After 6 weeks and 1600 miles....

[jackdar]

I ordered my black G37 6MT back in May '07 and picked it up August 30th (after trading in my 03 G35 black 6MT with 60K miles on it).

I have made several posts on this site in the past as I was waiting for my new car but haven't been back for the past several weeks. So I thought I would provide some more feedback as to what I like and what I don't like.

Engine/transmission/drivetrain: Although this new car has gained approximately 230 pounds, it feels as if it LOST that much weight. It feels lighter and much more responsive. The downside is the steering feel may be just the slightest bit too light and lacking some of the feel of the older car. The new car is much quieter (which was a real negative for me at first, but I've gotten over it), and the clutch action takes significantly less effort. Although you can still feel the shifter vibrate, it does so much less than the older car. Also, I always felt the G35 did not like to rev much past 5000 rpm; the new car does not sound nearly as harsh and the power continues to build as you approach the red line. The new car does have a display that allows you to view an active "miles per gallon" meter as well as the cumulative mpg. So far, I have averaged 17.6 mpg in mostly city (and somewhat aggressive {post break-in} driving). If you really get your foot into this car, it will consume copius amounts of fuel.

Ergonomics/Driver Comfort: The quality of the interior shows a significant improvement over the original coupe. I never had a problem with the older car's interior, its just that the quality of the leather and plastics, as well as the design sophistication, makes this look and feel like the luxury car it is. In the older car, headroom was a bit of a problem - forcing one to position the seat bottom down and back to keep from bumping into the roof liner. With the new car, that is not a problem. They also addressed one of the pet peeves I had with the old car which was, the wiper blades stayed up so high that you could not see down the hood line. In the new car, you have full view down the hood and plenty of headroom. One minor irritation is the tightness of the seat bottom bolsters - unless your a college kid, they will pinch the upper end of the back of your legs (right below the hip bone). Otherwise, they are supportive but don't have nearly as much padding as in the older car.

Styling and Reliability: I realize the look of the car is subjective but I really like the new styling a lot. I think of it as a different car altogether than the original. I believe the original will go on to be a classic much like the original 240Z. Although I have had no problems with the car at all, I did have the tire pressure sensor light come on. I added air (as one of the tires was down to 20 pounds). The light went out but came back on the next day (down to 20 pounds again). The tire pressure sensors alerted me to the slow leak - which with the19 inch wheels and low profile tires I could not tell otherwise. Recognizing that many tire shops can't handle 19'' wheels, I took it to my Infiniti dealer. They charged me $49 to fix the tire and re-balance the wheel (ouch!).

Impressions: I LOVE this car. When I got my 03, it took several months before it felt broken in and "a part of me". The new car is amazingly easy to drive and it has felt a part of me from day one.

Hope this helps.

[G_whizz]

Excellent write up!!

Thanks for sharing