Thinking about buying a used G35 coupe

[sweets3450]

Thanks for all the responses! I noticed everybody at G35driver complains about gas mileage, but hey, any BMW counterpart will have much higher repair bills and will be much more expensive to maintain over time. Are there any other differences between the 03-04 vs 05+ besides engine/transmission, interior, and brakes?

Also I DID notice the 350z is actually cheaper than a G35 coupe. If I decide to throw the idea of back seats out the window, are there any other cars that I should be looking at? I'm very tall and won't fit in an S2000, miata, etc. I may need to make a new thread for this hah, I had no idea the 350z would be CHEAPER!

 

[Zivic]

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

ask the owner. it would have had been replaced under warranty. if it is the original trans, it won't be a cd009. the 03 trans had weak sincros, and a weak fork.

 

[RGN]

Wife and I just picked up an '03 350z Enthusiast Auto with 24K on it.

Great car, would do it again, A+

Seriously though, she loves it. Seats two really well, plenty of headroom for me and I'm 6'2"

 

[bolinder]

My comments are based on a 2004 G35 sedan NOT coupe. I wanted a 2005 new, but for various reasons stalled on purchasing until 2008 when I bought the 2004 because of the price. First on price, mine was in great condition, about 110K miles, sold for $7,000. I might have sold low, but you mentioned $11K and that seems high.

Mileage. I consistently hit 20mpg in my G35. It didn't seem to matter if I drove it hard or not. Mixed city and highway. I wanted better, but couldn't get it. My replacement, a 2008 BMW 335i coupe consistently hits mid-20s, but I am driving more highway. I have seen 26 mpg in the BMW and the G35 never came close.

Maintenance, problems, etc. Basically none. It ran great. I owned it just shy of 5 years. The only problem I had was something with the radio. Shortly after starting the volume would fade out, then after a few minutes it would come back on and work normal. I could never figure it out, though I didn't try hard because it wasn't a big deal.

Why I sold. For the sedan (I think the coupe is different), between 2004 and 2005 they changed the interior waterfall of the instrument panel. I liked the 2005 a lot better. Also, the 2003-04 used a black trim at the bottom of the body panels. The 2005 changed to body color. I had wanted the 2005 for so long, but bought the 2004 because it was so close (and a good price). The only thing I disliked about the car was that black trim. Trivial to some, I know, but not to a car guy.

I have only had the BMW about 9 months, but no complaints. I think the power is much better than the Infiniti, the seats are better, and the mileage is consistently better. But yes, the purchase price differential was significant. I feel like I paid double for the BMW. For me, it was worth it, but the G is still a great car. Good luck.