my car is in for service and they gave me a 05 loaner, i drive a 03G (non-sport)

Heres my review,

Suspension:
First off i wanted to say the 05 handles like crap(also non-sport), it has alot of body roll, the car only has 6300k miles on it and just isnt as smooth as it should be, the brakes are not as sensitive (good thing) but they just dont feel as strong as my 03. My 03 is smoother on the highway, it sticks to the road, but this 05 feels like im gonna spin out of every turn.

Exterior:
the new bumpers and painted sides and back look alot nicer then stock 03/04 body, but i have the nismo kit on it w/ spoiler, and i definitely like that better then the 05 body, i like the 05 rear lights, but there's too many cars out that resemble the rear of the 05s lights, and the 03/04 look unique

Interior:
its definitely a step up, from my 03, but my 03 looks more sporty, and the 05 looks like a classy car from the interior that doesnt seem to have any performace. the top where the clock is, definitely has my 03 beat, the shifter looks alot better then my disgusting 03s ( i dont know what infiniti was thinking) the seats arent as supportive as the 03s and the gauges are alot harder to read (the MPH),
one other thing i dont understand about the 05 when you have the heat on and you press the recirculation button the a/c goes on and cant be turned off. whats up with that?
overall the interior is a step up toward the more classier direction

Performance:
i dont know how Infiniti got 280hp and 270lb tq, theres no way in hell this 05 stock for stock is faster then my 03( 265hp & 265lb Tq, and i know its underrated but still), i raced my friend in his 05 maxima with both cars (03 & 05) from a light (1/4mile) 4 times each car, and my 03 smoked him 3 out of the 4 runs, and the 05 lost 4 out of 4

Overall ill stick with my 03
performance and looks and the ride is alot better, the only thing the 05 has my 03 beat on is interior, im happy with my car, and enjoy the G i think its definitely the best bang for buck performer
thats my 2cents

 

The 05 probably lost due to lower octane gas. I know I put 87 octane in the loaners I get.

 

i didnt even realize that, ur right
i put the cheapest gas available and only put shell or bp premium in my 03
but you think it can make that much of difference in performance??

 

So let me get this straight, you actually think the 03 G35 is faster? Maybe the 03 is underrated, but it's not like Infiniti decreased engine power in the 05. At best, the cars would be same.

Your post sounds to me like you are trying to justify having an 03 over an 05.

 

not at all
without a doubt my 03 is faster then this 05 i have
unless its of course due to the kind of gas i used in the 05
And why would the cars be same??
i wouldnt buy the 05 for the simple fact of the exterior & handling being better in my 03

 

Don't forget the newer ones are little heavier. I have an 05AT and once got an 04AT loaner. Obviously the 04 was a little beat up and about to be discarded, but it wasn't noticeably faster or slower - just different ... a little more raw but not as loud if that makes sense.

I will say the 05 feels smoother and sounds more powerful.

 

^^^ the trans seems smoother on upshifts, but downshifts i would say are smoother in the 03. And ill give it that the 05 does sound louder, even my friends said it sounds louder,is the exhaust piping on 05s bigger?? is that the reason why a coupe midpipe doesnt effect the 05s the same as 03/04??
like i said the 05 is more classy and the 03/04 have a more sportier feel

 

High air pressure in the tires could account for the ride not being as smooth as yours on the highway. My 05 came with 40psi in each tire and rode like a wheelbarrow until I lowered that.

I haven't driven the 03, but just thought I'd pass on what I noticed in mine. I think the factory ships car with extra high tire pressure.

Also, you have to remember that as the 05 has relatively low mileage, it is still "settling in" and will get smoother.

As far as power goes, it's all subjective unless you take both to the track under the same conditions. Butt dynos are definitely misleading.

All in all, though, I like your review. Just think you might have more intimate knowledge of your car's every movement and might not be adjusted to the 05 yet.

I recall when I got my 05, I thought the steering was way too sensitive as the ride was 'darty'. Even my co-worker thought that when he first drove it, but he owns a Saab 9-3, so who knows what he's normally feeling??? I came out of an 02 Maxima SE prior to the G. Now, the G feels exactly as I like it and I don't find it darty at all.

Albert

 

The 05 Tranny matches revs. It felt wierd to me for a while but it's perfect for sporty driving and will be a standard feauture on all proper sports sedans!

 

The "suitcase" resonator on the 05+ midpipe is half the size of the 03/04 sedan resonator. That's where the sound comes from. It's basically a 90% version of the coupe midpipe.

 

Have you ever had your '03 dynoed??? You are not putting no where near 265 HP to the wheels. The '03's were OVERrated in HP, not underrated.

 

265? The rating was 260/260 underrated or not where are they getting this number... I would find it hard to believe that the 03 3.5vq was underrated by as much as 20 ponies... That just doesn't make any sense at all.

Also unless you are comparing the same model you are not doing a fair comparison. I am not defending anything or model here... Just that if you drive a particular model that has much different tires, suspension, etc. you cannot really do a fair comparison.

 

Don't forget the VQ gets much stronger as it breaks in

 

I find the 03 gauges much more difficult to read. The 05s never are washed out due to the lighting and the 04s look like they belong on an 20K car.

 

Then why are the "260hp" 03/04s 5ATs posting some of the fastest MPHs in the 1/4 mile? Trap speed shows available HP/power to weight. I'm doing almost 98mph in the 1/4 mile with a Z-pipe and in conditions equal to about 2200' above sea level. Show me an 05 5AT sedan that's come remotely close to that. What about the 260hp 6MT sedans? Clearly underrated. In Japan, the 03/04 Skyline 350GT sedan is rated at 272hp yet in the US the same car is rated at 260hp. Just something to consider.