I took my M35 Sport in for service early this morning. Since it also included a warranty repair (rattling over bumpy roads), they gave me a G35 as a loaner.

I was astonished at how much smoother the car was over bumps and dips over the road. I always felt my M35 Sport was a tad stiff, but I didn’t realize just how much till I drove the G35 to work this morning.

When I purchased my M, I only test drove the regular M35 without the Sport suspension (stupid of me, I know) and remember coming away very impressed with how smooth the ride was. The Sport also has a very nice ride, but I think I’d like it a lot more if the suspension wasn’t so stiff. IMO, the level of stiffness in my car is almost unnecessary for good performance as the G35 felt just as nimble when making hard turns. Has anyone else driving the Sport felt the same way?

Also, does anyone know if it would be OK to use P245/45R19’s instead of 40R19’s when replacing my tires in the hopes of softening up the ride a little bit?

Thanks.

Internezzo,

When I went to the dealership last year, I told myself 2 things:

1) no black cars2) no more sport setups

Ive had many of these in the past, and decided it was time as I get older to look for practicality and luxury over performance.

What did I end up with? A black M45 sport. Guess I just cant "grow up" yet....

I was wondering the same thing about the tires...I might select some 19/245/45s (instead of 40's) for my replacement tires. I drive ALOT for my job, and the firmness of the ride gets old.

Speaking of which....you mentioned you got a rattle fixed? Was it in your front end?? Ive had one since day one and I just cant get my dealer to fix it. Theyve tried....but not hard enough. Please share your details.

Im actually also considering getting some non sport 18s put on. Im not sure how either of these "fixes" would help, as the sport models do have stiffer suspension however....but I gotta think it would make some difference.

Thanks-

i thought both the sport and 4 wheel drive m rode to stiffi ended up special ordering a 2 wheel drive m and i am very please with the ride [ i had owned a few q45 and was spoiled]

mazz wrote:i thought both the sport and 4 wheel drive m rode to stiffi ended up special ordering a 2 wheel drive m and i am very please with the ride [ i had owned a few q45 and was spoiled]

You mean you special ordered a non sport M?

yes all the m35 in northern Ill and wisconsin were all 4 wheel drive last yearwhen i bought mine they had to truck a 2 wheel drive up from alabama for meThe ride will will get softer has you break it in

Well, after driving around in the G35 for a little while before returning it to the dealer and getting my own car back, I realized that I must have been insane or just suffering from the effects of not having had my morning coffee yet. Never mind my temporary insanity....the M Sport ride, despite the stiff cabin wiggle from road imperfections, is amazing! The G35 is great too, but the M Sport is fantastic. The feeling of being in better control at high speeds on the highway and really connecting to the road at all times is really satisfying...much more so than a smooth, luxurious air-cushion ride. I think Infiniti does a fantastic job combining luxury and sport with BOTH their Sport and 'non-Sport' M line. Maybe I'll be blown away again if I'm ever given a 'non-Sport' M as a loaner car and start to have doubts about my own car again, but in the meantime, I realize that I was insane to compare my car to the G.

Jaybird, in answer to your question, the dealership was NOT able to completely fix the rattle coming from the rear. This was especially disappointing because when I picked up the car, they told me that it was completely fixed. They said it was caused by a loose emergency brake cable which they tightened and said I shouldn't experience any more rattling. But when I tested it over the weekend, the rattle noise wasn't as prominent, but it was still definitely there.

If you are still worried about the ride quality, switching to a higher sidewalled tire will help you out. However, you will slightly alter your speedometer, as well as the gearing of your car. Although I'm not exactly sure how much, you can contact a Tire Rack professional who will calculate the change for you. I know on my dad's Audi the switch from 16" wheels to low profile 18" wheels only made a 2 mph differance at 60mph.

Changing from a 40 series sidewall to a 45 series sidewall on my 240sx helped my ride quality out a lot. Ride quality? Maybe lack thereof with my coilovers

You coudl switch the tires if you want, but also check your tire pressure.. If its at like 40, bump it down to 35 and see how that effects things... I woudlnt run lower than 32psi COLD though...

I actually thought the M sport rode pretty soft...

elwesso wrote:You coudl switch the tires if you want, but also check your tire pressure.. If its at like 40, bump it down to 35 and see how that effects things... I woudlnt run lower than 32psi COLD though...

Hmmmm, I would not go down to 32 psi. I prefer 36 psi on my tires ...

Z