Do you think they will be able to do an ecu swap form the 05 to a lower year? With different internals and new variable exhaust timing there may be a compatibility issue. The TCU is on my list however.

As for non sport loaners...what a joke. No one likes any of the loaners at ardmore infiniti. They are all turanza'd non premium soft suspension crud. I get back in my car and it's like another world. I'd expect the X to be much better at dampening and roll than a softy special loaner. The sport suspension is the same as the coupe's only difference being the drop - right? Big difference. With the Xtra weight and lack of some of the trim peices you can't get in the X, it's priorities that define tradeoffs for each buyer. As far as nav - more weight and 2000 bucks for what? I'd love it if it were reasonable and reasonably priced as it is a nive gadget with addtional trip info...but I drive to get lost in this baby and to get away from the sound of a woman!

2003.5 DP 5AT Sedan
14.2 @ 97.18
Z-Tube
K&N Drop In & Airbox Mod
10 Wire Hyper-Ground
Crawford Plenum (V4)
UR Crank Pulley
Hotchkis Sways (M/M)
Polk EX-3500 Tweeters/Shock Sensor/H-Liner

 

hahah..manumatic a joke..

the reason why its pops into 4th gear..which is the safest mode..as u can see..it is very easy to accidently hit in to the manual mode..

now imagine if your going 65 on the freeway..u accidently hit it into manumatic and it goes to 1..oooo tat has bad news written all over it..now if it pops into 4th..the worse thing..the rpms slightly increases..no harm..pop it back and your good to go..

but overall nice review..but if you get a chance..test drive an actual car..not a loaner..



GGG Member Signup

 

"Please people (customers), keep the cars clean, I know it's just a loaner, but don't trash it!"

Doesn't Infiniti have a policy that requires their dealerships to keep their loaners clean? I had an I35 loaner once, talk about soft and cushy, and it was trashed (stains in the carpeting, interior covered with dust, etc). In my opinion, everything a dealership does, that a customer sees, goes a long way in affecting not only the dealer's reputation but also the brand's perception and reputation.

As for the crappy Turanzas, they might be a great tire for the I35 but they don't belong on the G35, especially a 6MT. I was disappointed when my last G35, an '03.5 6MT, had them but I figured I could put up with them in order to have the Winter package (for the heated seats -- tires can always be changed). I was disappointed again when I got my '04.5 6MT because I had hoped to get the "summer" tires since the tires were no longer part of a "winter" package (heated seats now standard).

Why does Infiniti insist on shipping so many G35s to California with all-season tires (it doesn't rain here that much). In my opinion, the sport suspension should only be equipped with high-performance "summer" tires.

2004.5 Diamond Graphite/Graphite G35 6MT Sedan
Premium Package • Navigation • Splash guards • 350Z intake duct • Stillen high-flow airbox • Underbody diffusers

 

Dyenboy,

I was appalled that the shifter went into 4th at a stop. Why bother? One might as well have a PRNDL shifter if this is the case.

I would thoroughly enjoy driving a 'loved' 5AT instead of a loaner, but after my review nobody wants to talk to me.....



'04 G35X Graphite/graphite, NAV, wood, premium

 

actually...the shifter is the best thing to a mt can get...I use it all the time to pass cars..

but they did improve the shifter too a quicker shift which I think they should have done all along..but hey..I'm still happy with it..and I rather have that..then nothing all..and I'm sure everyone agrees with me..



GGG Member Signup

 

As I said before, Infiniti changed this for the '04.5. My car has the corrected MM, where it does go down automatically to 1st when you come to a stop (so you always start out in 1st gear -- in MM from a stop). It's fixed now...you got an old '04 loaner; I'm surprised your Infiniti dealer still had these old ones as loaners...not good for marketing and customer loyalty ;-(



2004.5 G35-S 5AT Black/Willow - Prem, R. Spoiler, Navi, Sport Wheels, Alum. Pedals, Tint, Z Tube, K&N, Coupe Midpipe

 

Man, uou are catching alot of flack over this post. My experience from the only time I got a loaner was exactly like yours, suprisingly disappointed.

Very first impression was suprise, I chirped the tires pulling out of the dealership. The AWD does provide better traction and so seamlessly, we X drivers doen't even notice it until we get in an RWD G.

From what I've read on this board, the X suspension is firmer than the stock sedan suspension but not as firm as the Sport Supension package. All the drivers busting on you appear to have the Sport Suspension. Did you say you drove a Sport? No, you drove a stock suspension, why are they getting tied in knots?

Did you drive a 6MT? NO, you drove a 5AT, and you gave your impressions of the difference in the feel to your X's 5AT. Why are these 6MT guys giving you such a hard time?


On-On
S&S

 

Not suprised, especially being a loner car with probably no rubber left and no sports suspension, etc.

I like RWD a lot more than AWD since for one AWD would be useless since I never encounter snow, second, I really like to toss the car sideways all the time. I do get the tyres to scream but that's because they're starting to get worn. With an AWD I would only really be able to toss it sideways at higher speeds unless the Infiniti system is different than an STi.

 

It's way different than an STI...it's 100% rear wheel drive except for launched and when theres a traction issue or you set to snow mode.

2003.5 DP 5AT Sedan
14.2 @ 97.18
Z-Tube
K&N Drop In & Airbox Mod
10 Wire Hyper-Ground
Crawford Plenum (V4)
UR Crank Pulley
Hotchkis Sways (M/M)
Polk EX-3500 Tweeters/Shock Sensor/H-Liner

 

Fireball:

How is it that you ended up with crappy all-season tires on a 6MT?? All 6MT's come with the 5 spoke wheels and the sport suspension. All sport suspension models have the Goodyear GS-D summer tires (at least that was the case when I bought mine - which is made quite clear in their brochures, and on the Infiniti corporate website).

I think, if memory serves me correctly, that I COULD have had the all-season tires with the sport suspension option, but only if I wanted the full-size spare (man, it's weird how they bundled the option packages on these cars).

Am I right, or ?????

Sport Sedan Fan - 2004 6MT Sedan
Sport/Navigation/Premium/Aero; "Invisiguard" Bra, Madico Onyx Tint
Obsidian Black/Graphite & "Titanium"
SHE'S SILVER & BLACK - GO RAIDERS!

 

The winter package (x-tra) downgrades your tire back to all seasons - at least on the 5AT's.

2003.5 DP 5AT Sedan
14.2 @ 97.18
Z-Tube
K&N Drop In & Airbox Mod
10 Wire Hyper-Ground
Crawford Plenum (V4)
UR Crank Pulley
Hotchkis Sways (M/M)
Polk EX-3500 Tweeters/Shock Sensor/H-Liner

 

SixFive:

Oh, I see now, thanks for that info. When I bought my '04 (March, 2004), there was no longer a "winter package" - the heated front seats, etc. came with the Premium Package.

I really wanted to have a full-size spare that was a 5-spoke wheel sport suspension model, to match the other 4 on the car (I usually drive my cars 100,000 or more, and occasionally screw up a factory rim - nice to have a matching "spare"), but they told me if I wanted the full-szied spare, I'd have to also downgrade to the all-season tires (???)

Anyway, I chose the better tires - but now I know about the Winter Package. Thanks again for the education.

Sport Sedan Fan - 2004 6MT Sedan
Sport/Navigation/Premium/Aero; "Invisiguard" Bra, Madico Onyx Tint
Obsidian Black/Graphite & "Titanium"
SHE'S SILVER & BLACK - GO RAIDERS!

 

ChicagoX:

99% of the time here in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is absolutely no need for the extra traction capabilities of AWD, so few of us really appreciate the "X" like you can in Chicago (presumably, where you are).

But, I happened to take my first test drives in "G35" sedans on January 3, 2004 in Roseville, California (just at the edge of the Sierra Mountains, in the foothills), and it was about 35 degrees, with patches of ice on the roadways, at 7:00 AM. I tried a 5AT non-sport, a 6MT (with sport pkg, of course), and an "X", and there is absolutely no question that the feeling of confidence I got while driving the "X" in those conditions was great. The salesman purposely had me get on the car hard at about 25 MPH while cornering in an icy patch, and it stuck like glue. The 5AT cornered ok at that spot, but the VDC/Slip control was kicking in and causing the car to falter and be a little "herky-jerky".

The 6MT was an entirely different animal (with the "summer" performance tires), it would just corner hard until the rear end would suddenly break loose, than just as suddenly the VDC/Slip would flat KILL the power and bring the car back into line (much more dramatic when VDC kicked in - it was not subtle, like the 5AT). This more sudden and dramatic action from the VDC probably had more to do with the more sudden and dramatic way the car "broke loose" than anything else (sudden action requires sudden reaction).

I don't live in those foothills, though, so I never considerd the "X" further, but I do know I'd feel pretty confident in it's abilities 24/7, if I had one. Great car, if you need/want AWD. I'm curious if the "X" performs better than the others on an autocross course, all other things being equal and the extra weight be damned ??

Sport Sedan Fan - 2004 6MT Sedan
Sport/Navigation/Premium/Aero; "Invisiguard" Bra, Madico Onyx Tint
Obsidian Black/Graphite & "Titanium"
SHE'S SILVER & BLACK - GO RAIDERS!

 

My feeling is that the MM mode in the 2003's and 2004's were a combination of matching a requirement of many people, and would satisfy most less sophisicated(sp) people. Including me when I bought the car

Even with the complaints about it, I missed it on a trip this summer in the mountains when the rental had only a 4 speed, and only choices of D, 3, and 1. There were times that the 4 would have been handy, but I figure that Infiniti used it as a way to keep the normal usage to the minimum of P, R, N, and D. Without the MM mode, if they wanted all 5 speeds available, it would have been an unmanageable P-R-N-D-4-3-2-1

The Turanzas have worked well for me, but consider I was coming from a common, older, FWD sedan with no pretensions. The car, even the non sport suspension, has handled well for me with everything I have tried it with over the last 10K miles. Not quite as quiet as the TL, smoother and quieter than the TL-S (both 2003s), handled better than the Lexus GS300 (2001). I can't realistically compare it to the 2001 3 series I test drove since I didn't push it that hard, and it had other issues mainly size and features (since I ended up wanting the DVD navigation).

When it comes time to replace the tires, I'll have to see what is available in the all season realm to see what better tires are available. It isn't like I "really" need V rated tires.

2004 Sedan/DVD Navigation/Desert Platinum/Willow

 

My feeling is that the reason it goes to 4 when you shift over (in older systems where it is more of a D4) is that the engineers probably felt that, if you were changing to MM mode, you may be wanting to downshift from D5. If you wanted 5, you would just stay in D.

2004 Sedan/DVD Navigation/Desert Platinum/Willow