I've always wanted a G35 6MT sedan, my old '97 Maxima SE 5-speed has gone to a son and I'm in the market. However, I've a 2001SE Miata to get around in so I'm not in a hurry.

Looking at carsdirect, the sedan without any options is now in the low $27k That's a great deal in my opinion even with some upgrades. However, I almost could go for a coupe because of the looks but they are another 3k or so Not sure I'm getting much extra bang for the buck. Do they have better interiors or something?

Now, I'm looking at the new 2007 G35 and it does look very nice indeed and who is to argue with the upgraded interior as well

Finally, and I hate to admit this, but given I have my little RWD Miata to tear up the back roads, a sedan or coupe would be primarily for daily commuter and highway car. For that, the slight extra space as in FWD (like my Maxima which for that purpose works fine) I'm also considering...gulp.. an Acura TL Flamesuit on.

You guys and gals are very knowledgeable car people. I know its my money, but I also listen. I'm planning on keeping the vehicle I get for 10 years and then it will probably go to a family member.

So, if you were in the market right now, what would you do and why.

Thanks in advance.

 

Being in ur position i would go for the TL or even the IS250. comfy, more luxurious. Great for daily driving. Most of us get this car because we are into more than strait line speed. And i personally made my car horrible for daily driving because i went for handling and more handling since it is a balanced car from the factory. So if i was u, i would go with the TL.

 

If you can wait for the 07 G, you should give it a try. Its only a few months away, right?

As for the TL, I too considered it heavily. Just couldn't get past the FWD though. Now that I've had my G for over a year, I had a chance to drive a TL for 2 days while my wife's MDX was being serviced. What a difference a year makes. Before, I just kept wanting the interior, the stereo, and the smooth quiet ride that I didn't think the G provided. I was wrong. The TL's ride was quite choppy to me, like the suspension didn't have much travel. It made me fall in love with the G's ride all over again. And I couldn't get comfortable in it. Its width, which gives you the impression of more room, means the door arm rest is out of my reach. And it was slow (it was a 5AT with about 3K miles on it)....my non-modded G pulls noticeably stronger, as you would expect. Lastly, it might have been a bit quieter on the highway, but its windows creaked over bumps.

At this point, the only thing I would consider as the G's competition would be the BMW, but its at a different price point. The IS is very nice, but very small inside. Try getting in the back seat first, if this is important to you. I think the 07 G will be more competative to these two than the current model. They should be the engineer's targets.

 

Thanks, just the sort of real world input I'm looking for. It's the subtle things that take a while to really sink into your conciousness. Had to laugh about the TL armrests. I have an '05 Odyssey. The armrests are not only a tad far over, but they are way too low. Where does Honda get their ergonomic sizing from?

I agree about a car being the "right size" to fit. I do sea kayaking where bigger is not better, it needs to be snug. When I get in my Miata, I'm comfortable, but I'm sort of cinched in as well. High speed turns and there's no sense of sliding around.

Yeah, I need back seat room for an adult. Sounds like the Lexus does not measure up for that.

Wonder what the real price differential will be between a 2007 and 2006 G35 sedan? I'm afraid Nissan is behind on their sales goals and with a G35 sedan at $27.2k, they're liable to sell enough to back off such a big cut on MSRP.

Decisions, decision. Don't want to wait and miss out on the 2006 sweet pricing or will it only get better?

 

To each, his own.
I think you'll be very happy with the G35.
If you'd like to save some money, just go for the 06'.
Before I got the car, I had a 2005 Audi A4 1.8T. Totally loved it, but after a while, realised that I needed a little roomier/powerful car. Glad I made this decision.

 

I had a similar decision. It came down to the TL, IS 350, and G35 for me. The G won in a landslide, with the TL coming in second. The IS is a very nice car and Lexus certainly understands how to make you feel comfortable in a car, but the back seat is only big enough for small children. The TL feels larger on the inside than the G, but it just reminds me too much of my grandma's car, so the G was an easy winner. I drove all three on the same day and that made my decision very easy. Good luck and I'm sure you'll find the right car!

 

I got my G last July and have never regretted it once. I love the car. If you are looking for a used one you can find some great deals. I got my 04' blk/blk 6MT sport with 32k for $23,000 almost a year ago.

If you want a new car, wait for the 07' to come out this fall and see what you think.

 

yea i'm selling mine rite now

 

I'm leaning toward the G35 sedan, the price for new looks very nice. I'm an old time Nissan (Datsun) fan.

Back in the late '70's I was on a project in the Caribbean where we had practically every brand of vehicle. We used the small pick-ups on the job and also to commute an hour each way to work and back, pedal on the floor. The abuse these trucks took was unbelievable, in fact, the little 2wd pick-ups took it better than the Toyota Land Cruiser we had.

However, after two years of brutal treatment, two manufacturers stood head and shoulders above the rest, and these two were I have to say in a dead heat, Nissan (Datsun) and Toyota. Those were some tough trucks.

So, after that job, back in the States in the early '80's I bought a Datsun King Cab diesel pick-up. I eventually used it for landscaping. The abuse that truck took was amazing.

Next up was my '97 Max SE 5-speed. What can I say, 130k miles later and it drives like its brand new except that VQ is even smoother. Mobil 1 after a 50k break-in on dino and regular doses of Redline MT-90 in the transaxle, I'm not sure if it will ever wear out. I used to do 1,000 mile interstate runs to my son's college. On the unloaded leg, the Max was a blast. Drop it into third at 60 and go WOT and not much could pull on it, especially way out in the middle of no where. Even loaded up, on a long uphill, that VQ loved to be downshifted into high revs and given throttle.

My first car I learned to drive on was a '63 VW with the huge canvas sunroof. I don't really need to be in the lap of luxury, but like a stout engine with a manual tranny a must. I do a lot of my own maintenance and expect a vehicle to go 150k miles minimum no big deal. I've three vehicles now that have never seen a shop except for the Ody which had an oil change when I was away.

Hard to decide though on the 2006 vs. 2007 but I don't think I could say I need more car than the 2006 and the looks are acceptable.

 

ex_MGB, you sound like you know how to take care of your cars and ride them... I'm sure you'll love the G

 

I was considering the TL and the G last year also. They were my top 2, the TL is much better interior/exterior than the G sedan, but after a test drive, u'll go with the G. It just drives so much better. My main decision was the awd in the G since I have to drive in some of the worst weather conditions. Acuras are great cars though, I had the Acura 3.2CL before this and it was great. Well other than the tranny dieing.

 

Before the G, I wanted the TL... until I read on their forums that people replaced trannys 3 or 4 times! That's one part of the car I would hate to have problems with.

 

The coupe is basically the same thing as the sedan. Same interior, same options, and same drivetrain. The only difference is the coupe sits lower so it handles a little better, has the option for 19in wheels, and that's it. The coupe also weighs more than the sedan so it's arguably slower. I have no idea why it costs significantly more than the sedan.

The TL is nice for those that are more interested in gadgets than performance. Even if you already have a fun car and aren't going to be racing around, you will still enjoy the crisp handling, rwd performance, and aggressive sound of the G. I doubt many TL owners get asked if it has a V8 like us G35 guys. I don't know about Acura, but Infiniti usually has good customer service, loaner cars, and roadside assistance.

$27 is pretty cheap for a new G35. I'm sure you know that nothing out there comes close in performance, options, and looks for that money. Some of the options are nice but nothing that great and are very expensive. The new G35 are going to be much nicer and faster however I doubt you will be able to get one for under $35k.

 

You sound like you really want a G35. I would suggest to get the 06 over the 07 if you planning to keep it for a long time. It's mainly because the 06 already has most of the problems worked out and the 07 is going to have alot of new stuff that hasn't been put through it's paces.

But if you can wait it out you can try to get a 06 when the 07's are out because it'll be cheaper, but your options are more limited.

 

Yeah, I'm afaid of the significant delta price I might face with an '07. Plus, it's nice the '06 has had all the little niggly stuff taken care of by now. It really is a screaming deal, cannot be touched for the money and like I said, enough car for me.

I can still wait, matter of fact I'm overseas right now. I might just have to see a '07 with my own two eyes because I can swing the price, it's just I need to be sure for me it's worth the extra cash over the '06.

I don't really need anything quicker, in fact, there's been a time or two the old Max was a little too frisky. That's the nice thing about the Miata, straight line light to light you just sit back and relax. Different story though on the back roads