Is 97-01 Y33 cheaper to maintain than 94-96 G50?

[Jesda]

7 years ago on this forum we typically considered Y33s cheaper to maintain and more reliable than their predecessors, while less interesting to drive and less luxurious inside. Now that Y33s are approaching 14 years old, is this reliability claim still true?

I'm asking because my roommate bought my Cadillac Seville and took it to Texas with him, so I'm sniffing around for another highway cruiser. I've owned three Sevilles, so I'm thinking about trying something different. I've had two G50s but never any Y33s. Other contenders include the QX4.

[BCC93QT]

Knock on wood but when i bought my G50 i dumped a significant amount in for all repairs at once. including all plenum and most suspension work. Now I have started my 2nd Q, transmission rebuild, or a QX4 account, whatevr really comes first. So i have been "maintenance" free for a while other than replacing my DS. Various other odds and ends like tires and oil changes speak for all cars so rule them out. Other than that the only things i have been doing are simple mods and upgrades. Have never owned a Y and don't really plan on owning one unless given a great opportunity. BTW love the "lets go vanning" on your profile. My mechanic has a 5 speed dodge caravan i swear would beat a stock Q in the 1/4 mile. But anyhow, given the opportunity i would go with a G50 all over again. They are cheap to get and the price for a Y is still no where near a G50 so the money saved on buying the G50 will get it running and rolling in mint condition

[Amays U G37S]

Jesda, as long as it was taken care of properly, anything will last forever.

Hell my dad bought his 94' camry BRAND NEW and it has 250,000 miles on it. Only things he changed was the fuel pump. And that thing lasted forever. And he beats ol' girl up, sometimes. Lol

[BadQ45t]

Hey long time Jesda. I believe that at this point in the game it will be 100% how the PO took care of the car. However, I do think that when Nissan put out 97' they knew that they had a reliable platform which didn't have a history of nagging issues that the 1st Gen experienced and often was known for at the time.

If you can find a good copy, you will have very few issues with it. I now have 94k on my 97' of which 42k was from the PO and I, knock on wood, have done nothing but change fluids, replace brake pads, replace worn out struts/shocks/tie rod ends, and rubber. I have had exactly zero mechnical issues.

I think there are more 2nd Gens out there in better shape, e.g., closer to still having factory-trained service versus Jiffy-Lube, and were still closer to being "newer" cars that people were still tending to them. That said I have seen 3rd Gens here in Northern Cal that looks like they were ready for the junk yard.

My advise, cast a wide net, use Autotrader to see cars outside of the rust/salt areas. If you find a good 2nd Gen you will have a very good car for very cheap. I believe this is one of the most reliable cars Nissan ever produced.

[Rex]

Jesda - I'm in a similar situation. Looking to replace the SC400 and have given some thought to both an 00-01 Q45 & QX4's. Let me say, the QX4's are probably not a good idea. Slow, over priced and basically just a Pathfinder. The Y33 on the other hand is not a re-badged US model Nissan, and it has it's strong points, but keep in mind it was released as part of Infiniti's way of battling the "price issue" by mid-to-premium car buyers. I think if Infiniti had the G35 sedan back in 97, they would have never took the Q45 a 1/2 step back.

I've been looking at several different things Mazda6 wagon's, 03 & 05 Maxima's, 03-04 M45's, 02 & up Q45's, G35 Sedan's, FX's etc and I have to say nothing seems to really "speak to me". I really wish I still had one of my old G50's.

Long story short, I think the M45 is the closest to the "spirit" of the G50, but you need to make sure there's no neglect or other issues.

I'll be looking forward to some "test drive" write ups from you .

[BadQ45t]

The M will cost you a heck of a lot more $$$....

[qship96]

Agree on the Qx4, a coworker of mine drives one and it feels and looks like a Nissan, not an Infiniti. With 1/2 the miles on it as my Q, the interior looks 3x as worn- even the fake wood trim around his door armrest areas is worn down to a white/yellowish plastic, nasty. The acceleration/ride/handling is borderline laughable, he even thought another coworkers Highlander{2002 model}} was a much nicer car than his after we all rode in it - he was shocked at the Highlanders smooth ride and acceleration compared to his qx.

[elwesso]

I think a lot of Y33 owners are starting to see a lot of the issues that G50 guys were seeing 5-7 years ago.. Now most Y33s are 10 years or older, so wear related things are starting to go faster..

Its more common to see typical Q stuff on Y33s now.. instead of injectors the Y33s have problematic coil packs.. Knock sensors, KS harness, and under-plenum hoses are starting to deteriorate and people having issues with them.

By and large I would say that Y33s are probably cheaper to maintain, but G50s have the advantage to having more in junkyards, so cheaper prices on used parts..

In my opinion, many interior parts in Y33s are inferior to G50s.. Ive seen a lot more wear especially on door panels and arm rests on Y33s than G50s, IN GENERAL..

Overall, a Y33 is a great driving car.. For a daily driver and highway cruiser its hard to beat... its got a better trunk, better back seat, and overall feels roomier even though actual dimensions are similar. In fact for my daily commute which is about an hour, it would be a good choice.. Although the Y33 has a faster 0-60 time than the G50, its a slug above 60 which is what I liked the best about my Q.

[maxnix]

Other than coil packs, it is solid with an auxiliary ATF cooler and maintenance. Trunk is actually shallower than a G50.

Might want to check what a front brake job costs on a QX4.

Good luck finding an FGY33 in good condition.

Y33 (JDM Gloria and Cedric) were never imported into the USA by Nissan.

[Jesda]

The scary thing on the Seville is the head gasket, but a whole industry has appeared with shops that do nothing but Northstar-related work which means you can shop around for labor costs rather than throwing four grand at the dealer. $1400 at an independent these days gets the HG job done which is somewhat comparable in price to doing, say, the water pump and timing belt on a J30 at an Infiniti dealer. Maybe I'll get another Seville.

An SC400/300 like Keith's is really tempting too, but again you get into the age issue. Cars get old, gaskets wear out, rubber wears out. Lexus owners at least seem to take excellent care of their cars. But, I already have a two-door car that I'll be keeping and enjoying for at least couple years.

I've also been sniffing around at Mazda 6 sedans and wagons, Saab 9-3 sedans, and Saab 9-5 wagons. I really enjoy the way Mazda and Saab manual shifters feel.

I guess I have some tires to kick.

Y33 (JDM Gloria and Cedric) were never imported into the USA by Nissan.

Shut up Brian. Good to hear from you.

[Rex]

The M will cost you a heck of a lot more $$$....

TRUE .

I really wish I could find a sub 100k FX45 for ~$13k.

[maxnix]

Having gone to the dark side, I can say that nothing built today compares with 90's Japanese quality of material and build. If you find a good specimen, it is worth procuring. A few years ago it wasn't very difficult to find a good example of a FYG33.

[oldmako]

I've put 80,000 mostly hassle free miles on my 99. The PO wasn't as enthusiastic about the car as I would have liked and the car needed a few things when I bought it. But, that's also why I got it so cheap and took the chance.

I rehabbed the front end, added a trans oil cooler, brakes, belts etc etc. IOW, nothing major, just the stuff which wears out. I think that the KS were done before I bought the car, but I have no proof.

The point of all this is that the car now has 180K and except for worn rear shocks and a busted front pax seat, it has been a delightful and trouble free car. On a few occasions it has developed a rough idle, but that was corrected with aggressive fuel additives.

The AC is still ice cold and the rebuilt compressor I bought two years ago is still in the box.

So, I just hung some new Michelins on it and will try to take it to 250K. It's been very reliable and a great highway car.

[BadQ45t]

Oldmak and I have the same results....I have heard about coil packs etc, but my baby is garaged and the engine runs so smooth that when I drove my buddy around recently he said "this car is like an electric car it is so quiet" which caused me to punch it and remind him it was a V8. A slug over 60, well not for me, but I agree the 1st gen was powerful, but I still think the V8 is ultra smooth.

If you can find a good one buy it, sorry mine is not for sale and will not be until Microsoft stock hits 50, so that will be a long time from now.

[Lokim]

As an automotive tech, I say screw the Northstars! They suck. They are throw-away motors. They are the only engines that if you don't torque the head bolts just right, you'll pull the crank journals out of alignment and shear the crank in half. F Cadillac!

Just my 2 cents...

[BadQ45t]

I think they completely gave up on the Northstar anyways....my dad last year decided to be a Patriot and bought a CTS with the V6 that puts out 300hp. The Northstar at least showed progress, but overall was a failure. The VQ in the 2nd Gen is a bulletproof platform that was not plagued by many of the problems the 1st gen suffered. Keep looking around Jesda, find a CA car with no snow, ice or salt and we can check it out for you