I finally got some time behind the wheel of my new 5AT G35 sport. I must say that I am quite impressed so far, but first a little background on my previous cars and expectations.
I gave up two of my cars to get into the G35. One was a 2004 Z06 and a Mini cooper S. The mini was more of my everyday driver. It was truly a street legal go-kart, very nimble, quick but brutal on the body as every bump and road imperfection was felt and heard. The Z06 is too much for the street. You can't put your foot in it for more than 2 seconds without breaking some law. It rode nice, but is too impractical for everyday use. It's better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow..

On to the G.
I needed something more practical and comfortable but still fun to drive. I looked at the 335i, C6 and the Lexus IS350.
The Lexus was too small, no headroom and felt "loose".
The BMW was lacking in headroom as well but not as bad.
The twin turbos had lag at off-idle starts. I also didn't want the complexity and cost of turbos.. but it did run nice and pulled hard. They don't offer a limited slip diff and it's too expensive. It also looks like every other 3 series where you expect to see some rich college girl driving it. Not to mention the strut suspension and the $8K premium over the G.
The 07 vette is more civilized than my Z06 and with 400 HP/torque was hard to pass up. But after a ride in the G, I decided I needed to be practical and comfortable over going fast.

The G delights with body glove seats. Nice looking materials and layout. What surprised me was the wonderful sounds it makes. It has a nice growl as there is lots of air moving thru the intakes. Sounds like a small V8 rather than a V6. The exhaust has a nice low tone that never gets too loud. It also runs hard! When I took the test drive, the sales droid just threw me the keys and my friend and I were off. I felt sorry for this new car as I ran it very hard, but I needed to know what it was capable of. The G pulls hard down low and continues all the way to redline. This is unusual for a V6 of only 3.5L. There is torque everywhere which is what I loved about the Z06. The brakes are firm and fade free.. at least during my test. They don't bite hard and then loosen, but rather stay firm and linear during tough stops. The handling is a good compromise of firm yet still comfortable. You know the bumps are there.. but they don't take away from the "nice" ride. There is very little lean or sway in corners. Just a little bit of nose dive during heavy braking, but not enough to unsettle the car.
The tires stay planted but I think the wheel setup is pretty heavy , I will find out over time how this affects spirited driving in corners.
For me, this car is a perfect blend of performance and comfort. It's practical, good-looking and fun to drive.
It doesn't exhibit the "sofa on wheels" feel the Lexus has.
I will miss the direct feedback and performance from my previous cars.. but I feel I didn't give up much with the G.
Looking forward to more time behind the wheel!

 

Nice write up, sounds like a winner .

 

justa note , the 335i lag/sputter during startup (cold engine) supposidly has been fixed by a ECU update. however if you experience lag after warmup from the turbos... then it is as it is.

also I agree there is a heavy feel to the g35 (at least the 05 coupe) wheel.

congrats on the 2007 !

ppp

 

when you say heavy feel of the wheel. Do you mean the steering wheel, or the actual wheels ride heavy?

 

I experienced lag on the 335i everytime from a take-off.
It's just the nature of turbos.. They have to have time to spin up.. during spin up they become a restriction in the exhaust.. BMW did a good job in minimizing the lag.. but it still exists. And what a nightmare when something goes wrong.. The G gets almost as much power from a normally aspirated engine. Less is more..

 

I'm talking about the wheel/tire combo.. Steering feel is just about right.. with descent feedback and good tracking..

I need to go for a drive now!

 

For me , its both wheels & steering wheel. ofcourse the gfriend was the first to mention how the wheels and steering wheel is in the G

when comparing it to my other car its weight feels like a bar of iron compared to a bar of plastic.

I just write it off as the nature of the beast , big tires,rims, more responsive steering wheel.

ppp

 

Nice review!

Congrats!

 

I forgot to mention that the 5AT (aka.. slushbox) is my first automatic that I bought for myself (the G35 is my 39th car). My wife drives an auto so I know how to drive one
The 5AT is quick shifting when pushed. Pulls hard out of the hole yet is smooth and quiet when the going is easy. I like the manual control of the paddle and the rev matching on downshifts is very cool! This is nice setup and match for the engine.. Good stuff!

 

Great review bro. You gave up two nice vehicles for the G, but I can understand your reasoning. I've never driven a mini, but would love to. They must be a blast to drive! How many clicks you got on the G now?

 

Test drive a mini sometime.. it's a very fun little car with lots of room!
I have just about 200 miles on the G.... I need more time to get out and play.
Thanks!

 

The closest place to me that sells Minis is a 4 hour drive, which is the reason I've never driven one before. The fun factor driving one must be pretty high eh?

That is interesting that out of 39 previous cars, that the G is your first auto.......I guess that is saying something about the G's auto tranny! I too have always driven manuals until I got my G. I am on my second G now and although I still miss manuals, I am very satisfied with the G's auto. I find the 5AT on my 07 much better than the 5AT in my old 03. The 03 didn't have downshift rev matching nor DS mode.

 

Totally agree about the breaking parts part. I had a eclipse turbo and my car would be giving me hell. From a broken vaccum line, to a faulty coil pack, to turbo leaks, to intercooler piping leaks. Man, turbo's are fun but only if i get to drive them like a rental car. NEVER to own them. N/A is the best way to go.

 

well it was an eclipse...

 

Well that was a Mitsubishi... one of the worst car companies on the planet. I had an AWD turbo eclipse. It was constantly having problems.. broken half shafts , center diff. bad lifters..
The dealers were not competent enough to service the cars.
will never buy another mitsu product again