Hello everyone,

I am a little new to the forums and may seem like a noob for asking this question, which im sure man people have asked in the past, but forgive me if i do.

im in the 11th grade and my dad plans on getting me a car me a car if i get good grades until this school year ends and ive been looking around recently and have came across the g. I love infiniti and i want a car thats under $10k and will be reliable and trustworthy until college and want the g, preferably the 35x or coupe. also, the car has to have under 100k miles on it. I am a pretty responsible driver (usually do the weaving in traffic if its clear enough or if anyone is going with me). i know, i know, not very good if...but i cant help it

i was wondering if anyone can help me with my decision and give me any other thoughts and ideas to inform me with any problems with the car.

also, i want the x just because and i figured id be more careful with it and im also in the carolinas and i probably wont need it. and on top of that i have some other ideas...
-lexus gs300 (1st or 2nd gen)
-infiniti fx35
-saab 9-3
-toyota avalon

id appreciate any ideas or replies back

thank you,
huss

 

It's pretty expensive to own, and random surprises can come up from time to time. I'd always recommend a small fuel efficient car to a newbie.

 

ya, +1 to what Urbanengineer says. Its a bit much for a first car.

This also kind of depresses me. I ordered it new and dropped $40k on the thing and now 11th graders are getting them from their parents. No offense, OP... just please be a responsible driver no matter what you get.

 

Thank you, urban engineer and konsole for your quick replies.

Yes, I understand that there will be problems in any car...but I heard that the vqs are built to last a very long time. Have you experienced any problems?

And yes, Konsole Ik I may seem like a spoilt brat...but at least I'm not the one getting a 5.0 mustang or a 2017 camaro s like the other kids at my schoool. Hehe and also...I've been driving for 2 years now...1 year and a half with my permit and a rest with my license and right now I actually drive a 1999 Camry. So it techinically won't be my FIRST car but yes, it'll be my car.

And also guys...would you go with any of the other ideas I've stated in my earlier post?

 

I think those are all good choices. I had a 88 Camry (2nd gen boxy) and a 96 camry. What is wrong with the 99 camry? If you are off to college soon then think about what your car will be doing. I have known a few people to buy a nice car late high school, only to have it sit and basically rot in some college lot for a few years before they get to the point where they can use it much or have good place to work on it. Once you get into your own place (if you do live in a dorm or apartment first) you have a lot more options for taking care of a car. .... Just some thoughts.

I think it is going to depend on
1. what excites you the most.
2. condition of the vehicle, finding a good one.
3.How willing you are to DIY fix things or how willing you are to pay for fixes.

Finding a good condition and right price car will probably determine things more than anything else. My advice is don't buy the first thing you see, be a little picky, but also don't over do it and miss a good opportunity. Make sure you research common issues with each model and if those items have been addressed. Read up on buying used cars in general.. its a skill that comes with experience, so if you know someone that is a car guy who is a bit older, ask for help.

 

OP, what state do you live in?

 

Alright, thank you agai, konsole for the reply. And nothing's really wrong with the Camry, it's just that it has a decent amount of miles on it (145k) and we've recently have had some heating problems. Other than that I know that these cars are built to last a lifetime but I feel like I need a little more. Lol I mean I don't think that 280hp is a lot...but it's more than what I have now. And with the car sitting in college idea...I will porbabalt be living in a dorm but I will definitely be driving that car. No matter what I get, I plan on actually using and driving it and will rely on it to get me home and back. Hopefully it'll be chapel hill

also, I'm leaning more towards the fx35 now that I look st it. It's not too big and it's no too smal. It also has the same engine as the 35 if I'm not mistaken...?

Thank you guys, for your replies once and again

 

Deep diver...I live in nc

 

Your problem isn't going to be mechanical issues with these cars. It's MOSTLY suspension related issues and the maintenance costs.

I have a 2006 G35x have spent a pretty penny on "rebuilding" the entire suspension on this car. I have 177K miles right now, but the suspension has been crap since 120K miles and even way before that. What will happen is you start hearing clunking noises from a certain part on the suspension as early as 80K miles. Then you replace that part and get rid of the noise, then another noise comes up and you start chasing that noise down next. Then you end up like me and getting fed up with chasing individual suspension noises down and just end up replacing the ENTIRE suspension. You will realize you really can't save money on the suspension on these cars. They wear very fast as you approach 100K miles and even less. Just look around on the forums here. Hundreds of threads on this topic beat to death so many times.

I can say I have spent well over $1000 in parts replacing the suspension. I did all the work myself. I can tell you that just labor alone if I didn't do the work myself would have been well over $1000 itself. Sure some people can live with noises. But weak broken worn suspensions lead to poor handling, safety issues, and uneven tire wear which leads to more costs. Tires are also not cheap.

Common Suspension Issues/Weak Areas:

Front Lower Balljoints
Front and Rear Endlinks
Front Lower Control Arms
Front Compression Rod Arms
Tie Rods

Also if you get an X model G35, suspension costs go up even more over the RWD model because of the lack of availibilty of aftermarket parts options.

Again not trying to scare you away, but just trying to give you the simple truth that these cars can and will be expensive if you buy one with high miles. Yes 100K and less!

 

Thanks for a reply, fire0nic3

wow that sounds like a lot of suspension related problems. I've heard that the bearings also go pretty bad if you find a higher mileage one. I'm guessing that those problems you've stated are common but I never knew that the suspension has that many issues

And yes, I probabaly will be the type of person to point out any problems wrong with the car and get em fixed pretty quickly now that you're saying that I'm kinda looking out a little with my search lollll.

But are there any other things I should look out when looking at these cars besides the oil consumption, suspension/bearing issues?

 

Another thing is gas consumption. I understand the car takes 91 I believe. Do you guys get fairly good gas mileage? Cause when I drive my dads gs350, I get like 16-17 mpg when I get on it...which is usually on the time...

 

Another thing is is that if I find one that has coils or air suspension on it...would that better you think? Cause I've been looking in Craigslist and I've came across one wth air suspension and it has like around 66k miles on it and they're asking for like $11k. Which is a lot Ik but it has pretty low mileage and a whole other suspension setup.

 

When air suspension fails... the owner is the one who loses.

The X gets 15 in the city for purely city driving, and around 24 highway. 91 minimum.

 

I think you should put the acura TSX or TL on your short list.

 

Honda Civic 5 speed stick which you need to learn how to drive.
Very economical and when you get to college no one will ask to borrow it because it because most do not know how to drive a stick shift

Telcoman