I'm curious to see what kind of car people had before getting the '07 G35. Do you see your new car as an upgrade, downgrade, or horizontal move?

I currently have a 2004 VW Touareg. If the cost of a car defined its class, then moving to a G35 would be a serious downgrade (57k for a loaded V8 Touareg). It's fit and finish are very luxurious... the leather is very soft, the wood is high quality, even the plastic feels very high quality (it has some sort of satin finish to it). There are some minor luxuries that I have found to be very useful - folding mirrors, lane change blinkers (just flash 3 times when you tap the blinker stalk instead of pushing it all the way up or down), 3 different suspension settings for the air suspension (sport, auto, and economy), 5 different levels for the heated seats, etc., etc...

However, I no longer have a need for an SUV and am looking at the G35 / 335i / IS / A4 class of vehicles (any others I should be looking at btw?). Actually, I'd rather get an M35 - but I don't want to spend that much. I spent enough on the Touareg and don't want to spend another 50+ k (which takes the 335i out of the running).

Not sure if any of you have been in the Touareg but would you see this move as a downgrade?

 

I'm a huge fan of the Touareg and VW's in general, but the move is only a downgrade in two categories: price and size. The G35 will do everything else as well or better than the Touareg for a hell of a lot less money.

On a side note, how was your overall reliability with the Touareg? I've heard bad things about pre-'05 models.

 

I came from a trouble free 2003 G35 Sedan. Even though I remain an owner of the same model vehicle, I still consider it an upgrade. IMO, the 07 G is an upgrade from my 03 G.

 

It's neither, it's just different. If you now want a sports sedan, the G35 is at least as highly regarded in its category as the Touareg. The fact that you paid more money for the SUV is immaterial.

 

The reliability issue is one of my reasons for wanting to get rid of the Touareg. I truly believe it is THE best SUV on the market (in its price class)... better than the FX, X5, and most Mercedes SUVs. However, 2004 was the first production year for it and I have all sorts of stupid problems with it. Nothing major... but a crap load of little things adds up. I have spoken to 2006 MY owners and they have now fixed all the issues. But, I'm not going to spend that kind of money to upgrade to an '06.

From a "what the car has to offer" standpoint, I am 100% sold on the G35. My main concern is fit and finish. I know they have made leaps and bounds over previous years but I was in a friends 2006 the other day and I felt like I was driving in a "poor mans Porsche" It felt cheap... like REALLY cheap. The plastic was... too plasticy (if that makes sense). The leather wasn't real luxurious. Etc.

Oh, another thing I will miss on the G35... rain sensing wipers!! But, its Nav system is to die for... especially compared to VWs POS system.

 

I see you're from Houston - where'd you get your G35? Were they willing to negotiate on price? I went to West Houston in November and one of the very first things the guy said to me was "I can tell you we won't be the first dealership in Houston to sell below MSRP" We hadn't even started talking seriously about price yet... just just wanted to trump me by saying that, I guess?

 

Like Shane, I was in a 2003 G35. This is most certainly an upgrade.

 

Great to hear you guys really enjoying a finer car.

 

If you drive the '07 G35, you will likely be convinced it is a great car and any interior quality shorcomings in the previous generation have been addresed. The fit and finish are excellent, and any lack of perceived quality in the Infiniti will likely be compensated by incredible reliability. The car feels like it is carved out of granite, and the interior pieces have a substantial, quality feel (at least for me...and not quite as good as in a Lexus though).

BTW, in addition to the '07 G35 Sport AT, my wife and I have a '97 Maxima (102k miles) and a '95 240SX (170k miles). Aside from oil changes, 1 set of spark plugs in each, and a recent starter replacement in the 240, we have done nothing...and I mean nothing.

 

I am on my fourth Nissan/Infiniti product and I can same the same thing. I have done NOTHING outside of routine maintenance on everyone of them. My personal experiences with this company have been nothing short of excellent.

 

For me, this well be a massive upgrade:

2000 Nissan Sentra -> '07 G35S 6MT

 

JDM 01 Celica GT-S... took me awhile to relearn how to drive sitting on the other side and on the other lane =D

 

=\ i miss my enzo

 

Nice upgrade for sure. I can only imagine the ear-to-ear grin on your face when you take delivery!

 

Big upgrade. Had a 2000 Mitsu Eclipse GT.