• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Here it is...: FINALLY got the new tires on it and detailed!

Chunkee

Chunkee

Lifer
My G35

will detail it and put up pix when done this weekend. Going to wash, check and possibly claybar, wash again then polish it and detail the inside. This car is like new so it wont be too bad.

2007 G35 Journey with Tech, Nav, Sport Wheel and Premium Package and Rosewood trim. 25880. Has 22,320 miles. XM is still working? Put the Kuhmos on there...great tires so far...and...what a great car!! Thanks for all the help... And thanks for recommending PFCU, they were great to work with, just outstanding. I have never had a car this nice...and I love it!!!

Pix coming later...

Pix of car when looking at it.

g35


Pic: G35 🙁




Went to look at it today with my father. It needs new tires all around, has minor wheel rash on the rear passenger wheel. Had some cleaning issues. The guys said he went through the mud the other day and it had been raining. It looked fresh underneath. My father noticed that the water hose had a white 'hue' to it. I will post pictures. Is there a third party inspection company that is good to use? Or, I was thinking of seeing if Infiniti could inspect it and see if it could be CPO'd.

The maintenance light was on. He stated that the oil had just been changed and perhaps the Nissan dealership did not reset the warning? Does that sound right? Sorry with the silly questions, but do not know much about the fancy cars. I joined the infinity help forum. SO perhaps I could get some answers there also.



The tires are very expensive (has the 18inch different sized ones). Anyone here use others that last longer than a 140 rating? Good lord, I would eat those every year...

I will post pix tomorrow.

It drove nice, braked well...all the electronic stuff seemed to work. Minor dirt issues inside.

JC

Signed up for PenFed.
Still working on it.
Still have hope. They are great by the way!

Edit #3: Found one I like. It is a few hours away in west TN, but found it on craigslist. SPoke to the lady tonight. She sent some pix...it looks perfect. She wants out of the lease and wants to get a bigger vehicle. We are around 26500 for an 07, Journey fairly loaded with all the options including the wood grain accents. Its a beaut!! If I get it this weekend, I will post pix. G35 is the best all around option for me. I am looking forward to it as I have never had such a nice car. I really liked the M35 also, but not quite the same. 🙂

 
The 3 Series is smaller inside (at least it seems) than the G35...so if you ruled that one out on size...I'd say you should rule out the 335 as well.

The 5 series sounds like the right size car for you. But you will be looking at a few years older to get a 25-30K car. Maybe look at a used Acura RL or TL. Better yet, maybe a M35/M45 from Infiniti.

I'd also HIGHLY recommend taking a look at the CTS. It is fun to drive, is large inside, has a great interior, relatively inexpensive to keep up, rides wonderfully, etc.
 
All routine maintenance is covered by BMW for the first 4 years or 50K miles. Otherwise, routine maintenance is similar in cost to the other cars you mentioned, assuming you use synthetic oil for all (e.g., my dealer charges $80 for an oil change on my 330i, which is pretty fair for an all-synthetic change).

The 335 is smaller than an Accord in interior volume, and probably closer to a Civic. The actual dimensions are readily available online, but it would probably be easier to just go test-drive one.

No idea if a 5 series would be better for you - that depends entirely on your needs and preferences. I will say that it's an older design and does not have some of the current-gen bells and whistles the 3 series has, and the added size takes away a bit from the handling. The trade-off, of course, is that it's bigger (plus it is only slightly heavier - IIRC the difference is only 50 pounds).

I don't know that I'd avoid any of the 3 series or 5 series cars, if they suit your needs, but other things being equal I prefer the i cars (RWD) to the xi cars (AWD). A modern RWD BMW is a perfectly good winter car (as long as you have snow tires) even in severe conditions. I live in Minnesota and drive a 330i all year. The xi cars understeer a lot more, they're heavier, and just lack some of that trademark 3 series chuckability.

Based on your budget you probably wouldn't be looking at a 335i - more likely a 330i or 325i (these are year-2006 models) or a 328i (the less-powerful 3 series car in 2007-2009). All of these normally-aspirated cars are nice to drive IMO, and have the benefit of not suffering from some of the bugboos that seem to be present in 335is that are driven hard (the cars have generally been reliable, but the oil cooling on the sedans is arguably insufficient, and the cars have seen a lot of high-pressure fuel pump failures). A nicely-equipped Certified 328i should be readily available within your budget, and will still have much of its free maintenance left, plus a 6-year/100K mile warranty on major items. The 330i may be an even better value - it's more powerful and came standard with more goodies - but it will probably only have a year or so of free maintenance left.

My own opinion is that you really need to get a car with the Sport package (the package code is ZSP) to really feel the BMW magic. I sometimes get a non-Sport car as a dealer loaner, and it's nowhere near the same driving experience.
 
Can it be a stick? You can pick up a nice example of a E39 M5 ('98-'03) for that price. I can't say that maintenance will be cheap, but the 4.9L V8 is a helluva of a motor. An unmodified example will be a very comfortable cruiser around town or on the highway, but also let's you have fun when you put the pedal down. Maybe get one for ~$25k and buy a nice 3rd party warranty just in case anything big breaks.

If your wife must have an automatic, I'd say just go with one of the Japanese offerings (G35, RL, TL). They're bigger, have good driving dynamics (but not as good as most BMWs), and are more reliable. I think it's somewhat blasphemous to drive an automatic BMW 😛
 
Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
Can it be a stick? You can pick up a nice example of a E39 M5 ('98-'03) for that price. I can't say that maintenance will be cheap, but the 4.9L V8 is a helluva of a motor. An unmodified example will be a very comfortable cruiser around town or on the highway, but also let's you have fun when you put the pedal down. Maybe get one for ~$25k and buy a nice 3rd party warranty just in case anything big breaks.

If your wife must have an automatic, I'd say just go with one of the Japanese offerings (G35, RL, TL). They're bigger, have good driving dynamics (but not as good as most BMWs), and are more reliable. I think it's somewhat blasphemous to drive an automatic BMW 😛
Click to expand...

With all due respect, maintenance on one of those cars will be just insane.
 
Originally posted by: Don Vito Corleone

With all due respect, maintenance on one of those cars will be just insane.
Click to expand...

It'll be a good chance to teach OP's younger kids about "preventative maintenance" and do some work in the garage. 😀 Aftermarket warranty should take care of big ticket items as well.

Or maybe I'm just crazy because I bought a 10 year old M3 and enjoy the @#$% out of it :beer:
 
Another vote for an Acura TL model. In the long run it will be cheaper to maintain than the BMW, comes with a decent warranty (Acura certified program) and all the options you wanted (leather, nav, sound etc).
 
I had an 05 G35 sedan and replaced it a couple months ago with an 09 335i.

The 335i is tiny compared to the G35. The newer G35/37 is even bigger. I have 2 young kids as well (9, 7) both of whom still use child seats. With them sitting in the 335i, there is very little leg room in the back. My G35 had much more room. When I put the child seats in the trunk, I only have about 1/3 of empty space left. I can barely fit a golf bag with woods in there. The G35 was quite roomy.

DVC is right about the issues with the 335i. My car had only 2500 miles on it when the HPFP (fuel pump) failed. This is a common problem with 335is. One of my good friends has the prev gen TL. It is quite nice. I would say its about the same size as the G35 but the G35 drives better. Driving-wise, my 335i blows the G35 away. It's much much faster, better handling and more nimble. Both are 6 speed manuals so it is apples to apples.

While getting my HPFP replaced, I had a brand new 328i loaner for a week. Just starting and stopping, it felt no different from my 335i but when you stomped on the gas when on the highway, it had no balls. The 335i is a beast. If you can live with the difference (or never drive a 335i to start), its still a nice car. I highly recommend getting HIDs on the 328i.
 
Originally posted by: Doggiedog
DVC is right about the issues with the 335i. My car had only 2500 miles on it when the HPFP (fuel pump) failed. This is a common problem with 335is.
Click to expand...

Even with all these problems the twin turbo 6 was put in the X6 (and the X5 in '10) and hasn't seen the same issues... the difference? The huge air intake... they should really address that in the next design. The X5 getting the same engine soon has that as the only real change in the upcoming facelift. Not pretty, but necessary. See the Cayenne intakes...
 
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: Doggiedog
DVC is right about the issues with the 335i. My car had only 2500 miles on it when the HPFP (fuel pump) failed. This is a common problem with 335is.
Click to expand...

Even with all these problems the twin turbo 6 was put in the X6 (and the X5 in '10) and hasn't seen the same issues... the difference? The huge air intake... they should really address that in the next design. The X5 getting the same engine soon has that as the only real change in the upcoming facelift. Not pretty, but necessary. See the Cayenne intakes...
Click to expand...

BMW blames it on Ethanol in gasoline. I admit I buy Hess and Sunoco but I always buy 93. Now I have to spend even more to buy BP and Shell. I don't want my HPFP to go bad again. I bought the car so I want to drive it long term. If I leased it, I would just buy 91 and be done with it.
 
M35 or M45 by Infiniti would be my pick unless you can find a 2008 CTS with the options you want in your price range.

TL is a good choice as well but you are foregoing some sportiness in the name of FWD.

C-Class is tiniest of the bunch followed by the 3-series, then the A4. G35/37 is roomier with the TL being the roomiest.




 
I just did alot of car searching and test driving, but ended up buying an 07 CPO M35. I liked the styling of this car the best going in, and was not unbiased in my search. I was mostly confirming that it is the car I wanted.

Other cars I looked at:

09 TSX - Bigger than the 3 series, and about on par in interior room with the G35. The tech package makes for a fully modern and robust car. The car is peppy, comfy, and full of features. Unfortunately, I found it a bit boring. Its a great choice if you like the styling.

07 TL - A terrific car, with most of the tech features of the new TSX. I've always loved the exterior styling, but couldn't bring myself to buy a car that is already a series behind (even though I dislike the current TL). I found the interior comfortable and adequate in features, but boring and lower quality than the Infiniti's. The car is quick, and the ride quiet. Gas mileage is impressive for the size/power.

06 330i - A gorgeous and fun car. The interior is cramped, especially in the back seat. The interior is high quality, but the model I drove is lacking in features. I found the car too small, and would feel bad forcing anyone over 5' in the backseat for any length of time. The car has a sporty ride, and on par noise-wise with the Acuras. Gas mileage is impressive for the ride quality and quickness. Did I mention that it is gorgeous?

06 530i - An adequate car, though the styling has never been my favorite. The driver is much more removed from the driving experience (compared to the 330i). Much better for cruising, but less fun to drive. Quiet, comfortable, but lacking in features (in the model I looked at). This car wasn't much of a consideration for me.

06 GS300 - Very classy, but maybe a bit boring styling. The car is deceivingly small (I expected it to be much bigger). The back seat is cramped, but the interior is of very high quality. The front seat passengers should thoroughly enjoy the ride. Nearly silent inside, and smooth adequate power. There was nothing about this car that made it a standout, so it dropped out of the running early on.

07 G35 - Like all cars this size, I found the back seat a bit cramped (but noticeably larger than the 330i). This was a great all around car, and probably the quickest of anything I test drove. It is a bit noisy in the cabin, and the materials are not to the quality of the M. This would have been a toss-up between the TSX. I liked the interior of the TSX, and the speed of the G.

06 M35 - My favorite body style of all cars listed (except the 330i). The base model was very smooth and quiet on the highway. Loaded with technology that was only offered (in what I test drove) in the Acuras. I greatly dislike the over-done wood trim, so I moved to the sport.

07 M35 (my purchase) - Beautiful styling, a perfect blend of sport and luxury. The M35 is not a speed demon, and is probably outrun by most of the cars I looked at (though the M45 would be a different story). The 19" wheels make the interior louder than I would prefer, but the looks make up for it to me 😉 Top of the line technology, but a substandard set of speakers (also missing an IPOD adapter, this was added in newer models). The interior is high quality, and very comfortable. I greatly enjoy this car.
 
Originally posted by: lastig21
I just did alot of car searching and test driving, but ended up buying an 07 CPO M35. I liked the styling of this car the best going in, and was not unbiased in my search. I was mostly confirming that it is the car I wanted.

Other cars I looked at:

09 TSX - Bigger than the 3 series, and about on par in interior room with the G35. The tech package makes for a fully modern and robust car. The car is peppy, comfy, and full of features. Unfortunately, I found it a bit boring. Its a great choice if you like the styling.

07 TL - A terrific car, with most of the tech features of the new TSX. I've always loved the exterior styling, but couldn't bring myself to buy a car that is already a series behind (even though I dislike the current TL). I found the interior comfortable and adequate in features, but boring and lower quality than the Infiniti's. The car is quick, and the ride quiet. Gas mileage is impressive for the size/power.

06 330i - A gorgeous and fun car. The interior is cramped, especially in the back seat. The interior is high quality, but the model I drove is lacking in features. I found the car too small, and would feel bad forcing anyone over 5' in the backseat for any length of time. The car has a sporty ride, and on par noise-wise with the Acuras. Gas mileage is impressive for the ride quality and quickness. Did I mention that it is gorgeous?

06 530i - An adequate car, though the styling has never been my favorite. The driver is much more removed from the driving experience (compared to the 330i). Much better for cruising, but less fun to drive. Quiet, comfortable, but lacking in features (in the model I looked at). This car wasn't much of a consideration for me.

06 GS300 - Very classy, but maybe a bit boring styling. The car is deceivingly small (I expected it to be much bigger). The back seat is cramped, but the interior is of very high quality. The front seat passengers should thoroughly enjoy the ride. Nearly silent inside, and smooth adequate power. There was nothing about this car that made it a standout, so it dropped out of the running early on.

07 G35 - Like all cars this size, I found the back seat a bit cramped (but noticeably larger than the 330i). This was a great all around car, and probably the quickest of anything I test drove. It is a bit noisy in the cabin, and the materials are not to the quality of the M. This would have been a toss-up between the TSX. I liked the interior of the TSX, and the speed of the G.

06 M35 - My favorite body style of all cars listed (except the 330i). The base model was very smooth and quiet on the highway. Loaded with technology that was only offered (in what I test drove) in the Acuras. I greatly dislike the over-done wood trim, so I moved to the sport.

07 M35 (my purchase) - Beautiful styling, a perfect blend of sport and luxury. The M35 is not a speed demon, and is probably outrun by most of the cars I looked at (though the M45 would be a different story). The 19" wheels make the interior louder than I would prefer, but the looks make up for it to me 😉 Top of the line technology, but a substandard set of speakers (also missing an IPOD adapter, this was added in newer models). The interior is high quality, and very comfortable. I greatly enjoy this car.
Click to expand...

Great write up, a lot of food for thought on this. Thanks again for your time on this.
 
No problem. Its hard to summarize the full impressions of the cars into something that isn't too long to be read.

I think the BMW's are great cars, but was slightly concerned about long term maintenance costs. The CPO's I was looking at only had about 1 year of free maintenance left, but a few years of the extended CPO warranty. I think the 3-series looks as good as anything on the road, but am not so wild about the 5-series. The 3-series was too small for us, so that ended our BMW search.

Based on what your wife's nephew sells, I would ask her to keep an open mind and go look at the Acuras and Infinitis. The Audi's reliability and long term maintenance costs frighten me, but the new models are some of the best looking on the road (and well beyond what we set our budget at, which was inline with yours).

My personal overview about the Acura/Infiniti offerings:

Acura offers great cars with maintenance costs that won't be far off from a Honda Accord. The cars get great gas mileage, offer insane value (compared to other brands), but lack that "something" that Infiniti offers. I love the simple package offering (tech or non-tech). Some other brands (BMW/Lexus) go crazy with packages that can cause the price to skyrocket. The stereo in the 09 TSX w/tech was the best of any car I test drove.

Infiniti has more stylish cars, with engines/performance more geared to what a luxury owner wants to buy. I'm a bit disappointed with how much preventative maintenance is recommended from this Japanese car company. Gas mileage isn't great, but I was aware before buying. I feel Infiniti competes directly with BMW, while Acura is a half-class below where you would expect them to compete. Infiniti resale values haven't held as well as Acura, which is great when shopping for used (but a disadvantage when buying new).
 
Good luck finding a used 335 for $30k.

BMWs are good cars but once you get over 60k miles on them they will start to cost you more and more money in repairs every year.
 
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Good luck finding a used 335 for $30k.

BMWs are good cars but once you get over 60k miles on them they will start to cost you more and more money in repairs every year.
Click to expand...



This is pretty bad advice. Does a switch get flipped @ 60K?? No, I does not.
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Good luck finding a used 335 for $30k.

BMWs are good cars but once you get over 60k miles on them they will start to cost you more and more money in repairs every year.
Click to expand...



This is pretty bad advice. Does a switch get flipped @ 60K?? No, I does not.
Click to expand...

No, but I see a shit-load of BMW's being sold with 100,000 miles and they've already had transmissions, radiators, electrical stuff, braking systems, suspensions pieces, etc replaced. For all the talk about German engineering, one thing the Germans don't do well is design a car that will last a long time with a minimum of problems. 1980's Mercedes diesels might be an exception.
 
Originally posted by: thomsbrain
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Good luck finding a used 335 for $30k.

BMWs are good cars but once you get over 60k miles on them they will start to cost you more and more money in repairs every year.
Click to expand...



This is pretty bad advice. Does a switch get flipped @ 60K?? No, I does not.
Click to expand...

No, but I see a shit-load of BMW's being sold with 100,000 miles and they've already had transmissions, radiators, electrical stuff, braking systems, suspensions pieces, etc replaced. For all the talk about German engineering, one thing the Germans don't do well is design a car that will last a long time with a minimum of problems. 1980's Mercedes diesels might be an exception.
Click to expand...

Oh, OK then. That empirical evidence has me convinced.
 
How about a G8 GT? Plenty of space, as fast or faster than everything you're looking at, and a new one is in your budget. Pretty sure they have all the options you listed...
 
CTS meets what you want but sells for less then 3 series price but with a 5 series size and much more reliabile.


Also the G8 is nice and has the CTS motor and 5 speed auto trans.
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: thomsbrain
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Good luck finding a used 335 for $30k.

BMWs are good cars but once you get over 60k miles on them they will start to cost you more and more money in repairs every year.
Click to expand...



This is pretty bad advice. Does a switch get flipped @ 60K?? No, I does not.
Click to expand...

No, but I see a shit-load of BMW's being sold with 100,000 miles and they've already had transmissions, radiators, electrical stuff, braking systems, suspensions pieces, etc replaced. For all the talk about German engineering, one thing the Germans don't do well is design a car that will last a long time with a minimum of problems. 1980's Mercedes diesels might be an exception.
Click to expand...

Oh, OK then. That empirical evidence has me convinced.
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to figure out BMW. I think they are well designed cars, but they seem to have cheaped out on the quality of the parts. I don't know if it's because they are trying to mix performance and luxury and the parts are being stressed more than other makes or if the bean counters are responsible for it. I wouldn't have bought my 540 if I couldn't DIY all the repairs. The car would eat me alive.
 
In my prior experience with older BMW's, they have ALL fell apart in a very bad way.

Don't plan on buying one and keeping it for a very long time (8 years +).

I have seen the SAME issues repeatedly on the e39's which is mostly a very weak cooling system (a common problem on BMW's in general).

I don't know how much better the newer models are but if they're anything like the past generations, it probably isn't good.

A 3 series isn't even close to having as much interior room as an Accord.

In your price range, you can afford a new Accord, or Mazda 6 (impressive car inside and out) or a nice used Lexus GS.
 
I just got an 05 g35 from a dealer. I get 28 mpg on the highway, thats not to bad. I dont know about tires yet. But every car has there thing.

Btw make sure you get the "Certification statement" if they have it then yes its been certified, if they dont have it then that means the car probably has not been certified. The car I got said it was certified but when we went to the dealer they did not have the statement or anything and I had to pay 1800 bucks to get it certified, basically for the warranty.

Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top