Infiniti M35x? Can't decide which car

[Griffinity]

I never like long reads so I will try and shorten this a ton.

Grew up owning 300zx.

Now married, 31 years old with a 2 year old daughter.

Currently Lease 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT loaded max. Fine car. Great gas. Boring. Lease is up very soon. Wife has 2013 Hyundai Tuscon

Want: Something with balls, safe, comfy.

Bucket list cars were 1998 M3 Sedan, 2000-2002 Audi S4, I just don't think they will be practical. I've been all over the map of what car to get. I need a big trunk for kid stuff and of course Golf clubs. Current car... clubs fit with seats folded down.

Neighbor who's also a good friend of mine works as a mechanic at Infiniti dealership and owns a 06 M35x. Loves it.

I found a 2007 M35x with 75k miles in my budget.

Questions:
Practical daily driver? Fun-ish car? Safe?

$9-$11k budget

[mazz]

i drove m35 2006 and 2008 right past 100,000 miles with no trouble. i would say that the v6 is a reliable fun engine and the car is big and safe.

[Ilya]

Go for it. Have your friend check it out and if it passes, go for it. I had an 07 M35x from 32kmi to 140kmi with nary an issue. Some people here are unlucky and have cars that have tons of gremlins, but the majority of us have pretty reliable vehicles.

[steve_c]

I bought my 06 M35x back in Oct. of 2005. I currently have 116k miles on it. My first AWD purchase, it is a remarkably practical car for shopping (nice trunk) and long trips (comfortable).

My only concern to date is I have a VDC/slip/ABS malfunction. It is somewhat of a weak point on some of these cars, so be sure the one you look at has this function working. It can be an expensive fix if it is ABS actuator related!

Be sure your M is equipped with NAVIGATION, Bose Stereo & heated seats...they are a plus. The NAV system I have still runs on the original disc, never upgraded throughout the years. It holds up remarkably well!

The M35x is a remarkable winter driving car. The AWD with VDC (vehicle Dynamic Control) is incredible when coupled with good tires. I have driven on snow covered roads & highways where I had to navigate around stuck & sliding vehicles, it has never failed me in these conditions.

Back in 06, I was returning to work on the Sprain Brook Parkway in a snowstorm. It was a blast passing everyone. I was having fun, but I pushed the M beyond the limit of physics for the conditions present! I lost it for a second or two, fortunately I recovered from a slide.....learned my lesson! Sometimes too much fun can be lethal!

Good luck, hope to see you on the board in the future!

[2.7t]

I came from an a6 with the same 2.7TT v6 as the s4. m35 does not handle as well as the a6 but its not to say its not fun. The a6 was a headache with coolant leaking from every possible compartment and engine oil leaks. A6 goes through control arms every 30k. I was sick of it. M35 is much better. just wanted the m to have more low end torque. But overall, id pick the m35 if i did it again. More more spacious as well!

[2.7t]

I never like long reads so I will try and shorten this a ton.

Grew up owning 300zx.

Now married, 31 years old with a 2 year old daughter.

Currently Lease 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT loaded max. Fine car. Great gas. Boring. Lease is up very soon. Wife has 2013 Hyundai Tuscon

Want: Something with balls, safe, comfy.

Bucket list cars were 1998 M3 Sedan, 2000-2002 Audi S4, I just don't think they will be practical. I've been all over the map of what car to get. I need a big trunk for kid stuff and of course Golf clubs. Current car... clubs fit with seats folded down.

Neighbor who's also a good friend of mine works as a mechanic at Infiniti dealership and owns a 06 M35x. Loves it.

I found a 2007 M35x with 75k miles in my budget.

Questions:
Practical daily driver? Fun-ish car? Safe?

$9-$11k budget

Another alternative is the 07+ lexus gs350. Very powerfull v6 and handles very similarly to my old audi.

[Griffinity]

Awesome responses!

Mazz and Ilya- I feel more comfortable taking this car over 100k now. Lots of good advice here and that's exactly what I needed.

My neighbor Infinity mechanic seems very willing to help me out if need be on the car.

Steve_C- Also thank you for letting me know what you like between the Audi and M. This is making my decision easier, I mean of course I'm on an Infinity board, but you've actually owned both so I don't feel like their is any bias.

I'm very much looking forward to checking this vehicle out.

Its a 07 m35x 75k miles. Every option you can get installed. Dark brown/grey looking color black interior. Asking $12k.
This car will definitely be used in the winter, and for road trips.

I'll keep you all posted!

[corion]

I have a 06 M35x and I can tell you, this car is bulletproof, I got 160k on it right now and only thing that I had to replace was the radiator, as long as you make sure all your fluids are changed regularly, these cars can go for a very long time, I plan on taking mine well past 200k

[Griffinity]

The only drawback I'm seeing is the CRAP mpg it gets. Especially when compared to others in its class, and more importantly, my current small vehicle that gets 35mpg on 87 octane.

Is 24mpg unrealistic?

[Ilya]

You'll hit 23-24 on the highway pending your car is in tip top mechanical shape (fluids, spark plugs, no issues with stuck brake lol)...but in the city you'll get more like 17-18. Maybe 19. If you baby it.

My car was modified a bit and I like to drive fast (my nickname is "Fast Lane Ukraine" lol)...so my MPG's take a hit regardless. Some guys complain about getting 15-16 and I don't know how they manage that. Seriously.

18 City/23 Highway should definitely be achievable.

[kmiles]

I agree with all of the feedback you've received. I bought my 2007 M35x used with about 26K 5 years ago and now have 120K on it. I burn zero oil (I change my own oil and while I check it weekly, I've never had to add a drop). Had to replace belts, brake pads and tires due to normal wear and I've kept up on the fluid replacement schedule. I've had only a couple of repairs - the steering wheel quit moving into place when starting the car and the dealer repaired it under warranty. The other issue I had was a fuel filling problem where it wouldn't fill up completely and there was a service bulletin on how to fix it. Mileage wise I get about 19.7 around town on 23 highway is good. I still love the car and find it fun to drive. I would buy one again.

[BlackCat81]

The only drawback I'm seeing is the CRAP mpg it gets. Especially when compared to others in its class, and more importantly, my current small vehicle that gets 35mpg on 87 octane.

Is 24mpg unrealistic?

My 06 M35x has never seen 24mpg. It's currently getting 13.5 on my short commute to work in very cold weather. It's not going to get good fuel economy, and premium fuel is a recommendation. The best I've seen is around 22mpg on the highway. The 5 speed and high gear ratio doesn't equal great fuel economy. I'm at almost 3,000RPM at 80mph.

[Griffinity]

So surprising that there isn't a 6 gear trans in these. The other cars in this class blow the mpg out of the water, but are soooo ugly. ie 330xi so ugly. My wife's Hyundai TUSCON gets 26 mpg and its awd SUV!

Everything else seems spot on though. Just the damn gas mileage.

[BlackCat81]

So surprising that there isn't a 6 gear trans in these. The other cars in this class blow the mpg out of the water, but are soooo ugly. ie 330xi so ugly. My wife's Hyundai TUSCON gets 26 mpg and its awd SUV!

Everything else seems spot on though. Just the damn gas mileage.

The M37/M56 went to a 7 speed.

[jdsaengine]

I have '09 M35X with 35K miles on it. Great car, I obviously don't drive it much. Mileage is not the greatest and I put premium in it, but when you drive only 3-4K per year who cares. Never had single item that needed fixed, just maintenance items. I vote yes for your next car !!

[Griffinity]

The original vehicle I found hasn't recently responded. I found another.
Interior 10/10
Exterior... 7.2/10

http://www.elitemotorsonline.com/web/us ... s/1837866/

I just am not sure I can live with these bumps and bruises. Dealer said they'd have their wheel expert come out and fix the rims to look like new. So many other nicks around the car. I'm very excited in buying an M35x, and I want to jump, but so many ouchies. Am I being too picky?

http://imgur.com/a/LsJKn

I can't seem to figure out how to tag post the pictures on this forum.

[Ilya]

See the FAQ thread in my signature to see how to post pics.

That car is pretty clean though other than the wheels...I'd do it.

[Griffinity]

Im going to keep searching, but I have an appointment weds to really go through the car and work on the price.

If another pops up by then, im definitely goin to check it out.

[Griffinity]

Well long story short...the dealer gave me an older carfax and wheny mechanic ran it thru database it came up with more mile then gauge showed. They swapped the cluster. I was irate!

My max budget is $12k.

Ive completely comfuaed myself now lol.

The M35x in my range are all 110-150k miles.

So i started looking into g35x and g37x. G37 still high priced.

BUT

I just found a 05 G35x black on black. 55k miles for $10k....

What do you think?

[cruzad3r]

the G is smaller than the M so if you want space, you have to look at the M way. if you're concerning with MPG, you will want to go to a newer M or G37 because it has the better transmission and gear ratio. The 06-07 M35 are exactly the same so if you want to save money on the car, you can go for the 06. but then again, with older car, you have to be willing to work on it if you want to save money.