Hopefully, you long-time G35 owners can help me out, and newer family too. I have been driving Lexus for years, and have grown bored with them. The G35 Sedan is beautiful, and drives like my 325i - maybe better. I'm not sure because I haven't spent enough time behind the wheel yet. All I know is I can't get the G out of head, and I drag the brochures around with me - friends are sick of hearing about it.

My question; How is the fit and finish in the G35 w/premium. I have heard mixed reviews and now I don't know what to think. The G that I test drove was a new '05 and it felt pretty good, but then I checked out some used '03's and they looked completely dogged. I have also read many sketchy reviews about the fit and finish. I dont care about the cheap looking plastic, but I DO care about the overall build quality - leather, paint job, stereo, mechanics, etc. I need a solid car - can G35 hold up to Lexus or BMW? Thanks for any feedback!

 

I've been on these forums quite some time....and it seems that the newer g35's have had much less problems with "fit and finish" versus the older 03's and 04's.

 

yeah Im gonna agree with mike and say 03-04s had more problems inside, although I myself have the 03 sedan and have had no problems with anything braking or rattling so thats not true with all of them.

 

Thanks Mikeymike and 03silverG - I appreciate the feedback. Can I ask how the '03 has held up? In terms of the interior, paint, mechanics, etc? And, how do you feel about the stereo? Thanks again to you both. I am hoping for some specific details, and feedback about pros and cons, and how the car wears over time.

 

I've got an 03.5 sedan, original owner, purchased back in March of '03. Right now I've got about 30k on the Odometer.

Mechanically the car has held up excellently, I feel like the engine/tranny could go past 100K no problem...seems to run stronger and smoother as time goes by.

My car definitely has had some squeaks and rattles, but they are fixable.

I've got the sports package so my interior is painted silver, not real aluminum like the 05+.

Also, brakes are amazing, stop the car on a dime. But they can get squeaky when it's time to change them, they also produce a lot/excessive amount of brake dust.

I have the "upgraded bose" sound system...really average at best. But if you're a true audiophile I guess no stock sound system would be good enough. But the TL and other cars in the same segment do have better stock systems to my ears.

All in all....my 03 is a great performer, good speed and handling. It does have little deficencies like brakes and stereo. I do plan on getting another g35 when the time comes...maybe the 08 coupe on the horizon.

If you were really on a budget then I guess you'd have no choice but to go with the 03 or 04's. But if you can afford it the 05's are really a big upgrade....they've got real aluminum accents, better interiors and gauges, bigger sport package wheels, upgraded rear lights, upgraded front bumper, better brakes, etc.....

 

i'll chime in here, because my decision came down to an is350 and a g35

my dad has a gs300 that he bought in '98 so i know a few things about lexus, not a lot tho. the interiors in my opinion are amazing. by far the best of any major mainstream manufacturer. even 7 years later, my dad's car's interior is flawless (of course it only has 30k miles on it!) but it's given no problems. the wood grain and leather used is the best i've seen in a car hands down (well except for my friend's dad's 360 modena spyder )

the g35 interior in the '05-'06 segment is much improved over the '03-'04. the accents are better (aluminum trim, leather door handles with the aluminum trim, etc). most of the squeaks and rattles problems are fixed but they aren't gone. they can be remedied fairly easily by the dealer for free, so if you have the patience to deal with it, no worries.

i would say that if you are bored with lexus, jump into an infiniti. the cars are more aggressive (style-wise and driving experience-wise). after i took the G out, i was in love and didn't think twice about skipping over the IS350. i figure i'll get a lexus LATER... i'm 24 and i want to enjoy the sporty attributes now. from the exhaust note, to the sports pkg putting you more in touch with the road, it's all there. the premium package is definitely nice and i'm glad i have it. i enjoy hitting that homelink button every time i come home

gluck and let us know what you decide!

 

Very good advice - thanks Mike. One more question if I may; Do you feel that the G35 will be like a Lexus in that your G will still be on the road in 10 years with 200k+ miles? Just curious for your opinion. I like knowing my car can, and likely will, outlast my use of it, and still have some value down the road. Again, your feedback is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for.

Due to a business situation, I really can't finance, so I will need to fork over cash to buy one of these cars, so I have to do a lot of research first. Thanks again for the help.

 

Thanks absoluteg! Very well said. Enjoy your G, and I will hopefully have one myself sometime soon. Any other feedback you have is welcome anytime. Take it easy.

 

It's a tough call, but definitely the '05 interiors are far better then the previous model years, but they are still years behind by the competition in it's class - cheep interior bits still exist in abundance. All they've really done is lay down some aluminum trim and use some softer plastics. Again a must received improvement, but still falls very short to what is out there for this price - even at less $$$ for that matter. Read my recent thread if your interested regarding interior issues: https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sedan-v35-2003-06/81955-broken-door-handle-add-list.html

For me, it depends on what I'm spending, for the entry price of the G35 is not bad at all for what you get, but mine was $40K+ and the interior is definitely a disappointment spending this much on a car. I have an '05 RX330 - not in the same class but my RX330 was $45K, and the interior is far superior as most Lexus interiors are. But again, Lexus's are for the most part boats and they are disconnected; not so w/Infiniti.

And as most will also agree that the Bose system is an utter joke, and so it display that was ripped from a Cleco hand-held 80's football game.

But the suspension, engine and tranny [and AWD] are one of the best in the world, even better then any Lexus - and the looks are not only unique, but the G35 just looks great. So if that's your priority then you'll never be dissatisfied. If your needs are more, you may want to seriously consider others before you purchase.

However, it looks like the interior/audio issues are going to be addressed for '07 - and I'm patiently waiting to see if this is the case.

 

The VQ engine has been around quite some time (10 years I believe) and seems pretty bulletproof. I just sold a Miata with 180K miles (no probs) and I would be surprised if my 2005 G35 didn't hold up as well. It feels like the major parts of the car are well built and the squeaks are just minor fit issues with the interior. My rear window ticks from time to time, but if I hit the power window button down and then up the window tick goes away. There is a good chance Infiniti has a repeat customer next time I'm in the market for a new car.

 

tbow,

Here is my take. I thought I wanted a SC430 until I drove it. The SC felt like a luxury car that tried to be sporty. Don't get me wrong, the SC is a very nice car but was not exciting from a driver perspective. It was too smooth with no feel or driver feedback.

The G35 on the other hand performed. It was exciting and it has creature comforts. It is a car that is fun but comfortable. I owned an 03 AT sedan for three years and traded for an 05 MT coupe. Absolutely no regerets.

I do not believe the Infiniti is close in terms of the build quality nor customer service Lexus is famous for. But for the price and the performance, the Infinti was clearly the winner to me. Hope this helps and good luck with your quest.

 

Thanks RLampke and Harley01, for the advice and information. This will help me for sure. Best of luck to you both! If you think of anything else, I am happy to hear it.

 

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sorry about the duplicates..