Hi all,

I am in the market for a new car and am seriously considering the G35. I have a fairly strict budget of 15k. Fortunately there are plenty of G35s for that cheap in the LA area. Unfortunately I don't know much about the older Gs, so now some questions.

Generally how are the 03-04 models? Were there lots of bugs that needed to be worked out in the early model Gs?

I want a fairly loaded up G (nav is a must). What are some good options to look for?

Finally, are the 05-06s significantly better then the 03-04s? From what I gather they made some changes. What exactly did they change from 04 to 05? Would it be worth it to upgrade to the 05, even at the risk of completely blowing my budget or will an 03-04 be plenty to keep me satisfied.

Thanks for the help, and sorry if these questions have already been beat to death in the past

Tom

 

If you have a strict budget of $15k, the G35 is not for you sorry. Save up a bit more. Remember, the G is somewhat costly to take care of(wheels, dealership fees, brakes, gas, insurance, etc). I am not saying you have to replace this stuff all the time, but you have to be able to afford all that. Also the 05+ is way out of your price range.

Just a side note, since you are a member on the forum, if you do get the G, you will be infected with the mod bug. So all in all if you only have 15k, I would say save up to atleast 20k so you can get a half decent one and enjoy it.

-AGThing1227

 

thanks AG. I just totaled my jeep offroading so I have to get a car ASAP. I want something quick luxurious and practical so thats why I was thinking of the G. Are you suggesting that even though there are ample 03 G35s on auto trader in the 12-15k range, they might not be very good, and cost me a lot of money in the long run? I am looking at the 05 Gs and there seems to be a pretty decent selection of them in the ~20k range. 20k is more then I want to spend, but I can swing it if the 05+ Gs are much better then the 03-04s.

Thanks,

Tom

 

05-06 will be better. 03-04's had some brake dust issues along with a lot of squeaks and rattles, and some problems with the radio which was somewhat fixed in the 05-06. These are pretty minor issues compared to bigger problems. If you find a really nice 03-04 in that price range, i'd say pay a little to have a mechanic check it. Most likely in that price range, it'll have high mileage or "some" technical problems. Oh and the 05-06 has a rev-up engine. Some were known to have some oil consumption problems (search the forums on this, not too familiar with it). So basically whatever year you get, make sure you do all the proper check-up and if possible pull out a service history report if at an Infiniti dealer and such and such... I have an '04 and lovin it! Oh yea, I should've looked for this but I didn't... look for a car with the Nismo aero kit!

 

I'm a newbie here myself, but I'd recommend the

"!!Look here before starting a new thread!! 2003-2006 Sedan FAQ's"

thread. It has a partial list of what is different between the models and years.

That I can tell, the G holds it's price pretty well, so a G in the 15,000 range will probably have a decent amount of miles on it (50-60k or higher) and probably won't have many bells and whistles. If you can live with that, great. But like any car with 50-60k on it, you'll have to expect certain wear and tear costs, such as brakes and tires... Looking at the differences between an 03/04 and 05/06 is pretty superficial stuff, with relatively minor tweaks. It was the 07 that changed.

 

You are going to have a very hard time getting a G with everything and Navi for $15k.

 

have you check craigslist and autotrader? Edmunds?
what other cars are you considering? IS300? ES300? Maxima? Mazda3's? etc...

 

If I were you, check out a maxima. great cars but at a cheaper price. The G is nice but you don't want to go broke from it. But if you have your heart set on a G save up to about $18k for an 03-04. The milage will be about 40k+(Not to bad)

-AGThing1227

 

A couple years ago I was able to find my G in Autotrader listed for $16K with 40K miles at that time from a private owner. Comes with the premium package which is basically every option included like heated seats and dual passenger A/C (except for navigation). So if you look around a little bit more, you may be able to find a G35 with navigation package for around $17-18K but more than likely it will have a lot of miles.

 

I love my G but the Paint on it SUCKS, it chippes like crazy

 

remember tires are $1000 easy, service is at a premium price being its a luxury car. If you can find an 05-06 in the 15k range, youre the best shipper alive. and remember once you buy, youll spend a grand or two making it like new.

 

Having both cars, I'd stick with the G. Far better car other than the interior. Resale value is much better on the G as well.

He can probably find a good 03-04 G for 15K. I found a 05 6 speed recently w/ 4000 miles for 20K. Too bad I'm waiting for an '07

 

thanks for the replies. I think i need to make it to the car lots and see some Gs. Ill look at the bare bones 03-04 for like 12 or 13k a nice 03-04 for 17k and a 05 for 20k, to get an idea of how nice it is vs. how much over my initial budget i want to go.

My parents have an 03 maxima GLE and i really like that. 02-03 GLEs are going for around 10-12k. If i decide the G or other luxury cars arent worth the money I will probably go for that.

I am also looking at the Dodge Charger Hemi, 300C, and acura TL, and Audi A4 (All in the 13-18k ranges) Any one have any opinions on those cars?

Thanks for the input

 

Do you want to hook me up with that deal? I will pay cash if it is in clean condition. PM me the link, don't post here please. Also, I just said the maxima because it is a cheaper alternative. And like stated above he will spend a few more bucks. That is why I said
$18k.

-AGThing1227

Edit**I think you ment 40,000 miles? Eitherway, if you could send the link I would appreciate it.

 

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