"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/07/2015 at 20:23 • Filed to: review, opporeview, infiniti, g35
6
0|
"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/07/2015 at 20:23 • Filed to: review, opporeview, infiniti, g35 | 6
| 0 |
In late 2010 I was doing my second internship after another semester of university. I found a position that was "close" to home - close enough that I couldn't justify renting a place for those 4 months but not really close enough to actually consider it "close", you know? Sometimes I'd get a ride from my mom but usually it was me and a few buses. Since I was technically crossing over from one city to another I had to buy a special bus pass that worked in both regions for $52 a week ! I argued that if I bought a car I'd save over $200 a month on those passes (not to mention a lot of time). Yes, it was a bullshit argument but I really wanted a car, and having saved up some money from my first internship there was no reason that you could come up with that would convince me to drop my idea. At one of my bus stops was a newspaper vending machine with free copies of used car magazines. Every week I'd pick up a new issue and browse the ads. It was a great way to pass the time but I'm not sure what I was looking for within those pages because I already new what I wanted - a Ford Focus hatch.
I have always loved cars but I had very realistic expectations of my first car. I wasn't even being very picky but I did have one hard requirement: a car with enough room to fit two or three buddies and our ski/snowboard equipment in the back while we booked it to the nearest mountain. How I ended up with a car where the rear seats recline but don't fold flat, I do not know.
This was back in the heyday of the F&F films and countless TV shows that glorified tuning and the entire modding car culture. I figured if I bought a nice ZX5 or similar I could get the uprated Zetec engine with a whopping 127 HP, slap a turbo onto its supercharger and feed it through the exhaust intake manifold, down the throttle body of course, and have a real quarter-mile monster on my hands. Because that's how I live my life - one quarter mile at a time.
I'm not entirely sure what happened to my Focus. That idea lost traction when I began to look at used cars with my brother-in-law who pressured me to look at something a little 'nicer'. I'm very glad he did because I ended up with a wonderful, underrated sports sedan.
( Full Disclosure: Infiniti wanted me to buy a used G sedan so badly that I struck a deal with one dealer for a silver example which they said was accident-free. When I showed up, cheque in hand, they showed us the CarProof that clearly said it had been damaged before. Bastards. Another week, another dealer, another G - black on black - another certified cheque. Just before I handed the money over I realized that their car was an American G so it actually had 90k miles even though they listed it as 90k kilometres . Bastards. Defeated, my brother-in-law called a friend and it turned out he had a red G for sale on his lot. My G.)
Exterior 8/10
The third generation (V35) G cars are all quite pretty in my opinion. In 2005 the sedan got a refresh which included a revised grill, bumper, hood, and sweet circular taillights. It's not a stunning car but it has just enough curves that make it interesting to look at. What I like most is that the body pulls off a nice clean look with a touch of sportiness and sophistication all without being fussy. And it's aged well, too. I can no longer claim that it looks modern but for a nine-year-old car it still manages to stand out on the road (the red colour must surely help). I think the G35 looks good in the same way the much older J30 still looks good. The next-generation (V37) G35 and G37 sedans received a meaner front end and a stubbier trunk which, in my opinion, resulted in a design which was more prone to looking outdated, sooner. No offense to anyone with one of those cars but... I'm not jealous when I see a newer G on the road.
The stock rims are these 7-spoke 17" alloys. As is the theme with the car, they're eye-catching but not gaudy. I decided to tint my windows after a year of having the car. I appreciate the privacy and like the way they look on the car.
Interior 8/10
Even after 5 years I still enjoy getting into this car. The seats are leather and there is leather trim on the armrest and doors. The driver gets a power seat with lumbar and memory. When you open the door after you've parked the seat slides back as to give you more room to exit. The seat will provide you with enough support for spirited driving but you have enough freedom to move about if you want to, and doing long stints behind the wheel isn't a problem. The steering wheel is also leather-wrapped but just a bit too big for my liking. However, Infiniti has packed a number of controls and switches onto the steering wheel and they are all within reach of your thumb - many manufacturers get this wrong even today.
The analog gauges are orange and the needle has an illuminated red stripe running down the middle for a 'cool' look which won't offend anybody. There is a stylish brushed metal strip that runs above the centre console, which has buttons that are all logically laid out and easily within reach. There's a compartment at the top of the console stack that is meant to house the popup navigation screen. My car doesn't have the nav unit but instead my 4.5" smartphone fits wonderfully into that area. The dash and all other bits of trim are plastic but it doesn't feel cheap. Completing the experience in the front row is a small oval analog clock in the centre of the dash. Classy.
The rear seats are just as comfortable if there are only two people in the back. Drop in a third adult and things get very cramped. However, the rear row has a magic trick up its sleeve - the seats can recline! Not by a lot, mind you, but just enough to help your passengers fall asleep. Personally I would have preferred folding rear seats, and this is where the interior loses some points. Although the inside is spacious and I've used the car to move all my stuff to/from university many times, big things just don't fit. In its packaging, my 50" TV just cleared the rear doors when closed by the slightest of margins. My snowboard won't fit into the trunk (not even through the folding centre armrest) so it has to go diagonally across the entire rear of the vehicle, allowing for only one person to sit back there with a snowboard precariously laying across their legs.
Acceleration 8/10
The G35x's power output will no longer impress people. At about 283 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque... hey, you know what? That's not at all bad! Considerably more than what the comparable BMW E90 was making around the same time. In fact, my 2006 G35 makes only 18 HP less than a 2015 BMW 335i.
Acceleration is plentiful but the reason I'm giving this car a point or two more than you may think it deserves is because acceleration is everywhere . The AWD system, which I'll get to in a following section, puts the power from the 3.5 L engine to the ground regardless of what's underneath the tires. Rain? The car doesn't give a shit. Really, I can think of only a handful of times when the power has been throttled by the on-board computers due to water on the road surface. Even in snow the car will just pull after a short tussle with the traction control to gain some grip and soon enough you are going way too fast on fresh powder.
Throttle response is very quick. If you're puttering around on the highway doing around 100 km/h (60 mph) and you want to overtake somebody, gently applying pressure to the gas pedal will bring you up to 120 (75 mph) in only a few short seconds and without any drama, raising the revs by only 400 RPM. Lay into the gas pedal at that same highway cruising speed and the car will drop down a gear and rapidly bring you up to 140 km/h (87 mph).
Braking 7/10
Not too much to say here. The car has 12.6" front brakes and 12.1" in the back. The pedal has a progressive feel to it but the brakes will bite down hard if you push all the way. Fortunately I haven't had to exercise emergency braking that much (tailgating is for losers) but not too long ago an incident occurred where I slammed on the brakes and came to a stop after some tire squeal. No damage caused... thanks, G! I wouldn't mind some high performance brakes on the car but I think I'd need to upgrade my tires to take advantage of them.
Ride 5/10
I do not know if Infiniti took the G35 to the Nurburgring in order to tune its suspension there, but I cannot help but agree with James May that it is unnecessary to do such things to road cars that will most likely never see a race track! The suspension in this car is not for the faint of heart. My mechanic once told me that my springs were some of the stiffest he's ever come across, and I think someone may have replaced my dampers and with tree trunks. Every bump in the road is communicated directly to your butt, and every crack in the pavement is communicated directly to your spine (even the small ones that are purported to break your mother's back). I realize that I physically brace myself whenever I see something in the road that I can't avoid, and I quickly apologize to my car after the ordeal. It feels like every clunk takes a bit out of her and I can tell you that it's not a pleasant experience.
The other issue is noise. At highway speeds the cabin isn't as well-isolated as I'd like it to be. Also, the car has always gently pulled to one side - it almost never travels straight, even after alignment.
Handling 10/10
What's the upside to a hard suspension? Good handling! Is the handling so good that the G deserves a 10? Maybe not, but I have so much fun in the car that I'm giving it a 10 and here's why.
The steering is responsive and the wheel has a good weight to it. The act of steering isn't effortless but you cannot do it with just your pinky, and I like that. It is very easy to place the car exactly where you want it.
I cannot begin to praise the AWD system in this car. It does more than just power all four wheels - it saves your ass when you try to do stupid things. This is most evident with snow on the ground and winter tires on all four corners - it makes you feel pretty unstoppable on the road. Now, having a sense that you are Hercules can definitely be a bad thing but the car has never given me a reason to doubt its ability. On the highway I can take that one snow-covered lane to pass people, and I can change lanes without worrying about all the slush that collects between the travelled tracks. Eventually the highway trip finishes and you end up at a parking lot, either late at night or early in the morning... that's when you turn traction control "OFF" and start hooning. The GIF below shows my first attempt at a J-turn. The car really is that easy to control.
Once I had quite bald tires in the summer and only then was the car willing to slip its tail out on a wet surface. Regardless it always feels so predictable during a drift. You can easily steer with just the throttle and it would never snap unless - like with the J-turn in the clip - you were really working the steering wheel.
But if the conditions are dry there isn't much you can do to lose traction. It can take highway ramps at double the suggested speed and I have a feeling the car can do more, although I'm not terribly curious to find out what will happen if I'm mistaken. I haven't taken it to an autocross course but it's something I'd like to do when the weather improves here.
Gearbox 6/10
The only transmission option available for the all-wheel drive G35x is a 5-speed automatic. That's unfortunate because I really would have appreciated the extra gear that was available on the 6-speed manual G cars. At a highway cruising speed of 120 km/h the engine chugs away at 3k RPM. For noise and fuel economy purposes I would like to be doing 1000 RPM less.
The automatic transmission is fairly boring. It is smooth for the most part but has the occasional hiccup (this might mean it's time for me to change my transmission fluid). The car gives you the ability to choose your gear using Tiptronic but I stay out of that mode the majority of the time. Tiptronic is sluggish to respond to your input, particularly the shift from 1st to 2nd which will occur about one second after you signal for it. It won't automatically shift up for you at high revs but it will automatically shift down when it deems it correct to do so (such as when you are coasting towards a red light). These down-shifts happen sooner than when in fully automatic mode and make for a jerky ride. The only time I can justify Tiptronic is when you want to show off a little. There's no need to leave it in a lower gear even in bad weather because the car figures that out on its own.
Audio 9/10
Long before I owned an Infiniti I grew to recognize and adore the distinctive Infiniti sound. The combination of that engine, exhaust, and pixie dust create a great noise that fills everyone within earshot with joy, especially the driver of that Infiniti. Some people claim to not like that sound, and let me tell you that those people are extremely wrong.
My particular car has an intake tube from a 350Z in place of the stock tube that has resonators on it to quiet things down. This, combined with a cold air intake, is a popular enhancement to G coupes and sedans alike. This allows the car to have a practically unchanged sound signature at low RPMs but an incredible scream at the high end of the spectrum. It's intoxicating. After installing the CAI + intake tube my fuel efficiency went down the drain because I always wanted to hear the wail of the engine. You can hear an incredible "whoosh" as the car shifts up. It's all very fun.
There are times when you don't want to be traveling at a constant 6k RPM so you can instead turn on the Bose sound system. On forums some people complain about the Bose speakers, claiming that they are cheaper ones rebranded for Infinitis. I'm fine with the system. It has plenty of bass and a good amount of clarity on the higher frequencies. It's not perfect and would lose to the best from Mercedes but is more than acceptable for an '06.
Toys 7/10
I wonder how to score this category... based on other cars from 2006, or based on how it compares to cars from today? I think 7 is a fair compromise. My particular G has some fun toys: power and memory driver seat; power passenger seat; dual-climate control; sunroof; steering wheel-mounted cruise, volume, and Bluetooth controls; proximity key for keyless entry and ignition; heated front seats; snow mode; and most importantly a traction control "OFF" button. I think the only things my car wasn't optioned with are the navigation and satellite radio units.
A very noticeable omission for any '06 G35 is an AUX cable. Even though I have the "premium" Bose sound package there is no auxiliary input. It's not too expensive to put one in but quite a pain if you want to do it yourself. There also isn't a backup camera or any parking sensors, although I am not sure what cars had that available nine years ago.
Really, the AWD in combination with the ability to turn off the electronic nannies counts for most of the points here (I do believe that turning off stability control completely disables the system because the car will let you spin the tires all day long and even stopping becomes more difficult).
This is Todd. He chills in the back of my car in the middle seat so I have an excuse not to take a 4th passenger.
Value 9/10
In late 2010 I paid $14,200 CAD including tax for my then-4-year-old G35x. I think that represents an incredible dollar value considering I got a 280 HP AWD hoonmobile. Adjusting a bit for inflation, that same amount today will net you a 2008/9 328i xDrive (6-7 years old), or a comparable 07/08 A4 quattro (7-8 years old)... this was just a quick search on Autotrader and I'm sure you can find exceptions to the rule. However, in general, I believe the Infiniti is a great bang-for-your-buck deal. It wasn't without its problems but for the past few years I've had no issues with it.
The real deal is what you can pick these cars up for now, or in a year from now: I've seen some examples going for $7,000 CAD. Of course buying an old luxury car is a task reserved for those who have the patience, know-how, and extra funds required in case something goes wrong. But this is a Nissan we're talking about and it is quite serviceable. I have always been reserved about wrenching on my DD (and a little concerned as I had no prior experience) but a while ago I changed the oil, last weekend I replaced the spark plugs, I did that intake and my in-cabin air filter way back when, and soon I'll get to the transmission fluid.
Total 77/100
Engine: 3.5 L V6
Power: ~283 HP / 270 ft-lbs torque
Transmission: 5 speed auto
0-60 time: mid 5's, I think...
Drivetrain: AWD
Curb Weight: ~3400 lbs
Seating: 4 + Todd
MPG: 23-28 mpg, depending on how much noise you want to make
This is a fun car, period, and it's an incredible first car, without a doubt. I could easily have done worse. The question I now ask myself is "what's next?" After 4.5 years with her I am craving something new just for the sake of changing it up. It's tough, though, to give up this fantastic machine because I am not sure what will replace it. A month ago I was driving to work in the morning after an overnight snowfall. People were doing between 60 and 80 km/h on a fairly empty 6-lane highway, and there I was, flying around at over 100 completely unfazed by any of this, keeping those revs high for the sound, admittedly being a bit of a douche but absolutely loving life !
I want my next car to be an STi. I've posted about it before !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the general consensus was that it makes more sense to buy a new one. I hopped on over to Subaru's configuration page and concluded that the mid-level Sport trim would be the best one. However only the top-of-the-line Sport-tech trim comes with a proximity key... I have grown to love the proximity key for my G35x and I am accustomed to not having to pull out a key to get into my vehicle! It baffles me that my NINE-year-old car has a feature that is only available in the most expensive 2015 STi.
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The Infiniti has spoiled me a bit in this sense. It was, and is, more than just a jack-of-all-trades, combining luxury and power in such a way that it puts a smile on your face without breaking the bank. It's understated and often overlooked. I've found myself acting as an Infiniti spokesperson online and in person because people automatically tend to talk about BMWs, Audis, and Mercs. Would I have been as happy with an '06 3-series? Perhaps, but the Bimmer would have easily blended in with the mass of other cars on the road. The G is not flashy but it is more unique and that stands for something. I know the G35 coupes and sedans have gotten a reputation as a bro-car (admittedly I saw quite a few of them in California during another internship) but here in Ontario they're not nearly as common as BMWs, Audis, etc., and more often than not I see the sedans being driven by someone considerably older. Imagine scooping up one of these that has had most of its miles put on the highway by someone 50+! NP, for sure.
