Hello all,

I have been lurking in this forum for some time now and it’s been real informative and fun. I have some questions though and I would really appreciate any help.

1) How does the smart key work? From some pics, I see that there is a place to put the key on the left side of the steering wheel. Do you have to put the key there in order to start the car?

2) How is the wind noise and cabin insulation in general? Is it extremely quite, quite, average, or noisy?

3) What do you dislike about your G35?

4) Did you get the G35 because it’s the best bang for the buck or because you really liked it? Say if the IS350 and 335i were at the same price as the G, would you rather have one of these other than the G?

Thanks guys

 

You walk up to your car, press the button on the door handle, close your door, and just press the on/off ignition switch. That's it. You leave your keys inside your pocket or purse. The slot to the left of the steering wheel is for your key fob in case it runs of out battery. When that happens, the only way to actually get into your car is to pull out the hidden key from your key fob and open the doors manually that way. The hidden key is also used for valet (to lock your glove compartment).

I've never owned a luxury-brand car ('cept for my old 95 Integra, which wasn't that luxurious, but still nice). It's definitely quiet and well insulated IMO. Sometimes I'll leave a crack on my window or sunroof. Then, when I close it shut, I can definitely hear the difference in noise. This baby is quiet. It's no Mercedes, but com'on, it's under $35,000.

Are you kidding me?

I didn't even consider test driving the Lexus or BMW. The IS has no 6-sp manual, and the backseat is ridiculous. Might as well make that car a coupe. The 335i is simply too expensive, and I don't trust its reliability. The sedan version is still too cramped for my taste, and the maintenance costs will bankrupt you. Don't let the "maintenance included the first 4 years" fool you, since you're paying a premium price for that car to begin with. All the optional stuff are pretty much standard on the G. Even if you add all the packages for the G, you'll still around the same price as a 335i stock.

Oh, and the interiors inside both are so BLAH to me. BMW will never change its interior styling, while the Lexus doesn't have a clean, themed feel. The TL has a fresh, simple look, but it's too bland. I do like the IS's exterior. Very aggressive. The 335i coupe is very boring to me, too, especially its rare. In person, however, the coupe does command some attention, but so does my G.

 

I'll throw in my .02 cents.

1. No, you do not need to put the intelligent key in the slot to start the car. You only need to put it in the slot when the batteries in your intelligent key are dead. I leave the intelligent in my pocket at all times.

2. I find the cabin in the 07 extremely quiet on the highway. I find it significantly quieter than what my 03 G Sedan was. No complaints regarding wind noise at all, but a few members have had some wind noise regarding a rubber seal that has come loose around the sunroof.

3. After over 1400 KMs, I haven't found anything that I really dislike about the car. It would be nice if the trunk opening had more depth (trunk mounted CD Changer is the cause), but it's certainly nothing serious. The car is JUST SO DAMN FUN DRIVING!!!

4. If the 335i and IS350 were the exact same price, I still would have gotten the G. The G35 just visually appeals to me much more than the other two cars. It's just my personal preference when it comes to styling. Plus the G has more interior room, and that is important to me due to a baby on the way. The G35 being cheaper was just an added bonus.

 

Great questions. I too am interested.

 

I agree, it's not a major issue, but it's def a PITA. I hardly use the 6-disc changer anyway, since I have y two 2GB CF cards plus an MP3 CD in the front deck.

A fellow G35forum member was able to get the back trim replaced for about $350 (dealer price, maybe you can negotiate it). If I can get my hands on a non-premium-package trunk trim in the back, then maybe I can remove the CD changer myself.

 

I have yet to put a single disc in the CD Changer.......and probably never will. In time, I plan on doing the same thing as you.

 

Lots of good info already, and you already have the answer to 1, so:

2. I find it pretty quiet. On loud roads (i.e. grooved or raised grain asphalt) the tires generate some noise, but there's very little wind noise. I'm coming from a Maxima, so this thing is silent

3. Could use a bit more trunk space. Also the bluetooth does something weird about once every two weeks (doesn't see the phone, or won't pick up a call. That's about it though - and as others have said, it's ridiculously fun to drive.

4. Hmmm...definitely wouldn't have bought the Lexus, it's too "luxury" oriented - too quiet, doesn't handle as well. 335 for the same price? Maybe, that's a great car. But for the price, to me (obviously) the G wins easily over the Bimmer.

 

and it was hands-down my first choice, regardless of price. Even if price were not an issue, I'd still get the G35 again.

As background, my wife and I currently have two other Nissans: '97 Maxima with 102k miles, '95 240SX with 170k miles. Aside from oil changes, 1 set of spark plugs in each, and a recent starter replacement in the 240, we have had to do nothing. So I recently approached my vehicle shopping with a strong bias toward Nissan...and I've always loved the G35 since it came out in '03.

My wife and I looked at the 3-series first. We felt that the interior was spartan, the rear seat had little legroom, the styling was mediocre (very subjective of course), and the pricing seemed high for what you got. Further, we tend to keep our cars for a long time and were truly scared of the long-term frequency and cost of repairs after the end of the warranty. We never even bothered to drive the 3-series, although we've driven BMWs at random times in the past few years and they were enjoyable.

Next, we checked out the IS. I just could not get excited about the possibility of having a Lexus. The IS had a nice interior, but it was very small. The exterior styling was a real deal-breaker for me because it seemed ill-proportioned. Overall, the Lexus simply did not make me want to break out my checkbook...I simply could not see myself lovingly waxing it in the driveway (regardless of how it appears on paper). For me, Lexus/Toyota cars are sterile.

One week after the first '07 G35s hit the showrooms, we checked it out. The interior seemed much better than in the previous generation, the rear legroom was completely adequate for adults even when I (6'2") had the driver's seat adjusted to my liking. Plus, the interior seemed more luxurious than the BMW. I took a G35 Sport for a spin and was sold...the driving dynamics were excellent and the car felt extremely solid (from the way road imperfections are fed back, to the way the various *****, buttons, and dials felt, to the way the doors and trunk closed). The auto transmission in Sport mode was very impressive, and the paddle shifters were quick. Overall, I felt the G35 had classy styling (mature but not boring), a nice balance between sport and luxury, and was a fantastic package. Plus, it being a Nissan I felt it would provide many years of trouble-free driving pleasure. I just finished waxing it this afternoon!

 

Other people have answered the technical questions so I'll just give you my opinions.

Coming from my IS300, it's quieter, less wind noise. Compared to my old Integra GS-R and my wife's 01 sentra SE it's silent
I have a mild wind noise problem in the rear passenger door but I consider that a defect that needs to be fixed (will be bringing it in later for that) and not part of normal wind noise.

Doors don't automatically lock when you walk away from it
Lack of 6spd automatic.

In my case, I bought it because it was best bang for the buck and it's still reliable and nice. I defected from Lexus and have to admit I was completely spoiled by lexus customer service and fit and finish and would have bought the IS350 if it was 2-3K more expensive with the same configuration. I like BMW, but hate BMW ergonomics (other than the driver car interface, i.e. steering wheel/pdals, the rest of the cabin in BMWs bug me). Plus I'd rather have a car I trust driving into the ground and BMW ain't a brand that brings to mind.

A pleasant side effect of going with the G though is that you feel much more connected to the car than you do with the IS350. The IS350 is a little soft, but I have a soft spot for Lexus just because I was a previous owner and the little things about lexus support and service are just top notch.

 

Wow ... Thanks a lot guys. Fast and informative replys

I just forgot to ask one more questions, is there any rattles in the interior at all?

 

Not a single rattle here.

 

I have a rattle somewhere in the front. when my car gets back from the shop I plan on taking it in to get that looked at as well as the wind noise in the back that I mentioned.

IMO, neither are acceptable for a nearly $40K vehicle so they better find the problem and fix them.

 

I'm answering these without looking at other peoples responses so I am not biased. I have owned the G35 for 6 weeks now, 3200 miles.

1) How does the smart key work? From some pics, I see that there is a place to put the key on the left side of the steering wheel. Do you have to put the key there in order to start the car?

Walk up to the car, press the button on the door, pull the handle. Sit in the car, put foot on brake pedal and press POWER button. Seat moves forward to preset position as does the steering wheel. You can disable that feature if you want throght the multi function display (MFD). No need to put the key in the slot like the BMW - how dumb is that. It's there incase the battery dies in the fob. You get two of them which you can set the seat position to two settings, one for each fob. The opening of the trunk is the same way, walk up and push the button. There is a button on the fob to release the trunk as well.


2) How is the wind noise and cabin insulation in general? Is it extremely quite, quite, average, or noisy?

I would say, ok. Not intrusive, depends on the roads in your area. We have pavement here in Seattle that has not be replaced in over 30 years but the road noise in it is better than most. Wind noise is ok, I have not been above 75 mph, I like my licence too much. I have the non sport version, that does make a difference and a key decision for me. For me, I would say I am pleased - it was a consideration in my purchase. The radio has dynamic volume control so when the noise increases, so does the volume of the radio. Sadly, so does the volume of your spouse. There is no mute button on the radio or my spouse.


3) What do you dislike about your G35?

As with everyone else, the gas mileage is bad to start with but is getting better. I checked other V6 forums and the G35 is no better/worse than them. Budget for 22 MPG when broken in with 80/20 Highway/City driving.

I wish they chose SD/MMCs and not Compact Flash cards which are getting tricky to find and require their own card reader. But, you will love using CF cards - drop the music to card just before you leave work. I really cannot say enough about this feature - get the tech/nav package.

Seat heaters are not that good, I think mine will need adjusting at the next service. At this stage there is not too much to complain about since I am still in the honeymoon stage of ownership.


4) Did you get the G35 because it’s the best bang for the buck or because you really liked it? Say if the IS350 and 335i were at the same price as the G, would you rather have one of these other than the G?

For me, I could and would not sleep well at night paying more than $40,000 for a car. That's me. Mine was fully loaded at $38,600 and it had everything I wanted on my next car. I knew the moment I sat it in I had to have it. BMW was not a consideration, in Seattle they drive like idiots and the cars continue to have gremlins. The reliability issue was the deal breaker - there is no excuse for it. The Lexus was a close deal since they were only 2 miles from my house, but the interior was a little too cramped and to get the same features I wanted on my next car, I would go over that $40,000 mark I set.

You failed to mention the Acura TL-S. If it wasn't for the fact it is in it's last year in it's current form, I may have gone in that direction. Again, the dealer is within 2 miles and convienient. I have had an Acura before and the service was great and no issues with the car. You may wish to take a look at that and ignore the anti FWD folks. It handles well and now has a back up camera, a feature on my G35 I cannot say enough nice things about.

Let us know what you decide and your reason. I think they are all nice cars, but at the moment, Infiniti has the edge with the G35. I am sure Acura will trump it in 08.

 

Don't let these subjective comments fool you is what I'd say. Maintenance costs will "bankrupt you" despite being included for 4 yrs. 335i coupe is very boring. Guess most people are easily amused.

 

Again, subjective. Best source of objectivity is someone who either has owned both, or does at this moment. Our marketing VP is in that position, and his comments tend to be quite different.