SCWells72

Guys, I'm looking for an (in)sanity check here. I drove the G35 sedan with six-speed manual tranny last week and was really impressed with the car in almost all regards.

Overall road feel is absolutely amazing between the suspension and the short throw 6M shifter. The car definitely felt faster than my GS430 (w/L-Tuned shocks, springs, ECU, exhaust, and TRD sways/LCB). I've seen 0-60 times for the 6MT right in the same range as the GS's low-end (mid-to-high 5s), but because the car feels so much more connected it just felt faster and more agile. I also really like the side bolstering on the seats when cornering.

The exterior of the car has really grown on me, similar to how the GS took a little while before I loved it. My only real issue is with the interior of the car. I prefer the wood-and-leather look of the GS to the faux brushed steel look of the G35. I also love the Optitron gauges on the GS better than the orange gauges of the G35, but at least the G35's gauges look better than the BMW orange. I've found out that factory-matched real wood packages and electroluminescent-style gauges are available in the aftermarket so some of those issues might go away.

The car I'd be looking at has the premium package, winter package, aero package, and DVD navigation system. The Bose stereo is vastly inferior to my currently Mark Levinson (though I prefer the single-feed changer to the glove box-mounted cartridge) and the DVD navigation isn't touch screen (though I do like its bird's eye view and pop-up/pop-down configuration).

I'd still have most of the features that I use in my GS on a regular basis such as dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, memory seats (though not mirrors), and the navigation system. I'd lose the power tilt & telescopic steering which is very cool, but honestly it's not something I ever use. The driver's seat does have a power entry/exit assist which helps accomplish a similar function.

The overall room inside the car is very similar to my GS. It's a little more narrow but leg room and head room seem about the same if not a little better (rear seat leg room). The rear seats have a manual recline which made the rear seats seem a little more spacious.

The trade-in difference would only be a couple of $K. I've been looking at getting 18" wheels, torque converter, and limited slip diff, so I would effectively spend the money on the trade-in instead of on the wheels. The net effect on me economically would be pretty negligible. I would end up in a brand new car but would also take the depreciation hit that you incur with a brand new car, especially with Infiniti right now while they're rebuilding their brand.

So am I being crazy here? I love my GS but lately I've been craving something a little more...sporty? Is that the word? I don't know. I think you guys know what I mean, though.

Feedback is appreciated. If all you have to share is negativity based on my considering leaving the Lexus brand then I don't care to hear it, though.

Regards,
Scott

LexFather

No, your correct, the G35 is a helluva driving car. It is the SKYLINE in Japan, a name that has a lot of heritage. Therefore the car will live up to it's billing. It is based on a streched 350Z platform, and the 350Z is giving more epensive sports cars a run for their money. Handling and the VQ engine are the cars string points. It also means there will be many parts for this car, as many mods as the GS. Infiniti service is near Lexus levels.

Now to me, for a car with such a long wheelbase, the rear seating area is as small as an IS 300s. I could not believe how small it was. You already noticed the interior, something Nissan cuts many corners at. That is very important to me, considering this is where I actually spend time in the car. Looks are subjective, I think while the G35 coupe is gorgous, the sedan is quite the opposite. Lil things too, hood prop instead of struts, the passenger seat does not adjust like the GS. The controls on the G35 are on the wrong side, the aluminum (fake) on the console may not hold up well (like the new Navigator, you can scratch it with a fingernail). But the G35 seats to hold you much better than the GS.

It would also be a step down. A GS 400/430 is THE premier Japanese Sports Sedan. Top dog of it's yard.The G35 is not GS 430 competiton. The M45 is supposed to have that role. That may nor may not be important to you.

I think with the mods you have, it seems less fun because it makes the GS so competent. That is what happenend to me. The same roads at the same speeds at stock (where it was fun) are now boring unless I push the car 20mph faster. I don't want to do that everyday.

You may be craving something new. Maybe some different mods? Coilovers? Lighter wheels? A bigger, lighter braking system? A TOMS rear suspension set-up.

I think your comparison to the G35 is quite valid (so your not crazy) but I'd keep the GS.

The below attached pic is of the HKS turbo G35 coupe. Sweet car.

SCWells72

Yeah, I'm aware of the relative placement of the two cars. However, saying that the GS is the premier Japanese Sports Sedan is ignoring a few VERY important aspects of a "true" sports sedan, namely a manual transmission, a solid suspension, and sport seats. With the L-Tuned mods the GS definitely gets into range on the second point, but there's nothing you can do about the first (short of a rebuild) and very little you can do about the third. Having said that, of course I bought my GS430 based on its reputation as exactly what you've stated.

The main thing I'm hungry for right now is a car that's engineered from the ground up to combine these features with the other GS features that have spoiled me. Like I said, the interior is the main sticking point. I'm not necessarily negative on the G35's interior, but comparing it to the GS's interior gives it a substantial relative disadvantage.

No, I'm happy with the suspension on my GS right now. What I'm not happy with is the "go pedal" feeling when I'm driving the car aggressively. The ability to gate shift (or even E-Shift) helps, but it's far from a substitute for a real manual tranny.

Like I said, I'm considering 18" wheels, but the handling change that'll give me at this point is pretty small given the suspension mods I've already done. Cosmetically it certainly helps as well, but what I'm really craving is driving dynamic change, not a cosmetic one (not that a cosmetic change is bad!).

Anyway, good feedback and much appreciated, Sick. I have a call in with several local Infiniti Internet sales managers who have cars matching my desired specs on their lots. We'll see what they come up with...

LexFather

Well, i ain't gonna lie (and we all know). A manual car is just more fun to drive than an auto. Funny but if Toyota would make the GS 430 with a manual, it would not even need any engine mods. We would be talking about a low to mid 5 sec vehicle.

The IS has a manual but is now simply overpowered by it's competition.

Good luck dude.

gs400998

I have a 03 Maxima SE A/T (3rd Maxima). The G35 is RWD, it is faster and handles better than my Maxima. However after owning several Nissan and Toyota/Lexus cars, I would still take a Lexus GS430 on any day. I just love the V8 in the Lexus. I get more looks and admiration in my Lexus and it is a more upscale car than the G35. It all come down to what is more important to you.

gs400998

I have a 03 Maxima SE A/T (3rd Maxima). The G35 is RWD, it is faster and handles better than my Maxima. However after owning several Nissan and Toyota/Lexus cars, I would still take a Lexus GS430 on any day. I just love the V8 in the Lexus. I get more looks and admiration in my Lexus and it is a more upscale car than the G35. It all come down to what is more important to you.

dnguyen_GS430

A friend of mine bought a new G35 coupe a few months a go and we traded care for a week. He told me that he got more head turns with the Gs430 then the G35. Giving the age of late 20s and status of the Lexus, I would say stay with the lexus. V6 can not match the V8 sound.

gsintensive

AMen

jcramair1

Amen again. I agree that the lexus would be very much missed if you make this move. IMHO

Good Luck

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

The G35 sedan is nice, no question, and Nissan/Infiniti is focused on exterior looks and driving capabilities these days (not a bad thing!). But it's a notch lower in luxury levels for sure. Great handling is definitely fun, but there's NO way I'd give up my luxury interior for it, otherwise I'd just buy a Porsche. Porsche handling is second to none in my opinion, but the interiors SUCK.

My question to you, SCWells is this - if you get the G35, won't you find yourself modifying it anyway in the luxury areas? (Stereo, wood trim, etc.) Maybe that's ok for you, but it has its own set of challenges.

Also, a MT is definitely fun, but here in Atlanta the traffic is just too awful for me to consider one again. Maybe when I move to the country again I might go for it in a 'spare car'. For a spare car I've actually considered something like a Miata. Tons of mods available, cheap car, HUGELY reliable, and TONS of fun to drive.

But I agree with 1Sick, that mods on a car you already own can rejuvenute one's interest. I just got new rims and an intake and it really stepped up my interest again.

Final thought - I don't change cars a lot, so I want something I can live with for at least 4-5 years if not more. Handling and an MT is fun, but things like a great stereo, really comfortable seats and great ergonomics matter a lot more to me in 'day to day' traffic and ownership.

GSquicksilver

You asked for a sanity check. Well, you are insane for wanting to trade your 430 for a G35. If you want a more sporty feel, just mod your car like 1sicklex said. Down the road, your 430 will outlast the G35.

I understand where you're coming from, given the G35 has manual whereas the GS430 is only automatic. If they only kept e-shift on the GS430 like they had on the GS400, I bet you wouldn't even have this dilema.

Good luck on your choice.

GS4Will

well, i worked for a infiniti dealer for several months, drove the G35 on manymnay occasion, both 5a and 6mt...at the end of day, i am alwasy glad that i am going home in my 99GS400...

G35 is a great car for its value, but i would not trade my GS for it, even with the employee discount that i can receive

Hameed

IMO - don't trade in your GS for the G35 - different animals. I have to concur with Bit here, on the everyday driving aspect of the GS400. Yes you are absolutely right, it would be nice to have a manual tranny - that is the only real advantage that a G35 has over a GS400. Seats can be changed (expensive mod though). I understand that Recaro is making seats for the GS.

When I got my 99 GS400 5 months ago, I considered some very different cars before settling on the GS - the 03 G35 coupe, 99 MB CLK430, 99 MB E430 and 99 BMW 540i. I drove all of them except the Bimmer, and I have to admit that the overall experience (plus the legendary reliability of Lexus and its high resale value) won me over.

Especially after adding the TTE front lip spoiler and the L-tuned side skirts - my apline silver GS with stock 17 inch chromes draws so many looks from people of all ages - teens to 40 + swivel their heads to look at it. (I know that has nothing to do with handling )

Dimiscus

I was in the same situation not too long ago before I purchased my GS430. i drove the G35 and really liked it. It was a neat car, handled well and was fun to drive. Then I talked to a friend of mine who sold cars. He said that the hit that you will take when you purchase an Infiniti off the lot is unimaginable. After doing some research online and looking at some used cars like on autotrader and some other sites, I realized the truth to this. These cars had about 2000-8000 miles and were selling for about 5-7K less then if you bought the same car brand new. To me 2000-8000 is pretty much brand new.

Looking back at everything now, I feel like I made the best decision and am driving the best car I have ever had. I did some research and found the exact car I want for the price. The GS430, hands down is a better car then the G35. The V8 has so much more power and like everyone else here has mentioned, it turns some serious heads. You just feel like a pimp when you are in this car. My opinion, stick with the GS430. Stick with the Lexus. The value, experience, service, name and quality is untouched by any other car maker. That's just my $.02. Good luck with your decision

SCWells72

I definitely appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately the two recurring points don't really factor into my decision.

Turning heads isn't something I'm going for in my car. Don't get me wrong--it's nice to get complements--but impressing others with what I drive isn't really on my short list of desired features for my car. I'll get to that short list in just a minute below, but I'm fine if I just appeal to my own sense of aesthetics. That's definitely the approach I took with the GS which has a love-it-or-hate-it look.

The aspect of the GS that's missing for me is "interactivity." Other than the Acura TL I drove right before the GS, I've pretty much driven manual tranny cars my entire life. Like I said above, I'm at a point where I feel I've done about as much as I can with a "go pedal" car in terms of a fun driving experience. Because of the flexibility of my work hours and the proximity of my house to both downtown and my office, traffic is rarely an issue for me. Regardless, because I drove a manual for so long prior to the TL and GS, even if I do wind up in traffic it's not a big thing.

What I'm looking for in a car is some combination of the following (in no particular order):

• Looks good TO ME inside and out
• Fun to drive, ideally like a true sports car - (ideally) manual tranny, RWD or AWD, good weight distribution, well-balanced suspension, sport seats, etc.
• Has the features that I want/need - DVD nav system, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, memory seats, decent stereo, etc.
• Has comfortable room for four adults
• Extremely high levels of reliability
• Extremely high quality of customer support

My GS430 has always nailed all but the second point. The L-Tuned and TRD mods helped on the well-balanced suspension and the feel of the weight distribution. While my car doesn't have E-Shift, every loaner I get from Lexus is an IS300 with E-Shift and my TL had SportShift, neither of which is approximates a manual tranny to me. I've adjusted my seat's lumbar support so that I kind of hunker down into it in pursuit of something similar to a well-bolstered seat, but it's not the same. Obviously if Lexus offered a real manual on the GS4, I wouldn't be having this conversation! My perfect car would exist!

The G35 nails all but the first point where I still favor my GS430's wood-and-leather interior to the G35's more modern, even futuristic interior (with some cheap materials) and the third point where the Bose stereo is mediocre. Like I said, I might consider a tasteful aftermarket wood package to dress up the interior, but the Bose is good enough for me to live with even if it's no Mark Levinson. I'm definitely not a car audiophile.

In addition to the G35 sedan 6MT, I've also been thinking about a slightly used (2001-2002) A6 2.7T 6MT with sport package. Unfortunately that car falls short in a few key areas, mainly Audi of America's bad reputation, the lack of a decent nav system, and the fact that I'm not sold on the dumpy rear end of the car. However, properly chipped that car is a beast with a great tranny, AWD, gobs of torque, and a very nice interior.

For those of you citing the GS4's V8 as a major advantage over the G35's V6, I said the same thing until I drove the six-speed manual version of the G35 (I'd driven the manumatic version of that car previously and found it lackluster). The manual tranny really lets you put the power to the ground in an amazing fashion. The first dozen or so times I launched the car I broken the wheels loose on the first two or three shifts. Once I got used to the clutch my butt-o-meter told me that the car was at least as fast as my GS430 and felt much more connected. Recent timeslips over at g35driver.com and FreshAlloy show 0-60 times in the 5.5-5.8 range for proper launches of the car. Its engine has a really nice exhaust note as well--definitely different from the exhaust note of my L-Tuned exhaust/V8--but very, VERY nice.

So this is by no means a done deal. I would never have started this thread if I didn't have my own reservations about leaving my beloved GS on another dealer's lot. I'm not really a hasty decision kind of guy. I still need to drive the G35 6MT a few more times before I can make any decision. I need to really run the car through its paces, bring a decent range of my own music out to put in the stereo, beat the crap out of the navigation system since that's a feature I use regularly in my intrastate and interstate travel, put the wife in the passenger seat and get her "family opinion" on things, look at cars with and without the aero package, adjust the seats into my ideal position and then hole up in the back to ensure that's a reasonable experience, etc.

I'll keep you guys posted, and please, keep the feedback coming. It's greatly appreciated!