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On the July 4th long weekend, I went car shopping for my fiancee. She wanted a 4 door sedan that we can keep when we have kids. Long story short, she's taking my 2007 Acura TL and I picked up this G35.



Price. This car is Black Obsidian, has 24,000 miles, with the premium/navi package. The dealer's sticker was $31,999 and they were asking $28,999 non-certified, which was in line with other listings within a 100 mile radius (SF Bay Area). Certified versions with similar mileage and trim were starting at $30,000. I prefer a certified car because of the peace of mind of the extended warranty. The other issue is that if you are financing the car, a certified car will yield an interest rate that is half the non-certified rate. That means a significantly lower monthly payment and much less interest overall. I made sure to go in just 45 minutes before closing (it really helps when everyone in the shop wants to go home for the long weekend and be with their kids; it also helps when you say you're going to the Audi and BMW dealerships next). After about an hour and a half of them making calls and sliding business cards with numbers written on them (by the way, who still does that?), we settled at $27,000 certified. I'm happy with the deal.

Here are my first impressions of the G35 -- with comparisons to the TL. I’m generally picky when it comes to this stuff, so be warned.

Tires: The TL came with very soft, universally hated, tires. The dealer put 4 new tires on my G35: Hankook Ventus V4 ES (225/55 ZR 17) all around. These tires are much better, have way more grip and are a bit firmer. Since these tires are literally brand new and the rims are in immaculate condition, I am considering selling all four tires/OEM rims and put the money toward a set of 20's.

Suspension/Chassis: The G35 is slightly firmer than a stock TL, but not by much. I dropped the TL 1" using the OEM A-Spec sport suspension for the TL-S and installed a Progress rear sway bar; it changed the entire feel of the car. It cornered flatter, more predictably, and with more feedback. I definitely feel body roll in the G35. The steering wheel is much lighter than the TL and, frankly, a bit numb. I don't get enough feedback from the road, but I have a feeling that feedback will improve if other suspension components as improved. I installed front and rear Hotchkis sways on day 3, which helped a lot, but that's not a complete solution. I could probably scrape together some money for new springs, but I don't think I'll be satisfied with the ride then either. Judging from the posts here, it is likely I need coilovers to make this ride like a proper sports sedan. Overall, I am a little disappointed that a RWD car marketed as a "sports" sedan -- intended to compete with a BMW 3-series -- has a mediocre to poor stock suspension. My father's FX-35 has a stiffer ride and less body roll than this.

Transmission: I recently drove the G37 sedan as a loaner, which was a 7AT. That was overkill. My G35 is 5AT, which is, well, underkill. 6AT would have been ideal. I notice this the most when I am on the highway and realize that the car likes to hover at 3,000RPM even if I am only lightly on the throttle. The TL, on the other hand, would stay near 2,000RPM. Although it had less power available to take off in 5th gear, the difference in highway MPG is stark. 32MPG for the TL and 25MPG for the G35. This is where a sixth gear would have come in handy. The mentality car manufacturers have of “always having power on tap” really kills MPGs in the city as well: 19MPG for the TL and 16.5MPG for the G35. Sure the G35 has more horsepower, but this is still pretty inefficient.

DS Mode: I use the DS mode exclusively on the G35. I did the same on the TL. I HATED the way the TL would force a downshift as you cruised to a stop from 25mph at a signal. From 4th or 3rd, it would dump you into 2nd and you could feel the entire car would slow down substantially by itself, forcing you to hit the gas just to keep it going. I only notice this problem on the G35 when I am in a parking lot. I have a hard time keeping it in 2nd or 3rd; it wants to stay in 1st, which stinks because as soon as you take your foot off the gas, you can feel engine braking slowing you down. One feature I miss in the TL is that if you were going slow in a parking lot or wanted a slower start without as much torque, you could force the car into 2nd gear. The G35 does not let you do this, which sucks if you live in a hilly area. Even if I am starting from a full stop and going downhill, I can’t force it into 2nd or higher without hitting the gas. I kind of wish there was a manual override button next to the traction control button that allowed me to change gears when I wanted. I think some of the issues I'm describing are created by rev-matching features, but am not sure.

Flappy Paddles: I have added paddle shifters purchased from Riverside Infiniti. They are a lot of fun and make it much easier to pay attention to the road. I really like the fact that they are mounted to the column and not the wheel. Most manufacturers haven’t yet figured out that the steering wheel – well – moves. I drive an RX-8 and the paddles were useless. Whenever I was turning, I had no idea which button was for up or downshifting. These paddles look great and are the perfect distance away from the steering wheel. They are not so close they get in the way, and not too far that you have to really reach for them. I also really like the fact that you can use the paddles in “D” mode, to quickly downshift without mashing your foot on the gas. The best part is that the car puts itself back into “D” 5 seconds later. The transmission on the G35 is much more responsive than the TL, so a downshift or upshift is quicker than in the TL. I still notice a lag, however. I have ordered the Black Betty 4 gauge grounding kit and will see if that solves the problem. I also notice that on some days, the shift from 2nd to 3rd is quite abrupt, while other days it is silky smooth.

Parking Brake: I’m sorry, but a pedal parking brake on a sports sedan? Every time I use it, I feel like I’m driving ye olde Ford Taurus.

Power: This is my first RWD car (I used to live in New York and have preferred FWD until now). The TL was FWD and known for torquesteer. With the huge increase in horsepower, the G35 is much more fun to drive. Cornering is more pointed, and much less prone to understeer. I haven’t really tried to push the car too hard yet, but am really looking forward to it. Any recommendations for a proper driving school in the Bay Area?

Brakes: The OEM brakes overall are fine. The dealer replaced the rear pads and rotors and recently replaced the front pads and rotors due to a TSB I complained about. I have posted about them replacing the front brakes here: https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sed...tb09-037b.html.

Interior: The interior switches, plastics, rubber, leather, and trim are all of better quality in the TL. The leather in the G35 is not bad, but has a vinyl feel to it that isn’t plush at all. The TL’s dash and console felt more like a cockpit; the controls felt right at your hand. I find myself having to look over and reach for buttons on the G35. This isn’t helped by the fact that so many of the buttons are of the same size and shape, and are not contoured or textured so that you can immediately recognize them without looking. The TL ditched most of the light colored plastics, which the G35 still has. The G35 is a little more plain and flat, but overall the fit and finish is still above average.

Trip Meter: I got the feeling that the designers forgot about the trip meter button and added it at the last minute. It is hidden, not properly identified in the manuals, and should have been integrated into the two buttons on the right of the dash. The red HUD in the center of the dash is not bright enough. If I have sunglasses on, I sometimes can’t tell what gear I’m in. I’m also not sure why the red HUD is not synced with the Nav system. It would be nice to have the trip meter stats available on the bigger screen. I do, however, like the fact that they have this information available on two screens.

[Continued in Next Post]

 

Post 2 of 2

Center Console: Of all of the cars I’ve had since I was 16, the G35 has the WORST designed center console I’ve ever seen. They manage to fit a giant console in the car with virtually no storage space! 60% of the space is taken up by the cigarette lighter port, A/V ports, and the iPod port. If you have even one of those cables plugged in, you can’t fit anything in there. Then they insult you with this tacky plastic tray that just sits on top. The tray isn’t wide enough to even hold a CD! The TL, which has an overall smaller console footprint, has at least 2X the space. It not only has two storage compartments, it has several cable pass throughs, which make wiring so much easier.

Audio: I have the Bose system and it is comparable to the TL. I’m surprised they decided to use a disc changer in the trunk rather than put an in-dash changer like the TL. I do like the music box feature, but updating track names is very cumbersome and the inability to rip from MP3 CDs or directly from an iPod is lame. The lack of a proper 3.5mm AUX port or a USB port are disappointing. The Compact Flash port was a real surprise. What an odd choice for a media format. Nonetheless, it is a pretty cool feature. Overall, the sound quality, as with most cars I’ve driven, seems muffled and heavy because they are trying to put subwoofers inside the cabin. I installed a 500W amp and a single 10” enclosure in the trunk, which makes the highs and mids in the cabin sound open and fresh, and the lows rumble like they should.

iPod Integration: Overall, iPod integration is above average. The factory iPod cable is only 16” long and finding a solution for an extension was a pain. I was able to cut the wire in half and make a 3 foot extension. I have posted about this here: https://g35driver.com/forums/v36-aud...4h2-1ba0b.html. The system is responsive; the stereo immediately begins playing and navigating playlists is straightforward. The integration with the steering wheel controls is nice too. The cable does not support charging for new iPhones, but blame on that goes to Apple, for money-grubbing by reassigning pins for charging. By the way, if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can turn off the error message you get when you plug in an "unauthorized" peripheral. I also bought a Scosche PassPort which now lets me charge using the factory cable.

Video: Restricting the A/V port to when you are in park with the parking brake on is, for better or worse, hypocritical. I suppose I will be less distracted – and can now really focus on the turn by turn directions, fuel efficiency data, iPod music info, and everything else going on in the car. I don't appreciate when people make decisions for me, but give me alternatives that undermine the whole purpose for restricting the feature in the first place.

Navigation: I purchased my TL without navigation, so it is not a real comparison. In that car, I ended up mounting a Garmin 755t on the left side of the dash, which gave me perfect access and, most importantly, an interface I liked. I got the navigation package for the G35 and haven’t decided if I like it. It is nice to have a larger screen and to have the system integrated with the rest of the car, but overall the interface of the maps is mediocre to poor. The street names are largely illegible and the birds-eye view (popular on Garmin/Magellan/Tom-Tom’s) is basically unusable. I also don’t like the fact that traffic is through XM because it is delayed and pricy. Because I have mounted my iPhone to the side of the console using a ProClip (will post separately on this), I’m probably going to ditch the XM after my 3 month trial runs out. On the Garmin, traffic is free for life – AND you can bring the unit with you when you travel and use a rental car. One quirk I noticed is that the navigation system will continue to give you voice commands even if you are in the middle of a call using the Bluetooth system. Very annoying.

Fuel Efficiency Info: The “Fuel Efficiency” screen on the navigation screen is useful. I like how I can get a real time view of the MPG. The TL would only provide you a running average, updated every 20 seconds. I haven’t yet checked to see how accurate the information is, however. The TL’s computer was often wildly inaccurate: sometimes by 3 or 4 MPG. I am getting ready to fill up a full tank on the G35 soon. You would think there would be a built in app that lets you log your actual MPG and gallons filled, no? The red fuel efficiency meter in the center of the dash is poorly designed. Although the car will spend almost all of its time between 15MPG and 26MPG, the meter goes all the way from 0 to 50 (or 60?) MPG. Even a small notch between 20 and 30MPG would really help.

Bluetooth: The system doesn’t import contacts, which is annoying. Again, blame on that goes to Apple, who have largely crippled Bluetooth file transfer capabilities. Overall, the system is very quick and responsive. As soon as I hit call, it is immediately connecting. The TL, on the other hand, took its time. I think the voice command systems in this car are going to be even more useful as I learn the cheat sheet commands. I wonder if there is a way to upload a picture onto the system for a particular contact. It would be nice to see a picture that I can immediately recognize, rather than reading the text.

Luxury Features Missing: I was a little surprised that the G35 does not have an auto titling side view mirror, which is helpful when parallel parking. I do like the rear backup camera, but haven’t learned to trust it just yet. I noticed that the newer G37 sedan beeps when you start getting too close to something, but this G35 stays quiet. I have not found any settings in the manual that let me turn the beeping sound on. Side view mirrors with blind spot detection would be nice. I also don’t think the headlights that came with my car are Xenon. They are yellowish and throw out far less light than the stock TL headlights. If I replace the bulbs, I am also considering an Angel eyes upgrade from a local place called Lightwurkz (see https://lightwurkz.com/STORE_0E8Q.html). I personally don’t buy the “Angel eyes are only for beamers” argument. This entire site is devoted to one thing: if it looks cool and you like it, have some confidence and do it! Other luxury wishlist items include a wide angle front-facing camera (so you can see around blind corners) and a heads up display projected on the windshield with MPH, RPM, and Gear info.

The Mod List: My approach is the same as with the TL: understated if possible.

Here is what I am thinking about in order of priority. Please note that this takes into account my budget – which if you were reading closely and saw the word “fiancée” earlier in this post – you would know is not a lot.

I welcome any comments or additions.

1. Tint (Complete): All around at 35%; sunroof at limo dark.

2. OEM Illuminated Door Sills (Complete): Got them as a gift; look classy.

3. OEM Paddle Shifters (Complete): Best mod to date. Installed without taking off the steering wheel.

4. Amplifier / Subwoofer (Complete): Pretty routine wiring job.

5. De-Badged Rear (Complete): Took off the “INFINITI” and “G35” but kept the Mt. Fuji logo.

6. OEM Interior Accent Kit (Complete): This was a gift. They are not too bright and are understated, the way I like.

7. Hotchkiss Front/Rear Anti-Sway Bars (Complete): Second best mod to date. Most bang for the buck.

8. Stillen Generation 2 Cold Air Intake (Complete): Sounds great, but not as good as the AEM Cold Air Intake on the TL.

9. Interior LEDs (Complete): I went for a pure white (5000k) on the map lights, rear passenger lights, vanity, trunk, and front doors. Can’t find the right bulb for the glove box.

10. ProClip Mount/Holder for iPhone 3GS (Complete): This is mounted to the side of the center console.

11. Black Betty Grounding Kit (Ordered): Black, 4 gauge wire.

12. Xenon Headlights (Not Started): Considering which lights to buy. Likely 5000k or 6000k.

13. Light Smoke Blackouts (Not Started): Considering having the actual plastic painted with a light smoke color. This would be for both the headlights and tail lights.

14. Angel Eyes (Not Started): I’m thinking of the Orion V2 Umnitza.

15. 20” Rims + Tires (Not Started): While this is technically lower priority than changing coilovers, the tires are new and can be sold; it may sense to fit the size of the wheels first.

16. Coilover or Lowering Springs (Not Started): This is probably going to be the best mod once completed. This might take awhile to save up for. For lowering springs, I had ruled out the Tanabe NF-210s and am leaning toward the Eibach Pro Kit. Haven’t researched coilover setups yet.

17. Braces and Strut Bars (Not Started): After front and rear sway bars and potentially coilovers, I don’t know if these will be needed.

18. Plenum Spacer (Not Started): I’m on the fence about this one. Don’t care much for the added HP, but haven’t done enough research.

I will post some pictures hopefully this weekend on some of these mods.

 

Thanks for the thorough write-up! I tend to agree on most of your points as well.

 

Sounds like you've done your homework and are on the way to having a very sweet ride (not that it isn't pretty friggin' sweet already).

One question: I was under the impression that there was not a plenum spacer for the V36. There was one for the first gen, but Infiniti had "worked the bugs out" of the engine for the second gen and a spacer wasn't needed. I'm a pretty new owner myself so, a definitive answer would be great.

 

Plenum spacer is only used on the DE engines which are in the V35 2003-2006 sedans. The new HR engines do not need this nor does it fit anyway.

A little trick for the tilting side mirrors is to save the #2 seat memory the same as #1 only with the mirrors tilted to where you want them to be. So when you parallel park, just press the #2 memory button and the mirrors will tilt to your preset position.

The journey sedan does have a rather soft ride. Coilovers will stiffen it up considerably. Some may not even like the stiffness of coils but in terms of handling and sport-ride quality, you'll definitely want them.

 

Nice whip!

 

Thanks for pointing that out about the plenum spacer. I think the local Infiniti Dealership (Beshoff) may have misspoke when he recommended it to me. I looked closer at the actual specs, and sure enough, V36 is not supported.

Great tip about Seat #2. But again . . . fiancee . . .

 

no Exhaust???? thats one thing that will sound much better on the G35 than the TL.... FI FTW!

 

Cool write up. Thanks for setting the time aside to share your thoughts.
My wife and I have the same cars as you. Well, almost.
She has a 07 TL with nav. I have 08 g35S 6mt with nav.
Wish the G's backup camera was as clear as the TL's.
And also wish the G had the tilt down rear view mirrors.

 

ahrajani - you can add tilting side view mirrors with the kevin pierson module. there is a DIY here on the site, i will be installing it this weekend. i think they're worth every penny!

i was greatly disappointed that the base model G didn't even have a dimming rearview mirror! i guess i took it for granted that the acura's came fully loaded at a lower price!! (well my 02 TL was a comparatively lower price at the time lol) i really do feel that acura priced themselves out of the market they were gunning for in the first place!

great write up though. when i drove the 2010 TL and the 08 G35x it was hands down on the G35 for me.

 

Nice ride!

I just got a black 08 G35 Journey as well. Mine doesn't have navi, but it came with only 12k miles and i got it for under 25k.

I see you're from Redwood City...I'm very close to you. Good to see another fellow Bay Area G owner.

 

Ahrajani, sent you a PM!

 

7 at is not a overkill

rev matching and 7at is way more aggressive in gears, than 5at and 6mt

 

Excellent comparison post, very strange that you wouldn't have the Xenons though.

 

yeah seriously double check them because they're SUPPOSED to be xenon's if they're not then maybe they were stolen and take it back to the dealer immediately and have the issue remedied.