I recently test drove a 2004 G35 w/ automatic, no accidents in perfect condition etc. The ride was a bit bumpy, although the roads were not in the best shape, it was still better than the 350z I tried out. But not as smooth as some older/plainer Sedan type rides I've driven. I read that the manual has a sport suspension which might cause a rough ride but the automatic has a different suspension.

I don't have a lot of driving experience so I'm not sure if I'm being overly fussy about it and all cars have some degree of bumpiness. I mean after all almost all roads have some small defects so I figure it's hard to avoid that. Also the roads we test drove weren't the greatest so it's hard to say.

I did a carfax and it said "Front suspension serviced" recently so I'm also wondering what that could mean. I'm wondering if all cars have a tiny bit of bumpiness on non-ideal roads and I'm just being too critical, or perhaps something is wrong with the suspension of the vehicle? Or do I need to test drive it more to see how it does on better streets. Any insight or experience or anything on this kind of issue would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

automatic can have sport or nonsport, so you have to make sure. If you want a "smooth ride" the G is not for you. It's a sport sedan and it does what it's suppose to do.

For that smooth ride feel, get a Lexus.

 

How do I determine if it's sport suspension or not, other than just asking the seller? I'm not sure if he'd know or not.

What about Acura? Like the RSX, TSX, and TL? Or Mazda 6 GT? Are they smoother than the G's?

Are most cars like the G in terms of suspension/shock etc.? Or is it just because it's a high powered "sports" type Sedan?

 

It's a somewhat sporty sedan so the ride is not like a Lexus LS430 or Caddy but overall it's not bad.

 

on the 04 auto, if it is sport, the stock wheels will be a 5 spoke (star) 17 and the shocks will be red.

Acuras, specifically the TL (same price range) IMO are not much smoother than the G, it is also FWD and understeers like crazy. I guess for a guy who's looking for comfort, you wouldnt really care about a lil understeer. The fit and finish of the TL is much better inside than a G though, I'll give them that, but it's a boring car.

 

I just checked the picture, it has 6 spokes. However he installed some custom 20'' rims so I was test driving it on that lol. He said if I buy it he'll give me the old stock ones back in exchange. Since it has 6 spokes I'm guessing it's not a sport suspension, which is good.

 

Struts are Red if you have Sports Package.

Lay down on the floor on one side of the car were the wheels are at the front or back and Look behind the wheel you should see a clear as day "RED" strut if it has sports package

 

if you want a "smooth ride" with no bumps then get the stock wheels.......I hope he is taking money off for giving you the stock instead of the 20s.

 

Cool I'll ask him to look for those red struts you guys mentioned. Not into the gangster 20'' inch rims, they look nice but I'd rather just go with the regular 17'' wheels. Would they give me a bit of a smoother ride than the 20'' ones?

And he paid bought the 20'' rims himself, and didn't advertise that the car had it so I can't blame him for not taking off anything for that. But the price already is kind of high so I'm not sure if I want to purchase - hopefully I can talk him down some more.

Sucks that he's selling a car with 17'' but I'm test driving them on different tires altogether...kind of effects the process of trying out the car to see if I like the ride.

 

its not rough but its not smooth either, look for a lexus GS300/400/430 for something that offers a little more smoothness.

TL are not that much smoother, nor will a mazda 6, or TSX, a RSX is a designed as a sports coupe, but none will be super smooth.

I've driven all the cars listed above, while none has made me say WTF this is rough, i will not praise any as butter smooth, But i do rank the GS 300, really higher then all.

 

So other than Lexus, is there any semi-sporty decent looking car that is a smooth ride? lol. I mean if I can't get anything newer than than 2004 for under 20k then I might as well just bite the bullet and get the G35. I mean I wouldn't get a 350z since it's really bumpy but as long as it's alright (G35) then I can't complain I guess.

What about those plain cars like Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Altima etc.? Or even Mazda 3?

 

gEy The vTEch YO.....













J/K Honda Accords do have a really smooth ride, but you're talking about a whole different class of vehicle. G35 sport sedan, Accord just a sedan.

 

my friend's accord = most boring vehicle on the planet.

 

Those are smoother than the G35. When I first got the G35 I was expecting the car to be a smooth and comfortable ride but maybe I was expecting too much.

 

All the cars you listed are kinda geared for the same crowd, people who want a sporty sedan. I think the g35 is relatively smooth car (Compared to my Altima SE-R) but there are def smoother cars out there.