Got a 6mt sedan last month and with 1550 miles on the clock these are my impressions of the car.

Interior--

Positives:
Seats are very comfortable and I am really impressed that I have no wrinkles whatsoever in the seats. The rear seat headrests don't really block the rear window view when in reclining position. My knees don't hit the console. Interior lighting is really cool at night and I really like the fact that the dash is lit during the day. Infiniti took a cheap looking interior and made it an acceptable interior for 05. Plenty of room in the back seat. No rattles at all.

Negatives:
Not impressed with the navigation software as far as directions- too many errors and doesn't always give the best route. XM only scrolls 10 characters which is really bogus and the on screen indiction of which preset 1-6 is on is way too small. A little aluminum by the pw switches would be a really nice touch. The gas gauge empty to 1/4 area is smaller than the 3/4 to full area which is really dumb and confusing.


Exterior--

Positves:
The sedan has a very nice design, and the doors shut with a very solid sound. The 18" wheels are just gorgeous and accumulate absolutely no break dust. I have no problems so far with paint chips.

Negatives:
The high beam headlights add very little and the fog lights even less. The front license plate is too high due to the need to use the tow hook to attach. The gas tank cover should be spring operated to avoid the low budget feel it currently has.


Performance--

Positives:
The car really feels very solid and tight. The car almost feels like it has a small turbocharger after 4k as this is where this car really shows its 298 hp. I absolutely love the somewhat muted sound of the engine during acceleration. I like the way the car handles and the steering has a nice feel to it. If you like the art of driving a stick, then you will really appreciate this clutch as it took me about 1000 miles to really get smoothness to the shift from 1st to 2nd, and I have been driving sticks exclusively for over 20 yrs. The throws are short and the gates are well defined.

Negatives:
The response when the gas is hit is not as instanteous as I would like, but it builds response quickly as the revs increase. When the light turns green, takes me a little longer than I would like to properly engage 1st as their little room for error.

Miscellaneous:

Other than a sharp edge inside the shifter boot, the car is defect free. As far as value the G35 can't be beat. My last 2 cars were BMWs, and I do not regret making the move from BMW to Infiniti and pocketing the price difference. Plus I think that the amount of warranty work that I will need will be significantly less than if I had purchased an overpriced and underpowered 530i.

These are strictly my subjectives opinions after 1550 miles and some my opinions could change as the miles accumulate.

 

You got that right!

Glad you're enjoying your new car.

 

I'm glad you are enjoying it too.

On my 04, I feel a differently about the headlights. I feel the low beam does not give enough light far enough ahead, and that the high beams are much better. I haven't used the fog lights in fog much so don't have a good feel for them. In normal light situations I don't use them because I don't want to focus so close to the car. (There was a thread on this a few months ago-not everyone agrees with me).

See you around the dealer for oil changes!

 

You've had BMWs? Please tell me more regarding your feelings on the MT vs. BMW's MT.

This is something (only test driven G35 6MT) that I thought was much better in the BMW.

Anymore feedback would be appreciated. Actually any feedback from those who've had nice shifter's in the past, comparing the G to BMW, or other nice shifters.

Thanks! Glad you love the ride!

 

Nice review CD. I agree with a lot of what you've written.

- I like the headlights and the fogs, but this is the first car I've owned with HIDs so maybe I need to experience other HIDs to adjust my scale.

- Not crazy about the bowed look of the 18" wheel spokes - the way they curve out from the rim and then back in to the center hub is too drastic for my taste. If the wheel/tire was placed on its face, would the spokes touch the ground?

- I thought the front plate placement was about right - seeing as how we have to have one.

- I do have small wrinkles on the passenger seat, but nothing out of the ordinary and nothing I didn't expect.

- Very pleased with my interior and love the stone leather. I'm still very pleased with my color combo.

- Also looked at BMW (albeit the 330i vice the 530i) and believe that I made the better choice.

- I also wish the gas flap had a switch to pop it open. I hate having to put my hands on the car to get to the cap - especially after a wash & wax.

Almost 2100 miles. I love this car. The only flaw is my inability to take it easy on the gas. The engine and exhaust are intoxicating.

 

I just dropped my 05 off for an oil change and they gave me an 04 loaner. The biggest interior improvement to me is the gauges. I love the way the 05s gauges and needles are lit during daytime driving. The faces also have a cleaner design.

It's been fun to drive the 04 since I don't have to worry about the 4K break-in limit. I'm at 1100 miles on my 05 so I'm sure I'll be through my break in by the weekend.

 

Oil change at 1100?

 

DingoNY....you'll find a thread here about having your first oil change at around 1000K. The thread is only a week or two old, so it should be easy to find. "First Oil chnage-early?" is the title of the thread. Many people here feel it's a good idea for various reasons and since the cost was minimal I decided to get it done.

 

My 00 M roadster had the sweetest shifter I ever drove. Short throws, defined gate, and big sweet spot from 1st to 2nd which helps a lot during heavy acceleration. My 95 540 shift also had a really nice feel to it but the shift from 1st to 2nd during heavy acceleration was difficult to get smooth. The gear boxes of the BMWs just have a better feel than the G, but this is not to knock the G's gearbox as it also has a very nice feel. Hey ya gotta be getting something for the large premium you pay for the BMW over the G.

 

harley - I guess that does make sense now that I think about it. I just hit 1000 myself, but I lease - so don't really have the desire to do it

 

Not for long. Already passed the House...

But anyway, I never put them on my cars... and never had worse than a warning. I refused to ruin the G front end for that. It's beeh worth the risk, but it won't be an issue for much longer in TX.

 

some municipalities are quite draconian about their front license plate law. The tickets are not worth the hassle

 

Corgidog you said your knees don't hit the console, I was curious how tall are you? I'm in the market for a sporty sedan and I really like the Acura TL and G35, but I have not been in the G35 to see how well I would fit, I'm 6'6". Sounds like your enjoying it so far with some liveable naunces that could be made much better if you have and want to spend the money, but at least your happy with the overall package.....

Congrats on your new G35! I was made a comment a few weeks about the sport sedan segment and how the G35 and TL owned that segment and how the G35 means everything to Infiniti and how much Infiniti needed the "G35" to really propel it and gain a good name in reliability (the G35 has been doing good in that department soo far). And I also said that if the TL came in RWD it would steal some bmw drivers without a doubt, more so directly those shopping for a 330i would definetely look at a TL if it only came in RWD. I wish they would offer the SH-AWD system on the TL and RWD, like how you can have the G35 in RWD or AWD. But as the G35 and TL are now the TL takes an edge in better luxury, but the G35 has an edge with more sport. But if the TL had the SH-AWD it would be no option. But I am still undecided unfortunately, both have there strong points...

 

Yep. The wheels are an "outie" design. Obviously, like/dislike is a subjective thing and I love 'em, but the outward bend of the spokes expose them to road debris, stones, etc. I've already picked up two little dings on the spokes after 1450 miles. Fortunately the Silver Crystal touch-up paint from my wife's car is a good match.

Corgi, I agree 95 percent with your write-up except for your disappointment with the high beams. They throw a good, wide, high halogen beam the illuminates well. The fogs add nothing, as you said, but then again they're not supposed to do a thing for you except in fog. And since Nissan decided that you can't turn on the fogs without the HIDs (a big error IMO; that bluish-white light flooding back at you in dense fog will be useless, and it's not like there's some corporate policy against fogs-only as my Altima 3.5 and my Sentra SE-R both had fogs you could fire up without the low or high beams), they're just for show anyway.

I'm digging the car too. For the first few weeks I thought I might've made a mistake not getting the Legacy 2.5 GT Limited Wagon. Now I know I made the right choice. Love it.