Last Tuesday, I took delivery of my black/wheat '05 G35 sedan w/5AT, performance and premium packages. I may very well be the only guy here who traded so far down in performance ('02 Corvette Z06, 12.3@116), and one of my (kidless) old friends who also has a Z06 told me, "I'm officially old" (I'll be 40 later this year). Anyway, I miss my Vette, but I had to have a second car with a back seat and 2 more doors for my wife and kids, and I couldn't justify a 3rd car at the moment. I almost bought a new GTO instead, but the trunk was way too small (my Vette had a bigger trunk) and it didn't have 4 doors. So, enter the G35 sedan. My first car in TEN years with under 300 horsepower ('96, '98, '01 Mustang Cobras and an '02 Z06)...

First look impressions: Gotta have the performance package. The included 18" wheels are one of the the best-looking OEM sets of wheels on a 4-door sedan, and WELL worth the $750 option. Interior looks great. 4/60 bumper-to-bumper and 6/70 powertrain warranties are pretty awesome.

First drive impressions: Pretty quick for a V6 sedan. Nice automatic trans seems to know what gear I want it to be in. Very tight chassis. The ride on lousy New Orleans streets is awesome. Doesn't have 1.0g handling like my Z06 did, but it's not bad. I love the seats, the well-padded door armrests (console arm rest padding should match, but doesn't), and the gauges which are backlit even in the daytime. WTF? Where's the trip computer?? Even my '02 Chevy showed me instant/avg MPG, DTE, avg speed, etc. I considered Maxima because of this omission, but I can't stand FWD torque steer. And my Chevy added side mirrors and both radio and climate control settings to the memory seats. Oh well. At least the "Blows" stereo is better than the one in the C5.

First week impressions: I could've done without the sunroof, reclining rear seats, HomeLink, et al (just more weight), but the Intelligent Key alone is worth the $3250 price of the premium package ("B"). No reaching into my pocket, no jingling keychain hitting my knee. I now cannot live without it. Damn you, Infiniti . The steering ratio is too slow, so I can't whip around a 90-deg corner without doing an arm-over-arm maneuver. I'm really starting to appreciate the ride quietness and comfort. Damn, I really am getting old .

Conclusion: This car is missing some features that it really should have (driver info center a la Maxima), and has some that most other cars don't (Intelligent Key), but in the end, it was the engine, chassis, RWD, and warranty that sold me.

 

Among other neat features, trip computer is on the Nav.

 

Yeah, the trip computer thing bugged me at first. The car I had before the G was an 03 Maxima Se. It had the trip computer. When I first drove the G, I did a comparison of features I liked on the Max vs. the G. The ONLY thing the Max had going for it was the trip computer. The G was so superior to the Max, the computer became a non issue. It may be a blessing though, since I seem to get around 14mpg. I don't need to look at that number all day, it'll depress me. Even with mileage in mind, the G is an outstanding sports sedan. I don't regret my purchase at all.

 

RichK, maybe the UT G2 rear trunk spoiler is adding drag and hurtin' your MPG? ;-)

Not starting another MPG thread....but, I have 3K miles on my 'x' now and I am averaging around 17MPG. It seems to be trending up a bit too. FWIW.

 

Eh, there are others in the same boat. I dropped down from a 03Cobra with 550hp at the wheels and a full-out race suspension. I like my G, but after 2 years, I am REALLY missing the power, feel, and sound of my Cobra.

 

Have a trip computer in my BAT and don't use it. I use the gas guage. Don't care about instant MPG because most of the time it will suck. Gas guage works wonders when computing DTE.

You have to go arm over arm to make a 90 degree turn? Are you drifting or what. In my G a 90 degree turn (your standard left or right) is less than a half rotation at any speed - maybe a hair over a quarter...

 

First off, welcome to the legion. It's obviously not going to compete with your z06, nor that 550rwhp cobra that other dude has, but it's still an excellent car. Hope you enjoy it and don't regret it in a few years.

This one quote says a lot about your previous vette. Almost everybody else on this board seems to hate the interior of this car, even after the upgrades for 05.

My dad has owned for vettes in his life, and currently he has a 97. Much better interior, fit and finish over the 85 he had prior to that, but still nothing compared to the G.

 

Tell me a trip ODOMETER is present, though, yes?

The trip computer thing is not a selling point for me, prob. cuz I've never owned a car w/ one! :^) My dad had a '90 Nissan Maxima that had one - way ahead of the curve there. But yeah, I look at the fuel gauge to tell me when to stop for gas ("is it touching the neEdle yet??"), and I can do math, so as long as there's a trip odometer, I'll calc mpg at the pump when I fillup.

-Chris

p.s. yeah, haven't bought yet, but getting damn close. I don't own the car (yet?) but it pisses me off to read about the paint chipping. When it comes time to price deal, I WILL be requiring a clear bra from the dealer!!

 

I also went from an 02 z06 to the G...

 

Err. I guess you guys don't have NAV.

The NAV in my '05 also includes a trip computer which shows instant MPG as well as the estimated number of miles left before running outta gas. I love the MPG feature, as it allows me to reset the stats after every fillup and provides a bar chart showing the MPG at each reset, going back a good 10 or 15 fill-ups.

And JohnBoy00, add some Z springs and d-specs to your G35 and you'll gain a whole new level of handling which puts the stock sports suspension to shame without sacrificing ride quality. (In fact, most people seem to think the ride quality *improves* after making the switch...)

Also, do yourself a favor and get Gord's grounding gear kit. It does amazing things to the response of the AT, especially when downshifting in manual mode!

 

"Tell me a trip ODOMETER is present, though, yes?"

It has TWO trip odometers (using the same display). Does this close the deal?

 

What, one for the driver and one for the passenger?!?! Ha!

I just wish there weren't all these reports of inordinate paint chips.

But, that might not be a breaker. Should know in a couple days! Do or die.

 

Your Not Alone! I Had A 02 Z06 With 150 Shot! Nothin Like It. But You Kinda Have To Appreciate The Smoothness Of The G35. Im 25 And All My Friends Have Fast Cars Including The Gto You Were Talkin About. Alot Of Horsepower But Rides Like S--t! You Made The Right Choice Especially With Having A Wife And Kids. Coupes Have No Place To Put The Golfbags Or Groceries. Got To Get Another Weekend Car For That :d.

 

It's a big difference going from a 405/400 (+) car weighing ~3050 lbs to a 280/270 car weighing 3500 lbs, but I'm trying to adjust. On the bright side, I was able to drastically lower the volume on my Passport 8500 X50, and my ears are appreciating it. Speaking of that, one other gripe I have is that this car isn't very radar detector friendly. Every high windshield position interferes with visor movement. I also tried my old broken V1, and it was no better. Grr. Does anyone know how to remove the interior A-pillar trim? Don't want to break anything when I hardwire the X50.

 

I can Care less about trip computers.... Bottom line is have to put in gas so what does it matter... When I did keep track of my MPG a few times i average 19 mpg...