It would be so easy to simply say that Infiniti's new G35 coupe is essentially a "2+2" version of the Nissan 350Z. While we acknowledge that the 350Z is a fantastic sports car, the foregoing assumption isn't all that accurate. As we stated in our road test of the G35 coupe, although the cars essentially share a platform, the Infiniti's purpose and execution are different. Not as hard-edged or as spartan on the inside as the Z car, the G35 is more of a grand tourer, a car meant to cover ground rapidly while providing comfort for its passengers. Positioned to steal thunder and sales away from the perennial favorite, the BMW 3 Series, the G35 hit the market offering an abundance of power, handling poise and plenty of standard features for a price tag thousands less than the Bavarian rival.
Once we decided to add a G35 coupe to our fleet, it was a no-brainer to choose a transmission. We're driving enthusiasts and that meant the six-speed manual transmission, which also comes with bigger 18-inch wheels and tires (225/45 front and 245/45 rear) and massive Brembo brakes.
Finding the car wasn't as easy. Although G35 sedans were readily available and offered with discounts (due to a combination of greater production and tough competition in the entry-level luxury sedan segment), the coupes were as scarce as parking spaces in Southern California. But considering that this was a hard-to-obtain vehicle, the buying experience was generally painless.
Although we discovered that many dealers were closing sales over sticker price, we ended up getting $500 off list after we ordered the car through AutoNation. We chose a Diamond Graphite six-speed coupe with the Premium Package (225-watt Bose audio system, power moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic headlamps and Homelink), the DVD-based navigation system and a carpeted trunk mat. The bottom line on the sticker read $37,065. Our price was $36,565 plus, of course, tax and license fees.
It took longer than we anticipated for our car to become available, but by mid-May we were contacted by Costa Mesa Infiniti in Costa Mesa, Calif., and were told that our G coupe had arrived.
When we got to the dealer, we gave the vehicle a once-over before signing all of the paperwork and discovered a three-inch scratch on the left side of the trunk. We showed it to the manager, and he apologized profusely and promised to get it taken care of. Other than the annoyance factor of having to make an extra trip to and from Costa Mesa (50 miles in each direction), the rest of the process went smoothly. We had already worked through the pricing details on the vehicle prior to its arrival, so all that was left to do was sign the papers and take receipt of the car.
Once we had it in our hands, we admired our most recent addition to the Edmunds "family." We don't think that many would disagree when we say that the G35 is a sharp-looking car. In fact, many of us here on staff think the G35 is better-looking than its Nissan cousin. Although the G35 and 350Z share some styling cues, such as the stacked headlights and roof design, the G looks sleeker than the bulldoglike Z by virtue of its longer body. After a few weeks in the car, one driver noted, "It's a beautiful design and the G35 continues to receive stares of longing from passers-by and other drivers stopped at the light next to me." During this time, we got the scratch taken care of, and the dealer's body shop did such a good job it's hard to tell where it was.
Our first month with the car was essentially a trouble-free experience, as the notes from the logbook show. One editor commented on the potent V6, which likes to make its presence known. "The engine revs loudly and often sounds like it's revving at a higher rpm than it really is. It takes some getting used to. I really noticed it when I took our long-term Mazda 6 out for a spin and could barely hear its engine. I found myself redlining the 6 inadvertently in second and third gears without noticing any perceptible increase in noise from the engine. This is in contrast to the G35, where one would have to be fully hearing impaired not to hear the Infiniti's engine in second or third gear."
And like the motor, the tranny took awhile to assimilate to. "The clutch is a bit finicky in the lower gears. When comparing it to the 350Z, it seems genuinely smooth. But compared to a non-performance sedan, it can be a bit herky-jerky when taking off from a stop and changing up through the few couple of cogs. The clutch is also stiff and bounces back with muscle. The upside is that my left leg is definitely getting a good workout."
The powerful Brembo brakes didn't disappoint us, as they inspired confidence with a firm, linear action and fade-free performance. During the first thousand miles, however, we did notice a high-pitched hissing sound from the brakes as we'd slow to a complete stop. The problem became annoying and we did some research. We surmised that these brakes probably had high-performance, semimetallic pads that are known to be noisy at times, especially when the pads are being broken in. So we called an Infiniti dealer and spoke to a service technician who confirmed this hunch. We were also relieved to see that Edmunds' Town Hall had a number of other folks who were also experiencing this with their G35s. Evidently it's a known quirk with the vehicle and the noise seemed to disappear for the most part after the 1,000-mile mark. What continues to impress us is the sharp handling of this car. From our logbook: "The steering is tight, and the car's composure on high-speed turns is reassuring as it simply hugs the road. As I've gotten more comfortable in the car, I have been pushing it a little harder."
And when not exploiting the G35's considerable athletic abilities, we evaluated the comfort and features of the cabin. "The seats are supportive and the power adjustment levers are conveniently located to the right of the driver. The seat glides forward automatically when the seat back is leaned forward on both the driver and passenger sides. This is convenient except for the fact that when the seat back is returned to the upright position, it doesn't automatically return to the recline angle that it was set at, instead being nearly bolt upright. This is annoying; the seats could use a memory feature."
Apart from the engine sound (which enthusiasts probably won't mind), the cockpit is relatively quiet, allowing phone calls to be made with a hands-free headset without any trouble. When it was time to listen to tunes, the Bose system drew mixed comments: "The sound is fantastic and the features of the six-disc CD player and tape deck are convenient, except for the volume control, which is adjusted via a button with up and down arrows. I really miss having a knob for the volume control, it's just more intuitive. Also the six-disc changer seems to take a long time to switch CDs."
With the honeymoon over, stay tuned as we get more seat time in the G35 and report on what it's like to live with when dealing with the daily grind, kids and shopping trips.
Current Odometer: 1,330
Best Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.9 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.9 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None
Once we decided to add a G35 coupe to our fleet, it was a no-brainer to choose a transmission. We're driving enthusiasts and that meant the six-speed manual transmission, which also comes with bigger 18-inch wheels and tires (225/45 front and 245/45 rear) and massive Brembo brakes.
Finding the car wasn't as easy. Although G35 sedans were readily available and offered with discounts (due to a combination of greater production and tough competition in the entry-level luxury sedan segment), the coupes were as scarce as parking spaces in Southern California. But considering that this was a hard-to-obtain vehicle, the buying experience was generally painless.
Although we discovered that many dealers were closing sales over sticker price, we ended up getting $500 off list after we ordered the car through AutoNation. We chose a Diamond Graphite six-speed coupe with the Premium Package (225-watt Bose audio system, power moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic headlamps and Homelink), the DVD-based navigation system and a carpeted trunk mat. The bottom line on the sticker read $37,065. Our price was $36,565 plus, of course, tax and license fees.
It took longer than we anticipated for our car to become available, but by mid-May we were contacted by Costa Mesa Infiniti in Costa Mesa, Calif., and were told that our G coupe had arrived.
When we got to the dealer, we gave the vehicle a once-over before signing all of the paperwork and discovered a three-inch scratch on the left side of the trunk. We showed it to the manager, and he apologized profusely and promised to get it taken care of. Other than the annoyance factor of having to make an extra trip to and from Costa Mesa (50 miles in each direction), the rest of the process went smoothly. We had already worked through the pricing details on the vehicle prior to its arrival, so all that was left to do was sign the papers and take receipt of the car.
Once we had it in our hands, we admired our most recent addition to the Edmunds "family." We don't think that many would disagree when we say that the G35 is a sharp-looking car. In fact, many of us here on staff think the G35 is better-looking than its Nissan cousin. Although the G35 and 350Z share some styling cues, such as the stacked headlights and roof design, the G looks sleeker than the bulldoglike Z by virtue of its longer body. After a few weeks in the car, one driver noted, "It's a beautiful design and the G35 continues to receive stares of longing from passers-by and other drivers stopped at the light next to me." During this time, we got the scratch taken care of, and the dealer's body shop did such a good job it's hard to tell where it was.
Our first month with the car was essentially a trouble-free experience, as the notes from the logbook show. One editor commented on the potent V6, which likes to make its presence known. "The engine revs loudly and often sounds like it's revving at a higher rpm than it really is. It takes some getting used to. I really noticed it when I took our long-term Mazda 6 out for a spin and could barely hear its engine. I found myself redlining the 6 inadvertently in second and third gears without noticing any perceptible increase in noise from the engine. This is in contrast to the G35, where one would have to be fully hearing impaired not to hear the Infiniti's engine in second or third gear."
And like the motor, the tranny took awhile to assimilate to. "The clutch is a bit finicky in the lower gears. When comparing it to the 350Z, it seems genuinely smooth. But compared to a non-performance sedan, it can be a bit herky-jerky when taking off from a stop and changing up through the few couple of cogs. The clutch is also stiff and bounces back with muscle. The upside is that my left leg is definitely getting a good workout."
The powerful Brembo brakes didn't disappoint us, as they inspired confidence with a firm, linear action and fade-free performance. During the first thousand miles, however, we did notice a high-pitched hissing sound from the brakes as we'd slow to a complete stop. The problem became annoying and we did some research. We surmised that these brakes probably had high-performance, semimetallic pads that are known to be noisy at times, especially when the pads are being broken in. So we called an Infiniti dealer and spoke to a service technician who confirmed this hunch. We were also relieved to see that Edmunds' Town Hall had a number of other folks who were also experiencing this with their G35s. Evidently it's a known quirk with the vehicle and the noise seemed to disappear for the most part after the 1,000-mile mark. What continues to impress us is the sharp handling of this car. From our logbook: "The steering is tight, and the car's composure on high-speed turns is reassuring as it simply hugs the road. As I've gotten more comfortable in the car, I have been pushing it a little harder."
And when not exploiting the G35's considerable athletic abilities, we evaluated the comfort and features of the cabin. "The seats are supportive and the power adjustment levers are conveniently located to the right of the driver. The seat glides forward automatically when the seat back is leaned forward on both the driver and passenger sides. This is convenient except for the fact that when the seat back is returned to the upright position, it doesn't automatically return to the recline angle that it was set at, instead being nearly bolt upright. This is annoying; the seats could use a memory feature."
Apart from the engine sound (which enthusiasts probably won't mind), the cockpit is relatively quiet, allowing phone calls to be made with a hands-free headset without any trouble. When it was time to listen to tunes, the Bose system drew mixed comments: "The sound is fantastic and the features of the six-disc CD player and tape deck are convenient, except for the volume control, which is adjusted via a button with up and down arrows. I really miss having a knob for the volume control, it's just more intuitive. Also the six-disc changer seems to take a long time to switch CDs."
With the honeymoon over, stay tuned as we get more seat time in the G35 and report on what it's like to live with when dealing with the daily grind, kids and shopping trips.
Current Odometer: 1,330
Best Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.9 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.9 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None
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