08 A/C vs. 05 G35

[Leman]

car 1:

2005 G35 Coupe44K miles35% tintremote start$18,500

car 2:

2008 Altima coupe 3.5premium package19K miles$21,900

i really like the g35. and like that it is RWD and had VDC

but the altima is newer with fewer miles and has the cool push button start. pretty much the only thing working against it is FWD

so what do yall think? which would you get

[Sentientbydesign]

No fair. I don't see this question in the G forums lol.

Honestly, it depends on what you plan on doing with it.

If you have tall buddies, the G coupe is a Fail. I won't sit in the back seat of mine. Hell, I hate even getting back there to clean the rear window.

Handling is great. Lines are sexier than the Altima IMO. RWD is great. Aftermarket support is more "seasoned". Warranty should still be in effect for another year for bumper to bumper and maybe 2 for drivetrain.

Negatives: Weird tire wear. Slightly slower than the A/C (weight and RWD). Lower fuel economy (depends).

You didn't mention which transmissions you're looking at. If you go manual, I'd say get the G all the way. A few mods will allow you to keep up with the A/C easily. If you like CVT, then I won't be talking to you anymore

[Hussain]

depends on what you want... i personally don't like the interior of the G35 and also feel the G35 is played out.... its a really nice car but everyone has it..... if you plan to do a bunch of modifications and race a lot i'd go with the G35..... if it's more of a daily driver thing that is also pretty fast your looking for, go with the altima coupe...

[Leman]

they are both auto. i would rather have manual since that is all i have ever driven and learned to drive on. (although they have always been trucks)

and this will be used as a DD but i want to be able to haul *** when i want to. one more thing i like about the G is that it just seems more classy

[Ferguson]

For the track, I'd go for the G35. For the street, I'd go with the A/C.

For looks, I'd go with the A/C, not because the G35 isn't attractive, but the A/C turns an amazing number of heads... simply because no one knows what it is! I don't think the G35 is any classier unless you base that on the 'Infinity' nametag. Not knocking the G here, just stating that my A/C gets more attention than I ever expected.

3 years newer... less than 1/2 the miles... the A/C looks good to me.

Oh... and the A/C can happily 'haul a**' when you want it to.

[spockrock]

For the track, I'd go for the G35. For the street, I'd go with the A/C.

For looks, I'd go with the A/C, not because the G35 isn't attractive, but the A/C turns an amazing number of heads... simply because no one knows what it is! I don't think the G35 is any classier unless you base that on the 'Infinity' nametag. Not knocking the G here, just stating that my A/C gets more attention than I ever expected.

3 years newer... less than 1/2 the miles... the A/C looks good to me.

Oh... and the A/C can happily 'haul a**' when you want it to.

agreed, on the streets you wont *really* notice the FWD vs RWD.

[Sentientbydesign]

I would say that you need to test drive both of them and also realize that Nissan ECUs now have adaptive throttle response, so resetting them and then punishing them a little will unleash their true power potential.

I say test drive them because I personall can't ever see myself with a CVT. They annoy the shizzle out of me and the exhaust is just weird

Both will DD fine. The A/C will probably squat a little in the rear if you put people back their, but that's usually not a big deal for most. The G has absolutely NO backseat room and should only be considered ok for kids and short girls who are ok with flashing their ********** when they get out

[Beak]

not to mention pegging corners with a droped a/c is fun stuff. i dont know why everyone knocks on fwd. all that power and tq at the front wheels is pretty darn fun. my cousin has a g which is a nice car which runs mean. if you want something new with newer technology i would go with the a/c. for a dd a/c hands down. much funner to drive imo

[spockrock]

I say test drive them because I personall can't ever see myself with a CVT. They annoy the shizzle out of me and the exhaust is just weird

I agree, 6MT FTW

Both will DD fine. The A/C will probably squat a little in the rear if you put people back their, but that's usually not a big deal for most. The G has absolutely NO backseat room and should only be considered ok for kids and short girls who are ok with flashing their ********** when they get out

A buddy at work has a 05 G coupe the backseat and panels are literally taken from a G on the AC's. Both I would say are only suitable for short girls ;P

[Hussain]

Both I would say are only suitable for short girls ;P

i just took my mom's maxima to tint the windows and let her borrow my altima coupe and she had 4 older women in the car with her (5 ppl in total). i've had girls and guys in my car with no issues...... even my Bosnian friend thats like 6'2 or 6'4 got in my back seat and had no issues....

and this will be used as a DD but i want to be able to haul *** when i want to.

the altima coupe can definitely haul ***... stock for stock some say the altima coupe is faster because it's lighter..... its just that if you try to go turbo or something, RWD would be better.

[rjdmmfl1]

i just took my mom's maxima to tint the windows and let her borrow my altima coupe and she had 4 older women in the car with her (5 ppl in total). i've had girls and guys in my car with no issues...... even my Bosnian friend thats like 6'2 or 6'4 got in my back seat and had no issues....

the altima coupe can definitely haul ***... stock for stock some say the altima coupe is faster because it's lighter..... its just that if you try to go turbo or something, RWD would be better.

remember, all of the numbers you see for the G35 are for the manuals... the automatic G can't hold a candle to the CVT performance wise... the auto G is noticeably slower than the CVT A/C

[Hussain]

ya i raced a couple auto G35's and beat them.... but then i see these really good times for stock G35 coupes but like you said, those good times are from stick shifts

[spockrock]

i just took my mom's maxima to tint the windows and let her borrow my altima coupe and she had 4 older women in the car with her (5 ppl in total). i've had girls and guys in my car with no issues...... even my Bosnian friend thats like 6'2 or 6'4 got in my back seat and had no issues....

I am 6'2-6'4 if I had to sit in the back seat my neck would be craned, my legs would be squished, sure I could fit its not comfortable at all. I have had 4 grown men in my car and to get everyone in its a lot of adjusting seats to get everyone in so we can grab some lunch and get back to the office, we fit its not very comfortable. Sorry its 3 men and petite man lol.....but realistically that back seat is for smaller people and or kids, my nephew and nieces are the only ones who do not mind sitting in the back.

[marlin29311]

I love both cars, and I almost bought a used G...

But i hate older cars. I wanted something new, something with low mileage (or none in my case). I would say go for the A/C if you are looking to spend around 20k...it's fast, fun, and it will go the long haul for you.

Lol, this is so hard for me to say too, because if I had a few more $$$ liquid for a car I would have bought the G37...

[BamaCoupe]

For the track, I'd go for the G35. For the street, I'd go with the A/C.

For looks, I'd go with the A/C, not because the G35 isn't attractive, but the A/C turns an amazing number of heads... simply because no one knows what it is! I don't think the G35 is any classier unless you base that on the 'Infinity' nametag. Not knocking the G here, just stating that my A/C gets more attention than I ever expected.

3 years newer... less than 1/2 the miles... the A/C looks good to me.

Oh... and the A/C can happily 'haul a**' when you want it to.

Exactly; the Infiniti name is only good in North America, but every where else the Infiniti G's are just another Nissan although it's badged a Nissan Skyline though, but still it just another Nissan. BTW Leman, I'm somewhat new to the north Alabama area, aren't we located somewhat close to each other Guntersville/Huntsville

[Cali 2 Balti G]

car 1:

2005 G35 Coupe44K miles35% tintremote start$18,500

car 2:

2008 Altima coupe 3.5premium package19K miles$21,900

i really like the g35. and like that it is RWD and had VDC

but the altima is newer with fewer miles and has the cool push button start. pretty much the only thing working against it is FWD

so what do yall think? which would you get

Since the G35 u r considering is used - make sure u research the maintenance history. Actually - you'll have to do the same research for the used AC as well. 22k for the Altima seems like a nice price - since many have paid over 30k new. In baltimore there are not a whole lot of Gs running around - so it may be less "played out" than in a places like Cali. Then again how played out can the G be - considering that it was a major syling influence for the AC.

The G by being higher up the food chain gives u some things the AC doesnt - even considering the G is 3 years older - some of the more obvious are: projector headlights, led tail lights, frameless doors (with windows that drop an inch whenever you open and close the door), higher tuned engine etc.

I think u cant go wrong either way - just do ur research since both cars are used.

[rjdmmfl1]

Since the G35 u r considering is used - make sure u research the maintenance history. Actually - you'll have to do the same research for the used AC as well. 22k for the Altima seems like a nice price - since many have paid over 30k new. In baltimore there are not a whole lot of Gs running around - so it may be less "played out" than in a places like Cali. Then again how played out can the G be - considering that it was a major syling influence for the AC.

The G by being higher up the food chain gives u some things the AC doesnt - even considering the G is 3 years older - some of the more obvious are: projector headlights, led tail lights, frameless doors (with windows that drop an inch whenever you open and close the door), higher tuned engine etc.

I think u cant go wrong either way - just do ur research since both cars are used.

Cali, Cali, Cali.... I've never seen you give such inaccurate information before...

1. the 2005 G35 doesn't have projectors, that started in 2006... however, you can PURCHASE 2006 projectors that will fit in the 2005 G35

2. Not sure how LED tallights is a plus, that's 100% opinion, its a difference, but not a sign of being higer up on the food chain

3. The 2005 G35 does NOT have a higher tuned engine.. in fact, since auto companies didn't begin following the now universally followed SAE standard for HP rating until 2006, the 280 HP rating that was used was a bit off and the engine actually only produces 275HP.... that coupled to the extra couple hundred pounds, and the inferior 5AT compared to the CVT is why the automatic G35 is the slowest of the three NIssan coupes with 3.5 engines (3.5 A/C, G35, 350Z )... the very few automatic G35 coupe reviews you find will report the 0-60 time being almost a second slower than the manual times.

And you didn't mention the lack of standard turn mirrors, no push button start, no push button trunk opening, and no intellikey.

To the OP, the G35 and A/C are two very similar and very different animals at the same time. The leather is better in the G35, it has memory auto seats, and it is RWD, it has superior suspension and handling (in non rain, non snow conditions), and the sweetest factory exhuast note I've ever heard on a <40K car. Those are the real benefits of the G35 over the A/C. but it does lack a few things that a the A/C has, it is slower, heavier, older, with more miles and less time until the warranty runs out.

Get a carfax report, do your research, and make the decision, you have the facts, but your personal decision is your decision... obviously, most of us that purchased brand new 3.5 Altimas will tell you to choose the Altima, and those that purchased used G35's over an Altima coupe would advise that since that's what they did. Askign folks that will obviously give you loaded and biased answers doesn't help you in making your decision!

[Cali 2 Balti G]

Cali, Cali, Cali.... I've never seen you give such inaccurate information before...

1. the 2005 G35 doesn't have projectors, that started in 2006... however, you can PURCHASE 2006 projectors that will fit in the 2005 G35

2. Not sure how LED tallights is a plus, that's 100% opinion, its a difference, but not a sign of being higer up on the food chain

3. The 2005 G35 does NOT have a higher tuned engine.. in fact, since auto companies didn't begin following the now universally followed SAE standard for HP rating until 2006, the 280 HP rating that was used was a bit off and the engine actually only produces 275HP.... that coupled to the extra couple hundred pounds, and the inferior 5AT compared to the CVT is why the automatic G35 is the slowest of the three NIssan coupes with 3.5 engines (3.5 A/C, G35, 350Z )... the very few automatic G35 coupe reviews you find will report the 0-60 time being almost a second slower than the manual times.

And you didn't mention the lack of standard turn mirrors, no push button start, no push button trunk opening, and no intellikey.

To the OP, the G35 and A/C are two very similar and very different animals at the same time. The leather is better in the G35, it has memory auto seats, and it is RWD, it has superior suspension and handling (in non rain, non snow conditions), and the sweetest factory exhuast note I've ever heard on a <40K car. Those are the real benefits of the G35 over the A/C. but it does lack a few things that a the A/C has, it is slower, heavier, older, with more miles and less time until the warranty runs out.

Get a carfax report, do your research, and make the decision, you have the facts, but your personal decision is your decision... obviously, most of us that purchased brand new 3.5 Altimas will tell you to choose the Altima, and those that purchased used G35's over an Altima coupe would advise that since that's what they did. Askign folks that will obviously give you loaded and biased answers doesn't help you in making your decision!

Dr.Rob - I send you u an email wishing u a happy holiday (around thanksgiving) and inquired as to wheter u would be in the baltimore area- you totally ignore that. But let me say somthing about the AC - and u jump all over it.

All I'm saying is that I'm going out to buy some seagulls now ( I saw that video of u running from them). Next time you are in Baltimore - look up - cuz my seagulls gonna get that A$$. ha ha - and you cant shoot all of them. ha ha

Happy Holidays

[Sentientbydesign]

Hey Birdman,

Let's even out the tables to show the "higher on the food chain" examples.

G35-

Standard Xenon HID headlights with easily upgraded projectors.54/46 weight distribution (nearly perfect center of mass on acceleration).Heated SeatsAuto driver's seatHigher tuned engine (275 hp and 270 ft lbs with the 2007 coupe which employs the same drivetrain as the 2005, but now has the SAE correction)Larger brakes (rear vented)VDC Standard

The 215lb weight difference and intelligent keys are the only true benefits I can see for going with the A/C. The 60/40 rear seat and an additional passenger capacity are nice, but not really a big deal to me. Especially since most FWD cars will sag dramatically if you load up the rear seat...Forget about putting anything in the trunk while you have 3 passengers in the rear.

[Cali 2 Balti G]

Cali, Cali, Cali.... I've never seen you give such inaccurate information before...

1. the 2005 G35 doesn't have projectors, that started in 2006... however, you can PURCHASE 2006 projectors that will fit in the 2005 G35

2. Not sure how LED tallights is a plus, that's 100% opinion, its a difference, but not a sign of being higer up on the food chain

3. The 2005 G35 does NOT have a higher tuned engine.. in fact, since auto companies didn't begin following the now universally followed SAE standard for HP rating until 2006, the 280 HP rating that was used was a bit off and the engine actually only produces 275HP.... that coupled to the extra couple hundred pounds, and the inferior 5AT compared to the CVT is why the automatic G35 is the slowest of the three NIssan coupes with 3.5 engines (3.5 A/C, G35, 350Z )... the very few automatic G35 coupe reviews you find will report the 0-60 time being almost a second slower than the manual times.

And you didn't mention the lack of standard turn mirrors, no push button start, no push button trunk opening, and no intellikey.

To the OP, the G35 and A/C are two very similar and very different animals at the same time. The leather is better in the G35, it has memory auto seats, and it is RWD, it has superior suspension and handling (in non rain, non snow conditions), and the sweetest factory exhuast note I've ever heard on a <40K car. Those are the real benefits of the G35 over the A/C. but it does lack a few things that a the A/C has, it is slower, heavier, older, with more miles and less time until the warranty runs out.

Get a carfax report, do your research, and make the decision, you have the facts, but your personal decision is your decision... obviously, most of us that purchased brand new 3.5 Altimas will tell you to choose the Altima, and those that purchased used G35's over an Altima coupe would advise that since that's what they did. Askign folks that will obviously give you loaded and biased answers doesn't help you in making your decision!

Thanks for noting how I strive to provide factual information (misinformation is one of my pet peeves), so on that note.

1. oops I made a mistake on the 2005 projectors.2. LED taillights are a safety feature - they are quicker and brighter than standard bulbs and have a much greater lifespan. They were 1st introduced on commercial vehicles. The first passenger vehicles that had them were luxury cars like bmw and benz - now that they have been out for some time - they are filtering "down" to more common vehicles like some suburus, mazdas, 4-runners etc, the toytoa echo etc. But they are by no means common place.

Most if not all luxury cars have LED tails - LEDs cost more than regular tails - which is why I identify it as an upscale feature.

3. I'm wont even bother on this one since Sentient is addressing it. Nor will I bother to address whether the G is upmarket of the AC.

4. My response is not biased at all. I said both were good choices, both require research since they are used.

5. How are you now the "Birdman"? when u run from pigeons (or whatever birds u were running from). Excuse me while I attmpt to find the running from birds smilie

[Ferguson]

54/46 weight distribution (nearly perfect center of mass on acceleration).

Just curious... does anyone know the weight balance on the 3.5 A/C?

[Sentientbydesign]

63/37

I guess that works considering the fact that you need the center of gravity to sit closer to the front wheels.

[Alt.ImaCoupe]

I've had my A/C for 4 months now, and an 04 G for 4 years before that, so aside from all the details that have been fairly well presented thus far, I think I'm in a good position to give you an opinion of someone who has lived with both vehicles as daily drivers.

If you really like "driving" a car, then there is no comparison. My old G would outhandle, outcorner, and outride my brand new A/C with ease. The suspension and weight distribution is really just that much better. The rear wheel drive does a much better job of getting getting the power to the road also, without torque steer, which the A/C has plenty of, relative to the G.

If your needs are more realxed, and you want to turn heads in a really sexy car, get the A/C. I love the look of mine, and it gets lots of attention driving around. It has more convenience/technology features that I really enjoy, and it can run pretty fast in a straight line (still planning some Eibachs and a RSB in the spring to see if I can improve the cornering).

So there's my opinion...let the flaming begin.

[rjdmmfl1]

Hey Birdman,

Let's even out the tables to show the "higher on the food chain" examples.

G35-

Standard Xenon HID headlights with easily upgraded projectors.54/46 weight distribution (nearly perfect center of mass on acceleration).Heated SeatsAuto driver's seatHigher tuned engine (275 hp and 270 ft lbs with the 2007 coupe which employs the same drivetrain as the 2005, but now has the SAE correction)Larger brakes (rear vented)VDC Standard

The 215lb weight difference and intelligent keys are the only true benefits I can see for going with the A/C. The 60/40 rear seat and an additional passenger capacity are nice, but not really a big deal to me. Especially since most FWD cars will sag dramatically if you load up the rear seat...Forget about putting anything in the trunk while you have 3 passengers in the rear.

well now you're mixing and matching things...

if he likes VDC, then yes having it standard (and more importantly on the G35 that he's considering) is a plus.. the Altima he's considering has the premium package, so the auto driver's seat, heated seats, and HID's are on both cars...

again, this isn't a let's compare A/c's to G35's ... its a "let's compare this 2005 G35 with its features to this 2008 A/C with its features"... so mentioning heated seats, and HID's is irrelevant since its in both cars. I already spoke on the memory driver's seat and availability of projectors as add ons in the 05 G35...

OP, you have your facts, make your decision... good luck!

[rjdmmfl1]

I've had my A/C for 4 months now, and an 04 G for 4 years before that, so aside from all the details that have been fairly well presented thus far, I think I'm in a good position to give you an opinion of someone who has lived with both vehicles as daily drivers.

If you really like "driving" a car, then there is no comparison. My old G would outhandle, outcorner, and outride my brand new A/C with ease. The suspension and weight distribution is really just that much better. The rear wheel drive does a much better job of getting getting the power to the road also, without torque steer, which the A/C has plenty of, relative to the G.

If your needs are more realxed, and you want to turn heads in a really sexy car, get the A/C. I love the look of mine, and it gets lots of attention driving around. It has more convenience/technology features that I really enjoy, and it can run pretty fast in a straight line (still planning some Eibachs and a RSB in the spring to see if I can improve the cornering).

So there's my opinion...let the flaming begin.

I don't think anyone will flame.. I think everything you stated was spot on... stock for stock, cornering and handling is MUCH better in the G. Only after a strut tower brace, lowering springs, and a rear sway bar, does the handling become bearable in the A/C. (IMO, the A/C should have come from the factory lowered, with a siffer RSB and a stiffer front tower brace.

As I mentioned, the leather is better in the G35, and it has RWD. All big pluses for the G. in this individual's case, there are a number of reasons to choose the 8 A/C w/ premium package over the 05 g35. If he were asking betwen an 07 G35 and an 08 A/C, the decision would be a bit different, but that's not what he's looking at. I was choosing between an 07 G35 and an 08 A/C... and I have my reasons for going with the A/C... but that doesn't apply to this scenario so there's no need to expound on that.

Pound for pound, if you add up all of the +'s and -'s for each of the specific vehicles that the OP is looking at, its hard to argue that the A/C doesn't come out ahead... unless 90% of your score is on the drivetrain, then its a no brainer. Its all about what's important to the OP