While vacationing in Orlando, the car rental company I use had some 05 G Sedans. Of course they were automatics, and they had few/no options: they did not have premium package, no sports package either.
Anyway, my initial thoughts are pretty positive. The car is smoother than my coupe but it doesnt seem to be quite as responsive and connected. Not sure how to explain it.
On the interior, I think it's a step up from the previous interior, but I wouldn't trade my car in for it. If you're considering 04 vs 05, I'd suggest going with the 05 though. The interior is pretty nice.. the biggest difference I felt was in the drivers left armrest and handle.. it feels so much nicer now, especially since it is leather wrapped with the aluminum trim. The center aluminum didnt feel that real to me. I'm not a fan of the central a/c display w/ its glowing boxes. I wish they made the numbers appear out of blackness as they did on the 04s. I like the positioning of everything though. The gauges to me are nice but theyll take some getting used to... I'm finding it hard for me to guess my speed without really looking at it. I'm sureI'll get used to it soon though. Either way, I don't think that change was necessary. The overall forward dashboard looks nicer now imo though. Also, the new leather seats feel softer than what I have. So far, I think its a really nice car, but I still miss mine, a lot. Originally I liked the old sedan design (exterior) more than the new one, but the new one is growing on me slowly. Maybe by the time I go home I'll be 50/50 on the new design. So far I'm 70/30 on the interior though.

As far as sedan-coupe differences go, there are many, but I wont really get into them right now as I don't have much time. Tomorrow I'm going to wash the car (I'm not sure if its ever been washed.. it only has like 20mi on it) and I'll take pics for everyone. (Its white w/ a beige interior.. not that fancy)

FWIW my girlfriend likes the 05 exterior a LOT more than the 04, but doesnt really care for the interior changes. go figure. anyway I gotta run, if anyone has questions dont hesitate to ask.. I'll try to get pics for you guys soon.

What rental car company?

Also - rumor has it that the '05 has the 'rev match on downshift' feature for the manumatic mentioned on the 350Z new for '05.

Have you noticed this?

Thanks,
- Ray
Ready to test drive an '05 . . .

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by rayainsw on 11/12/04 04:04 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

A rental car with 20 miles! So tell us are you careful about the break in period or could care less. My guess is that if you bother to wash a rental car, you probably would respect the break in requirements. Unfortunately the next guy probably won't so your care would become mute.

i feel silly for wanting to wash a rental car but... oh well. i feel like its gotta get washed, and if the next guy doesnt treat it well... nothing i can do about that.
im not abusing the car. ill admit tkaing it to 5krpm a couple times, but i havent redlined it yet. i didnt even find it that satisfying to push the car that hard, so i doubt ill really do it. im looking at this car as a more luxurious but less sporty version of the car that i already have, so im treating it accordingly.

eagle rent a car in orlando, fl. i highly recommend them. at first they wouldnt rent to me cause i was 22, but when they saw on my insurance that i already owned one (albit a coupe) the manager said ok, on the condition that i didnt drive like a maniac... i didnt intend on it anyway cause im not about to get a speeding ticket up here, or worse.. jepordize the safety of my gf/others.

anyway i just read about that downshift feature on another forum. i didnt really look for it yesterday because i havent gotten accustomed to the manual mode automatic yet. if i remember right, the downshifts were noticalby smooth- so much so that i remember thinking that, even though i wasnt thinking about whether or not it rev matched downshifts. ill pay careful attention to it today though.

after another day with the car, ive noticed some additional things;
1. the door really is a lot nicer than the one in my 04 coupe. materials and feel wise. i still prefer the coupe door styling. anyway i think the doors are one of the best parts of the new interior. besides that would be the revised aluminum trim going across the front.
2. the AT really does rev match downshift... but the transmission is so slow, i dont bother with it.
3. the car is softer and quieter(!) than my 04 coupe. not sure why it would be quieter...
4. dont care for the new gauges, but they're ok
5. center aluminum trim should have come down from the top all the way to the cup holder covering. it would have looked much better this way. as it is it looks like an afterthought instead of an integral part of the design, as it did w/ the 04. overall though, i think the interior is an improvement.

thanks tekk. good stuff to know

I have an 03.5 sedan and my singer's girlfriend just got an 04 coupe. The coupe is def a little louder... at least from inside. Have you been in an older sedan? or is the 05 even more whisper-like?

The 2005 Sedan is an improvement over the previous years.

The car is quieter and the suspension seems like its smoother. The extra power is noticeable.

The interior bits feel nice the shifting is definitely gotten better and the new interior gauges, steering wheel lights, and controls are better than before. The seats are more plush the power tilting and telescoping steering wheel is really cool. I like the aluminum trim a lot and having the intelligent key is awesome. The new key is great looking.

Compared with the 2003 and 2004...I think Infiniti did a great job in addressing the "Cheap interior accent" issues as well as many other complaints from previous years.

If you drive a 2004 and 2005 back to back you'll notice the difference.

*NOTE* I drove 2004 and 2005 G35Xs....

2004 Ivory Pearl Sports Coupe

nope i havent been in an earlier sedan, so i cant compare :/

"2. the AT really does rev match downshift... but the transmission is so slow, i dont bother with it. "

Meaning - the response (delay between moving the lever and shift execution) or the shift itself is slow to execute?

And is this always tru - for any downshift?
For upshifts in manumatic mode?

Thanks,
- Ray
Trying to schedule a test drive of an '05 now . . .

"The car is quieter and the suspension seems like its smoother. The extra power is noticeable. "

Coming from an 03.5 sedan - I'd say with the thoatier exhast and Z tube the 05 is louder. And the suspension is smoother becuase it is heavier. The X however is much different car and can't be compared to a RWD suspension wise. I like it alot in 05 trim so don't take it as negative please. Definitely an improvement.


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

Hey, don't feel bad about washing a rental. I rented a nice black Eagle Talon years ago (for a week) and washed it once.

It's "normal."

Thanks for the review BTW.

04 G35x Ivory/Graphite