Thank you all for your detailed viewpoints. This is the type of info I was looking for. Keep it coming.

 

Just PM Z06ified...he has both a vette and a G (from what he posts, hed prob rather have two vettes )

link to PM him

 

I'm going from a Vette to a G35 Coupe right now. I just sold my '04 Corvette Convertible and bought an '05 G35 Coupe less than 2 weeks ago. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't need the back seat (kids) and a car that I could drive year round. I've owned 3 different C5 Vettes in the last 4 years and loved all of them. However, I also think that the G35 Coupe is a great car and is possibly the perfect car for me now. It's true that it can't compete with the Vette for raw power but it's still pretty fast, handles great, has a nice interior with a back seat and Infiniti service is 1000 times better than GM. Looking back on it, I rarely ever used the power that my Vettes had. I lived in CA and most of the time there was too much traffic to even open it up a little. All that I got was short bursts. The G35 provides plenty of power for a daily driver. I'll definitely miss my Vette, but for now I'm very happy with the G.

 

well around here mostly red-necks drive american made vettes, so the stereotype isnt that great thats why i would never get one.

 

A stock C5 has 345 hp, I don't see how you would need $20-25k to bring a 298HP G up to that level.

Exhaust(2kmax)
Headers(2kmax)
Vortec SC(6k)
Intake($200)

And you are more than there!

In fact, you probably don't even need the expensive Vortec to make the power, you could knock off 2k more and get the Stillen with a motor warranty!

 

I have my G since March, the first Japanese car in 15 years. I think the power is sufficient, though I would like to have a few more horses. Styling of the coup is unique. Quality is questionable, but like most man-made materials, there bound to be some imperfections. My biggest pet peeve of the car is the seat belt. It can saw your head off as it sits right across your neck, no matter how you adjust your sitting position. Then there is the seat belt buckle on the passenger side. No matter where you place it, it makes a heck of a rattle every time you hit a bump. Do a search on the forum and you will find it is a common complaint.

The G is a great car for your buck. You can have all the toys in the car for less than $43K. Since you own a Vette, so you will appreciate what you can get from the G for your money. Very Japanese, they give you pretty much everything for very little money. Unlike my R129, everything is an option. My G is equipped with all the options except the upgraded wheels and suspension. I did not get them becasue there are better after market out there than the OEM.

My friend just bought a C5 and we took it out over the weekend. It was actually a much better riding car than I expected, though the interior has a little too much plastic feel. You cannot compare the G with the Vette. There is nothing drives like a big V-8, I don't care what kind of mod you put in the G.

The best advise is to test drive one and see how you like it. I personally will not keep my G long. I am looking to trade it for a CLK55 AMG or the Porsche Cayman instead.

 

For what its worth I am 6'2" and I have none of the driver's side seatbelt problems described above. I am not sure how tall this poster is, but it might make a difference. And as for the passenger buckle making a noise, I have yet to encounter that on my G.

You try taking that rattle up with the dealer?

 

This is true. But you're forgetting how much more one is going to lose when they decide to sell the car. Uninstalling an F/I kit, going back to stock and selling all your mods and selling a car with a voided warranty that was previously sc'ed/turboed. Or selling your F/I car together with all the mods. My guess is you're losing another 5-10 grand right there, if not even more. If I ever S/C my car, I would keep it forever.. but the sad truth is, now we think that a 13-13.5s S/C'ed G35 is a fast car, but in 5 years even Eclipses will probably be running 13's in the 1/4 mile out of the box. I know truth hurts, but let's call a spade a spade.

To the person who was comparing hp numbers of the G and C5, you know that the G is 300lbs heavier right? Hp doesn't mean squat. A stock M3 has only 30-40rwhp more than my 05 6MT, a difference a few bolt-ons should easily take care of, but would they make my G run a 13.2? That's a negative.

Now to the original question. The torque of the C5 is awesome, and the 6 speed manual gearbox makes it a MUCH easier car to drive around town. To me those are the 2 main advantages the C5 has. Like others said, it does develop rattles that get to you after a while. The G has much smoother and more refined power, better build quality, and a smoother ride even on 19". It's an overall better car, but whether it's the right car for you depends on many factors.. transmission type, your own needs. Ultimately you're the only one that can decide if you can sacrifice power for luxury because that's what it boils down to.

 

youre kidding right?


anyway, a g35 is definitely a step down. i almost bought a vette on 2 different occassions (once c5, then c6) but its not a good choice for me as its not much of a winter car.

 

Keep the Vette,don't get the G.it's sucks
btw,what is Vette's numbers that you're talking about???????

 

Obviously true. I simply stated what would be necessary to have comparable HP.

Regardless, 10k of motor work should get the G running 13.2, which is what the stock C5 was running.

 

keep the vette!

 

I am 33 and up till a few years ago i wanted a Vette. Well after looking around and seeing all the classy sport cars out there i cant get a vette. I would feel...(no offense) kinda trashy. I know it has the POWER(insert Tim the toolman grunt here) but it doesnt have the rep that it used to have IMHO.

People seem to think that Vettes are for 2 type of people 1. Twenty-somethings lookin for the OOOOO factor. 2. Midlife crisis middle class males.

I chose a G over a vette, GTO 6.0, and Charger R/T because of this same reason.

You have to ask yourself what your main reason for getting a vette is.

Get what makes you happy. I am LOVING my G. It works for me.

-DZ

 

So you base your car buying decision on an idiotic stereotype? LOL! I love it when people say that all Corvette owners are old fat bald guys with gold chains. There couldn't be anything more ridiculous. If anything, the average age of a Corvette owner keeps getting younger and younger. If you're worried about what other people think about what you drive, then you've got self esteem issues to work on. To say that you'd feel "trashy" driving a Vette, which is a $50k+ car when new, has to be one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. Anyone who's a real fan of performance cars will give much due respect to the Corvette. If you've never owned one, then you simply don't know what you're missing.

 

I'm not so sure he was saying that(I certainly hope not!). Maybe instead of 'trashy' he meant less sophisticated of a machine? Who knows