New guy here w/ a question about FX35/G35/350z

[squatticus]

First of all I'm new to the forum so nice to meet you guys! I've been driving my mom's 2011 Nissan Altima, I love the car the only two things I don't like, Im not a big fan of the interior and I would like a bit of a bigger engine.
I've been checking out FX35/G35/350z but most of the ones in my price range 10-13k tops have at least 80k Miles on them, I'm not really sure of the reliabilty of them and was wondering how many miles is just too many? I usually just drive from home/work and go out on the weekends, so about 1,000-1,200 miles a month

[elwesso]

Welcome to NICO.

Overall the FX/G/350Z is very reliable. Probably the biggest complaint you'll get is how the interiors feel kind of cheap, particularly in the 350Z. The G35 was definitely better, but still not great for what it is.

The main thing to remember is that cars don't really age so much with miles (within reason), but with age. Also how the car is driven is another big factor. I'd say that a car with 50k miles driven in the city has dang near as much wear as a car with 100k miles driven on the highway. So, mileage is only part of the story.

By and large though they're pretty solid cars. The FX has definitely retained it's value the best out of those 3, so I'd probably say the G35 is probably the best buy, and will get better fuel economy.

For 10k-13k you should be able to get into an 07-08 G (especially the sedan) without too much trouble, those are nice because while they have the smaller 3.5L you get the redesigned body.

[squatticus]

hmm i figured miles were more important that year thanks alot, but 07-08? all the ones im seeing in my area are 03-05 for 10k-13k w/ 80-110k miles

[Bubba1]

Welcome to NICO.

Overall the FX/G/350Z is very reliable. Probably the biggest complaint you'll get is how the interiors feel kind of cheap, particularly in the 350Z. The G35 was definitely better, but still not great for what it is.

The main thing to remember is that cars don't really age so much with miles (within reason), but with age. Also how the car is driven is another big factor. I'd say that a car with 50k miles driven in the city has dang near as much wear as a car with 100k miles driven on the highway. So, mileage is only part of the story.

By and large though they're pretty solid cars. The FX has definitely retained it's value the best out of those 3, so I'd probably say the G35 is probably the best buy, and will get better fuel economy.

For 10k-13k you should be able to get into an 07-08 G (especially the sedan) without too much trouble, those are nice because while they have the smaller 3.5L you get the redesigned body.

^ The predicted reliability for all three is actually pretty good, but like all cars, how well they were maintained/treated makes a difference. Ideal scenario is finding a one owner car with a complete maintenance history. As a Z owner, the two main drawbacks to me are the cheapie interior materials and lack of practical luggage space. The older ones have an obnoxious brace in the middle of the luggage area. If you're planning a DD, (mine is strictly a weekend fun car) the G might be a better choice than the Z due to having more useable space, has rear seats and more luxurious interior. But you really can't go wrong with any of them.

[squatticus]

so if i had a choice between a
03-04 g35 w/ 50-65k miles or and 06-08 w/ 80-90k miles i should get the 06-08?

[Bubba1]

so if i had a choice between a
03-04 g35 w/ 50-65k miles or and 06-08 w/ 80-90k miles i should get the 06-08?

Difficult to say. You're comparing a $6-7K car (2003) to a $12K car (2008), so other factors come into play, including your budget and options you want, and how each car has been maintained/treated. Plus the newer G had a bigger list of options than the 2003-4, so if you wanted 19' wheels instead of smaller, for example, you might want the newer one. All those model years have good reliability reputations, so there's no wrong answer. And if maintained well, they each could easily go 200K+ miles. Your annual mileage is pretty much the national average. My personal choice would be which ever is in better overall condition, and fits your budget.

[squatticus]

so if i had a choice between a
03-04 g35 w/ 50-65k miles or and 06-08 w/ 80-90k miles i should get the 06-08?

Difficult to say. You're comparing a $6-7K car (2003) to a $12K car (2008), so other factors come into play, including your budget and options you want, and how each car has been maintained/treated. Plus the newer G had a bigger list of options than the 2003-4, so if you wanted 19' wheels instead of smaller, for example, you might want the newer one. All those model years have good reliability reputations, so there's no wrong answer. And if maintained well, they each could easily go 200K+ miles. Your annual mileage is pretty much the national average. My personal choice would be which ever is in better overall condition, and fits your budget.

it's weird people keep saying that, all the g35s Im seeing are 9k-14k no matter the year

[Bubba1]

it's weird people keep saying that, all the g35s Im seeing are 9k-14k no matter the year

Well, unless you're unwilling/unable to negotiate with the seller, the prices advertised are usually higher than what you'd end up paying. Infiniti G's do tend to hold their value pretty well compared to other cars, BUT they are neither rare or collectible, so it should not be that difficult to find a nice one at a reasonable price. I would recommend you try a reference tool like Edmunds.com to give you better idea what specific models/mileage/condition/options/colors tend to sell for in your zip code.

There are some NICOnauts that are actually in the car biz that might be able to help you find a nice one, hopefully a few will chime in.

[squatticus]

it's weird people keep saying that, all the g35s Im seeing are 9k-14k no matter the year

Well, unless you're unwilling/unable to negotiate with the seller, the prices advertised are usually higher than what you'd end up paying. Infiniti G's do tend to hold their value pretty well compared to other cars, BUT they are neither rare or collectible, so it should not be that difficult to find a nice one at a reasonable price. I would recommend you try a reference tool like Edmunds.com to give you better idea what specific models/mileage/condition/options/colors tend to sell for in your zip code.

There are some NICOnauts that are actually in the car biz that might be able to help you find a nice one, hopefully a few will chime in.

I've mostly been looking at cars.com/craigslist/autotrader, and within 75miles of my areacode, I have seen 2-3 07-08 G35x for 14k w/ 100k miles on them, then the rest are 03-08 60k-110k in the 9k-14k price range.

[Bubba1]

I've mostly been looking at cars.com/craigslist/autotrader, and within 75miles of my areacode, I have seen 2-3 07-08 G35x for 14k w/ 100k miles on them, then the rest are 03-08 60k-110k in the 9k-14k price range.

I don't doubt you. Sellers always start with a high price in anticipation of reducing it thru a negotiation or someone naiive enough to accept the advertised price. Listen, if you are willing to pay $9K for a clean 2003 G35 with 60K mikes that dealers sell for an average of $6700 (my zip code, I don't know yours), that's certainly your prerogative. I'm simply suggesting that you do a little deeper research. Knowing what the dealer paid for the car and how much similar cars sell for (not advertise for, which is what you're looking at) is important if you want to save money, trust me.

[squatticus]

I've mostly been looking at cars.com/craigslist/autotrader, and within 75miles of my areacode, I have seen 2-3 07-08 G35x for 14k w/ 100k miles on them, then the rest are 03-08 60k-110k in the 9k-14k price range.

I don't doubt you. Sellers always start with a high price in anticipation of reducing it thru a negotiation or someone naiive enough to accept the advertised price. Listen, if you are willing to pay $9K for a clean 2003 G35 with 60K mikes that dealers sell for an average of $6700 (my zip code, I don't know yours), that's certainly your prerogative. I'm simply suggesting that you do a little deeper research. Knowing what the dealer paid for the car and how much similar cars sell for (not advertise for, which is what you're looking at) is important if you want to save money, trust me.

thanks for the input, I'm gonna shop around a bit tomorrow and see what I can find, theres a couple 07 G35(x)s w/ 100kish miles for $13k and a 06 w/ 65k for $11k im going to check out.

[elwesso]

Rule no 1 in my book for used cars- never over-pay for low miles. Assuming similar maintenance, having a car with 50k miles vs 100k miles in terms of overall wear on mechanical parts isn't going to be a real big difference...

Also, most times those low miles examples have probably been driven primarily in the city and/or short trips, versus the higher mileage are usually driven on the highway. Highway miles are much easier on a vehicle.

I'm actually going to look at an 07 G35 (sport 6MT) today, 69k miles for 15,4k, one owner dealer maintained. If it's 80% as good as it looks, I'm coming home with it.

Personally I would go with an 07+, they have the redesigned body so they look the same as the brand new ones. Based on my research, there's almost no difference in overall performance with the 07-08 G35's and the 09+ G37. Yes there's 20 HP less, but the G37 weighs a bit more making them almost exactly the same performance wise. Those 07-08 have a nicer interior IMO.

The 2007-08 G35 has a curb weight of 3532 lb and the 6MT version gets 27MPG highway. The G37 6MT weighs 3615 and gets 25 MPG. They are less than 0.2 sec different in the 1/4 mile (which is basically nothing), so IMO the G35 seems like the best buy.