Altima Coupe vs. G35 Sedan

[Domestic Past]

long time guest lurker but first time poster here asking for an opinion:

a "bells and whistles" 3.5 Altima Coupe is about the same price as a standard G35 Sedan..

I'm trying to decide between the two. Navigation and the tech package is pretty cool in the Coupe, but it's not really neccessary.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm willing to forgo all that for a G35 sedan. The G coupe is a little out of what I want to pay.

some may say that it's apples and oranges (coupe=sport sedan=not sport, lol) to try and compare and that may ultimately boil down to. I was just curious to see what others thought about this?

Thanks in advance!!

(I also posed this question in the G35 section, but let's try to NOT make this a competition, I want to keep the integrity of this poll)

[CoupeLover]

An Atlima coupe with all the "bells and whistles" is still cheaper than the stock G35 sedan. It gets close in price, but it is still cheaper. Now you didn't explain why you are willing to forego everything for a G35 Sedan. If you really want a G, then you really want a G. You can do all the comparing that you want. I was going to get the G35 coupe b/c that is just what I wanted and nobody could convince me otherwise. Price is what made me look away and I'm so glad I did, b/c the Altima Coupe is pretty close to the G35 coupe but alot less expensive for mostly the same features.

You gotta figure out what it is that you want from your next car and why you would rather have the G35 sedan, if you truly do want that more.

[Domestic Past]

I guess one of the things that the sedan has over the coupe is practicality/space. When I test drove the Coupe, the last test that I had was trunk space. I was surprised as to how small the trunk space was. It was not large enough to fit one golf carry bag w/ my clubs in it, forget about trying to fit two. I know that I can fold down the seats and what not to accommodate the lack of space, but that can be a hassle, esp if I have people in the back seat.

I come from sedans and have never driven a coupe, so that's prolly why I have this issue with the trunk space. I know that driving a coupe means that I will have to give up space, which is obvious.

[altima coupe]

I know the trunk is small but I managed to fit a Men's hockey bag, a bucket of pucks and a gym bag with skates, helmet and gloves in the trunck without the seats folded down. I figure I could fit 2 sets of clubs in the trunk if there is no golf cart. That may not be enough trunk space for your needs or it might just be right.

I found the trunk met my minimum requirements so I bought a car that I love instead of a sedan that I would like.

As well, if a 4 door is what you need then you should compare the Altima sedan to the G sedan and see if the G is worth the extra money for what you get. Everybody has different priorities or needs in a vehicle.

[Fahaka]

G35 = RWD ... FTW

[hattrix]

Fahaka has hit one of the biggest dividers on the head. The G35 is RWD. It also has more HP. If you do not need the extra HP or the RWD, there really isn't that much reason to get a G35 over the Altima (sedan or coupe) unless you want the status of owning an Infinity.

As for the clubs. I have a cart bag full of my Ping irons and my Callaway woods sitting in the back of my 3.5 coupe right now. No, I won't give out the plate so you guys can come get them LOL. My point is, they fit, it is a bit tight but they do. I have had two bags in there before too. It isn't an issue. With the seats folded, I had a 32in flat panel LCD, an industrial fan, a surround sound system and a new vacum cleaner (don't ask) all in the back. There is more room back there than you think. I guess the biggest problem is the speakers sink down pretty far and block some heighth. Other than that, it isn't as bad as you think.

[altim8]

now i dont really know what is "standard" on the g sedan but i was sold on the coupe in your very first sentence. why pay slightly more for a "standard" vehicle when you can get one with all the "bells and whistles?" personally, im a coupe guy, so regardless, i would choose the coupe. now if we were comparing the g coupe vs the altima coupe, i would be hardpressed. but b/w the sedan and the altima, there is no question.

[BugleBoy]

Hey, thanks for the info. I am learning to play hockey and was concerned about whether or not I could fit all of my gear in the Altima Coupe trunk.

[Yimbie]

I would say personally... whatre you looking for primarily in either car? Would you plan getting the 07 G35 sedan with premium package and any other options? Would you plan on getting a fully loaded Altima coupe?

- Yimbie

[sarah215]

Hello! I just got a brand new Altima Coupe last weekend that has literally all the "bells and whistles." It's a 3.5SE with the tech and premium package, VDC, even the aluminum kick plates and wind deflector. Here's the thing... I would love to have gotten the Infiniti G35 coupe. However, the price of the car is way out of my price range. I ended up paying about $33,000 for the fully-loaded Altima Coupe and am really glad that I did. The vehicle has everything that I could ever imagine a car to have. I don't even know how to operate all the gadgets in this... my opinion is that if what you're looking for is all the "bells and whistles," the Altima Coupe is a better option... especially compared to the Infiniti G35 sedan. Don't go for the sedan if what you're looking for is a coupe.

[guitarmn07]

I pasted these pictures together loooonngg before I bought my Altima.

When I first got my coupe, I remember seeing this guy in a G35 shaking his head at me in disapproval...either that or he was jealous...

nevertheless, each to their own.

I like the way the lines run on the Altima.

[phakfear]

I think the Coupe rear is better than the G35, but the G's front is better. They need to have a car with the G35 front and the altima's rear. Perfect combination.

[Cali 2 Balti G]

Trust me it was dissaproval and not jealousy. Clearly Nissan tried to mimic the syling cues of the G35 in the Altima as evidenced by the overall shape, side windows etc. It looks like they just threw in some extra lines to try not make it look like it is just a G35 knock off.

The only G owners that might be jealous are the guys that own Pontiac G6s which is the class that the altima competes in.

I think the only situation where a G35 owner would be jealous of an Altima coupe is in the snow or heavy rain.

So for future reference - if any of you Altima Coupe drivers in the Baltimore area see me shaking my head - you will know why.

[coupekid]

My dad has an 07 G35, and I test drove a 3.5 coupe. I gotta be honest, the coupe has nothing on teh infiniti. I have never floored teh infiniti, as I am honeslty afraid to. The thing flys. With the coupe, I felt fine giving it full acelleration. It is fast, but the G35 is faster. I dont know about the base model, but my dads model is NICE on the inside. Wood trim, sweet navi, nice leather.I didnt like the nissan interior so much.

[guitarmn07]

It's all personal preference on which one is preferred. Performance, styling, options, price, etc... Personally for me, price did not affect my decision.

Look at the past models of Chevy's Camero and the Pontiac's Firebird; Eagle Talon and Mitsubishi Eclipse and Chrysler's Sebring; GMC's Canyon and Chevy's Colorado. There's many cars that can be considered 'sister cars'.

Infinity is owned by Nissan. Like someone mentioned before (I think in another thread), the Coupe is a poor man's Infinity.

But yes, if you purely compare the performance of the G to the Coupe, the coupe gets beat. Stying is all subjective.

I do admit tho, the new 2008 Infinity G looks pretty hot!

Happy motoring!

I digress.

[Cali 2 Balti G]

I won't beat this into the ground but - the Altima and G35 are not sisters like in the examples you used. Yes they share the basic engine (although the G has a lot more power). But the chassis are totally different, the G is bigger (especially the back seat).

Remember the sister to the G35 is the Z not the altima Coupe - next thing you guys will be trying to suggest that the Altima is a Z with a back seat - when we already know that spot is reserved for the G35.

I'm not really ragging on the Altima so much as I am the fact of buying a new Altima at or above market - when you can get a better car (G35) lightly used for less.

As to the topic at hand - folks also need to consider that a base infiniti is not the same as a base nissan. When you buy a luxury sedan - there will be many more things that are standard than there are in the lower line cars. No one has mentioned that the 07G35 has more power than the altima and may be faster.

[coupekid]

I won't beat this into the ground but - the Altima and G35 are not sisters like in the examples you used. Yes they share the basic engine (although the G has a lot more power). But the chassis are totally different, the G is bigger (especially the back seat).

Remember the sister to the G35 is the Z not the altima Coupe - next thing you guys will be trying to suggest that the Altima is a Z with a back seat - when we already know that spot is reserved for the G35.

I'm not really ragging on the Altima so much as I am the fact of buying a new Altima at or above market - when you can get a better car (G35) lightly used for less.

As to the topic at hand - folks also need to consider that a base infiniti is not the same as a base nissan. When you buy a luxury sedan - there will be many more things that are standard than there are in the lower line cars. No one has mentioned that the 07G35 has more power than the altima and may be faster.

Actually, I just said that, like 2 posts ago.

[altima coupe]

I agree 100%. Rear looks better on coupe, front better on G.

[altima coupe]

These are not sister cars like the past. The Camry is not the Lexus whatevers sister. The G is definetly more car but you pay for that luxury. There was not that much difference between a pontiac or a gm or a ford/mercury.

[altima coupe]

I agree nobody should be paying way above market for a coupe but the coupe is a great vehicle if you get it at the right price. Not everbody can afford a G35 (I can't), and I certainly require a front driver for the winter. The coupe fills a different segment than the G35 and I love my new coupe. Do I think it's better than a G35? No, but it fits my needs and it's a beautiful car. I even like it's lines better than the G35 because I really love the back end. The G35's front view is better. They are both great cars.

[mcheddadi]

[coupekid]

I think the only situation where a G35 owner would be jealous of an Altima coupe is in the snow or heavy rain.

So for future reference - if any of you Altima Coupe drivers in the Baltimore area see me shaking my head - you will know why.

Ahh, but this problem can all be solved by the G35X ---AWD.

[windhaven]

Trust me it was dissaproval and not jealousy. Clearly Nissan tried to mimic the syling cues of the G35 in the Altima as evidenced by the overall shape, side windows etc. It looks like they just threw in some extra lines to try not make it look like it is just a G35 knock off.

The only G owners that might be jealous are the guys that own Pontiac G6s which is the class that the altima competes in.

I think the only situation where a G35 owner would be jealous of an Altima coupe is in the snow or heavy rain.

So for future reference - if any of you Altima Coupe drivers in the Baltimore area see me shaking my head - you will know why.

Lloyd,

You were doing well till the last sentence, not sure why you have to take things to the personal side. No wonder you get in pissing matches with others in this forum. .

I'd suggest that maybe, since you're generally disgusted with the A/C and it's knock-off status, you consider sticking to the G Forums.

--Wind

(Note, i'm bowing down to you since you're obviously better than us A/C Owners)........

[spockrock]

I'm not really ragging on the Altima so much as I am the fact of buying a new Altima at or above market - when you can get a better car (G35) lightly used for less.

No you can't I don't know if it different in Maryland but up here, I looked high and low. I had three cars to choose from a 350z coupe, altima coupe, and g35 coupe. First off let me first begin with these cars all cost roughly 10K Canadian dollars more then the US version, just in case the pricing seems off.

First lets look at 'lightly used', to meet this criteria the car still had to be in under the 60K km area (3yrs) , where I could get Nissan/Infinit Canadas ASP plan. The other criteria was to either get a private sale (but the owner had to provide me with details on the car and proof that they took care of it.) The other option was to purchase the car used ONLY from a Nissan Dealership, 3rd party dealerships are a no no, and usually means that a Nissan dealership felt there were to many problems with the car to sell, so it up on the auction block.

I have a buddy at work who bought his G35 coupe exactly as he wanted from a 3rd party dealership he was warned and he has had to take it in for little things for a while, while the price is nice upfront you pay later. I found that 'Light' used 350z's and G35's all cost around the 35K-40K$ range. The 'cheaper' cars wow, lets begin, the prices that are too good to be true, are too good to be true, involved in a front end collision, private owner who didn't even know when to change the oil, drove the car like a maniac. Now thats not to say it can't be done a buddy bought am 03 350Z in great condition slightly used under 25K, (the owner took great care of it but had to sell it cause they were moving back to Saudi Arabia). Unfortunately for me my diamond in the rough was not to be found.

A brand new Altima Coupe Costs about the same + I got the dealership throw in winters. (Remember Can Dollars, the same amount of money could of bought me a G37 in the US, but if Nissan Canada did not have to honour the warranty other wise trust me I would of bought a G37 in the US). And there is a warranty and I don't have to pay extra to get the ASP, its longer and less headaches down the road. Parts on the Z and G generally cost more then the altimas.

Ultimately I wanted a sports coupe, thats what I got, its not the same as a 350z or a G35/G37 coupe but its no push over. The 350z and G35 also are not fun cars to drive come winter time, so I probably would of need winter beater. But its very hard to find, be prepared to look for a long time, if you think you can find a G or Z for cheaper. (remember I am only comparing coupes). A G35 sedan yeah you can but the sedans don't have the same oompf, as their G coupe counter parts. Sufficed to say I have driven earlier G35 coupes and the performance (acceleration) (this is just feel not proven with numbers) is not that much more different, but I haven't noticed it between a 03 G35. I chose the altima coupe, because I get a longer warranty, better car for winter, the insurance was mid point (a used 350z is cheaper but a used G35 was more, apparently insurance company said cause its and Infiniti, and parts cost more according to them, I don't know how much hot air this was but they can charge whatever they want I guess), the cost is performance hit that I don't notice, I do not race. Ultimately if I didn't have to worry about stretching my self too thin, (5 yrs of engineering can put you in a large debt thanks to student loans), then it would of been a G37, but I decided to save my self the headaches and possible extra costs of buying a used G or Z, get my self the altima, pay off my loans, and then buy myself a GT-R in 5 years. Fact of the matter is the altima is cheaper, the cost of ownership is cheaper, then a used G or Z.

[alphapig]

Sedans are ew.

[vballer22]

Have you looked at a Z? I would rather have a Z any day than a G. That is until I have kids. And a Z would kick the a/c AND the G's a** any day.

[spockrock]

Have you looked at a Z? I would rather have a Z any day than a G. That is until I have kids. And a Z would kick the a/c AND the G's a** any day.

Very true, but Z's here are in a different price range, In the great white north Z's are only available in the 4 configs, coupe auto, coupe manual, roadster auto, roadster manual, all four come fully loaded and start 50K, and the roadsters at 52K. You guys in the states are spoiled, btw our dollar is roughly on par with yours so thats 50K US$ dollars basically before you even get charged freight and taxes.

[JLAUDIO85]

Lloyd,

You were doing well till the last sentence, not sure why you have to take things to the personal side. No wonder you get in pissing matches with others in this forum. .

I'd suggest that maybe, since you're generally disgusted with the A/C and it's knock-off status, you consider sticking to the G Forums.

--Wind

(Note, i'm bowing down to you since you're obviously better than us A/C Owners)........

i smell haterzzz lol jkss

but i'll take G coupe anyday haha RWD FTW

[dangeris]

I did an "apples to apples" comparison the G37 and if too and if I selected all the options that came with my 3.5 SE total price for the g37 was $48K Both coupes have similar styling and I'm sure that I would have paid mor ethe "Infiniti" name. I love my coupe and to trade it in for a "status" symbol would be a BIG mistake IMO!

[NissNEZ08]

Wow, what a crazy conversation, but you all have done a great job of not making this a personal discussion. Kudos! (Well, except a few of course.)

When Dodge bought my Nitro back under a Lemon Law clause, I needed a new car. I was bound and determined to get a new Infiniti G37! There was nothing else on the market other than the 350Z I was interested in. However, whenI priced out the G37 I could not believe how expensive it was. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS CAR THOUGH!

So, I went to the Nissan dealer and checked out 350z's. I was sold on a black on black Z (with nothing on it) and was going to buy it the next day! As we were leaving the dealership, I saw the A/C! I exclaimed to my hubby, "WTF is that? IT IS HOT! Is that a G37 on a Nissan lot?" He pulled back into the dealership and I walked over to the A/C and said to him, "This is it, this is the car I want. I want it right now!" I didn't know there were two different engines, and I didn't care about the options and I wasn't looking for "bells and whistles." The car just struck an emotional and satisfyingly "cool factor" note with me.

Once the salesman came out and we started discussing things and I test drove both the 2.5 and 3.5 I decided on the 3.5. Then we started discussing all the options and the price. When I sawI could get a FULLY LOADED A/C 3.5 for the price of a new 350Z as basic as basic is and with everything I wanted on the G37 with nearly identical looks. It was a done deal!

Moral of the story, I don't give a crap about being an Elitist driving a car for its name! I don't give a crap about being a status symbol "sports car" driving a car because it can kick another car's ***. I wanted something that was classy, sleek, loaded to the hilt, had a good reputation within its brand (Nissan does) and got good gas mileage and was a way better car than my POS Nitro I had just gotten rid of.

Simple fact is the A/C does that, has that, and is that. Who cares if it looks like a G, who cares if it costs less and who really gives a **** what a G35 owner thinks of me when Im driving it. I smile a ton when I drive this car and I have had way faster cars than a G35 (3 C5 Corvettes all heavily modded) and Im telling you the A/C is nothing to sneeze at.

Sorry for the soapbox. But seriously folks, (g35 owners) Get over yourself.