite a nuisance when warranty expired.

As you guys can tell I want a trouble free car so I probably won't go for G35/350Z FI route because that automatically voids the warranty. That doesn't leave me with too much options. The new C6 vette is nice but no back seat and I don't know how american cars can hold up up to 10 years otherwise the Mustang Shelby is also a consideration.

The new IS350 might be nice but no word on when is the release date. I just wish the M3 is as reliable as a Lexus.

 

I have a 2005 coupe with the works, navi, satelite raido, 19's...blah blah blah....i cross shopped the 330ci and the g35c....the bmw was sweet, but i dont like the interior leather, i looks all strecthed out and loose, like its been in the car for years...i guess that the bimmer signature leather....

price was not an issue since it was a gift to myself, the bimmer was about 10 grand more...but i was not ready to drive the same car as everyone else, i love the attention the G gets, plus the standard options are a bonus. the new interior is nice, but the acura TL takes this department hands down.

with the 19's the ride is not too bad, i think the suspension is what makes the ride stiff. depending on where you live it can get annoying at times. my drive to work sucks cause of all the potholes. i had 18's on my accord and the ride was harsher. you feel the imperfections in the road, but there's always a price if you want to stunt!

the manumatic is a dream, im glad i went with the AT instead of the manual, keeps my hands free when i need them!!! the tranny could be more agressive, but it saves me gas, so im not going to complain.

the m3 is a sweet car, but my money is on the G, bimmers are a dime a dozen and you can't beat japanese reliability either.

the best thing i like about the car is the exhaust note...holy crap does it sound nice...the car has tonnes of sex appeal...when you turn the car on the navigation screen is motorized and it slides up out of the dash and down when the car is off...how bitchin' is that?

G's Up

 

Is he serious? You can get a lot of $$$ for the 19s, plus it's not that much different.

 

I was in a somewhat similar situation, except no wife and was in a cooper s instead. Ok. so not at all near where you were.

I currently own an 05 G35c 6mt with the 19's and blah blah.

The idiots at the dealership decided the car needed 45psi instead of 35 psi, so the ride felt pretty harsh til i figured out what the tards did. Then it was quite nice. The 330ci will have a nicer ride unless the sport package REALLY firms it up, but i doubt it. The grip will be better in the G, transition balance will probably be better in the bimmer. It always is.

According to testing, the G and 330 both have fairly similar speed, accel, etc numbers, though I think the G was a tit faster on a 0-60. Can't say for the slalom, though I think the G avg was about 66-67mph.

If we're talking new, the G will cost less. Just dont let the dealer screw you. If you manage to find a new 04, and don't mind the cheap interior, you can definitely get it for WAY under invoice if AT. I didn't even have to deal for a new 04 6MT, and it was under invoice.

I liked the AT, and seriously considered it. But then I test drove the 6MT, and decided I wasnt old enough for the AT. While the fact that it rev matches on downshifts is nice, the upshift and down shifts just arent as crisp as in... say... the DSG or the SMG's. But it is definitely better than most regular AT's. I would even venture to say I liked it better than the bimmer's regular AT. I hear the SMG in the bimmer (at least in the Z4) is total crap. But I never tried it, so don't quote me on that.

Summary: G was the better choice for me because...
1.Cheaper (like me)
2.I was impressed by the exterior styling, and not underwhelmed by the interior. GREAT seats, btw.
3.Everyone and their mother has a bimmer 3-something (not an M3 of course). Coming from a Mini in an area not yet totally saturated by mini's, I wanted to stay with something a little less ubiquitous.
4.Similar performance... which is quite a compliment considering the opponent.

So far, the resale is staying up, but I'm not so sure how long that will last.

Good luck!

 

2. How have you found the overall quality of the car and the 5AT to be? I don't feel like having anymore problems.
3. Did anyone cross shop the car with the 330ci (which I am also considering). What made you decide in favor of the G?

Anything else I should know or be considering? Thanks.

I've got 31K on an 04 5ATcoupe and can comment on #s 2 & 3 of your post:

Quality - Reliability has been very good. I had a shaky gas tank sender replaced under warranty, other than juice changes that's it for repairs. The interior quality (hard plastic everything) was and still is disappointing, but the 05's have improved somewhat. Another significant improvement for the '05 is a telescoping wheel that was needed on the '04. 1 or 2 slight rattles, no big deal.

Cross Shop - I went through the test drive routine for these cars a year ago and was pretty impressed with both of them, but for different reasons.

The 330 motor was smoother and quieter, with more torque than expected too. The 330 seats were better fitted and more adjustable for a 6'+ guy. The sport suspension was firm but not harsh, tranny was excellent. When driven hard the 330 understeered less and gave a little more feedback approaching the limit. It had less road/tire noise as well. A really nice car.

The G was a bit wilder by comparison. An overly loud exhaust and strong midrange boot made the car feel much faster subjectively. The seats were narrower and more heavily bolstered, lending to the sporty feel. The suspension on the G was the only one of a bunch of cars I drove (CL Type S, CLK430, IS300, and a few others) that equaled the 330. Despite the snappy steering feel it did push a bit too early (a set of sway bars took care of that), but otherwise the car felt very well planted. The trans was very good in manual, sometimes sloppy in auto. No matter what else I drove, I kept coming back to the G for comparison. I also liked the fold-down rear seat for toting pooches and such without damaging the upholstery. The others beat it in certain area's but none could beat the performance/price combo of the G. 8 Grand more for a comparable 330 package - no regrets here.

On a side note; I'm a BMWCCA member and have been to the track with them a few times - the G will hold it's own there too if you're so inclined.

 

Just cut the deal. 2005 5AT, PP, Sport Tuned, Black/Black. I feel like a weight has been lifted. They need to locate the car but it shouldn't be a problem. Numbers get fuzzy when you have a trade in, but I'm happy with the end result. Guess I'll be around here more now.