Prospective '06 coupe buyer!

[Mongoos150]

Let me start by saying what a great community you all have here! I hate joining a new forum and being slammed with n00b posts, though this group seems quite helpful and community-oriented. I'm a college student, 20, and my handed-down '93 Saturn SL1 (180K miles) is finally showing its age (great reliable car, but it's beginning to overheat whenever idling, not to mention the body is slowly falling apart). In the search for a new car, I've been looking at the G35 and the TT - but have decided on the G35 mainly because of Nissan's reliability record and its general [supposed] engine superiority over the Audi's. I do have a few concerns however which I haven't seen addressed from what I've read here - as this would be my first car purchase, I want to make 100% sure this is a smart purchase (and one that will stay with me for at +- 10 years!) - hopefully you all have some answers!

1. What are the major differences between the 04/05 and 06 models? Anything I should be aware of? I know head/tail light design is a bit different (I much prefer the 06), though I could save some money by going with an older model. I think I have my heart set on an '06 (around $25-26K on eBay).

2. The major concern/worry I have with purchasing a G is everything I've heard about the VQ35DE engine. Sounds like *many* owners are having problems with oil consumption and major repairs/engine replacements. I know very little about the actual mechanics of car engines/mods, and the prospect of FINALLY getting a new car - the first new car I've ever owned - and having engine problems scares me to death. Yes, some cars I'm looking at are under 60K miles and would be under warranty, but I don't want to buy this thing and then have to jump through hoops getting the engine replaced by Infiniti (I work 60 hours a week and am a full time student, no time for that). Thoughts? Would this deter any of you from buying an 06 G coupe?

3. This is sort of a miscellaneous category, but what else should I be aware of or know? I've done some research, but the most important information I've found have been things I'd never think to ask. Anything that typically "goes wrong" in the 06 G coupe after X miles? I've heard that the main belt might need to be replaced at 60K miles, true? How do people like the stock nav? What do you know now about your G that you wish you knew before you had bought it? Any extra info would be appreciated. Thanks so much everyone!

EDIT: No, I'm not rich, I'm putting myself through school and have little-to-no debt. I'm ready to make a big purchase, especially since I'll be interning in LA this summer (and I don't think my Saturn would survive the highway gridlock, idling for such a long time).

[smockers83]

1. The oldest model year I would go with is 2005 as 03-04s were the first two years and most of the bugs were worked out.

2. I don't think "many" owners are having an oil consumption problem, its just something that gets discussed a lot. That's my opinion, I'm not sure on that though. I have an 06, don't have any oil issues. Someone pointed out awhile ago that it seemed to be those who changed their own oil were having consumption issues. How true that is I don't know either, it was an observation of those on the board. These issues could also be due to how the car was driven during the break-in period--if it was driven hard, pretty good chance I would imagine.

3. The only thing I wish I knew about the G before I bought it was how easily the paint can chip.

Also, for your Saturn, you may want to replace the thermostat...it may be stuck closed so that coolant isn't getting through the system. I had one stuck open on a different vehicle so the engine always ran cold no matter how long I drove it and didn't have any heat inside...fixed that with a new thermostat.

[tollboothwilley]

Mongoose

The VQ35DE engines are very reliable, and I wouldnt worry about the oil consumption much. Its not been a plague as you might suppose but gets a lot of attention due to the fact that its the engine.

As for the belt, I'm assuming you are talking about Alternator/AC belts because the VQ has a timing chain which you should not ever have to replace. The Belts just like any vehicle, should be change on a regular basis. Some people i know change their belts ever year. They are only $40 or so (at the dealer) and you can change them in 10 min if you are willing to get under the car.

the 03-04 are very similar and the 05-06 are very similar. Go with the newest you can afford. The differences between the 05-06 are kind of subtle. Interior, some exterior...nothing major.

The biggest differences are going to be the options that you get. You will probably want the sports package (VSLD, rims/times, a few other things). The BOSE stereo isn't that important (I didnt like mine). Manual/Auto, both are great so its your preference. Navigation is cool, but probably not a must have unless you get lost easily or travel a lot. You would probably find it useful in California as its a new home for you and the streets can be haywire with the hills there.

Also, I'd recommend havin' some extra cash around after the purchase, because you are going to love the car and want to mod it just like we all do here. In fact, we'll spend your money for you if you let us

[telcoman]

...

. I'm a college student, 20, and my handed-down '93 Saturn SL1 (180K miles) is finally showing its age (great reliable car, but it's beginning to overheat whenever idling, not to mention the body is slowly falling apart). In the search for a new car, with an older model. I think I have my heart set on an '06 (around $25-26K on eBay).

2. The major concern/worry I have with purchasing a G is everything I've heard about the VQ35DE engine. Sounds like *many* owners are having problems with oil consumption and major repairs/engine replacements.....

3. This is sort of a miscellaneous category, but what else should I be aware of or know? I've done some research, but the most important information I've found have been things I'd never think to ask. ....

EDIT: No, I'm not rich, I'm putting myself through school and have little-to-no debt. I'm ready to make a big purchase, especially since I'll be interning in LA this summer (and I don't think my Saturn would survive the highway gridlock, idling for such a long time).

Mongoos150

Welcome to NICO

IMHO perhaps you should just keep the $25k or so in the bank and replace the thermostat and waterpump & belts on your Saturn while you continue to save towards a new one?I'm old enough to be your dad and one of the old farhts on this site and if you were my son, I would advise you to wait. I would not buy such an expensive vehicle on ebay with little recourse if you get #ucked especially if you are still in school. When I was your age I had just disposed of my $ucken used 58 Ford I saved 5 years delivering newspapers to buy that piece of #hit.That taught me an important lesson on purchasing used cars.Once drafted in the US Army all my vehicle purchases including three Volkswagens, three Mazda's one Lexus prior to my G35 have all been sucessful and mostly trouble free new vehicle purchases. Just my $.02

Good luck

Telcoman

[SVTCOBRA]

Welcome to Nico!

I change my own oil in all of my cars and none consume oil.

I also use premium gas and synthetic.

One of the other poster's car consumes lots of oil, but he does use 87 octane....not sure if this is the cause or not.

I would get a carfax subscription.

Keep searching the threads here. Lots of good posts to sift thru!!!

Good luck!!!

[rn79870]

Welcome Mongoos150 to the forum.

If you decide to go ahead with the purchase of the G I would recommend spending some time looking. They are great cars and are well worth the money.

I was at the infiniti dealer yeaterday getting my oil changed, they didn't have one used G. That ought to tell you something about their popularity.

Telcoman gives good advice well worth listening to. No need to worry, as he got the G that was made from the recycled 58 Ford he speaks of. The rest of us are safe, you included.

Welcome to the forum. Good luck with school.

[JimW]

Another thing some people seem to be caught off guard by with the G35 is how quickly they burn through tires. (Seems like most people get about 18k on theirs? I'm sure others will add on here if I'm off some) But if you got the $ and want the car, get it! I love mine.

[Mongoos150]

Thanks everyone for your help! I will definitely check into the thermostat suggestion (I've gotten it from multiple people). I'm also the type of person who doesn't know the first thing about modding, though I'm definitely interested and hopefully will find some great beginner's info about it here.

Also nice to hear that the engine issues are [somewhat] isolated, not widespread. The thing that scared me the most about the problem was that Nissan has been fairly reluctant to replace an engine, even under warranty, unless you "press" the dealer (I'm not really into that). Any more info anyone has would be appreciated, thanks.

P.S. - To whoever asked, I am only looking at manual trannies. :-)

[tollboothwilley]

So, its sounds like you know what you want.

Go out and make a smart educated decision on what you buy. You'll love the car and we will walk you through the modification process if you want once you get your baby

Welcome to your new home!

[telcoman]

Thanks everyone for your help! I will definitely check into the thermostat suggestion (I've gotten it from multiple people). I'm also the type of person who doesn't know the first thing about modding, though I'm definitely interested and hopefully will find some great beginner's info about it here.

Also nice to hear that the engine issues are [somewhat] isolated, not widespread. The thing that scared me the most about the problem was that Nissan has been fairly reluctant to replace an engine, even under warranty, unless you "press" the dealer (I'm not really into that). Any more info anyone has would be appreciated, thanks.

P.S. - To whoever asked, I am only looking at manual trannies. :-)

Long story short the 05 & 06 G's need to consume 18mm of oil in 3k miles before Infiniti will authorize an engine replacement under warranty. The replacement cost is $10k - $12k & in order for a dealer to do it they need factory authorization. I recently went thru the consumption test and mine used 12mm in 3k miles so I flunked the test. I'm pretty sure I can reach 3k miles now with just under a qt of consumption so if I don't have to add oil between changes I don't give a #uck. I still love my G.

Some Ford owners on this site are eventually going to watch their Ford die or blow up but who cares.

Keep in mind that a $40k car retail would require 4 times that much to purchase the parts. the G is a great vehicle but parts are pricey for a student so don't over extend yourself. You may want to consider waiting until you are out of school & working full time? You can still read the postings on this site even if you don't own one yet. If we can respond to Ford owners we can certainly welcome & resond to you.

Telcoman

[Mongoos150]

Thanks all, I'll keep this all in mind. When the time comes to purchase a new car for me (hopefully soon), I do want to get a G coupe, although the thought of expensive repairs needing to be done is a bit scary. If there *was* a problem with the engine, and Infiniti didn't cover it, I'm not sure what I'd do.

In the mean time, I plan on taking my SL1 to Saturn and seeing if I have a faulty thermostat.

[SVTCOBRA]

Some Ford owners on this site are eventually going to watch their Ford die or blow up but who cares.

Telcoman

Telcoman, is the oil consumption problem only on the 05/06 engines?

[smockers83]

Some Ford owners on this site are eventually going to watch their Ford die or blow up but who cares.

Hey man, I've been driving a Ford for the winter while the G is in hibernation. It currently has over 175.5K miles on it, its running pretty good. I think the engine in it puts out like 206 HP (although at 175K I don't think that's true anymore) and who knows how much more it weighs compared to the G, it just makes the G feel like it flies once I get it out.

[BigWill]

So, what I gather from that is... to make your G feel faster, drive a Ford first?

(Right Rich? lol)

[Mongoos150]

Hey man, I've been driving a Ford for the winter while the G is in hibernation. It currently has over 175.5K miles on it, its running pretty good. I think the engine in it puts out like 206 HP (although at 175K I don't think that's true anymore) and who knows how much more it weighs compared to the G, it just makes the G feel like it flies once I get it out.

Wow - would feel like a rocket ship to me! I've only ever driven my 85hp SL1... The prospect of getting behind a 280hp G is - pretty exciting

BigWill - no, drive a 93 Saturn.

[joe603]

Welcome to NICO!

My advise is to buy the newest model you can afford. The oil consumption problem is not widespread, you just hear a lot about it because for those affected, it is truly heartbreaking and they have a lot to say. One fix if you do have this problem is to use 10W-40 synthetic oil. It will flow better than conventional oil and help reduce any consumption problems.

[fsalcedo76]

Welcome to this great site! If you are truly interested in purchasing a G I suggest for you to save money and purchase one with low millage. I actually purchased on with only 35K on it and purchased the extended warranty (60K/5yrs.) for peace of mind. Remember that the lower the millage the cheaper the extended warranty. Patience is something that I lack but thankfully my wife helps me out with this.

Fabian Brownsville

[G_whizz]

So, what I gather from that is... to make your G feel faster, drive a Ford first?

(Right Rich? lol)

Welcome to NICO!

My advise is to buy the newest model you can afford. The oil consumption problem is not widespread, you just hear a lot about it because for those affected, it is truly heartbreaking and they have a lot to say. One fix if you do have this problem is to use 10W-40 synthetic oil. It will flow better than conventional oil and help reduce any consumption problems.

Just so you know Mongoos... I had an 05 Coupe and now an 07 and I have not had an oil consumption issue. My 05 was awesome... I say go 05

Hopefully this link will put your engine worries to rest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward's_10_Best_Engines

Welcome to the club!!

[SVTCOBRA]

Notice my beloved Cobra engine is there too!!!

[BigWill]

Notice my beloved Cobra engine is there too!!!

To be certain, Caroll Shelby was the best thing that ever happened to Ford. When he passes, it will truly be the end of an era.

[telcoman]

Hey man, I've been driving a Ford for the winter while the G is in hibernation. It currently has over 175.5K miles on it, its running pretty good. I think the engine in it puts out like 206 HP (although at 175K I don't think that's true anymore) and who knows how much more it weighs compared to the G, it just makes the G feel like it flies once I get it out.

Hello smokers 83

LOL

If you have been reading posts on this site for awhile, SVTCOBRA and I have been each other over Fords.My first car was a 58 Ford and such a disaster it still pisses me off even after all these years. I have written extensively on my disappointment after saving for 5 years for it. I know there are many Fords out there that gave their owners good service but I sometimes just like to when I think back to my first car.

You know how it is when you think back to the first time.

Some good some bad

Telcoman

[telcoman]

Telcoman, is the oil consumption problem only on the 05/06 engines?

Yes

If someone can explain to me how to post the TSB that I have a copy of in my computer in acrobat I'll post it. It is the same TSB that applies to the 350Z

EM07-003 ITB08-002 January 10, 20082005 – 2007 G35; ENGINE OIL LEVEL IS LOWAPPLIED VEHICLES: 2005 – 2006 G35 Sedan (V35) with M/T2005 – 2007 G35 Coupe (CV35) with M/TAPPLIED VIN: G35 Coupe Vehicles built before: JNKCV54E(*)7M910256G35 Sedan All VINsAPPLIED DATE: G35 Coupe Vehicles built before: May 29, 2007G35 Sedan All DatesIF YOU CONFIRMEngine oil level is low.ORThere is unusual engine noise.ACTIONUse the “Repair Flow Chart” in the Service Procedure on page 2 to determine the complete repair proceduresfor a specific vehicle.CAUTION: If the engine is replaced as part of this bulletin, please advise the customer to follow theOwner’s Manual “Engine Break-in Schedule” for the first 1,200 miles including:

Telcoman