Looking for 07-08 G35 Sedan.. advise? tips?

[badutahboy]

Hey all,

I'm looking for my first infiniti... preferably a g35x, but I'll take what I can get...

What I'm curious about is the overall reliability of these cars, as well as any special info about them...

I'm a little gunshy about re-entering the luxury car market, because my last (2001 Mercedes C240) was a horrible experience... I loved the car (except for it's obscene lack of power.. 172 Horsies in a 4000 pound car? cmon Mercedes)... However, the thing nickel and dimed me to death... In the course of 2 1/2 years (2005-May 08) I had to replace the Clutch, Air Mass Meter, Fuel Sender, a couple sensors, and finally, a $2000 transmission repair (2nd gear went out).... all this in addition to the $200 oil change (still trying to figure out why a 2.5 liter 6 cylinder engine has an 8 quart sump and requires full synthetic)

I'm attracted to the Infiniti and Lexus because of their parent companies.. I want Nissan/Toyota reliability, and lower maintenance cost than buying a euro sedan...

Am I barking up the wrong tree? Anyone got any input for me? Common problems, options I can't live without? etc?

[TeflonG35]

The G is definitely a good choice. Power and comfort. Problems are rare at best. Oh, And they are very fun to drive. Go test drive one.

[Gimli G35]

the G is very reliable , make sure whenever you find that perfect G , that you have a CarFax report on it ...

some G's have a little minor discomfort with the dead pedal , but thats nothing.

You might catch the mod bug, i dont know if thats not your thing =p

other than that , nothing else big i can argue with the car , its a great car

[jdshift]

http://www.edmunds.com/infinit....html read up, search a lil' in there........plus G members should chime in for ya. Personally I would get one if I could.

[badutahboy]

The G is definitely a good choice. Power and comfort. Problems are rare at best. Oh, And they are very fun to drive. Go test drive one.

Heh, I had my search narrowed down to an 07-08 Maxima, Altima or Camry until I test drove an 07 G35 the other day... from there, I was completely sold instantly... My only hangup is the rear wheel drive , because I live in snow country (another hit on the benz.. it SUUUUCKED in the snow, even with traction control and snow tires), which is why I'm looking for the X... but even if I can't find one, I've got a truck to drive on snow days.

I also didn't realize the G35 was the same car as the skyline.. I thought the g35 was based on the maxima.. good info to have... I just might get into customizing it in a couple years when it's paid for and factory warranty is gone... nothing like having a 4 door sleeper...

Thanks for the input guys.. keep it coming!

One more quick question.. I talked to the dealer yesterday about service, and he told me the 30, 60, 90k service runs around 600-700 on these... can someone tell me what goes into this service and is there any reason I can't do it a lot cheaper myself?

[TeflonG35]

If you have a truck for snowy days then go for it. Rear wheel drive is so much fun.

[infinitgkid]

If you have a truck for snowy days then go for it. Rear wheel drive is so much fun.

+1

RWD gets the ladies!!

[soakgame]

badutah.. you should have went with a lexus.. i've had my gs400 for six years and the only minor problem i've had was with the ball joints at 90k (common problem with the car).. other than that i plan on running it to the ground (200k and above).. i'm at 165k now.. i was looking at a used mercedes e350 or e500 as my next car, but i've heard bad things about their brakes.. the only real reliable mercedes 2000 and above is the s-class (word of mouth)

i'm in the same boat as you.. looking for an 07-08 g-sedan now

my game plan is to wait a year or two and spend 5-10k less on a used one

[badutahboy]

badutah.. you should have went with a lexus.. i've had my gs400 for six years and the only minor problem i've had was with the ball joints at 90k (common problem with the car).. other than that i plan on running it to the ground (200k and above).. i'm at 165k now.. i was looking at a used mercedes e350 or e500 as my next car, but i've heard bad things about their brakes.. the only real reliable mercedes 2000 and above is the s-class (word of mouth)

i'm in the same boat as you.. looking for an 07-08 g-sedan now

my game plan is to wait a year or two and spend 5-10k less on a used one

The only lexus I looked at was the IS250 AWD... It didn't really impress me. The interior wasn't any nicer than the altima's interior (which is it's weakest asset) and a 2 year old lexus cost as much as a similarly loaded brand new altima... In fact, I thought the altima owned the IS250 in pretty much every way... and the altima was a step behind the maxima and camry...

Again, I only looked at the one model (ok, I also drove an is350, but it's the same car), so I'm not judging Lexus universally... but I want a sport sedan, and realistically, that's lexus' weak link.

As for Mercedes, I'll never own another one.. no way, no how.. Even the most simple maintenance is absurdly expensive, and I drove their most common car. I couldn't change my own oil for less than 100 bucks, because it requires full synthetic (8 quarts), and the oil filter is $46 bucks (cheapest I found.. dealer gets like $65.)

My g/f's parents have a 2006 A4 Quattro, an 02 BMW 325ix, and an 03 porsche boxter... all 3 have the same inherent flaws as the benz.. expensive maintenance and quite a bit of it.. I'm pretty much put off german autos... but that's just my opinion.

Amazingly, this is the sector of automobiles I know most about, and somehow, I missed the best in show until 2 days ago... lol

My thoughts on the luxury sports sedan market...ranked by my preference:

1. G-series... hands down.. best styling in the group, and the most power.. also good reliability(even though edmunds only gives it 3 stars).. Rides well, smooth engine, GREAT interior detail (in the 07-08's.. I didn't like the older ones as much)2. Audi A4... does everything well, but just isn't as awesome as the G35.. It's also seriously lacking in style, and the 2.0 engine leaves a lot to be desired. (the 3.2 has some pretty serious cajones though)3. Lexus IS250.. Lexus reliability, nice pep even with the small engine, good exterior styling, but the interior finish is low quality, and it just doesn't make you Ooohhh.4. BMW 3 series... pretty similar to the Audi, but less reliable. 5. Mercedes C-class... see above... The only thing I REALLY loved about this car is the quality of it's ride.. I've never driven a car that smooths out the road, but keeps the steering feel of the road like this car... truly exquisite in that regard, but a total flop in most other regards.6. Saab 9-5, Volvo S60, etc.. all those smaller companies with a good product that hasn't ever really caught on.. I'm a huge saab guy, but they're just not what they used to be. 7. Acura TL... poor mans luxo-sedan.. nuff said. Very reliable, but who cares? you'll want to get rid of it within a year or two anyway.

JMO..

[tollboothwilley]

I live in Utah (grew up in WJ there...)

Get a good set of snow tires and as long as you are experienced the snow you should be fine. I've only had one problem, and that was trying to drive in 1 foot deep snow when it hadn't been plowed yet. Got stuck trying to get into my driveway!

Go for the G

I used to own a BMW and the G35 is far more reliable than any Euro car.

I have 125K miles on mine now....

[badutahboy]

I live in Utah (grew up in WJ there...)

Get a good set of snow tires and as long as you are experienced the snow you should be fine. I've only had one problem, and that was trying to drive in 1 foot deep snow when it hadn't been plowed yet. Got stuck trying to get into my driveway!

Go for the G

I used to own a BMW and the G35 is far more reliable than any Euro car.

I have 125K miles on mine now....

Right on.. thanks for the input. I saw your profile earlier and hoped you'd chime in with some Utah specific advice.

Unfortunately, the snow situation you described is pretty much exactly my problem. I live at the end of a dead end that doesn't get plowed, and I have a 120 foot long driveway to boot... I also spend A LOT of time on the far east side... Driving clients through Olympus cove in the wintertime doesn't sound like a great idea with RWD. (for non Utahn's, Olympus cove is an affluent neighborhood built right up the side of a mountain. In the wintertime, most of the houses consistently have 3+ feet of snow in their yards.)

I'm really hoping to find an AWD model.. There are 3 for sale in the area, but none have colors/options/price I want.. Luckily, starting weds, I'll have access to dealers auctions, so I might end up buying one sight unseen at auction and shipping it here.

[telcoman]

Right on.. thanks for the input. I saw your profile earlier and hoped you'd chime in with some Utah specific advice.

Unfortunately, the snow situation you described is pretty much exactly my problem. I live at the end of a dead end that doesn't get plowed, and I have a 120 foot long driveway to boot... I also spend A LOT of time on the far east side... Driving clients through Olympus cove in the wintertime doesn't sound like a great idea with RWD. (for non Utahn's, Olympus cove is an affluent neighborhood built right up the side of a mountain. In the wintertime, most of the houses consistently have 3+ feet of snow in their yards.)

I'm really hoping to find an AWD model.. There are 3 for sale in the area, but none have colors/options/price I want.. Luckily, starting weds, I'll have access to dealers auctions, so I might end up buying one sight unseen at auction and shipping it here.

badutahboy

Welcome to NICO

In 2 1/2 years and almost 60k miles I've had two tire pressure sensors and one air bag module replaced both under warranty by the dealer.The G is a very reliable well made automobile. Your Mercedes experience is not unusual.My only advice to you is to purchase new and make nice with the service people.Not only do you get a brand new vehicle the way you want it (Go for a 6 speed manual, much better in snow) with all new parts, a 60k mile warranty, a loaner when service is needed, & they'll pick you up if needed, free roadside assistance should that ever be required. In my opinion, worth the extra $$$ to purchase new.

Telcoman

[SVTCOBRA]

Make sure you test drive both the 07 and 08.I didn't like the pedal feel on the 07. I believe they corrected it on the 08. At least the 08 I test droved felt better.