OK, that is why I did not include that in my figures. Also, if you read my first post, you will see that I mentioned the price of options on the BMW. Again, my point was not just the price of the cars (I don't think anyone can argue that the G is not one of the best bang for the buck cars out there), it was there are some other things to consider beyond just the price/costs associated with owning a car.

Mr. G, the only reason I went down this rediculous path was becasue Gting decided to question what I was saying. Again it is not just about the money, the simple point was that there are other things than the initial costs to buy a car. I did not even get into residual value (the G is good, the 06 BMW will be much better) and other factors. Gting has questioned what people have said in like 3-4 theads today and I was tired of his (or very possibly her) responses.

If you really want to get into the cost of ownership, I would be willing to bet even the 40K BMW will cost about the same as a 34-35K G35 over a 4-5 year period when you factor in residual value, the free maintenace, and other factors.

 

I'm not criticising, only correcting. BMW doesn't follow the standard 3750/7500-mile dual oil-change schedule used typically used by Japanese manufacturers. Instead, the cars employ a variable oil change monitor system that analyzes several variables (cold starts, engine hours, temperature, etc.) to trip an oil change indicator. It's not uncommon for standard 3-, 5- and 7-series cars to go 10K-plus miles between oil changes as a result. How is this possible? Well, for one the sumps are quite a bit bigger, and newer BMWs generally run factory-specified synthetic oils.

So your argument of four synthetic oil changes a year is way off base to say the least. Just FYI.

 

I am aware of how BMW oil changes work, some BMW's go as much as 15000 miles without an oil change. There is a myth the BMW's a very exspensive to maintain, and a single oil change is, but the are usually much more infrequent. I have also heard of some BMW's going to 1 million miles. Gotta love the German's.

My figures were only talking about oil changes/maintenance on the G35, Gting had asked how it costs $750-$1000 to maintain a G35. Sorry for the confusion....

 

Stop whining and go buy a $500 plenum for your car so you can put it in your sig list and that it will "look great" While your at it put 245 tires on a 7" rim just so you can say you have 245's and get a pop charger so your car can lose power but sound like a ricer. Drop the clutch at 3000Krpm so you can burn up your tires and get wheel hop and buy a bimmer so you get a free oil change and wipers. Summary for today on g35driver.com So many lame posts and information on here lately. A few excellent but most ignorant or uselsss without and data to back it up.

 

Gting, don't take this the wrong way, but I have read some of the post you started and I don't think you are the one to comment on modifications. I think you can look at the modifications I have performed, and I think you will see that when it comes to modding a G35 I am light years ahead of you kid (err... I hope you are a kid). Let it be know I have done ALL of the work on my car, along with very similar mods on a 350Z I owned for 1.5 years, and also worked on some friends 350Z's. I can tell you I would never post a question like this: "Will a rear sway bar make a difference on a lowered sedan." I am not normally one for personal attacks, but i think you need to check your head. Keep it up...

I could actually answer quite a few of your wheel, suspension, and brake questions (and thought about it as I read some of your past post, but I don't think I would do you a favor like that).

Again, read all my post here and I think you guys will get a better idea of what I am saying, take you G hat off (I love mine too), and think about what I am saying with an open mind.

I would prefer to keep this on topic please....

 

DaveB and I have had the conversation about the rear sway bar on lowered cars years ago on Maxima.org. I had a supercharged 5spd Maxima for a few years. We never really noticed any real difference in "improved" handling with a RSB on a lowered car. However the rear axel is different which has something to do with it. That is why i wanted to ask how G owners who were lowered like it. I like to ask for opinions but I do not post "butt" dynos or lame info.

 

Thanks for proving my point, you have a lot to learn. The Maxima has a solid rear beam axle, the G has a fully independent suspension, it is pretty obvious that it will make a difference on the G. If you know so much, you should no that. I have no problem with the question, but don't act like you know everything if you can't answer the sway bar question. Sit back and learn young man.

It all makes since, I was once a Maxima owner and a member of Maxima.org, I stopped going to that sight long before I got rid of the Maxima because of people like you. Don't turn this site into a Maxima.org.

While I respect the fact you want some data to back up claims, hey, we all do, you should not launch a personal attack on someone because of how they choose to mod there car. This is America (I'll even include our friends to the north with this), and we can mod how we please. You asked for opinions on the sway bar, that is no different than opinions on a plenum. There is engineering data on sway bars too, you can look at the thickness and bends of the bar, mounting locations, is it hollow (hollow bars actually work very well and are much lighter), etc., and come up with all kinds of "data."

The post you just started is further proof that we do not need what you have to say here (this is in reference to you "summary" post).


MODS: Feel free to delete this, it was not my intent to take this OT, I just had enough of this guy, I think you can understand based off previous post, I really feel like we do not need that here (not that I helped any with my rant)....

 

Back on track - You still don't get it. That 36k is the base 330 where it's a fully loaded G35. That 330 doesn't even have leather or things like heated seats. Even the base 6mt w/ sport suspension and wheels comes with more than the base 330 and costs less than $30k. I think figuring $1000 for a handful of oil changes is a bit much, but even so, that's hardly a reason to choose BMW over Infiniti when it comes to cost.

Gting - please stop hijacking threads.

 

Jawjaw, the ONLY reason I went into detail was because of Gting's post. My only point was that there are other factors also. I obviously get it, a similar BMW costs around 40K, maybe even more. PLEASE read my post again, I think you guys will see that my point was there are some other factors on top of the initial cost. I am not arguing with you guys, I completely agree with what Mr. G has said, and you too Jawjaw. I love my G, and would buy one again over a BMW. I was not arguing with that.

I did not want to even get into this, but I was sick of Gting's post.... My ONLY point to him was that it costs around $3000 to maintain a G over 4 years, that is it, that is it, that is it. I am sorry that you guys took it that I was saying the BMW costs the same, it doesn't, Stevie Wonder can see that.

According to Edmunds it cost about $3000 to maintain a G35 for 4 years. Is the G still a better deal: YES. Is it nice that BMW includes free service: YES. Also according to Edmunds a similar BMW costs $5000 more to own over 4 years.

Gting's doubted that it costs $750-1000 a year to maintain a G through the dealership, either he doesn't have a G, doesn't maintain it, or his Mom and Dad pay for it....

Guys I love this site, I just hate to see where people like Gting are taking it, and I had enough of his inflamatory post. I think this is an informative site and I try to throw some information out there, I think the fact that BMW covers free maintenance is informative, nobody had brought that up. I was not saying the BMW was a better deal, only pointing out that they offer free mainenace, and I think that is something that is overlooked.

 

I still don't see how maintenance of the Infiniti, BMW, or any new car can cost $1000 a year. You would get 4 oil changes in a year which should be $50 a pop at most. That's only $200. Rotating tires, checking fluids, and other odds and ends shouldn't cost hundreds of dollars. Anything big that breaks, should be covered under the warranty. Things like brake pads, tires, and clutches shouldn't wear out so soon in normal circumstances. The only way I can see spending that much money is by giving into the dealer. You know how they always find some extra work to be done when you bring the car in.

I know your point was talking about the other factors besides initial cost but my point was that it has little impact when compared to the initial costs. I got 2 year "free" service with my G35. It's not really free because I estimated that the dealer charged my around $270, which is about 2 years of $35 oil changes. Another dealer told me outright that it was part of the cost but the dealer where I got my G35 said it in a more roundabout way. BMW may be doing something similar. Dealers need to make money to operate so if they are offering "free" service, somebody has to pay for it and the only way they make money is by selling cars.

 

Yeah, nothing is ever "free." Again I agree, and I did not say it would be $1000, the first few years would be around $750, I get 4 Mobil 1 oil changes a year at $75 and a 15,000 mile service, which is about $450 dollars with the Mobil 1 (includng the diff.). If you do the 15,000 mile service, that really drives the cost up. Maybe you guys don't see it the way I do, but Edmunds agrees with me, they say $750 a year on average....

I figure the price could go up slightly in the following years when belts need to be replaced (in year 2-3). Also, the stock rotors/pads stink, and I would be surprised if most can make it 4 years without a major brake service. I drive the **** out of my car, so I may go a little overboards on service.

I get an alignment once a year, but I do not go to the Infiniti dealer, I don't trust the dealer much. Actually I do all the work on my car, the only thing the dealer does is routine maintenance, and that is only for warranty purposes. Tire rotation is free from discount tire, I don't have the crappy stock tires.

Again guys, I agree, and I think you all make very valid points, sorry if I went a little overboard on my example, I was trying to drive the point home to Gting. You could probably get by spending $500-$600 a year, hell you could go to Jiffy Lube and save even more, it's just the way I drive I play it safe.

I am kind of curious people spend a year on maintenance, maybe I will start a thread for that since that is OT for this thread. I just think it gets exspensive. I can honestly say in the the 3 years I had the 350Z and G (averaging 15,000 miles a year), I spend $750-$800 dollars, but again I play it safe. I did that on my Maxima and it is still running strong at 250,000 miles (I sold it about 100,000 miles ago to a cousin), and I beat on that thing....

 

Ok well I just read this thread and offering a new view on this:

BMW are expensive to maintain if you have an older one. This isn't a myth its just the cost of driving a european car. I have an older volvo, the parts on that can be absurb, and yes the cost of ownership gets higher as the car gets older thats just facts of life as stuff breaks or wears out.

Everything has a build in profit / service fee. In this case BMW may have their 4 year service including the base cost of the vehicle somehow. Infiniti on the other hand decided not to include such a service and thats why it is cheaper. Personally I prefer to do my maintenance myself, so in this case my G was a better choice for me (plus I don't like German cars). And spending a grand on repairs a year seems high, but it does depend on your area and the dealer. A simple belt change can be 300 bucks just because the dealer takes "2" hrs or whatever their going rate can be. I got jipped on my old volvo changing the CMP sensor which is a 100 part alone, but a 30 mins fix. $400 bucks but my car was dead so I was stuck paying that. I'd say on a newer vehicle depending on quality control will affect this, the 2006 bmw is very new who knows the problems / defects it may have. The 2005 G has been out longer and you can see some of the defects and repairs necessary.

Now cost of ownership for the BMW vs the G also factor in insurance and ad valorems etc. If the BMW has a higher residual, then the ad valorem will be higher. Also insurance will be higher since the vehicle is worth more / its a bmw. Consider this as well into your equations, since taxes are part of the cost of ownership.

All in all they are cars and quit your moaning, keep it on target, and grow up. Just my .02

 

I don't think anybody is moaning, but thanks for the post it was very insightful and informative, and Edmunds agrees with you (check out the site it is interesting). Like I mentioned earlier they say the BMW is COO is about $5000-$6000 more (34K G vs. 42K BMW) over 5 years. They do include things like insurance, depreciation, maintenance. That was just too much to get into here....

Also, as jawjaw and yourself pointed out, nothing is "free" it is all factored in somewhere. BMW dealerships are reimbused by BMW USA for all "free" regular maintenance they perform.

I think most older cars can get pretty expensive, although I agree most European cars cost even more, I think the Japanese cars cost the least, and I think American cars fall somewhere in between, although every American car I have had started having lots of problems at about 80,000 miles (they were all cars, trucks seem to fair a little better).

And yes, lets keep this on topic, I have done a good job of dragging it way off, this is mostly my fault, I will start a thread on this and you guys can go there to yell at me and call me stupid .