Whew.

Despite swearing a long time ago that I would never buy another new car again, (what was I thinking?) I just completed my order for a 2005 G35. I opted for a Black/Graphite RWD AT w/premium, sport and NAV. I had been planning on getting graphite/graphite, but switched to black at the last minute. I realllllllly hope I don't regret it. I think the car looks best in black, but I have a feeling the upkeep to keep it looking even moderately clean is going to be a real bitch. We'll see. =)

I've always driven a stick (with the exception of one year behind the wheel of an Accord w/auto) and always drive my cars "assertively", so this will be a bit of a transition for me. FWIW, my car for the last 4 years has been a 5spd 95 BMW M3. I had been settled on a BMW 330 sedan as my next car until I drove the G35 and discovered it's pricetag. The handling, horsepower, reliability and amount of techincal advance (ok, toys) in the G35 for a car it it's pricelevel is just too good a deal to pass up. As far as the G35's competition, well, as we know, the bimmer is slow and overpriced, the Acura TL is FWD, the Subaru's are overstyled and cheap on the interior, the Lexus IS300 is a nice ride but the styling and weird guages never worked for me (not to mention they're a dime a dozen out here in Cali.. really common car), and hey, lets face it, the Mercedes cars are just more examples of overpriced, underperforming silliness as well.

The reason behind my switch to an auto is my absurd commute. I spend a good hour a day in bumper to bumper traffic, (work just moved, I used to have a 15-20 minute commute) so the M3's stiff clutch is really starting to get on my nerves, despite a lifetime of driving sticks. Also, the M3 is 10 freaking years old, different stuff is breaking every other week on that car. Don't get me wrong, the M3 is without a doubt the quickest, best handling, best looking, best shifting, heck, best all around car I've ever owned, but it is time to move on. Heh. Probably.. no, definitely gonna regret selling her, but oh well.

Anyway, just saying hi. Dealer hopes to have my car in the next 2-4 weeks, apparently there are a few G35's almost at the docks which have my configuration and hopefully I can snag one. Otherwise I'm waiting till roughly the end of March. Paid $500 over invoice, no hassle at all.

Jake

PS.. Everyone say "bye bye bimmer"... (*for sale*)

 

infocalypse,

Congratulations on your excellent taste in automobiles. You will not be dissapointed. I'm sure California is a great place to own a black car. I'm in the wet Pacific Northwest and would find the black too difficult to maintain for appearance purposes.

Regarding the auto tranny, it happens! At least you can mess with the manumatic for kicks.

So you're getting a auto/4-door after five years with a stylish 5-speed M3 coupe. Am I reading more into this than there is or are you settling down?

Cale

 

Your M looks sweet and I can hardly belive I am saying this myself but....your'e not gonna miss her as much as you think! I have a2004 G35 sedan AT premium package stock save for a front end Bra and K&N drop in filter. The car is a blast, quick, comfortable, luxury sport. Just curious, why not buy a 2 or 3 year old M if you still love BMW?

By the way, welcome to the forum.

 

>Despite swearing a long time ago that I would never buy another new car again, (what was I thinking?)

infocalypse,
I was saying the same thing, was going to go for a lightly used, but wanted a AWD sedan. Was looking at a 4.2 A6. But dealers wanted top $. So, I felt the G was the best option for me

 

Yeah, I've played with the manumatic on my numerous test drives.. it certainly can't replace the direct feeling of a manual, but its better than nothing. The rev-match on manual downshifts is pretty nice, I must admit.

As for settling down, well, that usually includes a wife and children, neither of which I possess, so perhaps I'm just getting old. Actually, when I owned that Accord all those years ago, the seed was planted for my interest in sedans. The G35 seems to have an excellent balance of sedan comfort/space and sportiness. Raw performance is great and all, but these days I want just a little bit more in something that I have to commute in every day.

Jake

 

Oh, I came very, very close. In fact, I turned down a 2003 330i black/black simply because it was an AUTO - 6 months ago, before my commute changed. (driving 2 hours to see it under the impression it was a stick certainly didn't help my attitude at th time) Amazing what a new commute and a G35 test drive can do.

Fact is, to get a fully loaded used 330i, I'd be paying just a touch less than I did for the brand new G35. The value proposition of the G35 is just so damn high in comparison. Add to that the G35's much more impressive motor and great technology bits and I was sold. I think the only thing that would have kept me in the BMW camp would be if they had released the current M3 in a 4 door revision. Now THAT would be some hot ****.

Jake