Looking to become a new family member...

[shockedimpy]

Hello all,

I am currently in the market for an 2003-2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe. I have my mind set on this car, but I am in the air regarding transmission types. Either a 6-speed or an automatic. I test drove an automatic the other day and the car is just a beautiful pierce of machinary, but I have yet to drive a stick shift G35. What would be your suggestions? Do you guys radther a 6speed or auto? And any things I should look for when buying it?

Thanks guys!

[gwoods]

6 spd is fun! auto is convienent

how much time do you spend in traffic?

I bought the auto because it shifts sooo fast and is pretty much the same as the stick for gas mileage and drivetrain loss

[CYO44Baseball32]

6MT all the way, makes driving much more fun

[SVTCOBRA]

I don't shift my AT Sedan much due to the delay.However, the AT Coupe does shift faster and is more fun that the Coupe.In addition, I'm told by other members that a Grounding Kit will make the shifts even crisper! Currently on my mod list.I've had sticks for the past 30 years, so I'm enjoying the AT. I would ask the same questions as Jeff....How much in town driving do you do??

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

Welcome to NICO!



Get the 6MT.. Better resale too!

DJ

[tollboothwilley]

manual all the way unless you spend a lot of time in heavy traffic

5AT can still be a lot of fun, but you will get more power from the stick and you always have more control.

[telcoman]

Welcome to NICO!



Get the 6MT.. Better resale too!

DJ

Go for the 6 speed manual

Much safer to drive in bad weather as you have better control using the transmission to slow the vehicle rather than the brakes. Brakes last longer resulting in lower maintenance costs. Better MPG also!

BTW, when my daughter took my old 1988 Mazda 929 5 speed manual to college no one ever asked to borrow it because none of her friends knew how to drive a stick

Telcoman

[G_whizz]

Welcometo NICO!!

Always buy the newest you can afford. If you can squeeze out the extra $$$$ go for an 05. 6MT. P retty well all the "bugs" were worked out by then.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Go for the 6 speed manual

Much safer to drive in bad weather as you have better control using the transmission to slow the vehicle rather than the brakes. Brakes last longer resulting in lower maintenance costs. Better MPG also!

BTW, when my daughter took my old 1988 Mazda 929 5 speed manual to college no one ever asked to borrow it because none of her friends knew how to drive a stick

Telcoman

hmmm..dealer told me to NOT use the transmission to brake, of course brakes are much cheaper to replace than a new transmission.

[Sentientbydesign]

Welcometo NICO!!

Always buy the newest you can afford. If you can squeeze out the extra $$$$ go for an 05. 6MT. P retty well all the "bugs" were worked out by then.

I am not fond of the old interior or the older engine.

If you get a low mileage 05, you'll still have some drivetrain warranty left over.

As for which to buy... I drove a 2 5ATs and hated them. I actually started looking for a different car to buy because of it.

Here are a few pointers on the 5AT when test driving it:

1) Have the dealer reset the ECU, throttle release learning...etc. This will give you a much better perspective of the car. The transmission and throttle adapt to your driving style, when you drive a used car, you have no idea how the last person drove it, so resetting everything will help.

2) If you're into performance, turn VDC off. There should be a little button near the mirror controls that turns off Vehicle Dynamics Control. With this off, the car won't cut throttle or engage the brakes if the tires start slipping. BE CAREFUL!!!

3) The 5AT can be a little slugish in shifting. If you get one, consider buying a grounding wire kit. See my sig (selfless promotion lol). They will give you smoother/faster shifts and a possible increase in performance and fuel efficiency.

Reasons to buy the 6mt:

1)Higher resale value. They made less of them, and are more in demand.

2) Can be more fun to drive. This is highly subjective, but there is definately more control and more power to the rear wheels.

3) Higher HP- I won't get into the differences between the 5AT and 6MT for the 03/04 because I think the numbers are false. For the 05+, there is a rated difference of 18 HP. You do give up on a little torque though.

4) My wife and I personally think our MTs are safer than autos because less people can drive stick. A "professional" thief can probably drive a big rig, so that doesn't apply there, but it does to the moron teenager who wants to take a joy ride (they can't really get anywhere without the chipped key either).

5AT is definately nicer in traffic and while going slow. No argument there.

Good luck and welcome to NICO!!!

[telcoman]

hmmm..dealer told me to NOT use the transmission to brake, of course brakes are much cheaper to replace than a new transmission.

Technically I meant to say using the engine to slow the vehicle by downshifting. This poses no more wear than up shifting. Perhaps the dealer would like you back sooner for brake jobs?

Telcoman

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

Telcome has us all beat on the Mt's He has more experience then all of us combined...

DJ

[shockedimpy]

I honestly can say it's impossible to find an 03-05 6MT to my likeing. I am from Massachusetts, and I have searched over 200+ Infiniti's and I have honestly seen 4-5 6speeds...And 4 of them are 06's+..I seriously cannot find a 6speed and its driving me crazy. The only one I would CONSIDER is an 04 for 17k black on black, but with 70k miles, and thats a bit much for me (mileage wise).

[awdjdmtalon]

Don't give up. It took me 2 months of searching everyday to find my 04 6MT w/ everything but nav. Payed 21.9K with 16101 miles.

[joe603]

I found 7....

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...stime=

[shockedimpy]

Yea, 3 of them over 24k, 2 sedans (want coupe), and I want good mileage, not 70k ....Still no luck. But I will try to be patient.

[joe603]

I'll keep my eyes open for ya! Coupes are more expensive than Sedans...

[shockedimpy]

So I have come to realize lol..But the coupes are so much sexier in my opinion. But I am in the price range of about 20kish. So tough to find a 6 speed for 20k with about 40-55k miles and black leather lol. I am very picky.

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

That is good... Be pickey... DOn't settle if you are not going to be happy!

Good luck out there.. Remeber it is a buyers market and don't be afraid to walk away from the sale!

good luck in your search

Oh and you are already a famliy member here!

DJ

[Sentientbydesign]

I honestly can say it's impossible to find an 03-05 6MT to my likeing. I am from Massachusetts, and I have searched over 200+ Infiniti's and I have honestly seen 4-5 6speeds...And 4 of them are 06's+..I seriously cannot find a 6speed and its driving me crazy. The only one I would CONSIDER is an 04 for 17k black on black, but with 70k miles, and thats a bit much for me (mileage wise).

Patience, grasshopper.

I started looking for a coupe around September or October of 07. I test drove 4 of them. 2 ATs, 2 MTs.

The dealerships wanted too much for them. A bunch of the private sellers were in different states.

I searched just about every car website I could find daily. I finally found a coupe about an hours drive from where I live and went out to look at it. It wasn't the exact color I wanted, but the price was right one the money and I was able to get the dealer to lower it a little more because it needed brakes and tires.

My suggestion is to go looking through the various websites and find which ones offer "Transmission Type" as a searchable field (usually in the advanced search). For the sites that don't offer it, use "6MT" or "Manual" in the search query.

You can also try to find an auction dealer in your area. That was one of my options.

[shockedimpy]

Well I am now an offical member of this family.

I just purchased an 2004 G35 Coupe fully loaded package. Sports suspension, 18inch wheels, Brembo brakes, navigation, and the most important part a 6 SPEED! I am very excited lol, but I am not a seasoned veteran when it comes down to driving a 6speed. I can, but get a bit nervous when gettin out of 1st lol...Any suggestions for me when practicing with it? I plan on bring it to a cemetary and starting there like I did when I 1st learned how.

[BrandAidDesignG35]

Honestly it shouldn't be too hard, I tested a 6mt and it was a breeze, you'll be fine...

Strangely, I learned to drive a stick in a cementery

[shockedimpy]

Ah thanks guys. What do you think about the price, I paid $21k for it. It's the fully loaded packaged model (brembos,navi,6speed,satellite radio,spolier,etc..)With 43k miles.

[telcoman]

Well I am now an offical member of this family.

I just purchased an 2004 G35 Coupe fully loaded package. Sports suspension, 18inch wheels, Brembo brakes, navigation, and the most important part a 6 SPEED! I am very excited lol, but I am not a seasoned veteran when it comes down to driving a 6speed. I can, but get a bit nervous when gettin out of 1st lol...Any suggestions for me when practicing with it? I plan on bring it to a cemetary and starting there like I did when I 1st learned how.

Great news. Instead of a cemetary try practicing in an office park or a large truck distribution center on weekends or early Sunday morning when it is vacant. Cemetaries usually have very narrow roads. That was where I taught my daughter how to drive a stick.Try to avoid slipping the clutch as that causes wear.As you begin to take off in first gear, try to start letting out the clutch while feathering the gas so your RPM's barely move. Once the clutch is fully engaged & your foot is off then you can take off. If you start to race the engine before letting up on the clutch you are going to cause premature wear on the clutch.Drive smart & the clutch should last over 100k miles. When you see lights turn red ahead of you, downshift to begin slowing the vehicle instead of using your brakes. This is important in icy weather. You will get much better mileage on your brake pads also. You will also get better MPG with the 6 speed vs the 5AT. I gave mine an oil change and filter today. I also gave it a new air filter. Mine was pretty filthy after 10k miles. I can change the air filter now in less than 5 min.

Enjoy

Telcoman

[SVTCOBRA]

Ah thanks guys. What do you think about the price, I paid $21k for it. It's the fully loaded packaged model (brembos,navi,6speed,satellite radio,spolier,etc..)With 43k miles.

If it's in good shape and the color that you wanted, you got a great deal!!

As for down shifting, I only do this when spirited driving. I had rather use the brake pads and spare the clutch and transmission. Pads are cheap and easy to replace as opposed to the other.

In addition, down shifting in bad weather can be very hazardous if you down shift before you should and your rear tires lock up!

In icey weather you REALLY need to be MORE careful in a manual car!Find a deserted parking lot and get to know your vehicle in bad weather.Telcoman has been driving sticks longer than most of us have been alive, so he's an expert at this technique. With practice, you can too, but you had better practice in a safe place - that's what I did.

[TeflonG35]

Much safer to drive in bad weather as you have better control using the transmission to slow the vehicle rather than the brakes.

I don't see the manual being much safer with all the traction control and safety computers in our cars.

[Sentientbydesign]

More direct control over the gears, slippage, and speed.

Ah thanks guys. What do you think about the price, I paid $21k for it. It's the fully loaded packaged model (brembos,navi,6speed,satellite radio,spolier,etc..)With 43k miles.

Welcome to the family. I paid about 22k out the door for my 05 coupe, but it was the base model 6mt and needed a little "freshening up".

The Sedans are usually lower in price, but considering the medium/low mileage and all of the upgrades, and the 6mt, I think you got a good price.

The best advice I've read on getting acquainted with a manual is, just play with it. Don't be afraid to take it to a deserted area and upshift, downshift, rev match, clutch dump, double upshift, double down shift WITH REV MATCHING.

My experience is that when in 6th going under 80, downshifting to 5th doesn't give you much pull to pass people- mainly for those "gotta move my A$$ now" situations. As such, rev matching and shifting into 4th is much more effective. Also remember that 3rd will redline at 83 or so.

Telco is right that most clutches will last 100k with proper treatment. Don't plan on getting that with your G though. The clutch is very small in diameter for the amount of power it has to deal with, as such, it wears much quicker than any other clutch I know of. My coupe is currently on it's second clutch at 53k and is in need of a replacement soon (The previous owner needs to be )

[shockedimpy]

Thanks guys! I think I am in the nervous stage still. I love the car, but I am no seasoned veteran when it comes to driving manual. I am not stalling, but I am getting the little hickup shifting when trying to move the car. I know it's normal, I just hope I aint damaging the car. How long did it take you guys to get a "good" or "great" grip on driving standard? I can def drive it, but I am still nervous, and shifting smoothly comes a penny a dozen. haha..

[G_whizz]

It will come.

When I was teaching the gf... I told her to just concentrate on the clutch and not the gas.

From a dead stop just lift the clutch ever so slightly until you feel it engage, then press it down and repeat until you learn where the engagement starts.

Then start adding the gas pedal...

You'll pick it up in no time. Then later if you wanted, you can adjust the clutch to a different engagement point..