Yeah, I test drove the X-Type too before buying the G, based in part on the "not a BMW" appeal. It's okay. I would not be upset if I had a girlfriend who wanted to buy one for herself. Good looking, nice interior, solid AWD feel, good enough power to stay out of trouble. And if I decided I wanted out of the relationship, the Ford/Jaguar combo of reliability might help me out. [img]/w3timages/icons/wink.gif[/img] It just wasn't any fun to drive. Definitely luxury over sport, but not THAT much luxury. I suspect the people who buy them are mainly people who just always wanted a Jag.

I ended up throwing my vote to the RX-8, but it's not a strong vote. Alot of compromises there, and no competition to my G. Before the G, I was mostly only looking at lux-sport combinations, but now I can't see myself going back to anything that isn't sports oriented. I'd take the RX-8 over the faster Z for the backseat, lower price, lighter weight, looks (no, really), and rotary engine, a brand new, fully functioning version of which I've sworn to own before I die.

There's alot of new stuff out there now that I'd be interested in though. I think it's an exciting time to be looking to buy a car. 2 years ago I could find anything that would get me out of my '89.

-Jack
Obsidian/graphite '03 Coupe premium nav

 

Actually, as impressed as I am with Infiniti/Nissan for having the courage to come out with the Z, the G, the Altima, the new suv's and the Max, my vote went to the RX8. Were there no G35 Coupe, (of which I own a 6mt) I'd go for the Rotary, just like JD. Why?

Well, in many ways the Mazda company is not unlike Nissan; it took a lot of guts to come out with a 4th generation rotary and a 4th gen RX model. This, from a company teetering on going under (even tho Ford owns 30%+) and having had some awful years of blandness. Again, not dissimilar from Nissan/Infiniti of recent past.

And then again, JD is only slightly off when he says this is a "fully-functioning rotary". Believe me, the first generation (RX1, 2, 3) with its seals problem was vastly corrected by the time of the intro (1979) of the RX7. By the lamented end of the RX7 (the too-tight interior and too limiting twin turbo of the mid-1990s), the engine was still strong but the car just wasn't what people wanted at that time. Obviously, these same owners didn't want 300ZXs or Supras either, for all expired within a few years of each other.

Mazda has taken a huge step with its bold design, complete with flared fenders, functional engine room side vents, four doors (in an unusual configuration/design), light vehicle weight, newly-upgraded engine design, two configs of engine/trans both naturally-aspirated as well as 6MT and auto.

As a former '82 RX7 new-car owner, with the vehicle still running with its third owner (a relative) and 180K miles with no engine teardown, I can attest to the fun factor of tossing around a 2200 pound car with 105 (originally) stock hp. The RX8, if it's anything close to the RX's of old, will be a competitor to be reckoned with, performance-wise, if only because its engine weighs very little (about 160 pounds!).

It will be interesting, maybe not in the same Luxo-League as the G35 Coupe and Sedan, but interesting nonetheless. Let the driving games begin!! And yes, I am glad to have the Coupe.

BONDg35c

 

I chose the WRX over the Z because I need 4 seats (will sometimes use car for business and may be carting around animals, the like). Waaaahhhhh! Gone are the days of two seaters for me... may be good incentive to get married - if my hubby has a sedan I can get a real roadster!!! heheheheh but luckily there's the G, helping to keep me happily single. The universe can be such a nice place at times.

"Moderation in all things, including moderation."

 

Well, looks like the dust has cleared on this, and in the end the results aren't surprising, although a few cars seemed to go on big streaks.

My take: Coupe buyers are generally Bimmer/Sedan fans who wanted a bit more Z in their ride. Nissan would be happy to see these BMW numbers, but the dealers would be pretty pissed about the cannibalization of the Z. Strong overlap with MB as well, and I'm guessing the "much more expensive" votes were BMWs and MBs too.

New technology seems to be popular. I'm guessing the strong showings for Subaru and Volvo were primarily for the STi and S60R respectively, and the RX-8 was in there. Even the GTO got enthusiasm, despite the inexplicable (non)styling choices.

Roadsters were not popular. Where's the 7 people who supposedly voted that they wanted a S2000 more than a G35 in that other poll? Were they just passing through?

Especially telling: out of nearly 100 votes, a complete and total shutout of the Big Three's best luxury/performance cars in this price range. That's 0% in the demographic that's primarily shopping for G35s and BMWs. Ouch. Yet the American sports cars at least managed to hang in the pack. Here's a hint, Big Three: you're not going to be exotic no matter how funky you style the car, and a reputation for reliability can only be earned over time. If you want us to pay attention to these cars, you need to give us POWER. Vette, Mustang, and GTO do that. I'd at least test drive a Crossfire, but at around 232 hp, why am I going to buy it over the entry level Benz it's based on? If I have no reason to believe it's going to be better at anything else, it damn well better be impressive in a straight line. We've got a cheap gas advantage here and the wide open roads, so there's no excuse for not bringing the bigger engine to the competition. That's my rant.

Anyway, interesting poll. Next time someone asks "did G35 owners consider so-and-so car?", forward 'em here.

-Jack
Obsidian/graphite '03 Coupe premium nav