I'm looking into getting a new car. I'm leaning towards the new Lexus IS, or a used 6MT G35 sedan. I like the 05 bodystyle G35, but I like the G35s Sedan even better. And for the money, I've seen them used for about 28-31g. And the lexus, it looks like I can only afford a base model IS350, or a IS250 with all the options. But anyway, are there any common mechanical problems with the G35? I've searched, but for some reason I didn't see anything related to mechanical..does this mean there are no common issues with the tranny, engine, clutch, etc?

 

theres a campaign for the slave cyl on 07 6mt sedans. other than that, there pretty solid.

 

I was debating on whether or not to buy one with like 8k miles on it. Lol I don't think a G35 would break that fast, but who knew what kinda abuse it went through. I mean why else would they get rid of it in less than 15k miles? I guess it's that way with any used car. My brother has an 05 automatic with about 50k miles on it that still looks and drives like new. I actually rented an automatic G37 to drive to Florida, great car. What is it that makes the 09 cost $40,000+, while an 07 is about $27,000. That's a big depreciation is it not?

 

Cant comment on the depreciation too much, but the fact that the engine has changed(3.5->3.7 and VVEL) + 7 speed auto= big depreciation IMO for auto's but manual should not be a big deal. Anyways, now about any problems with the tranny for me? NO!! none at all with over 31k on the odo and still drives as solid as new, however search around and a few people did have some problems especially two ppl who i think used the leomn law at the end, as their syncrohs kept getting messed up.

My opinion is that they really did get Lemon cars, considering my MT and other majority MT owners on her for 07+ have had no such problems.

G/L with your buy!

 

Part of the depreciation is normal. Almost everything loses a lot of its value in the first two years. Specifically with the G, there are probably 3 things making it greater than usual:

1. The economy. Prices on used '07s are $3-5K less than they were 4 months ago when I was looking for one. Cars aren't moving whether new, used or whatever so prices have had to come down.

2. Model year changes. The new engine/transmission combo in the '09s makes them more desirable than the '07/'08 variety. This happens any time there is a styling change (unless you're talking about the new TL), or a significant mid-cycle mechanical change such as this.

3. Prices on new ones. Yes, the sticker on an '09 is $40k, but you'd have to be nuts to pay that. $34-36k is a more realistic number. In fact, I picked up my '08 in December for $30.5k, which was $8000 off. Given all that, the real depreciation doesn't look so bad. And of course, these numbers are entirely related to issue #1.

I think you'll find these factors to hold true for just about any car right now. Take a look at a Cadillac STS-4 V8. Sticker is around $70k. Certified used '08s with low miles are selling for just over $40k. Now that's depreciation!

 

Also FWIW, the Consumer Reports auto issue is out for this year. Granted, its not the end all and it doesn't cover all model variations, but its a good source for reliability information. The G is very highly regarded. In fact the '08 got a top rating in every category for reliability. No other car managed that.

 

^ nice good to see that.

 

The window motors going bad and the CD throwing an error code are the most common problems. (At least for me). I had 91K on my g35c 6mt before i totaled it. The clutch was still stock and I had 0 problems with the engine and tranny. The tranny grinded when shifting fast from 5th to 6th but that's it. I never dumped my clutch but I drove that car pretty hard. You can't go wrong either way. Good Luck.