I posted this in another section, but it dosnt seem to be getting much attention, so here it is again: Hi everyone, Im in the market for a new car. I was planning on an E36 M3, but those plans fell through. Ive now turned toward the 350Z but have always liked the G35 Coupe more. Ive read the +'s and -'s of each, but what I havnt been able to find is problems from the factory with the G35. I know there are quite a few with the Z like tire feathering, grease streaks on the windows, diff. clicking among others. I wanted the M3 because it was a luxurious sports car and I see the same breakdown in the G35. I think I will need the back seat in the near future and that is why I am leaning toward the G. What I want to know from you guys is this: What kind of problems have you had with your G coupe? How much have you spent on things that arent under warrenty? I drove a 03' Z and after some research, ive been told to go with an 04 but better yet 05 because of the factory problems. Ive got a Tacoma now and I know I will be happy with the performance of the G, so thats not an issue. If you had to buy your car over again, would you make the same decision? What ammenities would you like to have that you dont have now? Thanks in advance.

 

i believe teh M3's had a HUGE problem, cant rememebr what but it was something important if i do recall.

ive had no probs wtih my 05 6mt, ur tires are gunna get feathered too with teh G probably. the cd player may stop working, but those are the only things vie heard of.

love it, im keepin it

 

Have you driven both cars? There is NO comparison whatsoever. The e36 M3 is a driver's car, even more than the e46 M. You will never, ever get the same feeling and feedback from the G. If that's what you're looking for, the G is not for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for luxury, the G offers a lot more than a car made ~10 years ago. Don't forget the G (even used) will come with the remainder of the factory warranty, which is a big plus.


Don't think that just because you came from a slow car, you'll be entirely happy with the performance of the G. Trust me, I went through this myself, the G won't leave you speechless when it comes to acceleration and performance. Test drive it as many times as you need before you make a decision. Are you looking for an auto or a manual? When you're asking about problems, you need to specify which one.

I would have bought a 2003+ M3. That being said, I love my G, never had a single problem with it and nothing short of an exotic can beat its looks. It comes with some very decent options for its price (even compared to the Z) and is all around a great sporty entry level luxury car. However, if you're looking for a decent amount of performance, as in my case, the G just lacks in that department.

 

There are minor issues with my 03's, like power window motor, rear axel splines need to be lubed, brake pad worn too fast, but pads and rotors are warranted for 36mos/36k for 5AT and too much brake dust, nothing major! and no problem so far with 5k on my 05's

...ummmm for the same money? I'd say YEAH, but I would really like to have the "push" botton start and the SMG like M3's

You must forgive Finiti35 , something about her and M3s cant you tell? ...when comes to M3s? I dont think too many ppl are as knowledgeable or as passionate as Finiti35, of course other than ppl who already have an M3...

 

Omg you guys have started to notice that already

 

...NAH...I took a wild guess...

 

The Zs have a way more problems with tire feathering. Some of the G35s have had tire feathering but it was related to the alignment more than anything. After 15k miles, i've never had tire feathering and the VAST majority here have not either.

Some of the more common problems have been the window regulator, sun roof creak, differential clicking, and a noisy manual tranny. The window problems have mostly been fixed, the differential was a 10 minute job at the dealership, they'll grease your sunroof up so it doesn't creak and the tranny on the 05s have mostly been fixed.

I totally disagree with Finit35...if you've come from a Tacoma, the G35 performance will absolutely blow you away My wife's car was the Tacoma and there is a world of difference. BTW, the e36 M3 is the same speed as the Z car so performance between the G35 and e36 M3 aren't all that much different.

 

I can almost hear what Finiti35 is thinking when she read that...somewhere along the lines of......"The e36 M3 is a driver's car, even more than the e46 M. You will never, ever get the same feeling and feedback from the G." ..... besides the...@#@$#$# !@# %$#^ #$#%@@

 

Never commented on handling, just performance. The G is a capable car, just not as capable as an M3 and Z

 

I've had no problems with mine.

If I could have done anything different I probably would've actually gone with the used E36 M3. No complaints about the G but it's quite fat and it handles like it's fat. M3 was probably more the car I was looking for but having a brand new G is really nice too. If you are looking for a hardcore driving car, go for the E36 M3, if you can do without and want a nicer ride the G is far superior. To compare, I think the gap between performance/handing of the E36 M3 is smaller than the gap of styling/comfort/luxury between the two.

 

I've had my car for 2 yrs now I have an early 04 model and I just love it. What car doesn't have any problems? Most of the problems that the car had was fixed under warranty anyway. I have no tire problem in fact my tires have 21k miles on it and it's still good. The only thing that ticks me off are the brakes it never seem to stop squeking. After the third time I brought it to the dealer I just gave up and learned to live with it. They said after the 2002 year model the new BMW's took a nose dive in the quality of the car they build. You guys are correct about the weight of this car it is a porker. And the newer models are just getting heavier and heavier.

 

I owned an E46 M3 and it had far superior performance to my G35. If you have the driving skills, you'll find the M3 to be about as good as it gets in the under $60K price range. The problem with the M3 is its durability. The engine on my M3 blew within a year with less than 10K miles, and of course I received a new engine under warranty. I know that BMW had one major recall and maybe two to repair mechanical problems on M3s. I also had various rattles, problems with the HK stereo, paint peeling from my rims, and rubber insulation seals falling off the body. There's no way in hell that I would ever own an M3 that wasn't protected by a warranty.

The G35 on the other hand has the durability that Japanese cars built their reputation on. It doesn't have the panache of cars like the M3 or 911, but it does handle nicely and it has decent acceleration. When you consider price and durability, it's hard to beat the G35 in the performance car market.

If you can afford an M3, buy one. I'd buy either a new one or a certified used one with the extended warranty. The reason for my recommendation is that virtually everyone that I know who wanted an M3 and didn't buy one, regretted their decision.

One last thought. If you do buy an M3, you'll be happy with it for around six months to a year. You'll then start looking at an upgrade. The normal progression is some generic performance car to an M3, then M3 to a 996 or 997, and then on to the ultimate IMO, a 911 TT or GT3. Unfortunately the ultimate in peformance comes with a hefty price tag since these cars sticker for well over $100K when new, and even when used they ain't cheap.

 

Thanks for all your feedback! I guess I should have put a little more info in my original post. I am looking for the 6MT and my buying price will be about $28000 give or take. Ive found a couple 04's in this price range with decent milage. The reason I cant get an E36 M3 is because my bank will only finance a 6 year old car for 2.5 years, which would put my payments up to about $750/mo. Needless to say, that is way out of my price range. With that being said, the M3 is not an option anymore. Im not looking to Auto X or anything like that. You say it handles like its fat, well Id be willing to bet my life that it will out handle my lifted tacoma. My truck is a 4 cyl. so I know the performance will be night and day. Keep the comments coming and thanks a lot for all the feedback!!