Thinking about buying a used G35 coupe

[sweets3450]

I'm looking to upgrade my Honda to something a bit nicer and sportier. I'm looking at older 03-04 models before the revised engine because they're around 10-12k which is right in my price range. Other than oil burning issues and potential electrical issues, they seem to be solid. If I can grab one for 70k miles for around 11k, any reason I shouldn't? I like that the parts aren't BMW expensive, they cars are relatively reliable, and it's the best mix between performance and something I can bring a date in. I'm also 6 foot 6 and the driving position is fantastic!

The only other car I was looking at is the GTO, but they're so rare I can't find one with under 100k miles in this price range :\ Same with the G8.

What else should I look at?

 

[zoiks]

I guess you have a question in there somewhere ?
I had a 03 infiniti and in the 3 years I had it, I never did experience any oil burning or electrical issues. The car was pretty solid and I had zero issues except for me dropping some air freshener liquid on one of the dash panels causing a permanent stain (the dealer replaced it free of charge).
Not to repeat it again, the car is solid. That was the reason I bought my 2008 G37 coupe and the same exact reason why I have a 2013 G37 coupe right now.

 

[Jimzz]

Some of the Nissan 3.5 motors also had timing chain issues. Check out some infinity/Nissan forums.

 

[Zivic]

only thing I would be concerned with are the trans. if you are getting a 6 spd, get a late model 04, or one with a CD009 trans. if you get an 03 it will go through a trans prematurely

 

[Arkaign]

Great cars for the money. That first gen was the sportiest one imho, the G37 are really nice, but seem to have gotten larger and more plush, whereas the G35 was a close match to the 350Z.

 

[sweets3450]

only thing I would be concerned with are the trans. if you are getting a 6 spd, get a late model 04, or one with a CD009 trans. if you get an 03 it will go through a trans prematurely

Where can I find more info on this? The one I"m looking at is a 2003 6spd :\

 

[ShagglestheLion]

White in Manual is pretty fly.

Give the Nissans hell.

unless, of course your looking at an SUV.

 

[hans007]

If you get a 6 speed get a 03-04 since you get the brembo brakes. The ,05 I had for a year and the main reason you want an 05+ is the interior was much nicer. But you lose the brakes

 

[T2urtle]

yea 03-04 had the brembos for 6speed units. Decent car for the money. I own a 05 AWD sedan.

parts are pretty dam cheap since the Z is VERY close. You can use a lot of things off the Z stock or aftermarket. The issues will be very minor and/or easy to fix. Compression rod bushings go bad on the car, they updated the bushings, $50 part and normal labor or $300 for the whole new arm. The radio/HVAC tend to go out. JDM unit is $300 and you get a aftermarket radio to fix that stuff.

Everything else is basic maintenance. I've owned my 05 for 3-4 years and 50k. I've only needed a CRANK sensor replaced ($50 and DIY job) and front wheel bearings ($500 for both with parts) the bearings are a AWD issue only. It should be faster then the BMW 330 and cheaper to own.

 

[CraigRT]

I'd do it... Always liked them. I've had 2 Nissan 3.5's, they are awesome engines.. I still think they make the best V6 of all the Japanese makes.
I would get a 6MT sedan myself but the coupes are pretty hot if you can deal with the 2 door thing. I just like sedans.

 

[T2urtle]

My only issue is the mpg is bad even when I'm easy on the go pedal. I got 24 mpg pure highway at 70mph. But mixed city and highway I get 18.5 around. 18.5 around town is a lot of modern v6 SUV territory.

But the trade off is a nice exhaust note and decent power everywhere. Not fast or quick but good power. And a solid motor and drivetrain.

A couple are in the 250-300k range on g35driver and no huge issues.

 

[slatr]

Have you checked insurance? I had a 350z and it was the highest insurance of any car I have ever owned. About 20 % higher actually.

Not sure if the insurance companies really look at G series as a 4 seat z car or not.

 

[JCH13]

Have you checked insurance? I had a 350z and it was the highest insurance of any car I have ever owned. About 20 % higher actually.

Not sure if the insurance companies really look at G series as a 4 seat z car or not.

The 350Z has one of the highest deaths per passenger mile of any vehicle in recent memory. Insurance is much higher for a good reason.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/06/09/nissan-350z-has-highest-driver-death-rate-report/

 

[CraigRT]

My only issue is the mpg is bad even when I'm easy on the go pedal. I got 24 mpg pure highway at 70mph. But mixed city and highway I get 18.5 around. 18.5 around town is a lot of modern v6 SUV territory.

But the trade off is a nice exhaust note and decent power everywhere. Not fast or quick but good power. And a solid motor and drivetrain.

A couple are in the 250-300k range on g35driver and no huge issues.

I thought the mileage on my 3.5's was decent, not sure how much different they would be over the RWD versions, but my Maxima was decent on the highway. I commuted rural highways with it for a year and the MPG was not bad for the power of the engine/size of the car. Never calculated exact figures though.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

My only issue is the mpg is bad even when I'm easy on the go pedal. I got 24 mpg pure highway at 70mph. But mixed city and highway I get 18.5 around. 18.5 around town is a lot of modern v6 SUV territory.

But the trade off is a nice exhaust note and decent power everywhere. Not fast or quick but good power. And a solid motor and drivetrain.

A couple are in the 250-300k range on g35driver and no huge issues.

that is consistent with the mpg i get

The 350Z has one of the highest deaths per passenger mile of any vehicle in recent memory. Insurance is much higher for a good reason.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/06/09/nissan-350z-has-highest-driver-death-rate-report/

i believe that is attributable to lousy punk-ass drivers, since there is no mention of the mechanically identical, but nicer and more expensive, g35 coupe. my 06 scored 4/5 stars and having taken the interior apart, i can tell you there are airbags everywhere.

 

[JCH13]

i believe that is attributable to lousy punk-ass drivers, since there is no mention of the mechanically identical, but nicer and more expensive, g35 coupe. my 06 scored 4/5 stars and having taken the interior apart, i can tell you there are airbags everywhere.

Might want to double-check that...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_350Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infiniti_G

The G35 is between 13in and 17in longer than a 350Z, and has a wheelbase that is about 8in longer. The G35 is several hundred pounds heavier than the 350Z. The 350Z has a 53f/47r weight distribution, while the G35 has a 61f/39r weight distribution. The two vehicles share the same spring rates (more or less) despite different weights and weight distributions.

All of these attributes will change how easily the car spins and it's stability at high speeds. Specifically, they make a 350Z easier to spin, spin faster, and harder to recover than a G35.

They do share many of the same parts, but they are not the same chassis, nor are they mechanically identical.

 

[hans007]

Might want to double-check that...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_350Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infiniti_G

The G35 is between 13in and 17in longer than a 350Z, and has a wheelbase that is about 8in longer. The G35 is several hundred pounds heavier than the 350Z. The 350Z has a 53f/47r weight distribution, while the G35 has a 61f/39r weight distribution. The two vehicles share the same spring rates (more or less) despite different weights and weight distributions.

All of these attributes will change how easily the car spins and it's stability at high speeds. Specifically, they make a 350Z easier to spin, spin faster, and harder to recover than a G35.

They do share many of the same parts, but they are not the same chassis, nor are they mechanically identical.

Did you even read that article.

the 61/39 is for the front wheel drive G20 .


the G35 V35 generation was a 52/48 or 53/47 car.

and yes the G35 is a heavier bigger car. it has 2 extra seats, and came in a sedan too. given that it is a very similar car, and they are both built on the FM platform which they built to be modular. the M37/M56 and FX / EX cars were all built on that platform too and they arell different sizes and wheelbases.

 

[Mide]

Got a G35 that I'm looking to sell actually. Great car driving-wise. Just hate gassing up all the time. Solid 20MPG

 

[hans007]

i'd like to add that the g35 i had was an 05 AT model. the next year my roomate got a 2001 E46 M3.

anyway at the time they cost about the same (his was used , mine was new). that said, the M3 was more refined and had way less wind noise and somehow also got better gas milage. That G35 at least in west LA which has a lot of traffic (i live in the same area now) i was averaging about 15mpg combined. hell i might have been getting 12mpg city (probably about 40% city 60% fwy). for comparison i have more or less the same commute now 8 years later in a current gen 328i and i'm averaging 23-24 mpg (which is pretty bad actually for this model so i drive a little less fuel conscious than most people)

So if you are looking for even decent gas milage those VQ engines do not give it to you. its definitely one of those cars that doesn't acheive anywhere near its EPA milage. i drove from LA to santa barbara and vegas a few times in it, and you can average about 24-25mpg if you aren't too crazy.

that said the car was tons of fun. in a way it was more fun than the m3 since it was so unrefined and had that ridiculous exhaust note. friend bought a 2005 350z the same month i got the infiniti and they were pretty similar. first gen G35 was a parts bin masterpiece by the way. it had the same internals as the 350z. the same key fob as my roomate's gf's brand new sentra at the time, the same sunglass holder bin as the 350 had etc. it was more like a japanese mustang than a luxury car. the 2nd gen ones were much more "luxury" (friend has an 08 sedan and yeah). i didnt have a single issue with my car by the way but i only had it for a year. though the friend with the 08 sedan (same engine / tranny / really same platform reskinned) has never had a single issue in 5 years. if anything its a reliable platform.

also given i was a reckless moron and 24 at the time one thing i know about the VQ is this. i have had 2 cars with 2.0 turbo engines since which felt comparable up to normal speeds. but the VQ has power to spare well into the 130s. the turbo 2.0 engines run out of breath a lot lower

 

[JCH13]

Did you even read that article.

the 61/39 is for the front wheel drive G20 .


the G35 V35 generation was a 52/48 or 53/47 car.

and yes the G35 is a heavier bigger car. it has 2 extra seats, and came in a sedan too. given that it is a very similar car, and they are both built on the FM platform which they built to be modular. the M37/M56 and FX / EX cars were all built on that platform too and they arell different sizes and wheelbases.

I actually read the weight distribution somewhere else. Sorry, my mistake!

 

[SithSolo1]

Not to scare you away but I just had my first "major" mechanical issue this week. Car flat out died going 35 mph down the road but I managed to wrangle it into the suicide lane. Once the shock wore off and I remembered to put it in Park it cranked right up and I got it to my mechanic. Bank 1 Cam Position sensor failure, seems to be a common issue so I'm having both sensors replaced. Other than that I had both window motors fail under warranty and the Bose CD changer has stopped reading discs in the last 6 months. Thats it.

'05 AT Coupe w/ 69k miles, bought new.

G35 Trivia bit: The Coupe weighs more than the Sedan. This is mostly due to additional reinforcements being used around the cabin to make up for the lack of a B-pillar.

 

[ProchargeMe]

Great cars for the money. That first gen was the sportiest one imho, the G37 are really nice, but seem to have gotten larger and more plush, whereas the G35 was a close match to the 350Z.

I thought the g35 coupe was based on a 350z frame? I've been looking at getting a G35 coupe as well but the only ones I can find in my area are >14k even with 80k miles and it just doesn't seem worth it. If I could find one for 11k with only 70k miles I'd bite in no time.

 

[yottabit]

The only thing bad I can say about the early ones is I personally find the interior/exterior a little dated

I believe it was the first couple years they introduced the high revving/HR engine that it had troubles (and I think only with the manual trans) So that ends up producing this huge price gap (if you want manual trans) because I would suggest only getting an 03-04 like you mention or an ~08+

I was in the same position as you and actually ended up going in a completely different direction because I felt the 08's were too expensive and the 03-04 just seemed too dated to me (interior and exterior)

I'd also consider looking at 350z's because (at least in my area) they are even cheaper than G35s and look a little less dated IMO

 

[ElFenix]

I thought the g35 coupe was based on a 350z frame? I've been looking at getting a G35 coupe as well but the only ones I can find in my area are >14k even with 80k miles and it just doesn't seem worth it. If I could find one for 11k with only 70k miles I'd bite in no time.

the z and the rwd infiniti cars are all based on nissan's FM platform.

 

[JCH13]

As near as I can tell the G is a stretched Z chassis.