Looks like the 2009 improvements put the G back on the list.

 

Very cool, I bought my wife a 2004 G35... maybe it's time to buy one again!

 

Nice to see the car recognized.

One thing I noted was the comment about an improved manual gearbox. I hadn't heard about any changes in that area and AAMC, our only resident 6MT owner so far, said his manual trans and clutch felt the same as the 08 he'd driven. Anybody else know anything about this?

 

'tis about time.

 

I'll let you know if I notice any differences with the 6MT after my car arrives next month.

 

Well that won't do me any good. My car is supposed to be here the week of 12/12.

 

No changes that I've heard of.

The 370Z gets the 1st sig change to the 6MT with the auto synchrorev match feature.

 

I, for one, have totally lost respect for C&D. So much so, that I will not renew my subscription which expires this month.

The fact that the G37 made it into their 'coveted 10 Best' is no real accomplishment in my view. Not because it doesn't deserve to be recognized - because it really does belong on that list. But it seems to me that based on whatever mood (or wind that comes their way), the C&D editors' opinions are as fickle as a bunch of senior citizens on Bingo Night!

If you recall, back in 2007 C&D did a preview of the (then) new 2007 G35. They raved about it, and it was named one of their 10 Best for that year. Not two months later, they did a full-review in comparison to the "Holy Grail" of sports sedans - the BMW 3-Series. And what do you know - suddenly the G35 had fallen from grace. They used every excuse in the book to justify their position, primarily blaming the unacceptable vibrations from the 6-speed manual (also if you recall they never tested the 5-Speed Auto) on their change in opinion. Then in 2008 it was dropped from the 10 Best List altogether. That’s odd, since the 2008 G35 was exactly the same car, same everything. But suddenly it was no longer worthy?

Now for the 2009 10 Best, it is back on the list. Why? They claim that although it still does not compare to the BMW 3-Series, the new engine and refined 6-Speed manual now make it worthy.

I think that is nonsense, as the G should have been on the 10 Best List every year since it was introduced. As for the Bimmer, it really doesn't matter what Infiniti does (or anyone else for that matter) as they will always find an excuse to claim the Bimmer is still (and always will be) the King!

Just to clarify, I personnally cannot justify the price premium for the 3-Series. My G35S has been an awesome car, and unlike in past years where I was trading cars in on the average of every 2-3 years, I think I will keep the G around a long while.

Just my 2-cents worth (Ah, I feel better!!)

Regards,

 

One thing u have to realise about the bimmer, is that they have been building superior chassis since early 80s and that trend still continues. That is the main reason testers love the BMW. There aren't many cars in the world including some high end cars that have the rigit and solid feel that the bimmer chassis has.

As far as the performance goes, G and the 3 series are virtually the same. The main difference is that the 2009 3 will still feel the same about 10 years from now and the most other cars won't.....

 

Are you referring to the cracked subframes?

 

No, im referring blown rev-up engines, defective trannies,

Also

Flying tops off of corvettes
overheating on BMWs
snapped axles on Gs
eletronic problems with audis
weak automatic trannys on hondas
blown engines on porsches
tranny failures on ferraris
alignment problems on kias


Let me know if u want to hear some more examples from ANY manufacturer that u can think of. Just list them here and i will give u a problem that 1 in a thousand car might have.

 

Glad to see it's back up there. Great car!

 

As a C&D faithful reader for more than 20 years I, too, am getting REALLY frustrated with their "ratings". I'm THRILLED to see the G37 on the list. HOWEVER, my beef is with another Japanese car that didn't make the list. For all of you with the issue, you'll see that the Mazdaspeed 3 beats the Volkswagen GTI: handily. However, on the 10-Best list, there's the GTI, and NO Speed 3. The Mazda beat the GTI on EVERY comparo it's been involved in; on multiple magazines, and in C&D it's 3-0.

Before correcting me, I DID see the blurb about how the comparo is about one thing while the 10-Best list is about another. To me that is utter B.S.!! Oh, and while I'm ranting, who decided to include the idiotic ratings of, "fun to drive" and "gotta have it?"

While I'm not ready to give up my subscription, I AM really frustrated with the editors. Maybe it's time for a change of staff...

 

The "Fun to Drive" and "Gotta Have It" categories are purely subjective (I personally think that they are 'BS') and in my view don't belong in a technical comparison for something as (allegedly) prestigious as the C&D 10 Best list. I would go out on a limb and guess that they use these categories as 'fudge factors' when the results don't quite come out the way they would like. Remove these two ratings from any comparison, and you will be astonished how the results can be altered. I know that's a stretch, but that's just how frustrated I am over this, and why I won't subscribe to their magazine now or in the future.

Tommy303's reference to the GTI and Mazdaspeed3 are exactly the kind of contradictory and biased analysis that C&D seems to endorse these days. It's almost like they are all suffering from periodic episodes of amnesia, and can't remember what they reported in earlier comparison tests.

Now when you read one of their reviews, don't take it too seriously because more than likely their opinion will change in a future issue, depending on which way the wind blows!

Regards,

 

whats do you mean about snapped axels on the G?????